movingangel

OOPS...posted it in the wrong spot (new here). Anyway, I totally agree with you. Well said!

I'm so sick of reading these articles about the "nursing shortage". Notice the people who write these articles aren't nurses. Where do they get their information from. Talking about an increase in nursing positions from 2007-2008??? are they kidding? We need to write to these dumb a--es and let them know what it's really like. I've been out of work for almost a year now. EVERY recruiter (travel or perm placement) has said the same thing..."back in 2008 things were booming, but now hospitals are cutting back, laying off nurses, yet still taking trips to the Philippines and hiring nurses on visas. (Putting American nurses out of jobs). The reason for that is because the bigwig administrators know that these people WILL NOT SPEAK UP against poor working conditions. AND Obamacare NEEDS TO BE REPEALED!!! I know doctors who are leaving their practices and it WILL AFFECT NURSES AS WELL.....it already is. The public and the media needs to be made aware of this. The people writing these articles are "Piled High and Deep" (PhD.) FOS!!

I don't know if your questioned was answered or not. I'm new to this forum and I'm trying to get info myself. I live in NY (outside the city) and took a travel assignment there about 7 years ago. I walked to work....took about 15 minutes. I worked at a large teaching facility and I was treated like garbage. They went from traveler to traveler to traveler and I could see why. I was treated so bad, I decided to just not show up, so the company cancelled the contract and I didn't care. The housing was in a hotel. Basically a large suite. There were a lot of tourists staying there and you'd meet nurses on the elevator (you knew by their scrubs). I know Lenox Hill treats their travelers well (strong union) and it's in an upscale area of Manhattan, so the housing is probably pretty nice. I was offered an assignment at Beth Israel and I wanted to check out the apt., so my Mom and I drove in and met the housing "person" and I almost died. It was an apartment built in the 1800s. One room with a tiny bedroom and literally a cot in the BR which bordered the street. I said forget it. Then looked at another apt. There was a doorman, huge apartment; separate bedroom, bath, small kitchen but on the 15th floor. Smelled musty and smoky. A lot of the apartments are privately owned and people rent them out. You are not going to find beautiful apartments like you do out west with swimming pools, garage, fireplaces. That's NY...old, small and EXPENSIVE. So if your rate of pay is low, you'll know why. Also my lunch used to cost me over $10.00 in the hospital. Everything and I mean everything is very expensive in Manhattan. I didn't save a dime. But, there's always something going on....street fairs all through the spring and fall, theatre, parks, just sooo much to do. Plus, you can get anything ordered to your apartment 24 hours a day. You can call up the local deli and ask them for a box of cereal, toilet paper, milk, whatever and they'll deliver it free of charge. I used to order my breakfast from the local deli everyday while I was getting ready for work. Then when I returned home I was like "I have to get in my car and go get milk now?" You get spoiled. Definitely an experience. You won't save much money, but it's an experience not too many people get the chance to do.

P.S. Marshall1....Even if a company gave you a reference, but said is inelligible for rehire when you resigned on good terms...if they felt that way, why would they keep you? "Oh, I wouldn't rehire her, but she worked here for 5 years and had good evaluations" It's so ridiculous.

Marshall, I totally agree with you. I have a friend who is a lawyer and he said by law, the only information that an employer has to give about you is position, salary, dates of employment. And as far as being eligible for rehire, if the hospital states this, they have to inform you before you leave. I mentioned that one of the recruiters I was working with who OBTAINED REFS ON ME AND SAID THEY WERE GOOD, is refusing to give me a copy of them. So when a manager is called 20 times for a reference I understand them getting annoyed. And this recruiter said it's because of legal purposes. Well, why would I give you the name of someone who I know won't give me a good reference? It's common sense and yet he even told me my references were good. I can't keep hounding these people. A friend of mine, who is a nurse, even suggested "just tell your sister-in-law to act like she's the manager I worked with". I said I hate to lie, so then she goes yea, but this whole country is based on lies and if you want a job, that's what you'll have to do. I contacted one of my old facilities I worked with and EVERY manager is gone now. Do you have any suggestions?

DixieRedHead, I saw your profile and noticed you are an ADON. I can't send you a private message because I haven't posted enough on this site yet. I wanted to ask you a question as well about obtaining references since you're an ADON. I was a travel nurse years ago and when I got a reference from an agency, I would keep it in my file to produce to the next company. I've been wanting to travel and I've been dealing with about 10 different companies so far. Completed apps, skills checklists, etc. I asked a previous nurse manager to give me a reference and she was willing to do so. Now, every time I have a travel nurse agency contact me, I tell them I have references from the other companies I was working with, BUT they won't accept it. I spoke to my old manager a few weeks ago and she went ballistic when I told her that so and so might be calling, she said.."this is ridiculous, I've given you SO MANY references already. The companies all want someone within the past year. And I find these reference forms are pretty subjective. You can be a phenomenal nurse, but if your manager didn't like you, they can say "she had a poor attitude, etc." Even the questions that are on these forms are subjective. I don't want to keep bothering these people and I've told some companies, that my former employer will only give out info from HR. Yet, they won't accept it. Also, I was told that if a reference was obtained on you, legally you have a right to a copy of that reference. I asked one recruiter who even said "your references came back great", etc. but when I asked him to email me a copy of the refs, he refused, saying it's their property. Just wondering if you can help me go about getting refs and/or should I just be adamant and say the hospital will not give out anything other than what HR has? I'd appreciate your help.

