[Connie RN]

Originally Posted by MARTABEE

I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING WITH INTELISTAF FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I WAS WITH STARMED PRIOR TO THE AQUISITION FROM INTELISTAF. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN TREATED VERY WELL. IF I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM IT HAS BEEN RESOLVED VERY QUICKLY. I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED MORE PAY, MORE HOUSING ALLOWANCE. I WAS HURT ON THE JOB AND THERE WAS NEVER A QUESTION ABOUT THE BILL. IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF 100% BY THE COMPANY. I HAVE A GREAT RECRUITER. I THINK EVERY COMPANY WILL HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. THEY ARE A BUSINESS AFTERALL, BUT HOW THEY RESOLVE THE ISSUES YOU HAVE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET THE WHOLE PICTURE. LET'S FACE IT WE ARE BIASED TO OUR OWN ISSUES. DON'T WE ALWAYS THINK WE ARE RIGHT? PRETTY MUCH. I RECOMMEND INTELISTAF. THEY HAVE ALWAYS TREATED ME FAIRLY AND WELL. MY RECRUITER LISTENS AND GETS ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTION I HAVE. SOMETIMES WE MAKE OUR OWN MESS. THINK ABOUT WHY YOU TRAVEL. IF YOU HAVE WORKED FOR A HOSPITAL OR GROUP FOR AWHILE I AM SURE YOU CAN POINT OUT ALL THE FAULTS. AT LEAST WITH TRAVELING IF I DON'T LIKE A HOSPITAL I KNOW IT IS ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME AND I HAVE THE OPTION TO MOVE ON.
I'VE HEARD NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT ALMOST ALL THE TRAVEL COMPANIES OUT THERE BUT THE CONSENSUS IS NO ONE OR NO COMPANY IS PERFECT. YOU FIND WHERE YOU HAVE THE BEST FIT. WHAT WORKS FOR YOU MAY NOT WORK FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR.

I SUGGEST ANYONE READING THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY ABOUT ANY TRAVEL COMPANY, FORM THEIR OWN OPINION BASED ON FACT NOT ON SOMEONE ELSES OPINION. AFTERALL WE ARE ONLY GETTING ONE SIDE OF THE SITUATION IN THIS FORUM AND EXPERIENCE ALONE HAS TAUGHT US ALL THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO THE ISSUES.

MARTABEE
You are correct on saying what you did about the company. BUT When there are problems, concerns, safety regarding how the hospital expects you to work in horrid conditions to the point where your license are at risk? Is it worth it, heck no. This happened to me at a hospital on the east coast. By the end of my contract, I had talked with corporate risk managementtwice and they told me not to accept care for any pts. that I couldn't safely take care of. Now what the heck do you think is going to happen when I told the hospital this and what the company had to say? If things were not good before it got to be real tough. I got loads of good experience there but in the end it just wasn't worth it. I am looking back at ALL the notes and emails that I have sent back and forth betwee the recruiter and myself and the writing was on the wall. As long as a nurse does not rock the boat they are real good.

[Kdog]

I worked Local Agency for MSN (medical staffing network)and they were great,,,UNTIL they united with Intellistaff in Albany,NY
I could not work with them,very pushy, agressive,
I had to cancel twice due to wicked snow storms where the highways were closed and local roads impassable and they said
OH,if we find something closer would you go? Did not make any sense as the closet job was 25 miles away..DURING A HUGE STORM Did they not HEAR ME OR LOOK OUTSIDE.they hounded me and called me even though I let them know ahead of time I was not available.
Forget traveling with them... Never would..

[truth]

file a complaint with the labor board where you worked or where intelistaff/msn has an office. Beware, they will present false paperwork to prove you owe the money like phone rent receipts. so always get signed documents everytime you vacate an apartment showing date and time you left. If they advertised "rent Paid" take that to your meeting at the labor board.

