Is this common?????

Specialties Travel

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I was told by a recruiter that as a travel nurse you may show up for work and due to low census you are cancelled and although they may not need you that night, they may tell you to come back the next day and you can't refuse, b/c as a travel nurse you can't say no, b/c you are constantly on-call. The recruiter stated that this is a part of "guaranteed hours" (you can be placed where needed) but if you have in your contract that you don't want guaranteed hours, you can be cancelled and you just go home.

I don't mind floating but I don't like the idea of arriving for you shift and being cancelled and then told to come back the next day and maybe you can be placed. Does the hospital call you ahead of time to tell you about the cancellation? Has this ever happened to anyone, what is the usual policy?

I understand as a traveler you are mainly there as a fill-in, to help out with staffing. From what I understand you are usually on a 3 or 4 day work week. So are you usually placed on a schedule that has been made out in advance? Or can you be placed day by day as needed with no idea of what your schedule for the week will be. :uhoh21: I feel that it is important to also have a life outside of the hospital and spend time with my family, but I don't like the idea of being on call at a moments notice.

I was also told that if you can prove that you are maintaining two households stipends can be tax free. But some have worked around this...how????

Thank you

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Uhhh.

Who are you with and how did they con you into that situation?

You should get a schedule like the regular folks. Most have the option of low censusing you maybe once every two weeks, but they still have to pay your housing (you do not get fined for the lost shift). If you cancel, you get fined for the housing if it is not made up.

That said very few will ever low census you - in three years, I never have been. But I have never been told that I was on call for the rest of the week if low censused - that would be ridiculous - and should be written in your contract if true. Maybe on call for that shift...but then you should get call pay.

You can be floated when reasonable, in most places.

I have called in sick (septic shock from animal bite) and did not make up the time, but was never fined for my housing. However compared with others, that called in at the drop of the hat, I guess that the facility felt that it was acceptable (I had to get the rabies shots there, so they knew).

Some young travelers that were living with family prior to traveling can sometimes paa the "two households" rule. As I and a family member have our own residence, we qualify. But there are the original household expenses to deal with, I pay for some house repairs and do substantial work in the area as well as assignments there. All mail goes there, DL and voting is there, we even share cars. That works, but if you have a household where that is not true, you are SOL.

Your agency should provide you with a booklet that explains the IRS regs on that.

Carolina

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Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.

Every agency is different...check around! As Carol said, most places need travelers due to staffing. My contract did not state anything about call...but the hospital where I was at would put their regular staff on call before they would me. I did get fined for being sick (I was on shift and even went to their ER). My contract stated that if I were to break my contract, I would be fined. Be very careful in the wording of your contract. Make sure there is something in there about missing shifts due to being sick.

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I would run as quick as possible from that recruiter...................... :uhoh3:

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Usually the only place that knows that you have guaranteed hours is the finance dept who is making out the check for the agency. Whenever I had guaranteed hours, and the unit didn't need me, I would get sent home, I always offered to stay over to supply rooms, etc. but was told that Iwasn't needed...........................then that was my time off that didn't need to be made up. You are not on call 24/7 as a traveler unless they are paying you extra for same.

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:) Thank you everyone for the wonderful response. Very much appreciated. I'm glad these type of forums are available. I'm definately dropping that company from my list. This particular recruiter continued to reply, "I'm trying not to scare you but give you some facts that others won't tell you", well she did a pretty good job of discouraging me from becoming a traveler. I'm getting closer and closer to signing with a company and stepping out on my quest of becoming a travel nurse. But I wanted to start off with a small assignment to get my feet wet.

I had heard so many great and not so great things about traveling and this recruiter just threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing. It just didn't sound right to what she was saying. It made it sound as if the hospitals have so much power over a travelers schedule. But what I was getting from other travelers was not the case. I couldn't imagine being told that I wasn't needed for that nights shift but would have to come back the next day if needed and would have no say in it. I was definately having second thoughts.

As far as the tax free stipend question I had(sorry for the confusion)...my plans are to move from my current state and relocate to a permanent residence in another state, therefore accepting a stipend instead of company housing. I was told by this same recruiter that if I could prove that I was maintaining two households (my previous residence and the relocated residence) that the money that I received from the stipend would be tax free, but if I could not prove the maintance of two households than the money that I receive from my stipend would be taxed. But that there were was of getting around this. After hearing all of this, I think to save myself from the headache I would just submit my new address.

I was also told that anytime I take a break in between assignments (i.e completion of a 13 week contract, then taking 2 weeks off and beginning another assignment) the two weeks that I take off will be deducted from my stipend and therefore I will only receive a portion of it. But if I take my 2 or 1 week vacation/break in between the 13 weeks (i.e requesting time off during week 12 and resuming) then I will still be eligible for the entire stipend.

And now that I know that I won't be on call, I can plan for my days off with no worries.

Thank you once again, everyone

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:) Thank you everyone for the wonderful response. Very much appreciated. I'm glad these type of forums are available. I'm definately dropping that company from my list. This particular recruiter continued to reply, "I'm trying not to scare you but give you some facts that others won't tell you", well she did a pretty good job of discouraging me from becoming a traveler. I'm getting closer and closer to signing with a company and stepping out on my quest of becoming a travel nurse. But I wanted to start off with a small assignment to get my feet wet.

I had heard so many great and not so great things about traveling and this recruiter just threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing. It just didn't sound right to what she was saying. It made it sound as if the hospitals have so much power over a travelers schedule. But what I was getting from other travelers was not the case. I couldn't imagine being told that I wasn't needed for that nights shift but would have to come back the next day if needed and would have no say in it. I was definately having second thoughts.

As far as the tax free stipend question I had(sorry for the confusion)...my plans are to move from my current state and relocate to a permanent residence in another state, therefore accepting a stipend instead of company housing. I was told by this same recruiter that if I could prove that I was maintaining two households (my previous residence and the relocated residence) that the money that I received from the stipend would be tax free, but if I could not prove the maintance of two households than the money that I receive from my stipend would be taxed. But that there were was of getting around this. After hearing all of this, I think to save myself from the headache I would just submit my new address.

I was also told that anytime I take a break in between assignments (i.e completion of a 13 week contract, then taking 2 weeks off and beginning another assignment) the two weeks that I take off will be deducted from my stipend and therefore I will only receive a portion of it. But if I take my 2 or 1 week vacation/break in between the 13 weeks (i.e requesting time off during week 12 and resuming) then I will still be eligible for the entire stipend.

And now that I know that I won't be on call, I can plan for my days off with no worries.

Thank you once again, everyone

I am trying to decide what company to travel with. Can I ask which company it was that you had such a problem with and what company you've found that you like? Thanks.

Amber

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