travel nurse in st thomas. Need 2 know if we should accept

[katorules]

Would like very much to have reply eitherPM or post about going as traveller to st thomas. My husband is OR tech and he will go also. I am medsurg offered nights. I have read so many negatives that we are beginning to wonder if we should take this. We cant afford to lose money either. It seems like there are lots of travel nurses there and so I dont understand why pt care would be so compromised. Being creative for supplies is ok, used to do home health in poor rural area. Do want to be safe and comfortable in housing, and going to work at night.thanks

[islandbound]

in response to your question to travel to St. Thomas. All I can say is be sure and research and get all of any agreements or promises fro a company in writing.

I myself am wanting to travel to St. Thomas and possibly remain there to live. I also know someone indirectly from my work who is currently there and has been mislead by the company they went with. Having just been there on vacation and talked with those that have moved, well if you plan to move there be sure and have your debt paid off. If it's just a short term deal prob best if you are stable in the bill department. Again be sure that what the company promises you is in writing.

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

Remember that it is not like being stateside and having something go wrong like a cancelled contract or being fired. Getting in your car at 5am and driving 500 miles back home might suck but you can do it. Not so in St Thomas. I would suggest a rock solid contract and a cash cushion for a flight if needed.

[kcalohagirl]

One of our nursing supervisors had a friend who recently did a contract there.

She said that the technology in the hospital was archaic compared to what we have on the mainland. And that funding was so bad that nurses had to be very "creative" at times, as what we would consider basic supplies were often in short supply and sometimes unavailable.

Haven't been there, had though I might like to go, and this is sincerely third-hand information at best.

Look into it very carefully, but if you do go, make the most of it!

[islandbound]

Have gotten some other information from the friend of a person that has been working there. When she first got down there she had indicated that the ICU had newer equipment than we did at our hosp. I work in Missouri. Since that time I have also been told that they ran out of O2 and had to wean all the ICU pts off it WOW. Also that they did not have hot water or air conditioning. No detail on why no air of hot water or if it was a temp thing. It was also indicated that she had been told by someone that 80% of the staff including the doc are travelers.

I wish there were some first hand information, as this is all third hand. I too would still like to go, but as mentioned before, would want to have all the ducks in a row and have plenty of extra cash to get by if something went wrong with the assignment.

Hope someone else helps to clear the air on all this info.