Hospital cancelled my contract!?!

walk6miles · May 7, 2007

First of all, I am from Baltimore. I took a travel assignment years ago at Johns Hopkins - all that shiiny reputation wore off quickly when I realized that their public image and the reality of how things are run were two distinctly different things.

Many times Hospitals use the excuse of "clinical differences" to dump travel nurses - I was never let go but to be frank, I couldn't get out of Johns Hopkins fast enough.

Two incidents stick in mind: my first report came from a nurse who had a terrible attitude - she actually relaxed on an empty bed while giving me report. I wound up reporting her unprofessional conduct to the head nurse who basically blew me off.

At one point, the EKG monitor cable fell - yes, fell out of the monitor. When

I said something to the charge she was not impressed - she told me, "put some more tape on it. We spend money on research, not equipment."

It sounds as if things haven't changed It also sounds as if your travel company is supporting you completely!

Don't let it dishearten you - by the way, Sinai was okay, U of Md was still practicing in the dark ages but Union Memorial treated me like staff/family... check them out!!

walk6miles · May 7, 2007

Did I mention parking charge of 14.00 per night! I worked in Boston and never had to pay parking... if you didn't pay each night, they added to the cost and took payroll deductions.

naskippy · May 7, 2007

My contract was also canceled, but only about 2 weeks early due to them finding an anther traveling nurse to replace me. I had extended my contract once and was not willing to extend again so they wanted to get someone in there right away that they would have for a longer period of time. My contract was not cut due to excuses that I was not performing a good job, as they had asked me to extend a couple of times.

As it was only for a couple of weeks and due to me having another job lined up anyway I did not make a big stink about it. But at the same time I do not think it is fair. I was doing a good job and filling their needs as contracted. They chose to break the contract without any justification as to job performance and rightfully I feel I should be compensated for the two weeks they have stiffed me. But again, I chose not to make a big issue of it because my losses basically consist of losing a week’s pay because I am starting my new assignment early now and before my current contract would have ended.

Is there any recourse in such situations? I would love to hear from others that have had their contracts cancelled. I understand what mrupp3 is saying here. Can these hospitals just up and let you go at any time for any or no reason without any kind of consequence? What good is a contract if it is not worth the paper it is written on?

As a traveling nurse’s contract is with the agency and not the hospital I would think you could go back against or file suit against the agency for breach of contract and if they wanted to recoup their losses then they would in turn have to file suit against the hospital they have the contract with. Has anyone ever successfully done this type of thing?

Again, I would love to hear from others that have had their contracts cancelled. This is an ongoing potential problem in our line of work that could financially cause great harm to our day to day living, reputations, and future employment. Thanks for any input and sharing other traveling nurses out there might have. I look forward to hearing your comments and about your experiences if you have had this happen to you.

StrawberrySwallow · May 7, 2007

Don't be afraid. It does seem to happen A LOT at those B-more hospitals...it happened to me, and when my recruiter called me to tell me that my contract had been cancelled, he was very apologetic, but told me that i had to be out of the apt. in 48hours. I panicked until I fould out that the actual apartment complex would have to go through the eviction process, which takes 3 months, and, as well, the apartment was in the companie's name. So, I calmed down, realized that i wasnt ready to leave the city because I had my kids there, in school. So I started putting in apps. at the local agencies, and began working within the same week. The following week, I started looking for another apartment, that I would have to pay for on my own, but the lower travel wages, and money that they take out of your check to pay for your apartment, most times, cost more than having to pay your own rent, and having the higher wages and flexibility of making your own schedule. I found a very nice apt. complex that I got into immediately, with only a $100.00 dollar deposit. Its in a great location, and the units are nice. There are a TON of travel nurses, medical residents, medical students, and doctors that live there. You should check it out...BONNIE RIDGE APARTMENTS, in Mt. Washinton, MD. Its around the corner from Siani, and the big Jewish Hospital that is there (its name escapes me). Also, I will say this...the local agencies pay very well there. Yes, there are a few of those hospitals that cancel frequently (Hopkins, Maryland General). St. Joseph hospital has an in-house agency that pays well, and all you have to do is go sign up, and get to work. There are sooo many agencies there to go to work with. Don't worry. If you're not ready to leave Baltimore, just go work for the local agencies, and relax. That contract "cancellation-thing" is bull, but it happens all of the time.

mrupp3 · May 7, 2007

Thanks for the kind words. I actually heard from my recruiter today and since I was at bayview in the BICU and my background is the CCU, she's looking to place me at the downtown hopkins CCU. I'm a little leary of the place, but the money is good for the East Coast and the bonus is great. I'm a little leary of getting cancelled again though, but I figure I might as well try since I already know their system. Yes, the nurses in the unit I just came from do have a lot of attitude. The one precepting me even cussed at me when I wouldn't give a medication that he had prescribed and he's not a doctor. He was also doing arterial sticks on my patients when he couldn't get a vein for blood cultures. I didn't really understand it. I will be looking into MD law before I start the next assignment.

StrawberrySwallow · May 7, 2007

Please....PLEASE!! Don't be intimidated by those attitudinal nurses! They come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. I have a soft spot in my heart for you. STICK IT OUT, and make you some MONEY! Check out Critical Care Professionals (CCP), Critical Care Staffing (CCS), nursefinder's (all agencies), and other agencies. DO YOUR THING, and don't mind the attitudes, cuz they're just miserable. Also, watch out for those overhead TV monitors that the patients have over their beds, at Bayview. They swing out on...sort-of, kinda like an "arm" type of apparatus, and if you are in contact with the patients while they are in their beds, and then, stand up SUDDENLY, you can get a pretty bad concussion, or knock on the head! Just be careful, and don't get hurt there, because the agencies DO have a way of "blacklisting" you, if you try to file any type of workman's comp, or insurance claim, as a result of your injury.

