I am a Canadian nurse who is hoping to do some travel nursing in the US with a travel company. I know my questions can be directed towards my recruiter but I am asking this to get a bigger picture. Somehow those recruiters just paint everything so rosy!! I did do some travel nursing in 2001/2002 but it sounds like it has changed significantly.
From what I have read nurses can get "called off", which I am taking to mean cancelled for work. Does this happen to permanent full time RNs or only to a select group. Here in Canada we can work "casual" with I believe is similar to a "per diem", because of our contract they cannot be cancelled with a bona fide reason. I am aware that most nurses in the US do not work under union contract.
Another thread I was reading commented that while CNAs get breaks one cannot expect the same as an RN, do you really not have breaks as part of your contract?
Mandated overtime, can someone explain that to me please. When can you be mandated, what are your abilities to refuse/decline OT.
Thanks for the feedback, gives me some good solid ideas to go to the recruiter with. I realize that things have changed since I was last in the US for work. I did really enjoy getting some experience in a different facility and hope I can have a great experiene again.
In all the contracts I hve worked even though they were 36 hours guaranteed I was told that the facility could still cancel me up to a certain number of hours without pay.
Also I have rarely gotten breaks because you are often in a position where the staff nurses you work with will not help you. So you don't dare leave for break for fear something will happen. And unfortunately they do take out break pay whether you get one or not.
I have learned to keep protein bars in my pocket for a quick pick me up during shift.
Inspite of these problems I have enjoyed my travels and feel that the experience is worth the trouble, at least so far.
I guess that meal breaks are one thing our union is really good for, its the facility's responsibility to get us our breaks, so if it looks like we are not going to get them or not going to get them on time, then its up to the manager or supervisor to figure it out for us. It still happens that we miss breaks if it is super busy, but we have to be provided relief.
Pepperlady
151 Posts
Thanks for the feedback, gives me some good solid ideas to go to the recruiter with. I realize that things have changed since I was last in the US for work. I did really enjoy getting some experience in a different facility and hope I can have a great experiene again.