Don't know what to think of my unit

[SoundofMusic]

It's a dedicated stroke unit that has a great pt. ratio of 4:1. Howver, it seems they can recruit too many to work on this unit as staff, so half the unit is staffed with travelers.

But here's the thing -- the travelers NEVER leave. They are so-called "long term" travelers and some of them seem to have been there for 18 months or longer. They just keep renewing their contracts there.

Now that I'm off orientation, some of the staff and PRN nurses are opening up to me about their resentment of the travelers. Seems many of them are outright favored by management, keep signing on because of the good pt ratios, and just generally get their way in everything. Some of them seem to be real rats who write up some of the staff nurses and they are telling me that a couple of them have run off some of the less productive staff nurses as well. If anyone keeps making big mistakes, out they go.

From my own perspective, many of these travelers oriented and precepted me, so I know them ok. They have been good to me for the most part, but also can be sort of snotty. A couple of them can be downright rude, and one would think the'yd just leave after a while .. .but they don't. I appreciate some of them being there, because a lot of them are very experienced and I learn from them -- but a lot of them seem to hold it over you also, especially if you are a new grad.

I just don't get how a hospital can continue to hire travelers long term, and how they can outright favor them over staff nurses. The managers say they're trying to increase staff nurses, but they way they treat the staff, lots of them just end up leaving.

Seems like a bad business model, at the very least, to pay travelers twice what they pay staff, yet FAVOR the travelers! Does anyone else experience this situation where they work?

[NsgChica]

I haven't experienced this but have you guys discussed having a meeting. Is your manager open enough to accept suggestions from his/her staff? Seems like a tough situation and kind of fosters a us against them relationship. Try not to get caught up and in between. Try to remain neutral, open, and honest.

[RN1982]

I hate when people brag about running someone from a job. How immature! You made it so miserable for them to work just because you didn't like them. Very immature. On my old unit, they started hiring travel nurses. One in particular was very rude. Especially when she started ordering around the CNA "We're doing this NOW on my schedule"...Whoa ok, CNAs do their jobs up here, no need to be hostile. Not all are rude. I work with some great traveling nurses and I kind of envy them because at least they are stuck in one place like me, I loved to go somewhere besides Detroit.

[puggy232]

I wouldn't take sides here, just try to work well with who ever is there, keep your nose clean and cover your a**! It's not unusual for staff nurses to resent travalers as they make more and staff nurses see that as increased wages or hours that ought to be theirs-as for undermining of coworkers that could be anybody staff or traveler, I wouldn't put alot of energy into trying to keep up, just try to remain professional, hard working, and ethical.

[SoundofMusic]

Good advice, all.

I guess my main concern is how the hospital can do this, and how management can almost encourage a situation which seems would be more expensive FOR the hospital.

One would think the'yd coddle the staff nurses a bit more, so as to retain them.

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

in a perfect world, staff nurses would be appreciated for their hard work and dedication