I wish you the best of luck, and, if you didn't already know...just work hard, keep your mouth shut, don't feed into gossip, or "clickishness", give a good report, smile your butt off, and get to know the nurse manager that you most come in contact with. I would go even as far as bringing in a bag of chocolate for the unit staff that you work with, and trying to be very engaging, and sympathetic with all of the stress that the nurse manager, or house supervisor has to go through! You know, CHOCOLATE IS A GREAT STRESS-RELIEVER FOR NURSES! Offer HER some candy FIRST, when you go to report for your shift!

best of luck to you!

naskippy · May 8, 2007

uhmmmmm how about staying on subject here. The subject is canceled contracts...not nasty nurses.

angel4gramma · May 8, 2007

I have had 2 contracts cancelled a week early. One had wanted me to extend but when I finally said I wasnt interested in staying she emailed my company that night and said I was being cancelled for "personality difficulties" The second time they said they no longer needed me. I find it very difficult not to worry about being cancelled near the end of the contract.

misscus · May 9, 2007

Today after working 7 night shifts, I had my 3 week contract cancelled in Northern Arizona, for 'clinical reasons' of which I was not told what they were, which I only found out from my registry manager after I was sent home to hotel after which I called my manager, who was also dumbfounded over the situation as it had never happened with me before.

This night, ater arriving for my shift, I was told I was not scheduled on that unit but the clinical manager called staffing and then told me I was cancelled for that night shift, so I smiled and said I would go back to my hotel room and relax for an evening and be ready for tomorrow nights shift. I asked the clinical manager if anything was wrong and she said no. She even took my cell number so she could call me directly if I was to be called off in the future.

After I got back to my hotel, I phoned my registry manager and learned from him that I supposedly did not do a computerized physical assessment on an admit and also did not do a wound assessment. I was astounded. I admit I was new to the computer charting and if I didn't put an assessment onto the computer system it was purely accidental. The short time I was there I saw numerous unfinished assessments of which I finished out of my strong teamwork skills, usually it was just where a nurse did not assess flu/pnx vac's so I did that and finished them.

So, I went back to the hotel and packed my truck and left the 7200 foot elevation small town immediately. Drove the 186 miles downhill back to Phoenix. Even though I had the hotel for the night. I was angry and dumbfounded as to what I really did wrong and why I wasn't given the real information and or the opportunity to fix my omission/assessment. I can't even think of what wound assessment I missed after pouring myself over my n to n report papers for the 7 noc shifts. I also know that that last few nightshifts of work there, there were several core staff nurses who were called off for low census or placed on standby. I heard the grumbling but kept to my job. Now I just have to wonder, could it be a bogus 'clinical reason' complaint or just to cancel an over staffed unit's high paid traveler and hotel. I also know that I am quite competent as a nurse and am able to go in and do a good job for all my patients in nearly any tele//M/S unit with little help. I am highly proficient and organized and an IV whiz. 80% of my patients tell me I am the best nurse they have had and they learned more from me about their dx and treatments in the time I am their nurse, and the other 20% are so sick they are unable at that point to see anything but their dilemma/ illness. Understandable.

Has anyone had this type of experience? This really hit me hard, so I will greatly appreciate any feedback/suppport anyone gives.

Tonight after getting home I feel a combination of depression and or irritation as I have never had a contract cancelled for a reason such as this. In my short time there I saw where nurses frequently did not do something on the computer were told about it and they were required to 'fix' it. Because I am a traveler/registry, am I not allowed to 'fix' it? Am I supposed to be perfect in all ways? I took this really hard, and am really trying to learn from this experience.

Any feedback?

sexyaqr · May 9, 2007

John Hopkins is notorious for cancelling travel contracts. I did not get cancelled when I worked there but about 4 travel nurses were cancelled the same time that I started. And I know that someone got on about not talking about the " nurses attitudes" but it is because of these staff nurses that some of these nurses were cancelled.

Just a word of advice ANYWHERE you go, document, document, document. And I am not talking about regular chart documentation.

Document on their procedures (if it is something different than you are used to) and who told you and the date.

Example:-

I work with Open Heart patients, in one hospital a nurse orienting me told me that they do not check potassium levels on day 2 even if the pt has a couple of PVCs on the monitor. I wrote it in my little book that I carry every where I go along with her name and the date that she told me. Guess what, when she realized that I was writing down her name she re-canted what she said. Once these staff nurses see that you are knowledgeable about your stuff, they will just respect you.

Even recently, I received a patient who was in recent Afib and the resident decided to stop the amiodarone drip. Mind you, the pt was still in Afib. I mentioned this to her about 3 times in 30 mins. and she adamantly told me that she doesn't want the pt on the drip. Well, I charted on the patient's chart the number of times that the MD was made aware. I also told the charge nurse and made it known to the supervisor. People may think that I may have gone overboard but guess what, I am here for my patients and mind you my pt was finally put back on the drip and broke the Afib 2 hours after. And the attending came in the morning abd read my notes and thanked me for taking care of his patient.

Just remember you have to be on top of your game as a travel nurse

CHATSDALE · May 9, 2007

you are getting some good advise, document who said what when the conditions are such and so

there is frequently resentment of travelers/agency who are getting significantly more pay/perks and they have to oriented per staff for anything from where linen is taken to which way to chart..but it is better for them to have additional help than trying to make due with insufficient help

always watch you back, cover your but and enjoy your time off in a new place with lots of places for adventure