Maynmom

The other thing to take into consideration is the skills checklist that you filled out as part of your application process. The hospitals and recruiter do look at this to help determine what area would be a good fit or you.

I have been to only one hospital where nobody floated outside the ICU. Manager's attitude was she didn't try very hard to staff her unit every day just for other units to take them. Otherwise every other hospital I have worked at has travelers float first. It seems to me it wasn't always like this. We floated in rotation. (Does anybody have any insight as to why the change?) Anyway, as a traveler I have just learned to accept that I will be floating. I just suck it up and go with the flow. On the plus side I floated to the E.D. so much I decided to try a contract there. If you simply don't want to float or only float under certain conditions bagladyrn makes a good point--negotiate for it in your contract. It never hurts to ask.

I agree with soulofme. Do what you want to do. That's the beauty of our profession. There are so many different directions we can go in. Follow your yellow brick road.

We allow visitors in except during shift change which is 6:30-8:30 a.m. and p.m. Two at a time. At my last facility there were no limitations even during shift change. We are instructed to just close the door.

The only thing I have to add is be mindful that you are handling a human being. A couple of weeks ago I assisted a newer nurse with this task and was horrified that she was just flipping this person from side to side. I was trying to lead by example and be respectful and continue to treat this person as if she were still alive. I understand this nurse may have been nervous or scared but she appeared just plain callous.

I can't agree with you more. I am totally alone out here and I think about those types of situations all the time. I'm not proud to admit this but I actually left an assignment and flew back home in the middle of the night (CA to NY) because I got very sick. I don't remember being that sick or scared that I was so sick... Because I have never been that sick. I was in bed for 2 weeks when I got home and weak for about another month. Whatever I contracted was virulent. I got sick 4 days in. My son got sick 4 days after I arrived home and my sister got sick 4 days after that. I make it a point to check with family at least every 1 to 2 days and just pray for the best.

Congratulations BoiseRN. I too went to Arizona as a traveler. I loved so much I moved there. I am a little north of you however in Scottsdale. It is a beautiful and fun state full of energetic people. And man does it get hot. Take your sunscreen.

I had 6 months med-surg and 9 months tele experience when I started travel nursing. That was 10 years ago. I didn't know what to expect. Man was I nervous. But I love what I do and I am a workaholic so adapting wasn't a problem. I think it is my love of learning and pride in being a nurse that has made traveling easy for me. Just remember what kerrielynRN has already stated. Be Flexible because even in our permanent jobs nothing is ideal.

For the nursing part itself you should really be ready to "hit the ground" running after at least one day of orientation to your unit. Most travel companies will give you a packet with information which you may find helpful for living on the road. There are also other posts here I have read where people have listed those things they found important/crucial to have while living away from home. For me...my water purifier, GPS, and laptop.

I also have worked with On Assignment. No complaints.

Congratulations Crunchymomx3! All your hard work has paid off.

Hi, I work in a 4 bed ICU. Some days I can have 2 pt's. with a CNA. They can be unstable with vasoactive gtts. and/or be intubated as well. I have just sucked it up for this assignment. Today I was with another nurse no CNA and two pt's. No problem with that. The other nurse said the supervisor told her we would be getting a 3 week (preemie, no less) old to rule out for sepsis. I have had no experience, competencies or orientation to take care of a pt. like this. I told the other nurse and she said neither did she. I decided to finish what I was doing (deciphering a page of orders while the doctor who wrote them was still available) and then speak to the supervisor. Well, within about 15 minutes (quicker than I've ever seen at this hospital) the ED was calling to give report. I told them I was refusing that pt. for the reasons stated above. Within 2 minutes the Nurse Manager comes in the ICU and says that the ER said I called THEM and told them that I was refusing and that I am not allowed to refuse an assignment without speaking to her or the supervisor. And besides the baby was just a med-surg pt. and they didn't have enough beds. I tried to explain to her that everything happened so fast I was trying to complete another task and we didn't expect the call for report so quickly. She wasn't listening. The other nurse took the pt. She was scared the whole time because this baby wasn't holding his sat's. When we looked at the orders the admit was for ICU. There were no corrections from med-surg status just the order for ICU. Anyway they transferred the pt. to a PICU at another hospital 5 hrs later. The other nurse later told me that our Unit Manager told her she is not allowed to refuse an assignment. There are no policies in place at this hospital to accept an assignment with reservations. What are your thoughts on this everyone?

HI B, I hear from my recruiter more frequently during the beginning of an assignment. Like once a week for the first two weeks. lol After that it's spotty. It does sort of feel like I've been forgotten at times. I have worked in two Recovery Units so far and at the first one it was all chronic all the time. The second one I got fresh hearts and fresh extremely ill, complicated surgical patients. Both in the same city. The first hospital had a large number of seasoned nurses. The second one had many new grads. I haven't yet been to a third to "break the tie" and see which way it goes. Obviously I hope it's not all chronic pt's. As for your fellow workers. Don't sweat it. They probably just need more time to get to know you. Don't forget that right now you are a stranger to them. They probably don't talk to you any more than if you floated to another unit in a hospital you already work in.

I have had only 2 recruiters in 6 years. But Just during the last year I have had no less than four quality management specialists. It's getting to be like the keystone cops over there.

There are too many companies out there for you to stay with one that you feel may be ripping you off.