I feel the travelers need a union. anyone interested, let me know!
Travelers are treated like disposable tissues. The contracts we are forced to sign allow the contracted hospitals to dismiss us without cause, essentially breaking the contracts we make with them. Most companies will not pay for your return trip home if you are released from a contract for any reason. Many hospitals abuse the system by firing travelers when their census drops, or their needs change. Rarely is a clinical defect evident. Performance is rarely a criteria for dismissal.
Contracts need to hold the hospital accountable for the length of the contract, or at least notify the nurse that changes are coming. Nurses that commit to a certain place, travel there, make arrangements for their homes to be organized in their absence, need some assurance that their contracts will be upheld. Dismissal procedure needs to be on par with the staff employees. Warnings, including counseling should be included. Many hospitals do not follow appropriate orientation schedules, if any at all. This makes it much more difficult for the traveler to blend in smoothly. Contracts should include required orientation schedules, as well as weekly performance evaluations, so all parties can correct defaults by either side. I am hoping to get all travelers to unite to demand basic contract protections from their agencies. Until we stop working under these conditions, we will continue to be abused.