Experience

... are you working in the DEEP SOUTH or MEXICO by some chance ?????

No I am in Southern Virginia... If I were in Mexico or the deep South I would expect an experience like this but not in a main city in Virginia I am not even in the rural areas.

No southern Virginia not even rural I am in one of the major cities

If you are willing to file a complaint/describe a specific incident or situation, call the state dept. of health. The hospital's ability to keep its doors open depends on licensing from the state, and they will respond more quickly than federal agencies. You'll need to describe a specific threat to patient safety, however, not the generalities of slipshod nursing practice.

the State department is about the only place I haven't filed a formal compliant that was specific. Is there different "state" department regulations for Common Wealth states? I know that is prob stupid and I will go google but I went for JACHO for the accreditation reason and it seems to be doing little to nothing.. thanks I will update

Joint Commission accreditation is different than state licensing. State department of health licensing is what allows the hospital to operate. If you have a serious, specific threat to patient safety to report, this is the way I would go. Google search "department of health xyz state". Many hospital websites also provide a link.

Please be mindful of possible career consequences. Your agency, while wanting to send nurses to assignments where sentinel events will not occur, also must operate in the reality of their business relationship with the facility.

Good luck to you - please keep us updated.

- sorry in advance for the thread jack -

Why in the world does anyone believe that patient safety & quality are of lesser concern in the South????? Show me the evidence that is supporting these claims. Enough already with the prejudicial comments and unfounded prejudices based on geography. Sheesh. I thought nurses were critical thinkers.

BTW, my organization actually has acute care facilities in Mexico and Chile. These hospitals are staffed better than US hospitals. They have lower complication rates, including sepsis - than the US.

My state has a Safe Harbor program that offers protection to nurses - designed for just this sort of circumstance. Since WVA doesn't have one, you may want to investigate protections for whistle blowers who report patient safety issues.

...well well, Mexico, Chile plus 19 others have a socialize health care programs !

I think it really matters where in the south you are. I have done work in Africa, my brother and his wife have in Mexico/south America. I really did not mean to offend. I would just expect different resources and even different education/expectation regarding the exact standards I am used to. Not that I am saying NY standards are 100% the right way just I am sure If someone from Mexico came to NY they would be like really??? this is what they believe here? its cultural as much as it is locality and/or differences can even be seen right within the state between "poorer" areas or more "rural" areas.

Thank you for the concern re: my career but I am considering everything that is why more precautionary asking what is currently going on if anyone has feedback etc.

Why would you take them at their word that you will have to buy out your contract? Of course they'll tell you that. They want to scare you into staying!

Have you actually read the contract? Have they satisfied all their obligations as laid out in the contract? Do you think they would bother to take you to court to get you to pay?

in addition to what many others have said about this situation, please consider these things as well.

Re: contract: the contract states that any traveler can be fined any fees associated with the contract or penalties assessed. I agree with you that they have an obligation to meet their side of the contract but I have left a contract in the past and had my last two paychecks held for "payment of these fees" even though the hospital I was in told me I could leave and the reason I left was I as being asked to forge Medicare documentation and was not being provided basic supplies i.e. PPE gowns in order to safely care for my patients. OSHA even came in and fined this institution as did Medicare (still working with them Re: documentation stuff) but the travel company states that "contracts don't work like that" - meaning it doesnt matter that they broke their side I still am held liable because they didn't "fire me" which is but even if they did fire me according to them the only way my contract would not have a fine is if the pulled me from an assignment for safety concerns- which as others have acknowledged never or rarely happens because the company want to preserve their relationship with the company