Placed on call

[rjaco9834]

Ok so I'm somewhat new to travel nursing and I have a question. I just recently signed a new contract. Upon arrival the census in my unit was 1 and now it's 0. Union law states that the travel nurse is called off before staff. Now I have guaranteed hours but if they place me on call it's considered me getting my hours even if I only earn a few dollars. This is my second day and my first I was placed on call and today I was not only due to the staff nurse wanting off. Is there something that can be done or do I stick this contract out making $40 a day.

[NedRN]

Call is not a substitute for contracted hours. Talk to your agency and confirm you will be paid for contracted hours.

[rjaco9834]

Thanks Ned, per my recruiter I will be paid my on call when I'm on call and my contracted pay when I work or when the hospital calls me off for over 3 shifts. The issue that comes up is being told on call is not being called off so the hospital will never have me reach the 3 shift maximum. Thank you for your quick reply.

[NedRN]

Is that three shifts over your entire contract? If so, that is fair as long as call is not a substitute for worked hours. If it is per week or even biweekly, that is a complete license for the hospital to steal. Your agency won't be happy either if that is the case.

If call does count as worked hours, and the agency is unwilling to talk turkey to the hospital, I would discuss exit plans with them.

Keep a copy of your timecards. I routinely scan mine and save them. There are several scenarios in which copies can prove useful.

[rjaco9834]

Yes, I am told that call counts as hours worked. I will stick it out but if it starts to be weekly I will need to seek other options. I appreciate the input.

[NedRN]

Well, again, I would urge you to discuss exiting this assignment with your agency. The only reason they wouldn't care is if they are basing your stipend on hours worked. Which might mean you hanging out for not enough money to cover housing. Throwing good money after bad is not a good strategy. If your stipends are rolling through regardless of hours worked, then your agency will lose money too.

[CFrancine, BSN, RN]

Hey Ned, thanks for the advice. I would have never thought of this. So in negotiating a contract, is it good idea to get this type of situation covered before starting?

[NedRN]

Absolutely worth a frank discussion, ideally with the results documented in the contract. However, many agency's lawyers don't allow changing the fine print (their sole job is to protect the agency, not make a fair contract). If you otherwise like an agency's tone and specific assignments, it is up to you to determine if contract language is a deal breaker. Most assignments complete successfully.

Industry wide, about one out of ten assignments fail to complete. Those are good odds, but it just means you have to be prepared emotionally, professionally, and financially when one goes bad. Easy to increase your odds over industry averages, working for smaller agencies is one of them, as is paying attention to red flags, agency tone, and completely avoiding recruiters with whom you do not communicate well with or have trust issues. On the job, one sharp word or gossiping can often cause an immediate termination, so uber professionalism is called for. Travelers do not have the get-out-of-jail free card to play that allows staff members to less than professional - you are easily replaced.