Tricked and Ticked off about it

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I signed on with a hospital for a 13 week travel contract. I have spent all of my time since October being a house float. I spent one shift in the SICU which is the unit I interviewed for and was supposed to work in. I am sooooo sick of going into that place now and getting dumped on night after night. I don't need to tell any of you what it's like being a "guest" on one of these floors. The worst of the worst gets thrown at you. I hate those people and this hospital so bad. :angryfire

If anyone is coming to South Florida and wants to know where this place is and what it's really like working there feel free to PM me. I'll be glad to fill you in on it. Personally, I think it sucks. Oh and they're one of these customer service oriented facilities. What a joke!!!!!

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Have you actually spoken to your agency/recruiter about this? What was in your contract about floating?

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WHOA!!! If you are with a contract that states you will be in that unit and that unit only, you need to contact your agency immediately. Unless it is written that you will float according to need, then you shouldn't. I ended up quitting a contract because they weren't using me as they had hired me in as also. It ISN'T fair to you.

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I know exactly what you mean. I'm a travel nurse and have been dumped on several times but on my last assignment I finally told the hospitals staffing office that I would not float to a floor that was hateful to travelers, that I would leave first. You have to be tough and stand your ground. I would love to hear about Flordia and which agency you work for.

Good Luck

:nurse: :banghead:

personal e-mails are removed to protect your safety.

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Have you actually spoken to your agency/recruiter about this? What was in your contract about floating?

Nah, I just thought I'd whine a little here and meekly go back into the job and do what I's told like a good boy.

OF COURSE I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire Sorry I am just ticked off. I blasted off an e-mail on Friday after I got home from being stuck in a room for 12 hours with two combative and delusional patients. They were doing me A FAVOR by not giving me a third patient that night. One had senile dementia and the other was an alcoholic with a CHI who was also detoxing. I had an aide on that unit who refused to help me at all. Sat on her butt at the nurses station even after being told by the area supervisor to make sure my room was taken care of. I was literally getting my a&& kicked in there. It was risky situation all the way around for a number of reasons and I had to restrain one man (senile dementia) that would have done much better with a sitter. I ended up agitating the poor guy because I couldn't do anything else to ensure his safety.

Now, for my company. My company sucks. They set me up with a weak contract that states I will float according to client policy. I'm about ready to scream. I was not too smart when I signed on there. Didn't look over the contract carefully enough and wasn't really looking for much else on it except the dates, money and the other stuff was right. It never occurred to me that I was going to be interviewed for an ICU position and then used as a house float.

Folks, this is my experience with Int**istaf & a non-profit hospital in the extreme Southwest of Florida. (feel free to fill in the blanks) If I were looking for a company & hospital to travel to I would avoid them like the plague. I've had horrible problems with them in every aspect of this assignment from housing to payroll to this contract.

I've been on other travel assignments and have never gotten treated this bad. I don't expect everyone to be all warm and fuzzy on these travel assignments because there just isn't time to build that special work relationship. I've just never seen a place perfect the abuse of their seasonal help as badly as these folks have managed to do it. These people are king of the turd pile when it comes to acting like complete morons.

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Sorry, but some have posted here before they contacted their agency.

My suggestion to all of you, make sure that you read the fine print of any contract that you sign, and if there are certian things that you want stipulated, get it in writing.

Unfortunately, the only way out of it is to buy yourself out of it, if you do not want to stick it out. But let this be a warning to all of you furture travel nurses. Get it in writing, what you will be expected to do. Do not go on only what your recruiter promises you, what if the recruiter leaves? The agency is only responsible for what is listed in the contract. If it is not written, it doesn't exist.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

As a FORMER Travel Nurse, I second what Suzanne said! :yelclap: Before you take a travel nurse assignment, make sure you have researched the company, interview with the hospital's nurse manager that you are going to work for, discuss your benefits, your hourly pay, any overtime pay, your housing (furnished or not...utilities included or not, etc.), the exact hours you will be working, the exact unit you will be on, are you willing or not willing to float, days only, nights only, eves only, or are you willing to rotate, if so, what shifts.............This is crucial nurses! Once you've settled on a contract, read the contract THOROUGHLY making sure all i's are dotted, and all t's are crossed. LEAVE NOTHING TO THE IMAGINATION! If you do not look out for you, why would you expect someone else to? :idea: :icon_hug:

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Get it in writing, what you will be expected to do. Do not go on only what your recruiter promises you, what if the recruiter leaves? The agency is only responsible for what is listed in the contract. If it is not written, it doesn't exist.

Agreed.

I want to make sure that other travelers aren't sucked into a mess like this.

Funny, I told the recruiter not to bother me again unless she had a unit of assignment and a percentage of the time I would be spending on that particular unit IN THE CONTRACT. I haven't heard from her again. Wonder why? Probably because they pull this crap all the time and don't give a rip. The company again for anyone interested is In^&%staf. A large well known staffing company.

And finally if I wasn't clear enough on the particular area, it's south of Fort Myers, in a very wealthy community and on the Southwest Coast. Anyone looking at that place for critical care might want to think twice or maybe even three times about it.

I still have to go back to that sorry place for five more 12 hour shifts. Can't wait to get this done and NEVER return. I really really hate this place.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I'm so sorry you're having trouble with this company and that hospital. I'm also quite relieved that it's not my hospital.

We do usually have travellers, but our unit actually gives them the easier assignments because we feel very strongly that if a newbie (to the unit) is overwhelmed, it could compromise patient care. That means more work for everyone if anyone crashes from failure to catch the patient early enough on to reverse the situation.

I really don't know what these people on these units are thinking when they give one person a horrific assignment. If patient care is that compromised, it's dangerous for the patient and reflects badly on everyone.

That said, I have spent a large part of a few shifts apologising to floats and travelers when we're ALL having horrific assignments. It does happen sometimes that the entire hospital is overwhelmed. Though thank goodness, that's not the norm.

Best wishes for a better assignment next time!

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I can empathize. I interviewed for a lovely facility that was highly recommended. It is in a group of religiously based hospitals. My assignment got changed to another facility in said chain. And I am being treated like garbage, nor is it like what was described at the other facility.

I am a native Floridian. And it is sad to say, but that the facilities here treat me worse than facilities anywhere else.

I will muddle through....but never return here again.

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Agreed.

I want to make sure that other travelers aren't sucked into a mess like this.

Funny, I told the recruiter not to bother me again unless she had a unit of assignment and a percentage of the time I would be spending on that particular unit IN THE CONTRACT. I haven't heard from her again. Wonder why? Probably because they pull this crap all the time and don't give a rip. The company again for anyone interested is In^&%staf. A large well known staffing company.

And finally if I wasn't clear enough on the particular area, it's south of Fort Myers, in a very wealthy community and on the Southwest Coast. Anyone looking at that place for critical care might want to think twice or maybe even three times about it...

Can you get out of your contract? I'm pretty much in the same perdicament ...I'm calling my recruiter on Monday and telling him I want out. I think my saving grace is my contract says day shift and they have had me on night shift....also working Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thats not why I want out of the contract but I think its crummy they did that to me..

Can you get out of your contract? I'm pretty much in the same perdicament ...I'm calling my recruiter on Monday and telling him I want out. I think my saving grace is my contract says day shift and they have had me on night shift....also working Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thats not why I want out of the contract but I think its crummy they did that to me..

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

I would hate floating all the time.............hated it when I worked there and would hate it now.

renerian

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