Reply With QuoteAs I have responded before to others, our contracts are dog**** and not likely to get any better any time soon. Unfortunately, it is one of the prices we pay for being able to take part in such a great career.
I have been traveling for over ten years and still run into new situations that make me furious over how little respect we receive as nurses. I can tell you one way to effect change, but to be honest, I have little expectation that most would be willing to go to such length. It's the old adage of fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. If you want change, you have to demand it....we ALL do. If you don't get it, leave your current company. If we, as travel nurses, are being taken advantage of, then we have a duty to ourselves and everyone else in the profession to demand that our company writes a contract that protects the traveler in the event of a hospital cancellation.
In case you are not aware, our contract is with our travel company. They have a separate contract with the hospital. I am aware that most travel companies have a clause within their contracts with the hospital that they will be paid a cancellation fee if the hospital cancels. In other words, they (your travel company) protect their investment, but nothing is protecting yours.
I am not a lawyer, but it seems to me that the travel comanies could protect us, the way they protect themselves, with a simple cancellation fee paid to the traveler in the event the hospital does choose to cancel.
With that said, I do not know the specifics of your situation. You should always stay in contact with your company and know when they have received the contract back from the hospital confirming your assignment. Also, PLEASE post the name of the hospital and specific location. I strongly feel that we need a separate section on this forum to post hospital cancellations. Once these facilities get a bad enough name in the industry, they will either shape up or lose the ability to hire travel nurses.
Over a ten year period, I have had the fortune of only being cancelled by a facility twice. It is far from the norm, but yes, it does happen. I will say that my company (RN Network) has handled both of these situations wonderfully. Of course, that is because they know my track record as a good nurse from all my other assignments and I'm sure the fact that I have made them a lot of money over the years doesn't hurt either. But, if you cannot honestly say that your company goes to bat for you, then please consider leaving them.
We should all draw our lines in the sand. If a travel company will not stand behind you, leave. If they will not write a contract that protects you, leave. If they are not truly happy to have you as their employee, LEAVE.
We have too many agencies now that will do just as good a job, if not, better, than the travel company with which we are ALL currently employed.
I know that I have probably beat this subject to death, but I would like to add one more thing regarding contracts. If you honestly fear that you could lose your license staying where you are, then I would say that you need to break your contract. However, if your job is hell, your co-workers suck, you get all the worst assignments, and you are chewing Tums and Nexium like they are Pez, you can let us all know which hospital it is so we might avoid them, but also please remember, it might not be what you signed up for, but in the end, you did commit to a contract and eventually you will reach the end.
( If you read this and also feel that there should be a section to post hospitals that cancel contracts, please write into the main board moderators and let them know ). Thanks for reading.
Originally Posted by TravelerDMRN
Re: I signed ext.contract, hosp said can not renew last day of current contract!!!!!
Re: I signed ext.contract, hosp said can not renew last day of current contract!!!!!
