Company Policy/Procedure Inadequate Feedback

[caringchic]

I am sharing my experience in hope to protect my nursing collegues! It has recently come to my attention that the prominent travel company, Medical Staffing Network, (InteliStaff and Travel Lite ) do not have a chain of command for their field staff, they do not have an employee handbook nor do they have policies or procedures that provide direction that pertain to company expectations!!!! PLEASE be very careful if you interact w/ this company. Their Director of Employee Relations and their Director of Compliance state that they relay only on VERBAL conversations when interacting w/ their nurses! They advertise a fabulous gig, and I worked for them a long time. However, after realizing that the company standards did not meet a solid business plan it no longer felt right to offer my services to them. This companies bill rates are well above other travel companies and the services they provide are substandard!

Auries Medical corporate offices out of Nebraska is excellent and Talent Medical in Portland OR are HONEST, straighforward companies who are driven for the nurses who work for them!!!!

Hopefully this will help protect our profession as we strive to care for others!

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

What was the specific problem? I'm a traveler. There is a traveler thread too. PM me if you want.

[Spritenurse1210, BSN, RN]

Maybe it's the specific office you worked in? I worked as a CNA/ Sitter for the springfield va office for 2 years, and they had outlined policies and proceedures that everyone had to follow. sorry you had such bad luck!

[caringchic]

I was sent to a facility on a contract for short term, rapid response contract. The first week of the contract the area had inclement weather and therefore closed. When I got my paycheck it was several hundred dollars short. I called the payroll dept and was told the contract had not been "filed" yet and it would be addressed the next week. The following week the weather was also "inclement" and there was "no one there who had the authority to address my missing pay. The following week I spoke to the branch manager and requested my money only to be told they had actually backed out of contract but noone had mentioned that to me as the contracted nurse. When I asked about policies r/t "inclement weather", early cancellation of contracts, employee grievances, cont.education for RN's, and chain of command if you see something or are asked to do something you dont feel is safe, right or prudent and that situation is not addressed w/in the facility what is the chain of command within the company. The local supervisor didnt know, the regional VP said the company didnt have policies and the corporate leaders stated they relied on verbal communication in such instances! Each branch is run differently and the corporate office does not involve themselves in the procedural oversight of the company. SCARY, in healthcare if it isnt documented it didnt happen! The business culture of today does not leave room for a "hearty handshake" between employee and employeer.

In short, I asked for policies r/t what services a national company had for nurses working for them. When they are placing RN's nationwide it would seem appropriate that they have a standardized method of communicating between client (facility), nurse and home branch! I am amazed that a company w/o such basic business savy is accrediated and cont to place nurses! Hence why I decided to share my experience. It feels like airing dirty laundry but travel jobs are also being hit by the economic downturn and this company does not have their nurses first!

Travel nursing does not in any way mean KNOW it all nursing and to be a traveler or work per diem each person assumes some inherent risk! It bothers me to think that a company who is providing such a service at such a price does not have a clear method of backing up their staff! Not to mention they do not even have a written risk management model which is touted on their website as one of the top services they offer to clients! How does that work out?

In contrast I have worked for Aureius Medical, Onward Healthcare, Pace Staffing, all of which have employee handbooks, clinical resources and a procedural way to process information! I am not usually one to be a rule sticker and anal! When I have been a staff nurse I probably have never even read my employee handbook but I knew it was there should the need arise or should I need further education. The reason the regulatory bodies suggest policies is so that when things become sticky there is a clear outline for addressing issues! Not subject to interrpretation or convienence!

I have yet to be paid for shifts worked during inclement weather! Unfortunately my mortgage company hasnt cared !!! The state board of labor has agreed I am entitled to the money. I would like the money but more than that I would like to help protect other nurses who are working hard for pts, while being betrayed by this company!