Submitted with one BUT accept with another

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I submitted with one company had an interview and received an offer( I have not accepted or declined) However I would like to accept the same job just using another company, they are paying significantly more. Any suggestions thank you

Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.

This is a difficult situation for you - I understand the complexity of the details you face:

1) You have every right to want to earn the highest pay for doing the same job, and deserve it too.

2) In doing what is best for yourself you may incur the wrath of the first travel company and burn your bridges with them should they find out {which is highly likely}.

The dilemma ...

Let me tell you a story that happened to me, I will try my best to pare down the details for brevity.

In 1998 I had been an RN for 4 years. At the time my husband and I had a 4 year old son and no living family left in the state we called home, which is pretty important while raising a child. Wanting to move from my current state (AZ) to live closer to my remaining relatives and my husband's family, I got my RN licence in MA and RI.

I contacted a very reputable travel company and signed up with them. The contact person promised they could get me a job ("No problem!") when the time to relocate arrived. I signed all the necessary contractual agreements, put my house on the market to rent, packed up my belongings, and gave plenty of notice to my current employer (roughly 6 months).

As the deadline steadily moved closer I began to get a bit nervous - they still hadn't located a position for me yet in the area we intended to move to near my husband's family in southern MA/RI area. The travel company contact person assured me this was not unusual, however continued to promise me that I would have a job lined up when the time came. I was uneasy (as I am a bit OCD, I like to have everything taken care of ahead of time - all my "I"'s dotted and my "T"'s crossed so to speak).

That didn't happen - the best they could offer was a job in the city of Boston proper, 100 miles away from where we intended to move. The whole thing folded like a house of cards in a windstorm - and I also had no job locally any more. No matter how I worded it to the travel company contact person she could not understand why driving 100 miles one way was unreasonable.

We decided relocating wasn't on the table any longer without a job, relocation allowance, or subsidiary cash for housing. I also had some pretty pissed off in-laws.

The travel company was able to get me a "travel job" interview locally (not all local hospitals would agree to do that for a nurse already settled in town back then). It was at a hospital I myself had recently submitted an application to.

Because I had already submitted an application for this ICU position previously about several weeks before hand, when I interviewed with the nurse manager she asked me if I wanted to take the job via the travel company (for significantly less pay) or as a freelance RN (this hospital was actually pretty forward thinking at the time, and had "travel positions" for local nurses - this boiled down to a significantly higher hourly wage but without any benefits, for a set amount of time; this contract could be renewed indefinitely if both parties agreed).

Oh boy ... {gulp} ...

I chose the freelance position - I knew it would piss off the travel company, and I wasn't disappointed either. The travel company contact person called me and let me have it soon afterward. :mad:

Although I didn't technically accept this position with the travel company, and according to the nurse manger I would have been called for an interview based upon the application I submitted previously (the travel company merely got me an interview a week or two sooner than I would have anyway) the contact person for the travel company basically saw this as a breach of agreement.

Whether or not they were 100% correct in this assumption, at the time on one hand I felt childishly disgruntled about their broken promises that had created a lot of turmoil in my life up to that point, although on the other hand I also felt like a heel. :barf02:

Overall, we had both reneged on agreements, and we both behaved deplorably. The travel company contact person said horrible, vile, unprofessional things to me, and yelled while doing it - completely losing control. :mad: I swear to God I thought she was going to stoke out, or at the very least burst a blood vessel or two in her head!

By accepting the freelance position I knew I would never be able to use this travel company ever again - but as things hadn't panned out all that great anyway I was okay with that. I had a family I had to provide for, and I made the decision that best suited us as a family.

I ended up staying with the freelance ICU job for quite a while. I loved it and my coworkers. I learned so much! I only left when the entire hospital eventually closed their doors forever due to financial factors (about a year prior our open heart program had closed as well, which in hindsight was a huge red flag waving in the breeze). It was all very sad.

As it turns out I was wrong about being blackballed by the travel company - they continued to contact me to inquire if I was available for travel positions for years afterward (it turns out the previous contact person had been fired for unprofessional and inappropriate behavior - go figure).

I guess that wasn't as short as I had intended (sorry about that) ... I guess my point is this: You have to do what is best for you, because only you know what that is, and no one else will be looking out for your best interests. Does it really make any sense to earn far less doing the same job for someone else's best interests?

I hope this helps - and best of luck to you on whatever you decide to do.

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Specializes in ICU.

It was not too late to switch. Tell the hospital you accept but, will be submitted through another agency. I've seen this happen before based on pay. Fast staff will not negotiate much at all. If you ever want to avoid working 48 hours you have to ask the manager during your interview never your recruiter at Fast staff they will have a tantrum. Not sure why faststaff is shortening you on pay compared to the dozen other agencies that have the assignment.

Yes, Kaiser does switch rates mid contract depending on season. Usually pay drops after flu season not when it is starting. Avoid Kaiser "winter rates". All Kaiser Norths are in a contract dispute and may strike anytime after Sept 1.They are probably banking on a strike occurring before Oct 29. That way staffing now with travel nurses ensures more hands on deck especially for hard to fill specialities like L&D. They just had a huge onboarding to train strike nurses in advance with US Nursing & health source global (who I do not recommend EVER!). Actually the onboarding will continue through 8-21.

The real winter rates will be seen in Late Nov and December(usually the highest pay but floating between 1-3 hospitals to get that rate).

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Specializes in new hire on L&D.

I'll be honest I was scared that I would miss out on the opportunity... day shift has been slim pickings. I will def take your advice if I ever find myself in this predicament. I'm going to hold off and do per diem until a really good crisis rate comes up. Yes they do throw a hissy hit about 3 day schedules. I'll research better next time!

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Specializes in new hire on L&D.

Wow!!! You had guts! But better to have something secured then to move clear across the country and still work far from home! Thank you for sharing your experience I really appreciate!!

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Are you going to work at St Charles in Bend? I saw some great rates posted up by them. I live in Bend, work as a traveler in San Fran though....

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Specializes in ICU.
I'll be honest I was scared that I would miss out on the opportunity... day shift has been slim pickings. I will def take your advice if I ever find myself in this predicament. I'm going to hold off and do per diem until a really good crisis rate comes up. Yes they do throw a hissy hit about 3 day schedules. I'll research better next time!

I am glad you considered the idea. Many Many Nurses are too concerned with the feelings of the agency/recruiter that they put themselves second and the agency/recruiter first o0:no:. No, business is going to put you first over their gain. They will always have their best interest in mind and nurses need to learn to do the same. @3ringnursing did what was best for 3ringnursing I applaud that.

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Specializes in new hire on L&D.

Hey Yes!

How is the area? Are you coming back to see the eclipse?

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

It falls during the week im at work. Im home a week, gone a week... I think it will be too crowded for my liking in town anyhow. They are predicting Armageddon, lol. Where are they housing people? Area has been booked for a while now.

Area is great. High desert to the east, mountains/forrest to the west. Pretty cool town with plenty to do.

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