Reply With QuoteThank you C J Jones for your input. I visited your site and found a wealth of useful info that will guide a Travel Nurse especially for people like me who are new in the Travel field. Keep up with the good works.
A. B.
I took my first Travel Assignment two days ago with one of California's State prison. I am a psychiatric Nurse and was expecting to care for inmates with psych issues. My Travel Agency did not inform me about the type of medical settings that I will be working at the Prison. In addition, the State Prison representative did not coduct a formal interview with me before being hired by my Travel Company. That could have given me the opportunity to ask questions. Anyway, I arrived at the prison on 10/16/06 and was assigned to work in the Prison ER. I was told that they don't have such thing as a psych unit in the prison. It was so busy at the ER that the RN on duty did not have time to orient me to the job. You can imagine what happens in an ER that handles 4,000 inmates. I was overwhelmed. Two days later, I called my Travel Company to inform them that I intend to quit because I am not an ER nurse. I have never inserted an IV and have never performed some other ER nursing skills. This was not the kind of settings that I am used to working. To my greatest surprise the Company told me that if I break my contract I will have to pay back to the Company all that it will cost the company to keep me working for the Prison for a 13 weeks assignment. They claim that the Prison might turn around and sue the Travel Company for me not completing my assignment. If that happens, Iwill be responsible for all legal fees incured by the Travel Company. Unfortunately, I have not had any compensation from this company. I secured an apartment for my self and paid the first and last month rent out of pocket. I have not even received my first pay check. In spite of all these threats, I intend to quit, and I need some expert advice as to what to do. I will never do Travel Nursing again. That's it. Thanks.
Thank you C J Jones for your input. I visited your site and found a wealth of useful info that will guide a Travel Nurse especially for people like me who are new in the Travel field. Keep up with the good works.
A. B.
Maybe you forgot to mention it, but what was the company that has treated you so poorly and gave you this inappropriate assignment?
It is a big help to me (and a strength of this forum) to know who to avoid.
Thanks.
Hi,
I'm a travel nurse in CA. The hospital I'm assigned to is the worst I've ever worked at. It is dirty and disorganized. What's more upsetting is my agency misrepresented themselves and I'm not getting paid what I'm supposed to. I've discussed with them in length my concerns and the president said he would take me to court if I leave this contract. Is there anything I can do?
I would be concerned about my nursing license, leave the prison and tell the company that this is out of the scope of your practice and someone screwed up. a good company would back you as there is misrepresentation here..... Leave, tell the company you will get a lawyer..move on
I started my 1st Travel Nursing assignment @ a week ago and I knew within a few days that I felt that if I stayed with this assignment that I was putting my Nursing License at risk as well as the pt's safety. I told my recruiter that I wanted to just get out of the contract. He said it will not look well for the travel company and I would probably not be working with them anymore. I was OK with that since I just wanted out and was never looking at Travel Nursing as being a long time thing....but only an interim job. My question is whether or not this will affect my re-hiring status in the area, since this is not far from home for me. My recruiter made the comment/innuendo that this would affect my future employment/re-hire status in the area-and that I would be "burning bridges" as he put it ( even outside travel nursing). Since this is all new to me I was just wanted some input on whether my recruiter was just using a "scare tactic" or if breaking this assignment really will affect my future employment in the area (outside of travel nursing) but even permanent employment in area.
Any Input would greatly be appreciated.
Hello, if you feel like both your nursing license and pt safety is compromised, you need to leave the situation. We have worked too hard to obtain our RN license. I doubt your recruiter will show up to defend you if you were ever in a lawsuit concerning your nursing practice.
Recruiters are trained to recruit and keep you. Using many different tactics from "I'm your best friend", to threatening litigation and a tarnished reputation, they will do what is necessary. Granted, this is not a blanket statement concerning each and every recruiter out there, but it does happen.
Will breaking your contract hurt your chances for future employement in that area? Maybe only with that agency, but the next hospital you choose to work should completely understand.
Good luck.
Posting Permissions