Travel nurse being asked to float to different hospital?!

[JLGtravel]

Hi🙋 I have been a travel nurse for about two years now. I am currently in an assignment where recently there has been some over staffing issues, where the regular staff was being called off and travelers were not. Recently because of the frequency of these call offs of regular staff, there has been som backlash from the perm staff, so travelers have been floating to other units frequently. I have no problems with floating within my scope to other units....however I was called today and was told from the staffing office that their facility did not need me at work, thinking I was going to be cancelled, when instead he stared I was going to have to float to another facility they are affiliated with 35 minutes away... Can they do that?! His reply was yes we can if you want to get paid! I have heard this happening to float pool nurses, and it is stated in their contract, I am not float pool and nowhere in my contract does it state I would be responsible for other hospitals staffing as well. Has anyone had this experience before? What should I do?!

[NedRN]

Talk to your agency. Often contracts are with health systems, not specific hospitals. I have floated to separate hospitals on rare occasions but always viewed it as an adventure, not as an issue. If you have to travel between two facilities on the same shift, that is work time and is paid.

[pinktermite]

My wife worked a contract three or four years ago at an ICU in Fairfield ca and when it struck them fancy they would float her down the road a few miles to Fairfield. I agree with Ned. Don't get fussy about it if it's work you can do. In the end you get a good review for your next assignment and they erect a statue of you in front of the hospital and give you the keys to the city and a ten dollar Amazon gift card. Do it. It won't happen very often.

[NedRN]

Well said. As counterpoint, there are a few contracts that are well known to float travelers to other facilities. That can be really bad if say you are in Dallas and the other facility is two hours away with traffic for your shift. This again points out the value of a good recruiter practicing full disclosure on known or potential floating.