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Hello! So I am a new BSN graduate (graduated in August). I have been offered a position via a staffing agency for very high pay for administering vaccinations around different areas in the state. My concern is that the staffing company is a third party (I.e., a staffing company hired by a staffing company contracted by the state if that makes sense) and that the process was almost too good to be true. I applied for vaccinator positions about a month or two ago and I just got called by a recruiter today and they simply sent over the hire information (pay rate, contract, policies/procedures, w-4, reference form, CPR/license # proof of vax form, direct deposit form for me to fill out) and told me to go to a paid orientation this Friday. Is this customary for a position such as this one via a staffing agency? Is this common because of the state of the pandemic? I am just generally apprehensive because the whole process was very easy and this would be my first job out of school. Any answers would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much.

@the VEGAN Professor Nope. It was a quote for only me! That was the federal marketplace insurance quote which was all I qualified for at the time because my hospital refused to give me temporary insurance for the duration of the pandemic. I tried everything to stay, but admin, HR, OCCMED, all kept giving me the run-around or ignoring me. It was really very disheartening. I had amazing annual evaluation scores and everything but I guess being a good employee was not enough for them to even consider my requests.

I really do not understand why we can't just start the non-clinical portion of the program at the regularly scheduled date or close to it. I just hope everything could get started by the end of May. I know RU medical students are doing clinicals online. Unless NJCU somehow does not have the resources, I do not understand the point in postponing the start date =(

@sliddlejohn56 I was thinking they should be treated as COVID + but with the lack of PPE I don't think the facilities can do that or want to do it.

@DannyBoy8 It sucks if you think about it too because the hospital is not testing us to see if we are positive and we are working with extremely immunocompromised patients and exposing them to the virus. It is so sad. I agree with quitting being just as brave as staying to protect patients if I think about the aforementioned statement as well.

I am really bummed about all of this. I feel like a traitor and a quitter. It truly is not a good feeling. I feel like I am either overreacting or underreacting. I really appreciate your detailed and thoughtful responses. Thanks so much. ❤️

@Naturally Brilliant I don't hate you! Consider yourself blessed.

@Daisy4RN I feel guilty because I like the people I work with and what I do. I will be letting them down in a time they need me most even if I am just a nurse tech. I will also be letting people down that need care. But there is only so much that I can do at this point. I do not have the same resources everyone else has at this point in my life. If I were to get sick I do not have a large support system to take care of me, no health insurance, my savings are for school, it just does not make sense for me to stay. All the cons outweigh the positives. But I will be soiling the opportunity to work at a large health system after I get my education. I am literally torn.

@caliotter3 This whole thing is just making the inequities of certain organizations more apparent. I am sorry you have to go through that. I wish you good health during this difficult and uncertain time.

@cubby777 Did you give 2 weeks notice or did you drop them cold turkey? What would they do if you just don't show up?

@Daisy4RN My gut is telling me to leave. I am a tech. If I get sick I will not even be able to go to nursing school if my illness is severe. I feel horrible for wanting to leave. But I think it might be best. I honestly do not want to give two weeks notice. I just want to say I am not feeling well and just not come in. I feel so guilty about all of this. The management has just ignored me in my attempt in trying to stay though it sucks.

My hospital ICUs are all COVID now. 40+ COVID positives with tons of R/O on respiratory floors, med/surg, and ED units. Once ICUs fill up post anesthesia area will be used. We do not have enough negative pressure beds so we will be using filters (false sense of security in my opinion). RNs are told to cluster care and not go into COVID rooms more than 3 times and enter less if they could help it, told not to do mouth care and minimal to no turning of patients. N95s are to be used throughout the duration of the shift and will be cleaned at the end of the shift, they will be providing clean scrubs at start of shift and checking temps. IV pumps will be outside of the COVID rooms, tons of PPE on backorder already. I wish my hospital did not let the techs go in the room. Initially, they said they would not but I was apprehensive and thought there is no way that policy is going to stick when the COVID patients increase and lo and behold they changed the policy. I am actually a tech right now (accepted to a BSN program but the start date is on hold from all of this madness with COVID) and my hospital management is telling everyone to buy their own PPE or ask the community to make it and send it in. I no longer feel safe and am considering leaving. I am a tech after all. But I would strongly consider staying if my hospital provided temporary health insurance to per diems but they do not. Instead, they are giving 2-4% raises. Money means nothing if you do not have your health.