Originally Posted by tessie

I have been traveling for years, have been an ICU nurse for 25 years and was on my third assignment with Intelistaf. The first two had there problems but, eventually worked out. This assignment at St Thomas in Nashville was a nightmare. Dangerous assignments which I informed both hospital management and Intelistaf. I just became the ***** that complained. When you have three critical ill patients that all need me at the same time you better believe I complain. Most of us have been there with the traveler getting the worse assignments because we supposedly "make the big money" My assignment was ended by the hospital 3 weeks early. This has never happened to me before, I notify Intelistaf and am told I have 48 hours to get out of my apartment, with no place to go I still got out in the required time. When I get my pay for 36 hours I find $660.00 has been taken out for housing costs. When I called and finally spoke with the director in Dallas, Jennifier Stamp, I told her I really did not want to go thru the expense of an attorney. She said it was her decision to take the money and she was sticking to it. I told her I would let other travelers know of how a long term employee of Intelistaf (one year is a long time for travelers)is treated on the chat sites. She told me "I am not worried about the chat rooms we are a large company" So fellow travelers please, please be careful when a company thinks they are so big that they do not have to be concerned about nurses talking to nurses, that is a company to stay away from. I would be happy to go into all the details if anyone would like. I would also really love to hear from anyone that has had this happen before. I am not traveling anymore due to this experience. Do not let these huge companies that are making millions on our backs, get away with thinking we are of no concern and to be ignored. I am a professional critical care registered nurse.

[Connie RN]

Originally Posted by Fendergirl

I did all right with them for a few years, although there was one time I showed up for an assignment and no one at the hospital knew I was coming.

In 2005, I called them again and I guess business was bad, because the recruiter EXCESSIVELY pushy. I had just gotten the hospital in April and two weeks into the contract, she was pushing me to extend through Christmas! Her assistant started calling me three times a day, and they pestered the manager so much that she was complaining to me.

But none of that was nearly as bad as my experience with RN Network

This happened to me at a hospital in Wisconsin. I showed on teh day my contract said and was told by the hospital nurse recruiter that they didn't know I was coming. This happened at another hospital. BEWARE!

[Connie RN]

Well I am curretnly on a travel assignment on the east coast with another travel company. Talked with my husband a few hours ago when he proceded telling me that InteliStaff had sent me a letter saying that I owed them over $3000 and that I needed to start some type of payment plan within 14 days. The letter also stated due to unfortunate circumstance by myself. Well this is the hospital that cancelled my contract. They are trying to get me to pay $750 cancellation fee per contract and apartment fee's. They are the one's that told me I had to be out in 2 days. Now someone tell me how a company can try and charge me or a nurse these fee's when I did NOT cancel, the hospital did. I have talked with other nurses thta have had there contract cancelled by the hospital and they have never had this happen to them. Only InteliStaf will try and do this to you! BEWARE!

[Connie RN]

Well here I am writing on this web site again. I had a conversation with the hosuing coordinator from InteliStaf. They are trying to charge me $3,374.50 for the hospital cancelling my contract. It is so unbelievable what they are trying to do. The lady I talked with told me that the recruiter told me that I would get charged. I told her to schedule me for a lie detector and I will take it and pass it with flying colors. I told her that NO one ever told me that this would happen. Of course I requested a copy of the contract, housing and master agreement to read this for my self. Any help, comments, suggestions any of you can give me would be appreciated. I talked with my brother in law who is a president of his company regarding this. He give me some excellent ideas as to what to do if anything. Help !!!!! Of course I am going to fight this. I asked her why I didn';t get charged for a contract that was cancelled over a year ago and she couldn't answer that, she said that it must of slipped by them.

[hapkido48]

Sorry to hear that you have had a bad experience with Intelistaf/medical staffing network. My girlfriend and I have traveled with Intelistaf for two years and have had NO problems whatsoever! Our recruiter is Michelle B., and she has done good by us on any potential problems. She has been there as an advocate for us..but you have to remember that the most important thing as a traveler is to have everything spelled out in your contract! We had almost an identical problem with a company called BRIDGE STAFFING out of Mobile,AL. The hospital we worked for flat out lied about us to end our contract, and the company didn't want to investigate or even LISTEN to what we had to say! We had to pay back $2,500...and it will be real cold in hell before they get it!..All I can say is that your recruiter can make or break your experience..we have a great one..and have been pleased with Intelistaf.....Tom