jimbr1

Would just like to add my 2 cents here. You've made the commitment by studying hard in school, passed the boards to become an RN, have had experiences both good and bad, otherwise you would not have made it to the 6 year mark. I most certainly respect you decision, whatever it may be. I would only suggest that you try a different venue before leaving the profession before writing it off completely. I do not know your family situation in terms of commitment, but why not try travel nursing? I worked 11 years as a staff nurse, but have done travel nursing for the last 6 years and love it. It is challenging in terms of learning new systems and routines, but when it comes down to it...nsg is nsg in terms of knowledge and safe practice. You will meet tons of new people, and all of them are not miserable, you will see a number of environments both good and bad...but the contracts are finite and you will learn where to embrace the good environments and avoid the miserable ones. Believe it or not, there are still patients,families and staff that appreciate nurses! I would suggest that you re-think your decision...from an RN of 17 years with no intention of leaving the profession.

There are so many factors to consider..to the OP, there are most likely concessions and decisions that you may have to make eg. acceptable pay vs job availability, housing vs. stipend,etc.,etc... and trust no recruiter 100%- their primary goal is to make money for their company from your labor. If you are thinking about Hawaii...use an agency that has good ties with Focus One - they are the gatekeepers for the hospital systems in that state with regard to nurse travel agencies...otherwise your submitted profile will never make it's destination!...good luck in your travels!

The OP hit the nail right squarely on the head....brilliant brian!!! I have read many, but not all of the comments so far and wish to just put in my 2cents (or whatever it's worth?). I've got over 15 years RN experience (ADRN) and worked most of it as a staff nurse (tele-MS). After leaving the position, I found it impossible to find another full-time staff position in acute care (ADRN and RN was not my first career so I am older, but not dead yet!). I've worked as a Travel RN for the last 4-5 years. I have found the following in the last 5 years: facilities vary in terms of working conditions from the ridiculous to superb. Unions (and I am a former Teamster) are not always the solution. Some are good, but have restrictions eg. "bumping" and a misdirection of focus during contract negotiations- a focus on money rather than working conditions ( hospitals general don't like to be told how to run in terms of staffing levels.) Sometimes unions also don't have the clout to protect their employees, either. I am not against unions, but I don't think that they are the answer in some situations. I do firmly believe that mandatory staffing levels are a giant step forward in helping to alleviate substandard working condition as they have much more clout as determined by legislation on a state level, but that's only a step...much more obviously needs to be done...

You might want to try travelers haven- I do believe that is one on-line source that agencies use to find housing for their travelers...good luck!

I was there as a travel nurse in 2011. Maui Memorial Medical Center seems to use a lot of travel personnel- nurses doctors, even pharmacists so I have no real advice on a permanent job. However, I will relate the following- in talking with one of the nurse educators he stated that most people who decide to move there leave after 2 years (didn't give specific reasons). Coincidentally, on the plane ride home I sat next to someone who worked for homeland security in Honolulu, and was moving back after two years- his decision....so don't burn your bridges back home...best of luck!

Wow...just wanted to add a few things...not that I am one but there are no airline stewardesses,stewards, hostesses- if memory serves me correctly- the correct title is "flight attendant." I had a cousin who retired early because she just couldn't take the drunks and abusiveness of some of the passengers on flights anymore... sound a bit familiar...like some of the patients and family members who come into the hospital setting as well. I do have to also say upon reading some of the previous posts, NedRN seems to have a good insight into the "life of a travel nurse". Down-time between assignment can be terrible. The luxury comes when one is on a terrible assignment- it often becomes a little more bearable since there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you know that you will won't have to return there once your contract ends. On the other hand, a good assignment can also be sad upon completion. If you were to ask me why hospitals use travelers, I would have to say that the answer would be dependent on the hospital situation. I've worked on a unit that actually moved to a new building and took all of the staff- for awhile, the unit left behind (my floor) was staffed entirely by float pool nurses and travelers until new staff was hired,trained and oriented. I've also worked on a unit(after being oriented to two different versions of their computer system) to replace nurses so that they could go off the unit and take the computer upgrade class. Also, travelers are used to fill temporary gaps due to maternity leaves (previously mentioned). If you want to see which hospitals use travel nurses...look in the employment ads for hospitals that are constantly advertising for staff nurse positions- you will often see travelers being used in those hospitals as well since the hospitals never fill those permanent positions, usually due to poor working conditions. The only part which might be considered "glamorous" would be being able to see and enjoy new sites and experiences when not working.

