Long Term Care/Rehab Travel Nursing

[telenurse2009]

I have the opportunity to do Travel Nursing for the first time in Long Term Care/Rehab. I would appreciate any feedback/help. Last year I went to Nevada and worked in a Long Term Care-Rehab Facility i.e. post op 2 days + I was told I would be charge nurse for 21 patients with RPN's giving the meds. I was told my responsibilities would involve admitting 3 patients per night, overseeing the RPN's, giving IV push meds, monitoring IV's if the RPN did not have IV certification, and managing/maintaining all PICC lines. The reality was the following: 90% of the time someone called in sick and instead of 21 patients I would end up being responsible for 42 patients. As a result I would have to do all the admission paperwork/assessments on 5 to 6 patients. They weren't computerized for this and all the admission paperwork/MARS etc was handwritten....i.e. quite time consuming. I was told by the DON that in the event of a staffing shortage the supervisor would take responsibility for 3 admissions....this was not the case...the supervisor did minimal work and no admissions....she had medical problems herself and due to her morbid obesity could not walk 10 feet without becoming SOB. So I would end up working from 6 pm to 9 a.m. to do all of these admissions along with all the other responsibilities I ended up leaving after 5 weeks because the working conditions were unsafe. My questions are:

1. Is this the norm in a Long Term Care Facility in the U.S.? (I am a Canadian nurse with a Nevada and California License)

2. Are alot of the Long Term Care Facilities not computerized where admissions are still handwritten on numerous forms?

3. Do you find that the assignments you are given are the heavier assignments- the ones the other nurses do not want to take on?

4. Can you recommend a travel nursing company?

5. Any thoughts on Core Medical Group?

Thanks for your help!

[telenurse2009]

Nobody's posted any feedback for me. For those that are reading...I spoke with Core Medical Group and I strongly do not recommend them. Dodge a bullet there.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

All the nurses in my facility (Massachusetts) are expected to do admissions. We are computerized and everyone was expected to learn how to use the system. I get calls and mail and email at least 5 times a month about travel nursing...especially as an interim DNS in a long term care facility. If I didn't have to work full time, I might consider doing it....go into a building, fix the problems and move on to the next job. I hope you find a company that you can be comfortable with.