[Titansfan]

Hello to all you fellow travel nurses. I am a male RN on assignment in Ca. and just want to know if I am being unrealistic. The short version of this is (it is pretty long after I got done) - after starting to work in this small town hospital ( about 150 beds?) Small unit with 2 other staff RNs ( the charge nurse and a female who is married to one of the MDs at the hospital ) I first learned tht the charge nurse ( also a male RN ) had turned in his notice and would be leaving within 3-4 weeks after I started. The other RN was actually the one which had oriented me to the unit and she insisted that she only wanted to work 3 days/week and that was all she was supposed to be working per her agreement with the hospital. She continually talked about the charge nurse being lazy and stupid because he wiould take off a lot and would not do any procedures when he was here. ( I wanted to tell her that she did the same thing but I didn't want to rock the boat being a new travel nurse here) Anyway, he eventually quit and she ended up taking over as temporary charge nurse ( Which she had vehemently insisted she did not want the whole time she was orienting me) She then hired a new RN to the unit which was a nurse that has been at this same hospital for 18 years but does not know endoscopy). She has now been in the unit for about 5 weeks and during this time I was doing 75- 80 percent of the cases with the tech and quite frankly I was getting the feeling of being dumped on. I understand that it takes time to learn but I have always been an advocate of learn by doing ( the charge nurse is her preceptor but they spend more time shopping on line and talking about sales than they do working.) Anyway I eventually let the charge nurse know that I was not her personal slave and I would appreciate a little help with the workload. The next day I was called in the vice presidents office and basically raked over the coals for not being a team player. In addition she was not happy because I had just extended my contract for 13 weeks which will go thru December and I had Thanksgiving week off ( it is in my contract which was signed by someone in staffing and she was upset that she did not know about it ) There are a lot of politics involved here since this is a small town hospital and all the staff know each other, the charge nurse is married to a physician that is employed by the hospital, I am a travel nurse that was asked to extend and was even told by the VP that the docs thought very highly of me. Sooo - after all this ( and I left a lot out ) I am concerned that this hospital will give me a bad reference because I "am not a team player". Should I just ride this out? I will not extend again at this facility but I was told by one of the MDs that she had recommeded the hospital offer me a full time position. Sorry for so long but I just need some feedback. I know I am paid to work but this isn't a one man chain gang.

[AmandaWIRN]

I don't think they can give you a bad reference unless you were formally disciplined or written up. I would ask the MD that recommended you for a full-time position to write you a reference letter- that way you have a good reference from someone at that facility to give to future employers- regardless of what type of reference management gives you.

[MRS. ERNURSE]

Everyone is paid to work, including the charge nurse. I would stand up and tell them that it's about patient safety not "who's helping around the house and who's not". Nursing is all about the patient and if you are doing all the work while the other nurses are shopping on line than there may be a patient or two (with a good lawyer) that could fall through the cracks and not get the care that they need or when they need it. Tell the admisistration that you wish you were superman and that you wish you could leap tall buildings at a single bound...but you can't and that's why there is more than one staff member there...paid TO WORK.

I think if you put it that way, you will find a more supportive response..travelor or not...you are a nurse, and you are an asset to them, just as you would be in my hospital. It's travelors that keep me from having to work 7 days a week. Thank you for your posting.

[Titansfan]

Thanks for the advice but this is a small hospital and the VP is close friends with the other nurses. She told me that I was a huge asset to the lab (GI lab) but it was my attitude. As I said I am not their personal slave but that is how it feels sometimes. In addition it also impacts the only other full time staff member who is a tech that has been there for 20 years because I am assigned to work her room (there are only 2 rooms) and therefore she is working all day while the tech assigned to the other room enjoys al the free time of the other nures. There is so much more to this that I have not even scratched the surface but the bottom line for me is that there is n way in hell that I will extend or sign on as permanent staff at this hospital.

[MRS. ERNURSE]

I too work in a very small hospital and could not agree with you more. The good news is that you could get a new job before the next shift.

Re: your "attitude"...it's quite appropriate when you are being taken advantage of. I'm glad you are finishing your assignment. You are the better person for it.

Good luck.

[cgrunrun]

Just curious- why did you extend your contract there when they obviously have some issues they need to deal with? I have been a nurse for 15 years, travelling for 1.5 now, and there really are some good places to work where they let you know you're appreciated.

[Titansfan]

I extended because I like the area, and had already signed my contract. But I have also found that it does not matter where you go - everyone has issues of some type and it just depends on what you can live with. I was under the impression that most of these issues where being addressed and would hopefully be resolved. Some have others have not. The other RNs are taking more of their share of the work so I will just do my job as best I can. By the way, this is my second travel assignment - the first was in San Diego and they treated me very very well. I hated to leave but they would not extend my contract for the third time - they wanted me to take a permanent position which was not an option.

[cgrunrun]

OK. I applaud you for standing up for yourself. If we are unhappy or frustrated, patients can tell, even though we try not to show it. As far as those who oppose you, remember that success is the greatest revenge. Good luck.