koalafiedRN

6 months of experience - please wait before you start traveling. I have been a nurse for 8 years and I have been traveling for 5 years. I have a hard enough time adjusting to each facility. If I had to adjust and be a new nurse at the same time with 2 days of orientation to the unit I would be a hot mess.

I have never worked with this particular company and I was wanting to go to a town nearby because it's fairly close to my family. I had submitted the paperwork they needed me to fill out. The job was there one moment and the next day it was gone Afterwards they were sending me information on places I had no interest in going to. I just figured they had some positions they needed to fill and thought that I would be the perfect person to fill them.

Don't know if this will make sense to anyone, but I feel like these travel agencies are trying to steer me towards a specific assignment. For example, I will ask them to submit me to a certain position and then all of a sudden that position is filled but they have another one available that I have absolutely no interest in. Anyone else have the same feeling or am I crazy?

Yeah I have no intentions of taking the issue any further than just simply letting the manager know I think it would be safer for her to just let me know on the phone or in person. I don't want to burn bridges or get anyone in trouble. Unfortunately, there are no hospital emails at this facility. I personally do not care for that method of communication especially when it has patient information in it.

I think from now on I will never give out my email again. I thought it would just be for my schedule. I have only worked there a couple weeks and have received over 40 emails.

I am a travel nurse and I gave my nurse manager my email address thinking that she would just send me my schedule. Turns out she uses that to email me anything and everything from sending me a picture of the break room stating that we have no maid service to letting me know that I Made a medication error. Which brings me to my point. She sent me an incident report asking me to respond to my error through my personal email address. It had the patient's name and everything. Is this considered a violation since my email is not secure?

I am doing rotating shifts but I am hoping someone will switch with me if I decide to stay. I forgot to mention on here that my no code patient expired on the day that she told me I was unsuccessful.

I have been traveling for about 4 years. This is not the first time I have had a tough time on a travel assignment, but this is the first time that I just wanted to leave my contract. I was put on an 8 hour day shift for my orientation, but I am normally a 12 hour night shift nurse. The day shift has proven to be way too much for me. The pace is too fast and I am finding I can't get everything done in an 8 hour shift. I was told that I have to clock out by a certain time or they won't sign my time sheet because it is considered overtime. Believe me, I don't want to be there past my time, but I haven't finished my charting so technically it is illegal for me to clock out and keep charting. I am not use to taking care of 7 patients on a day shift. Not to mention, I made a medication error on my first day off of orientation. The nurse manager told me at the nurse's station in front of other staff and doctors that I was unsuccessful. I didn't respond immediately because I was so busy trying to make sure my patient's were safe. She didn't explain to me why I was unsuccessful and why did she have to do it in front of everyone instead of in her office. Sadly, I ended up crying but not in front of the manager. Another travel saw me and told me that this isn't the first time she has made a traveler cry and that she doesn't really like anyone. Today I am going to be on an evening shift, so I am hoping that it will go better than the morning shift. Maybe I am just not a good fit for this assignment. I am not sure what action to take next. I honestly don't think I can finish this assignment.

For travel assignments I have worked in Texas, Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, Delaware, and Nevada. I have only taken the PBDS test once in Dallas, TX. I passed thankfully, but the other nurse who was taking it did not and she was asked to leave. I know they use PBDS for some hospitals in Dallas and most hospitals in Houston. I have an aunt who was a Nurse Manager in Florida and she says that they use it in Miami at her hospital to measure a nurse's experience and not to pass or fail them for a job. I usually try to avoid assignments that require PBDS testing. I don't like the idea of having to turn around and go back home if I "fail" the test.

Yeah agree. It took about that long to take the PBDS test as well. I feel like I have taken enough tests in the last year. And what is crazy is that they told me I would get the position only if I pass the PBDS test. Thank goodness I didn't come from another state. It would have been upsetting if I went there, took the test and failed only to go all the way back home with no job. I don't mind taking tests but this is madness. At least this time I take the test in the "comfort of my own home."

I found something that will be helpful to anyone else who has to take these exams. Clinician's Point of View For the clinician, the nurse competency assessments are easy to complete either in an onsite proctored environment, or from the comfort of their home. 1.Behavioral assessments measure four dimensions of the clinician's behaviors; cognitive abilities personality attitude engagement The assessment is in multiple choice format and is not timed. However, on average it takes about 30-40 minutes to complete. 2.Clinical competency exams*are specialty specific, and help to identify professionals with sufficient job knowledge to prove safe and effective patient care. In contrast, these assessments are timed, allowing the clinican one minute for every question on the exam. These are also in multiple choice format, and range from 30-60 questions. 3.Situational assessments*focuses on the "soft skills" of the clinician including critical thinking prioritization handling conflict and change developing patient relationships...and more! The format is a series of online video "vignettes" depicting actual nursing situations, with multiple choice questions to follow. This section is also not timed, allowing the nurse to watch and re-watch videos as many times as needed. On average we also see this section taking about 30-40 minutes to complete. Total test-taking time is typically 2.5 to 3 hours, with instant results sent back to the recruiter/educator!

These are the tests I am supposed to take. I was not given any info on the format. I just wanted to be prepared. Situational Assessments Interpersonal Competence Behavioral Assessments * Personality, Cognitive, Attitude, Engagement Clinical Assessments Medical Surgical Exam A.1 RN Pharmacology Exam A.4 After I take these tests I can provide info on what they were like.

I wasn't sure where to post this but here it goes. I have been a nurse for only 4 years and have had the opportunity recently to start traveling. I have already completed one assignment for 13 weeks. I had to take the PBDS test and I was very nervous about it because I heard so many negative opinions on it. It definitely wasn't a fun test, but I did pass it and am very proud of myself. After my first assignment ended, I decided to just go back to working full time. I have had a really difficult time finding work. I keep calling the nurse recruiter at the hospital and she has not given me any information about if I have gotten the job or not. I have been working with a local agency to find jobs here and there. So far I have been cancelled 5/9 times. I don't get very many options of where to go because I have only worked med-surg. So I decided that I would give traveling a chance again. I don't mind taking tests, but I have taken so many it's ridiculous already. So I am asking if there is anyone out there that have taken the Prophecy Exam. I would like to know the test format if possible and any other information about this test. I don't like to take a test without knowing what it's about, and I need to pass it so I can work.

I passed my assessment test as well. I wanted to cry the whole time I was taking it, but somehow I got through it. I found there was an adequate enough time to write my answers, because you either know what you're doing or you don't. However I found the videos to be obscure and vague. Another nurse was taking it with me but she didn't make it and has to drive all the way back to where she came from. Next time I accept an assignment if I have to take this test again I will make sure I study common med-surg emergencies. Hopefully I don't get the lovely opportunity of taking this test again. Best wishes to anyone who has to take this test and pass in order to get a travel assignment.

Per hospital policy I would have to call a doctor if I hold a medication or a patient refuses medication. I would say know your hospital policy and use common sense. You are not a doctor so can't just hold something because you think it's the right thing to do. Also the supervisor could have waited til you came to work to discuss the situation instead of ruining your night and waking you up at 2am.