When I referred to malpractice insurance in a previous post, I was referring to profession liability insurance...yes it is inexpensive, relatively speaking, but does provide you with a level of protection in the event of a lawsuit. The best advice I can give would be to visit websites that offer this insurance for more detailed information. In regard to taxes, you might want to find a tax specialist that specializes in travel professions...they do exist...good luck!

"The liability is on the hospital, not you".... if you sincerely believe that, I have some swamp land to sell you. All kidding aside, one of the first things I always advise a new nurse is to purchase malpractice insurance. Although a hospital or facility will usually say that you are covered...who covers you when you are fired, sometimes coinciding with an impending lawsuit? When lawsuits are brought.... usually everyone who had anything to do with the patient becomes listed in the lawsuit. Use your own judgment with regard to accepting patient ratios. Hospitals and health care facilities are run as a business by business professionals, not medical practitioners which means maximizing profits and staffing levels come into play with regard to profit margins.

Having spoken to a couple of colleagues, one who was doing prn for an agency and another who was doing a travel contract, the company billing rate as related to me was $68.00/hr for the travel contract while the billing rate for the prn nurse doing private duty was $100.00/hr. (2 different agencies) Now, consider what you may be getting paid through some of the agencies for either local,prn or travel, would you think that it is worth it to be a private contractor?...something to consider..

When I was doing orientation for a travel position in Hawaii, one of the nurse educators stated that most people who move to Hawaii stay for 2 years then leave. After my contract ended, on the plane ride home, I sat next to someone who was moving back from Hawaii- after 2 years...you definitely need to have a certain mindset to settle there permanently.

Worked 2 contracts there a a travel nurse- I liked it...good ratios, good co-workers...good computer system...much better than medi-tech (IMHO).

Just an opinion....if you extend I would ask for more money or completion bonus simply because they are saving money due to not having to give you the travel reimbursements that you would (or should) have received from your initial assignment.

Ditto with what's been said...I always see postings for ED and ICU travel nurses in Massachusetts, which is saturated with nurses...try another agency...good luck!

If a contract offered by an agency is advertised as a travel assignment, non-taxed money or stipend is usually offered for things such as meals, mileage, etc. The same may be offered for housing so that you can find your own housing or the agency will provide housing for you. If you are not getting these offerings, I would suggest looking at the price of lodging in the area and decide if the agreed upon pay rate is acceptable to you. Times are tough and some of the agencies bank on this fact- I hope that you are being offered an acceptable rate...good luck!

Time for you to move on...most recruiters understand that their nurses work for more than one agency, like myself and don't have any problem with it. In fact, they may be more aggresive in finding cotracts for you because of this. For them, it's a business...period. Recruiters don't always know the working conditions at the facilities where they have possible contracts, and when they do, they will still try to market them because although some people may not like the particular facility, someone else might...either way its money in their pocket for your hard work. Most of the recruiters that I've worked with have been very attentive and are readily accessible- those that aren't I usually don't do business with again. From your description, it sounds like you've been unhappy for quite a while- it's time for you to change your agency, or at the very least your recruiter...just my opinion of course....good luck!

