Travel nursing vs. Strike nursing

NedRN · Mar 25, 2013

No, it is not as simple as that. If there were no scabs available, what would happen? No patients would be admitted, and in patients would be transferred. Legally, strike notice usually requires 10 days plus. That is sufficient time for that to happen, even in the worst case rural hospital and almost all strikes happen in urban areas with many nearby hospitals who love the increased business that strikes always bring.

No, it would never come to that because administration would have to negotiate in good faith with the union first. Which is the point of the strike. Which is undermined by scabs and why people place unfavorable labels on them.

You can have all the rationalizations you want to work a strike because you know it is wrong. It is not for the patients, it is about the money. Period. Otherwise you would go for free.

azariasRN · Mar 26, 2013

You have a valid point. It is about the money. We all go to work to be paid. Just some areas of the US are paid better than others. Hence why people travel many miles from home to go to work, whether it is 30min to several hours on the interstate everyday or flying to an assignment periodically. I agree that the time frame from when a notice is given, the hospital has the opportunity to come to the bargaining table to work things out. And yes, patients can be transferred or redirected to other facilities if a work stoppage occurs. But when 8-12 hospitals within an area go out on a strike, what does a community do then? How far does one have to travel to get urgent or emergency services? Yes, measures could have been put in place ahead of time to avert the strike all together. But once the strike notice is given, wheels are set in motion. And as I have said before, after reviewing why the nurse are striking, I often agree. But I am there to help out, while being compensated for my time and skills. I am not there for a permanent job, it defeats one of the purposes I traveled there. I am there to just provide temporary coverage until the strike is concluded. And for me personally, it keeps me in practice for Army deployments. But at this point, we agree to disagree. Thank you for the discussion and for helping provide views from both sides of the issue.

azariasRN · Mar 26, 2013

The consensus I have received from fellow travelers and strike nurses is they prefer Fastaff or US Nursing (which is the strike portion of Fastaff) over Healthsource Global. The reasons are vast, based on personal experience and rumor. From my personal experience with US Nursing, they are excellent employee advocates. There are other companies out there too. Nurse Bridge is the strike division of On Assignment. ACES Nurse Travel is out there, which is a nurse driven company. And recently, I have discovered Huffmasters. Most require the same paperwork to be hand carried, so make yourself a folder with document protectors to HAND CARRY ON YOUR PERSON WHEN YOU TRAVEL. Other than that, just enjoy the experience, be flexible and understand that conditions will not optimal. If they were, the staff nurses would not be striking. If you can keep a positive attitude you should do well.

NedRN · Mar 26, 2013

There is a forum just for strike nursing. It used to be scab dot org and googling that will find you the current name. That is the best place to discuss which strike company is the best. Talking about one of them here on a travel nurse forum as being the best employee advocate is just sick. That is not the business strike companies would be in if they cared in the slightest for the profession of nursing. They don't. And if you find that forum I mention, you will read that every single one of them has serious issues in dealing with their own employees, much less undercutting staff nurses. Kind of makes sense, yes?

RN525 · Sep 17, 2014

Do you have information on how you are working as an independent travel nurse. What do you need to do to accomplish this? Tahnks for the information.

Azariahjoe · Oct 26, 2014

According to me Traveling Nurse is the more closer one because of a few factors which are fine enough at their impact. So yeah being into profession helps big time.

WitchyPooh · Oct 30, 2014

I worked a couple of strikes about 10 years ago (not thru the company listed above). The money was good ($75/hr) but you have no guarantees. In Travel contracts I have my hours guaranteed. In strike they can come in in the middle of a shift and tell you that you are no longer needed-and that's it. I prefer the stability of contracts I can count on so I've not done anymore strike nursing.

rnsune · Apr 12, 2015

Lol, Ned's funny. last time I worked a strike the pay was excellent and it was only one week. call me what you want but someone must be at the hospital at all times. it costs the hospital a lot of money so it still works out. my last strike the families were so very happy we were there for their loved ones.

Scab, yup. I don't care what anyone thinks, or calls me because I don't have any true loyalty to any company or hospital. and the new nurses they are spitting out of schools these days......goooood luck.

rnsune · Apr 12, 2015

I have never had an issue with the strike companies. wow, this really ruffles your panties!

rnsune · Apr 12, 2015

Then don't do it. I have the flexibility to do this and still make money

rnsune · Apr 12, 2015

And Ned, to me its all about money as well. I have marketable skills which I will sell to the highest bidder. let the less fortunate and less experienced RN's remain at the other hospitals where they get pitiful paychecks and do as they are told because they are so frightened to be a whistle blower- when it comes to no breaks, lousy treatment and ridiculous assignments. I have had enough of The BS and have planned to treat the hospitals as they have treated me and my experienced coworkers. I have over 15 years critical care, er and cath lab experience with level one trauma exp. I have seven years of CNA work in critical care. I have seen what hospitals are all about and have finally learned how to play the game. and here in Washington state, the nurses are not cohesive like I experienced in California. you can point out how you feel all you want, but it wont change me or my friends that work strikes.

NedRN · Apr 13, 2015

Exactly why did you want to revive this two year old thread?

Lol, Ned's funny. last time I worked a strike the pay was excellent and it was only one week.

So you enjoyed making $50 an hour for one week? Can you support yourself year round on one week a year? That is the advice you are giving on a travel nurse forum? You've been booted off the scab dot org forums so you come here?

my last strike the families were so very happy we were there for their loved ones.

It is certainly sad if strikes are the only place where families thank you for taking care of their loved ones.

Scab, yup. I don't care what anyone thinks, or calls me because I don't have any true loyalty to any company or hospital. and the new nurses they are spitting out of schools these days......goooood luck.

You do realize that a large percentage of AllNurses members are student nurses? Nice.

I have marketable skills which I will sell to the highest bidder. let the less fortunate and less experienced RN's remain at the other hospitals where they get pitiful paychecks and do as they are told because they are so frightened to be a whistle blower- when it comes to no breaks, lousy treatment and ridiculous assignments.

When these frightened nurses get up the gumption to organize, you come in to help administration knock them down again. Super.

And Ned, to me its all about money as well.

So what is with all the rationalizations then? If you stop trying to create some perverse ethical picture of what you do and agree that it is just about the money, I can respect that. Hypocrisy I cannot.