MOM to 4......Aint that the truth!!

Aint that the truth. Pardon my poor English, but it is the truth!

PintheD......I feel like I wrote your reply. Nursing has done a job on me as well. Med/Surg, every intensive care unit, ER holding, cath lab (which was my favorite) but 15 hours a day wearing lead ruined my knees and my back, travel contract to travel contract, job to job, I've tried it all. I, personally, wouldn't recommended it to anyone. AND, I don't have kids to take care of. I couldn't even imagine working the way I did, leaving work feeling worse than the 90 year old patients I took care of and then having a family. I would consider OT, PT (which I read recently is the LEAST stressful job in healthcare. My cousin is a PT, has a few kids, has her own practice and makes VERY GOOD money in Lincoln, Nebraska.....a lot more than I do as a nurse with 18 years of experience here in NY. Really reconsider it. If you're just doing pre-requisites, you can use those towards a PT degree. It's 4 years of college as well and less back breaking. Good luck to you.

I feel the same way you do....totally. I was telling my father about the paper work and release forms and background checks they do on travel nurses and I thought this is total insanity. My father worked in the defense industry and had to go through secret clearance by the government and HE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO ALL OF THE BACKGROUND CHECKS that nurses are put through. I've been out of work and have been behind on bills and my credit score started going down BECAUSE I wasn't able to pay my bills. Why should a hospital care about your credit background....it's not like we're selling Jewelry from Tiffany & Co. I even applied with one travel company that, as soon as I verbally accepted the assignment, my recruiter was pushing me to hurry up and do the background check. Then a week later, I receive a form for me to sign to release any and all information about me like you said....mode of living, habits, etc. etc. and the name of the company that does the background check is called Lexis Nexus. So, I wrote down the name and address of the company because I am going to request a copy of the background check. THIS IS WHAT FLOORED ME....I was reading about this company and they even investigate web sites you've visited on the internet!! We, nurses are usually of good character and ethical people. I think that's crossing the line. Where is my right to privacy.....or is there such a thing as privacy anymore. It seems like it's becoming more and more difficult to get a job as a nurse, I'd rather work as a cashier!

Nurse card, I left a long reply to this post and how I can empathize with you. If you like, you can send me a private message and possibly your email address so that I can give you more information on my plans re: making the public aware of how nurses are treated. YOU ARE NOT ALONE....believe me. I myself have hit rock bottom as far as nursing goes. I don't know if you read my original reply.....I'm new to this stuff, so sometimes I post things in the wrong spot. If you read it and like what I have to say, send me a private message and I'll give you some more info. We need to stick together. Hang in there and TRY to think positive although I know it's hard.

Nurse card.....You are definitely not alone. I've been a nurse for 17 years. Got laid off from my last hospital job 5 years ago. Went into home care just to get money and got stuck. Economy started going south, was all the while applying for a position back in the hospital as I went into foreclosure, about $100,000 in debt. I've pretty much been miserable my whole career except when I traveled (because I knew it was ending) and being in sunny Phoenix during with dreary winter months helped, but it's the same s--t wherever you go. I was doing private duty/home care and the family and the agency started to make my life miserable that I couldn't take it anymore. I've been out of work since April 2011 I've drained all of my investments and almost down to my last dollar in my 403B. All those years I worked so hard got me NOWHERE. There are so many nurses out there that are miserable, yes miserable although some pretend to be happy. I'm registered on Indeed.com and I've explained to a few nurses that we need to get a group together and make the public, the media and the politicians aware of what goes on in the nursing field. I live in NY, and I can get access to the major news networks. I've had a few nurses give me their email addresses so I can keep in touch with them personally. I respect confidentiality, but I guess these nurses liked what I had to say and they gave me their email addresses. I want to get a group of nurses together from all over the country to collaborate with different ideas and take this to the media. I just need more nurses. If you are willing to do that, (even if you create a temporary email) which you can delete, please send me the info on this site. Just want you to know you are not alone. I've been suffering from depression for the past 10 years and like you, kept switching jobs in search of SOMETHING that I might like. We are not treated like professionals at all. I really would like to get in touch with TLC and do a reality show on nursing. If anything, maybe we could profit from this miserable field we chose. If there's a will, there's a way. I've even thought about becoming an actor and ACT as a nurse. I'd get more pay acting as a nurse than being a nurse....that's how desperate I am. I have health issues, no health insurance and almost down to my last dollar. I did the same thing you did...vented to everyone to the point they don't want to talk to me anymore. Sorry for such a long reply, but I'M ALSO VENTING...AGAIN...LOL

