Venting about travelers (semi pun)

[corbon]

I've been traveling for awhile now. From what I've seen, half of the travelers that I've encountered shouldn't be traveling, i.e. inexperienced, lazy, liars (falsifying experiences), narcotics using, etc. I suppose there are staff members that could and do do these things too, but we all know travelers have to set themselves apart from the staff by providing a higher standard of care. Are there things that could be done to rectify this? I could list several things, but it probably wouldn't matter, since nurses, new and old, are too preoccupied w/ the notion of traveling and not doing what they're supposed to do when they're actually there at the hospital/facility. Please do us travelers a favor and travel only when you truly want to make a difference; since I'm already trying to adjust to a new environment and not having to worry about other "travelers" screwing it up for everyone and me. :argue:

[bagladyrn, RN]

I've been traveling for awhile now. From what I've seen, half of the travelers that I've encountered shouldn't be traveling, i.e. inexperienced, lazy, liars (falsifying experiences), narcotics using, etc. I suppose there are staff members that could and do do these things too, but we all know travelers have to set themselves apart from the staff by providing a higher standard of care. Are there things that could be done to rectify this? I could list several things, but it probably wouldn't matter, since nurses, new and old, are too preoccupied w/ the notion of traveling and not doing what they're supposed to do when they're actually there at the hospital/facility. Please do us travelers a favor and travel only when you truly want to make a difference; since I'm already trying to adjust to a new environment and not having to worry about other "travelers" screwing it up for everyone and me. :argue:

Sounds to me like you are perpetuating the very stereotype you say you are fighting against. Ive been traveling for a long time (>12 years) and I don't think the percentage of travelers with these issues is any higher than that of the nursing population as a whole.

It may be that it is simply noticed more because everyone is watching the new one and they don't have friends among the coworkers "covering for them".

[REB_58]

On my last assignment before my current assignment the department was 80% travelers and we ran the floor, and very well I might add, including being charge nurse. The "screw-ups" were the ones that the hospital hired to replace us. I did see druggies, incompetents, and layout artists but these were the hospital's new hires, not travelers. A $10,000 sign-on bonus brings a lot of people out of the woodwork. So far I have encountered a lot of professionalism among my fellow travelers.