[PerfectPair]

My wife and I have been traveling nurses now for 6 years. We have worked at 14 different facilities. Each one has it's ups and downs, but this one takes the cake. Beware of Washoe Medical Center in Reno Nevada. Granted, our experience is only in the Trauma/General Intensive Care Units.

The pay was good but the 6 months of mental terror will cost much more in therapy. Never have we felt so unappreciated by the Middle management, employees, doctor's or patients. Not only do the indigent and paying patients physically abuse you but then you must deal with the verbally abusive doctors. When you inform the middle management of the verbal abuse of the doctor's they just say, "oh, that is Dr. (*&(^&, he is bipolar, just don't let it bother you." Then when the doctor proceeds to come to the unit and continue to curse at you for calling him about a lab value, he specifically left orders to be notified of the supervisor just ignores your plea for assistance in the matter.

Not to mention how, for any reason (true or not) the supervisor will call you in the office and begin to ream you a new orifice. I guess they just don't care what the truth is there.

Please take this from two travelers who have never hated a place so much.

[vivacious1healer]

Thanx for the info....i'll definitely stay away! What an awful experience for you two! Sorry to hear it!
By the way, what company do you work for? And why didnt they back you up with your voiced concerns? No one could work in such a hostile environment...
I hope you are on a new adventure enjoying yourselves and being appreciated for your hard work....

[Chad makes you money]

Chad, recruiters are not allowed in this forum. Please read the forum rules.
Thanks man.

[katernc]

Chad, your experience there sounds JUST LIKE experiences I've had when working at Cape Fear Valley Health System in Fayetteville, NC, and at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL. They are too big for their britches, and the docs ultimately rule and are allowed to treat you any way they wish (which, unfortunately, is not good!). And their admin's are terrible, cowtow to the medical echelon. It's really disgusting.

These are fears I have about testing the travel waters in civilian hospitals again. I"ve been pretty happy in military hospitals where I KNOW there is a real, live, useable chain of command if someone is a true problem!

Take care & good luck,
Kate C.

[Travelingrnnurses]

It must be the area! We tried to do a contract in Lake Tahoe at Barton Medical Center. We were treated like second class nurses by both management and staff. We basically were told that we as travelers are over paid nurses that no hospital really needs. I honestly believe most of the staff in that area of the country feel they are better than most. Don't go unless you enjoy being overworked and belittled!!

[Priscilla]

Originally Posted by Travelingrnnurses

It must be the area! We tried to do a contract in Lake Tahoe at Barton Medical Center. We were treated like second class nurses by both management and staff. We basically were told that we as travelers are over paid nurses that no hospital really needs. I honestly believe most of the staff in that area of the country feel they are better than most. Don't go unless you enjoy being overworked and belittled!!

I turned down a position at that facility this past August. I wanted to go but had things going on at home and couldn't be there when they wanted me there. Guess its a good thing.

The recruiter made it sound like paradise.

[MRS. ERNURSE]

travelingrnnurse,

What department did you work? My husband and I own a home there (while living inTehachapi, Ca) and our long term goal is to live there and work part time at Barton Memorial..it's so close to our home....I hope that it is not as bad, maybe it was a dept. situation. I would like to do some travel assignments up there first to check it out myself...we'll see. I think nurses that treat travelors like %$#$# are %$%$%$ themselves. I am thankful for travelors because they help balance the staffing. They deserve more $ not because of the assignment (Unit) but because it takes a lot of guts to leave home and work in unfamiliar setting, pick up make new friends, work under new policies and move from home to home......gambling on where and when is the next assignment. I think that all nurses should look at it that way. Also, they should not resent the travelor making more $.....they have made their own choice to be staff and have just as much opportunity as the next nurse to do the same.

I did work with one travelor and she was lazy and bragged to everyone about her pay......not right...she even told the paramedics, CHP, whoevers ear she thought she could bend and impress.

Anyway, if you could tell me more info reguarding Barton, I'd appreciate it.

Mrs. Ernurse

[donnarn7994]

Your experience at Washoe sounds just like the experience I had at Flagstaff Medical Center. After 1 night I had 2 pages of "write ups" that were so bogus they even looked stupid on paper. But the nurse manager said not to worry I wasn't being "written up" it was just some information she thought I needed to be aware of! lol I didn't stay there much longer.

[treatetstreet]

It's not Washoe anymore. It's called RENOWN. I'm not kidding. They are trying hard to bury the the old name after the fiasco with the murdered (by a nurse) state comptroller a year or so ago.

They are also yet another healthcare entity who will spend 4 MILLION dollars on a name change that means bupkiss.

Closing thought: Worst place I ever worked. I agree totally with PerfectPair.

[gypsyrn]

I am on an assignment @ Washoe, (Renown Regional), currently. I have only been here three weeks on the Med Neph Floor but I like it. The staff are great and the Docs I have worked with have all been pleasant. I hope to extend for another 13 weeks. The contracts on this floor are 48hr guaranteed. I am with RN Network, my first assignment with them, five yrs on the road.