Hi. I just read your blog on references. I know it was a few years ago, but I was wondering if you could help. I started filling out job apps for travel nurses. I was doing private duty on acute patients, and many other things. When you do private duty, you're the boss. I spoke to the nurse superv. from the agency I worked with and they refuse to give out references. I contacted a friend of mine who works in a big teaching hospital in Manhattan and she gave me an excellent references. I just received an offer on Fri. for a travel assignment. The nurse manager was very nice, offered to help me if I needed refreshing, etc. Well, the reference I used (I'll call her Mary) called the travel company and the company called my former employer and they said they never heard of "Mary". I've been worried all weekend that they are going to drop me. I worked in many cath labs and this compay won't accept any references from more than TWO years ago. I'm anticipating them calling me and saying it was a misunderstanding and that I worked under "Mary" in the hospital, but I was a volunteer. Wouldn't they rather have a reference from a former cath lab manager as opposed to a private duty/home care agency? And many of the people I ask downright tell me no. I don't get it. If you did finally get a reference, how did you get it and also did your reference have to be within the past TWO years? I'm so disgusted with the way nurses are treated. My travel company said it's JCAHO policy to have references within the past two years. I've been submitted to other facilities with the same reference/s and had no problem Please give any advice you can, I'd greatly appreciate it.

MaxMomma: I read your replied to VickyRN re: student incivility. I'm new to all nurses, so I don't know if people go back and read responses from a blog that was posted a month ago. Anyway, I would like you to read it if you get a chance and possibly give me some advice. I could not agree with you more in your last reply. I was actually watching the O'Reilly Factor the other night and the topic between Bill O'Reilly and Laura Ingraham was about this generation today and how we live in such a narcissistic society. It seems like they all have a sense of entitlement, that we owe them something. I am presently not working and CANNOT find a hospital job. 17+ years of experience. I go on interviews and I feel good when I leave and THEN, no phone call, no email...nothing. I had to quit my last job because I felt I was being forced out of there and I truly believe it was discrimination on the part of the mother. Since she started LPN school, she started copping an attitude with me. She happens to be a minority and would speak in her native tongue if she was ******** about something. She constantly complained that there was an instructor who had her pets. I asked her one day if her "pets" were white, she hesitated and said yes. I am Caucasion and there were only TWO other Caucasion nurses on this case. One of the nurses never showed up, yet the mother of the boy I was taking care of would pull out progress notes out of his chart and give them to her to document on (as if she was there), then signed her time sheet AND SHE GOT PAID. When the mother suspected I knew what was going on, she would make my life miserable. I even called the medicaid fraud line and reported this nurse. I should really call the state boards and have them investigate and take her license away. This nurse who is also a "minority" and the mother are now in RN programs. When the mother finished her LPN school, she would say "I'm a nurse now and swing the stethescope around her head. In my reply I spoke of how she got her son's nurses to do her homework, she was taking illegal amphetamines to get through school and I used to think to myself....."if she ever completes RN school, she will fall flat on her face. BUT, she'll never go anywhere because she works for the state in a psychiatric center her in NY and she's got it made. For the sake of patients, I really hope she gets kicked out. That may sound cruel, but the ******** she used to talk about that happened in her class (and she would laugh about it) would NEVER BE TOLERATED 20 years ago when I was in school. The first day of class when I started Nursing school, they made an announcement and said "look around". There are 120 students here today and by the end of the year, half of you will be gone. AND THEY WERE RIGHT! We need to go back to the old way of schooling. There's a reason those instructors are tough and it's because NURSING IS TOUGH! These schools admit just about anyone today and it shows when you start precepting new grads, they're lazy and "oh, we have to hand out bedpans....I thought the aids did that." I actually worked with a girl who was going on to become a NP and the patient she had that night in the SICU, needed a soap suds enema. She said, I've never done that before. So I explained it to her and she goes "well, yeah, I know how to set it up, but what do you do after the fluid is in?" So this other nurse and I said, just put him on the bedpan. Then(get ready for this) she says "but how do I do that?" So the other nurse and I repeated ourselves and she says, "I've never done that before" and I said "put a patient on a bedpan?"! and she says "no". I said, "how the hell did you go through 4 years of nursing school without ever putting a patient on a bedpan? I was floored. Then she says, 'well, this isn't what I really want to do anyway. I'm going to school to become a neonatal NP. Oh, so I guess that excuses her from the "dirty" work. This is long enough. I could go on and on and on. It's really a sad state of affairs with this upcoming generation. I don't have children and I'm thinking, maybe that was God's plan, because I'm all about tough love and hard work and my kids would probably be beaten up because all of the other parents molly coddle their kids. P.S. I'm looking for a career change because I've seen and done enough!

To Vickyrn I had just posted a reply to your story and have to apologize for my spelling and grammar. I'm usually a stickler about that. Also, would you advise me to report this woman to the school she attended. I believe she already passed her LPN boards, or just let it go? I guess I firmly believe that if they are allowing people like herself to enter Nursing school, it's becoming a sad state of affairs and I will be looking for a new career.