Thanks for this. I keep teetering between feeling guilty for wanting to leave and just staying because it's for the greater good of the livelihood of more people. I keep thinking of the ethics trolley problem "save 1 or save 5 lives". I think well...if I get sick at least I was doing something for the greater good of humanity. Then I think; the organization I work for is putting profit over the livelihood of the workers. They will require you to come in sick during this time with certain symptoms, they will also require you to use your PTO to cover your sick days and if PTO is exceeded while you're sick you just will not get paid. I am per diem so those policies do not apply to me - I suppose I am an outlier - and they refuse to just give me temporary health insurance for the duration of this pandemic. Instead, for peace of mind, I will have to pay $200-$300 per month for health insurance. I don't know what to do. Do I want to work for an organization like that? Am I being too idealistic? Should I quit?

I am considering it. My job is giving raises depending on the results of annual evaluations (up to 4%). That's nice but I would really rather have temporary health insurance given to me from the hospital since I am per diem and don't qualify instead of paying $200-$300 a month for health insurance. I keep teetering between staying and leaving. It's horrible. =(

My facility is offering pay increases to staff (except executives, residents and non-resident doctors) based on evaluations only if you have not reached the maximum hourly rate for your position. This sounds great but I would personally prefer to have temporary health insurance since I am per diem. But hospital management is just ignoring my requests. I am tempted to just leave. Thoughts?

If your hospital allows it. Why not bring your own?

I will preface this by saying I am not a nurse. But I work as nurse tech in an ICU. The nurses that are pregnant have left the floor by the guidance of their OB/GYNs and will likely not be returning to work on our floor. Now, I do not know if they will be moved to another unit or section of our hospital system but they are definitely not working on our floor anymore. Additionally, the CDC recommends that pregnant women stay home during this crisis. I wish you and your family the best of luck.

I am in a precarious situation at the moment, in that because I am per diem my organization will not give me health insurance even though we are in a state of emergency and I work in critical care as a tech. This has made me feel like I should not come in until I have health insurance which could take 2 weeks. I have a shift tomorrow and I am very apprehensive to go in. With that being said, if you are a nurse with health insurance if I were you I would not quit because they really need you right now. Again, I am not a nurse yet, but if I were and I had health insurance I would definitely stay.

I am UAP at a critical care unit and they are not offering me even temporary health care coverage even at this time. I am willing to get health insurance through the ACA but that will take 2 weeks. I have a shift tomorrow and the next day and I really do not feel comfortable coming into work uninsured. I do not have any pre-existing health conditions but I have been getting chronic URI/Bronchitis 2-3 times per year for the past 2 years. I love my job but I really do not want to come into work until I have health insurance coverage. But I do not know how to express that to my bosses without sounding selfish and spineless. I will be reducing my hours come May to 1-2 shifts per month because I will be attending a fast-track BSN program. ACA says I will have to pay $200-$300 per month with almost a $10k deductible. My RN friend says I should just pay that for the 2 or so months that I will be working there then switch over to state health insurance when my income changes (with my current income I do not qualify for state health insurance). Between now and when I get ACA insurance will take 2 weeks and I don't know if I want to risk coming into work and getting sick with no health insurance for that period of time. On top of that, I do not have anyone to take care of me in the event that I do get sick which scares me even more. What would you do?

Hey Kate, yes they sent an email out. Just check your junk mail it's possible it might have went there.

I found this to be super vague. Technically the governor closed the schools but they are still open and running virtually. I feel like NJCU just wants to wait a little longer before they make the Wall cohort virtual to see if everything will blow over by mid April. It is super unlikely they will cancel or delay the start of an entire cohort.

Well I am happy they finally emailed us! BUT I am surprised they did not just say that they are not making the classes virtual. =/ I am also concerned about financial aid because the email says that they are not sure financial aid will be available on the virtual orientation.

Hey I just saw their website too. I tried calling them but it seems like they switched to an automated system only. I am going to email them to ask and update you guys. I can only assume with everything that is going on that they will make our initial classes virtual if this persists through May (which it's looking like it will). I cannot imagine that they will delay our program since that would also delay any following program's start date. Hey I just got my gothic ID and logged in to see if there were any financial aid statements posted to see what kind of aid they gave me but nothing is posted. I only see the deposit in the system. You should have gotten an email from them with your gothic ID and password so you can access the NJCU blackboard system.

@NurseSpeedy My university ended up having all employees transition to telecommuting. This whole COVID-19 scenario is wild. I did not expect it to get this out of control.

Hey everyone. I hope someone can respond to this. I am a UAP at a major hospital but am per diem and I have no health insurance. I am applying for Obamacare soon but between now and when I get coverage I am concerned for my health. I have a propensity for having bronchitis multiple times per year for the past couple of years. So I am concerned I might get sick but have no coverage. I don't want to not go to work because I am needed at a time like this even though I am just a UAP. I feel like if I bring this concern up to my bosses they will not care and I also do not want to seem dramatic. Please advise!