Nightmare travel experiences?

Runman1914, MSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

Hello fellow travel nurses...
I just relocated out of state, and took a travel assignment in order to transition while I attempt to sell a property in the state I just moved from. I was a travel nurse from 2000-2005, and it was pretty sweet. Back then, I did not really care about "magnet" status, mandated staffing ratios, JCAHO, etc.
Maybe now because I am older and have higher standards, my traveling experience has just been a nightmare. I am cancelled more than I work, sometimes HR forgets to pay me, I am signed up for CE's without any notice, then get in trouble when they are not completed. I am floated to multiple different units and get curious looks when I ask questions about procedures/diagnoses I am not familiar with.
I am probably just in a venting mood... but does anyone else have any "nightmare" travel nurse situations to share with me?

Welcome to travel nursing.

bagladyrn, RN · Jan 17, 2012

I've had some "nightmare" assignments over the years, but that's the great part of traveling - you know it's going to end. Sometimes the best that can be said is that the hospital is going to look really good in your rearview mirror.

Unless you are contracting directly with the hospital, some of the issues you mentioned could/should be covered in your contract: guaranteed hours, exactly how much floating, pay should never be dependent on HR (I insist on faxing in my own timesheet). If your company isn't helping you with this they are not doing their job.

NewTexasRN · Feb 6, 2012

I promised I wouldn't talk about this anymore, but I had a bad experience too. On my second night I had 12 post op patients. The experience was truly terrible. I was just so happy when the whole experience was over. I guess it's exactly what that person said, what gave me hope was knowing that it was only 13 weeks. I am mortified at the idea of signing another contract.

Cougar1113 · Feb 27, 2012

I do per diem work locally with an agency and yes, I get cancelled more than I seem to work and usually at the last minute since they can cancel up to the hour before and some facilities, especially depending on weather, take me 45 minutes to get to. Frustrating. Looking at doing traveling and just wondering if it is going to be worth it.

RN_travlr · Feb 27, 2012

Ive been called off AFTER showing up and then told"we are allowed to do that twice in a pay period"...I forgot to ask that one apparently. I was told "You will never be floated to a unit you are not familiar with...I didnt know that Med surg made me knowledgable in ER, ICU and Tele. I was told by a supervisor" Suck it up, thats why you make the big bucks"...( really...dont hate, dont you have the same opportunities as I do???)

By FAR the WORST experience I have had though was Greenville SC...Its was actually not where I usually work but it was close to where I wanted to be so I agreed. It was LTAC. God it was horrible!!!!! It was 8 hour days, so they would schedule us 10 days in a row and then give us our days off back to back. We moved around EVERY day. I was NEVER in the same sub acute house...which they called sub acute.. I called Med surg. These were brand new(2 days old) hips and knees, bowel resections etc. It was suppose to be one RN, one LPN and 2 aides per unit...Multiple times(and only did this happen to agency) I was the only RN on the unit, no LPN at all and then they would pull an aide.

I could go on and on and on....worst though was management..had no clue what they were doing, staffing was horrible and they treated you like you were garbage.

NEVER AGAIN!