[joan w]

First up, know that you will be the new kid on the block that is visiting. Rare occasions, you meet some great people that are so overworked and so glad for help, they bend over backwards to help you out and make you feel at ease. Notice I said RARE. Tho many hospitals are understaffed and overworked, they look at you as the nurse who "makes all that money", so therefore, you should work harder,do your work and theirs, take the worst assignments and new admissions. If you haven't learned yet....nurses eat their young. I have been pulled out of a hospital by an agency because of the complaints of the travelers working there. We lasted two weeks longer because we had just gotten there and insisted on seeing for ourselves. After six admissions on our end of the hall, while the supervisor and staff sat at the other end swinging their legs AND having him put his finger in my face and telling me "he decided where the admissions would be sent and don't question his authority" we threw in the towel. Another hospital had a policy that travelers were pulled first and sent to another area. Then from that area, you were sent to the open/close floor, because "travelers went first". After the third day of this, I refused. At that point, I would have packed my bags and paid my own way home. Surprizingly, they didn't push. I have worked in hospital settings where I had 14 patients and been the only nurse on the floor. When I refused an admission, they called the nurse that was leaving to do the paperwork...when she left, guess who had the patient? So many hospitals in the South are so used to working understaffed, they still apply it to the travel nurses coming in to help out. Someone call in....you are on your own. THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to have when you go out, is a recruiter that will cover your back. You are in a strange city,state,hospital and by your self. If you call for help or with a complaint, it should be followed up on. If your license is at risk, remember this....in a court of law, when you accept the report on a patient/patients you have established a patient/nurse relationship and there is no backing out after that. By doing so, you are stating you feel you can care for these patients and it will be YOUR judgement that is questioned. Your agency nor the hospital, is going to send you a check when you no longer have a license to practice or can earn a living. It is NOT always the company you work for but the recruiter you have, that can make an assignment bad. Request a new one that will work with you. There are some companies I have never taken an assignment with because the one given to me was not someone who I felt would be there for me. If the agencies would request an evaluation on them after an assignment, some of them might be weeded out. Unfortunantely, I have never seen that requested. There are many post on here regarding housing....read them. They should be clean and above all, in a safe area. You SHOULD not have to pay for the telephone or cable. There are plenty of agencies out there that take care of everything. That includes linens,towels, etc. This is a taste of the bad side of travel nursing. There are good points. As I said, staff that are good to you, hospitals that are travel friendly, lots of sightseeing on days off. Just know that every assignment will not be the same. Ask other travelers for recommendations to the best ones. AND which ones to avoid!

[AmandaWIRN]

Sorry you've had bad experiences as a traveler- I guess I've been lucky, because I am currently on my 4th assignment, and haven't really had a bad one yet. Staff have been welcoming & friendly towards me, and I haven't had any problems with management anywhere I've been.

[OutWest]

Future travelers - there's a lot of good out there and our positive experiences far outweigh the negative. Research before you pick a travel company and if the first one doesn't work out don't feel obligated to stay with them. Research each hospital before accepting an assignment...you can find out a lot by reading the local paper. The best assignment for you might not be the one that pays the best. For example, if you prefer to live in a nice apartment complex with a pool and gym, plus enjoy going out to clubs at night, you will absolutely hate working in a rural area because those things simply aren't available.

Hubby is in his 3rd year as a travel nurse and says has always been treated well by the staff. He had one issue with a facility being unreasonable in their initial scheduling and he refused on the basis of patient safety. His company backed him up and they all worked it out.

I think he avoids a lot of problems by having a good contract that clearly states what shifts he will work, float and overtime requirements, etc. His company does do a facility evaluation after each assignment.

[askmeh]

IMHO always make sure that you have a very good contract that states exactly what you have agreed or not agreed to do before you accept an assignment. I have learned over my different contracts that if you don't have it in the contract, the hospital will fill like they can demand you do or face losing your job.

All my contracts stipulate guaranteed hours, no floating (unless within same discipline), holiday pay (when starts, when ends, and mandatory holidays), overtime (after how many hours does it start 72 or 80, I try to contract to start at 72 hours). Also you must inspect your contract for everything, its always the one thing that you didn't pay attention to that costs you in the long run.

Everything is negotiable - figure out what is important to you (money, time off, housing etc) and work with your agency to get the best deal.

[bobbuild]

I have heard that the recruiter is one of the most important parts of being a traveler. I am planning on traveling in about a year and the postings that I have read for the most part have been encouraging. I believe that your assignment will reflect the effort that you put into it. Thank you all for your input, it is appreciated. Bob

[brmcneil]

I agree with the other nurses here that are travelers. I have been a travel nurse for two years with Cross Country and I must say that my experience has been great. I am from Texas and have been in New york city for almost two years! I would have to tell anyone that is looking to travel to really get to know your recruiter. You can always get a feel for the person and what they are about just by talking with them. With cross country for example, if you aren't happy with your recruiter, you can always ask for another one. I have not had to do that but if I did I would ask for one with alot of experience.

Keep in mind that when you travel, remember that you are a guest of the hospital. In my experience, I learn to go with the flow where ever I am. when you take that into perspective everything will always work out for you. Sure some assignments you may not like but hey, its only 13wks! Trust me it gets better, especially after getting your 1st assignment under your belt. Whenever go some place new, I have never had any butterflys when I arrive. Remember your attitude makes the difference! Hope this helps someone...

[bobbuild]

About the first assignment... would you (anyone) recommend an assignment close to home to get the feel for it or away from where you live.

[disholicious]

I just wanted to bump this thread- excellent points of view. To defend Joan, I like her post. This is what CAN happen. As travel nurses we should be aware of what we can get ourselves into and what we MAY have to face. It is a good warning for the newbies and new grads to be aware and protect yourselves. I find travel nursing very enjoyable and right now wouldn't trade it for anything. But, I have found myself in a situation or two where the travel nurse gets dumped on. There's a million travel companies and you should find one that fits your needs, and that will back you. I agree with brnmcneil- go with the flow is the easiest. We aren't going to change the facility in 13 weeks. We are there help them out with their current situation and move on.

[lilly00]

I wanted to respond to this thread because my first day as a travel nurse was a very sad one. The nurses seemed very nice to me but the one I orientated with was a terrible nurse. I have been a nurse for 16 years and I couldn't believe what I had to witness on my first night. This nurse neglected his patients. The first patient was tied down in bed with wrist restraints and he had cuts and scabbed areas on his wrist were the wrist restraints had been. I was so upset to see this. This nurse did not even move this patient for 12 hours.. no kidding.. and did not offer this patient anything to drink And this patient was admitted for DEHYDRATION!!!!!!!!!!!!! He then proceeded to dope this patient up with ATIVAN because this patient was restless and confused. He neglected all of his patients.. not just this one.
The next night I went in and was assigned to a differnt nurse for orientation but we had this same patient with the restraints.. when I asked her if these cuts were from the restraints, she said YES, but they came from another floor that he was on.

This was one of the worst couple of nights I have had in a long time... They were so short staffed and the patients did not get the care they deserved. I went home crying thinking about how sad it was those couple of nights.. and thought I can only do what I can do and give my patients the best possible care..

This was just a few of the sad things I seen at this hospital, I seen several other things also.

I am very sad because I wish my first experience I could be saying how wonderful it was, How much I loved it.. Why did it need to be this way.. ??? I would love to be the one saying it was a wonderful experience... but it was awful.. I felt so sorry for the patients..

[kdrner]

it just depends on the recruiter and the contract, i think. i am a new traveler, but i have learned from other experienced travelers, that if you want it, get it in your contract! including any housing details, pay, nurse/patient ratio, etc.