Had a good experience with Core Medical- they seem to cover Maui and Hilo. There are other (local) agencies that cover Oahu...If you fly from the east coast be prepared for about 11-12 hours in the air.

fifty-eight

I feel lucky that I haven't had contract problems in this regard, although on my last assignment, the manager scheduled me for 8 hour shifts for one week ( when I was scheduled for 12 hour shifts- and made no attempt to discuss it with me!) I think a good rule of thumb is to review your schedule when presented to you, at the beginning of your contract. If it does not adhere to the terms of your contract and you specifically are unwiling to change hours according to their schedule, let both the scheduler and/or manager know that there is a scheduling conflict and talk to your recruiter immediately! The recruiter should back you up and negotiate with the facility on your behalf. If you start working hours that are not acceptable to you and do not continue at the facility, you risk losing paycheck(s) rightfully earned at the facility. The agency has a legal obligation to uphold their agreement with you- remember, you are employed by the agency. The agency wants to keep their personnel at the facility for the contracted period for purposes of reputation, repeat business, and income from YOUR work. You should remain flexible, but within YOUR reasonable limits...Happy Travels!

You may want to contact a lawyer about this but I believe that if you did not actually sign a contract, you are not legally bound to it even though you verbally may have agreed to it. I've only actually had to sign one contract for an assignment- others that I've had did not request a signature. Remember that the agreements are usually open-ended or one-way. In other words, although there may be an "agreement" or "contract" the facility may terminate the person for any number of reasons. If you do terminate your "agreement" there may be issues such as holding up your final paycheck, attempting to charge you for cancellation or not allowing you to obtain further contracts with the company for a period of time. In this economy, permanent staff positions are few and far between...you've got a decision to make...good luck!

I liked it enough to say that I would definitely go back- supportive staff, lots of travelers as well...overtime if you want it...they are still using paper for the most part...only drawback- high cost of living so I wouldn't stay there permanently unless I had 2 jobs or guaranteed overtime....BTW did get to Big Beach at Makena before I left...awesome beach!

Been here 3 mos and didn't hear anything about an aluminum man until reading your post...only a few days left-didn't extend at MMMC but may return next winter...haven't been to Haleakala crater or Hana but hope to at least get to big beach before I leave....mahalo...

Don't be discouraged by a bad experience- learn from it....never....never...never start an assignment without a contract. With internet and fax access, there is really no reason to not have a contract in hand before starting an assignment...in fact the agencies that I have worked with will not let you start until you sign such an agreement. Also note that within companies, different recruiters = different experiences. I was talking with another traveler working for the same company- had a different recruiter and was not having such a good experience as I. I am currently working in Maui- it really is luck and timing according to hospital needs and their interaction with agencies...had to get my ducks in a row quickly but was definitely worth the experience- just wouldn't stay here for too long only because the cost of living is high and I have steep bills to pay and can make more money on the mainland...don't give up because there are many agencies and some are definitely better than others. I also suggest that you also apply to a few if not many agencies- their access to facilities is varied and will give you more choices- more agencies= more offers via email and phone...good luck...Jim

Think I may have to move out of Massachusetts (or change careers)...been an RN for over 10 years...left 10 year position after 10 years (don't ask why) and have been out of work for over 5 months...have networked with people who have been out even longer...one is moving out-of state for a job (with 30 yrs experience)...feel badly for the new grads but am not feeling too great for myself either---got an email today- Christmas eve- computer generated rejection letter...time to move I think!

Did you interview at all 3 facilities? If not, you definitely should before you make a decision-look at staffing ratios and types of patients as well as talk with the nurses there (if you can). Every person is an individual and what works for one person may or may not work for another.Good luck!

I recently left a nursing position, having over 10 years experience and have had a difficult time finding a new position in Massachusetts. Many ads specifically state that they want experienced nurses only, therefore at this time it is difficult for new grad nurses as well in Massachusetts. Also, many facilities will accept applications on-line only- even if you show up in the HR office- you will be directed to a PC to fill out an application- so even showing up in person doesn't mean a face-to-face interview. I have no words of wisdom- even to experienced nurses in Massachusetts- only to network with nurses in other states- it seems that there are more nursing opportunities outside of Massachusetts. I may have to change careers myself- out of necessity. or move!