Is Anyone having trouble finding an assignment?

Published

I am in South Florida right now and I am having trouble finding an assignment in North or South Florida. It's like there is a "hiring freeze" or something. Is anyone else having this problem?

Specializes in OB.
I am traveling with my S.O. and it compounds the problem for us. We were hoping for Florida and/or South Carolina as we have our children living in those areas. We have expanded our searching to West Coast and the Mid-West just to be sure we will be employed for the Holidays. The idea of "retreating" to a staff position, though does not sound appealing, may be a smart move. At least until the Administrators of the nation's hospitals ride out this "bump in the road" aka recession. We plan on trying to keep applying and have been offered to stay here, but not something we are wanting so we will be elsewhere come Christmas.

Anyone have any advice about travel nursing in California? Good luck to all of you too. :typing

The trick is - if you can't be near loved ones for the holidays, take a contract where they all will want to come visit. I couldn't find a contract back in FL or GA so I took a contract in Las Vegas. Before I even started both my mom and my brother had bought tickets to come visit over Christmas and my d-i-l and her mom are working out the logistics for a girl's long weekend!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg,sa,breast & cervical ca.

a couple of recruiters I'm talking with said things are tight til after the elections. Though I'm looking at a NC job now and was offered AK, but I want warm for the winter not colder. I'd love to go to AK, but more so when there is daylight and I can see it.

Getting to the point where I am going to have to take A FT job here til I find something, but would MUCH rather move once, not twice. Did I mention I really, really, really want to go south for the winter? I'd take a Hawaii gig, but wonder how difficult is it really going to be to get my little dog there with me.

~MsP

Up Vote Up Vote ×
a couple of recruiters I'm talking with said things are tight til after the elections. Though I'm looking at a NC job now and was offered AK, but I want warm for the winter not colder. I'd love to go to AK, but more so when there is daylight and I can see it.

Getting to the point where I am going to have to take A FT job here til I find something, but would MUCH rather move once, not twice. Did I mention I really, really, really want to go south for the winter? I'd take a Hawaii gig, but wonder how difficult is it really going to be to get my little dog there with me.

~MsP

There seem to be plenty of jobs in CA, AZ, and TX have you tried looking in those states?

i dont' think hawaii would be worth it, they have a short quarantine but you have to do specific things for 6 month prior, send the dogs blood to a lab etc.. otherwise your dog would be quarantined for your whole time you are working there. i haven't been but i have done research on this

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am having a difficult time right now, I work icu/ccu. I have been submited to around 5 hospitals these last couple of weeks and havnt heard from any of them. I think most hospitals are "tight" now, and if you are a young travelor like myself (I will be finished with my first contract next week) then it is even more difficult. Right now I dont have another contract in line, so back to PRN for my home hospital until I figure something out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am at a pretty well respected hospital in Phoenix as staff and soon to travel at the start of the new year. I took a leave of absence--my boss super great--because I am afraid of getting out there and having a contract canceled or not getting the shifts I require. As is, Phoenix is hurting something terrible. No travelers at my ICU since May, hire freeze and regular staff getting mandatory canceled A LOT!! No unit x-mas party, no hospital wide annual x-mas celebration, they're cutting wherever they can, I believe to avoid cutting jobs. Crazy, I felt "safe" in the health field. I would suggest a leave of absence to anyone if they can get it, alleviates the stress of the situation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Burn, CCU, CTICU, Trauma, SICU, MICU.

a good friend of mine's husband is a recruiter... he is having a really hard time. there were 8 medsurg postings in the state of california... 1 year ago there 380.

he said hospitals are canceling their travelers left and right and that it has been... how did he put it "a devastating loss to the industry".

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

My home hospital is in north-central Florida. I keep a part-time line with them and work in-between assignments. At least that was the plan. The census is SO LOW they're having trouble tweaking the numbers enough to keep full time staff. No over-time to be found. Very very few prn shifts. Regular staff getting floated all over the hospital. I've never seen the census this low! It's scary. . .

If I don't find a travel assignment in the next week, I think I'm going back full-time staff. Can't go without pay!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in neuro/neurosurgery/epilepsy m/s too.

I am having no easy time finding a new job. Apparently, mid dec start dates aren't desirable to potential employers. Anyways, I may end up having to sacrifice some of the things I want, like location in order to be employed or stay out of work til January.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Paramedic,ER, House Supervisor, OR, CVOR.

Don't like reading about cancelling contracts. I accepted a position a couple weeks ago in South Florida and am purchasing a 5th wheel toy hauler to get me there. Have been on an assignment in Utah for the Summer and really enjoyed it. Hope to return in the late Spring of 09 with my daughter. She is the reason I head to Florida in the winter. I really prefer the cold to the hot weather but, family overrides at least that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PCU/Tele.

Unsubstantiated...but interesting rumor...

I heard that Kaiser Permanente (Insurance provider) has lost tons of premium payers in Northern Cali. Specifically (to name just 2 of several) Yahoo laid off >1000 workers and Mervyns stores will be closing and laying off all of their employees...these companies use Kaiser as their insurance product for their employees. With a significant decline in the number of Kaiser insured patients, travel contracts with Kaiser hospitals have been cancelled, or not renewed. I've spoke with several recruiters who have travelers in that dreaded stranded state... having accepted the contract and turned down others, only to have your contract cancelled, and all those turned down are gone, baby, gone.

I'm in Nor Cal right now, doing per diem, and throwing a few lines in the water for a staff postition. Hmmmmm....the times, they are a changin'.

Once again, the above Kaiser situation is unsubstantiated, but I did find it interesting and worth sharing. Heard it from a recruiter that works for the agency that serves as Kaiser's primary vender for travel nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Glad to see that I'm not the only one having trouble. I'm new to traveling and was looking forward to starting my first assignment. A couple weeks ago I was assured by my recruiter that he would have no problem finding me an assignment in California..now he as well as recruiters from 2 other companies are saying that things are very slow right now, especially in CA. If I don't get an assignment by the end of the week, then I guess I'll go back to working full time and maybe try it again next year.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Maybe you should try different companies or field...

i keep getting calls almost daily about jobs in CA and AZ.

I have my stuff on file with, HRN, Supplemental, Cross Country, and Aureus.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion