Community Chat

[Jtdmum]

@gertrudecloset Interesting.  Here in my area nurses have been on strike for some time. I'm goin to assume the nurses that are replacing them now are traveling nurses.  

I havent heard good things.  At least two friensd, one had a sister (who passed since) and is a nurse herself was appauled by the lack of care.  The other is a colleague who had a baby ( very complex birth) and couldn't get help when she was in labor. 

Only two stories and I"m sure there are many good stories as well.

My concern about this type of arrangement is accountability.  I think this gives someone with no work ethic the ability to work drive our costs up and do nothing to earn that money and gives the hospital an escape from accountability. 

Not a good scenario --and fyi- I understand burnout.  I'm in a lab and the working conditions are awful.  

[decaf]

I'm not sure how long there have been traveling nurses (and doctors) but I suppose they can pretty much name their price now.  There are also traveling physical therapists.  I had one after I had an accident, she was from the Philippines.  She told me she worked for an agency and was hired by the PT center with a 12 week contract.  Her husband was also a travelling PT, he was working about 75 miles away from her.

[on the bay]

@Goodie2shoes,

I don't know of any hospital nurses who don't work 12 hour shifts.

Maybe in doctors offices, family practice etc it's 8 hours.

And I say good for the pay hike! Maybe this will get all nurses to get paid more. To not have to work really 13 hour shifts and more with more patients than any human being could take care of but you have to!

Not every state pays their nurses well, nor has any kind of fair insurance, sick leave, or vacation. The hospitals have money, they just can put priorities in the wrong place. Ceo's can make so much money. It really is wrong how a lot of nursing staff is treated. Try 6,000 deductable insurance then paying 80% of medical bills.

Of course there is never enough money for teachers leaving too but stadiums, any sports players, even during covd, keep the games coming because if cancelled ad agencies could lose billions-billions.

See where this is going?

It is a "Mad World."

[gardenman]

The nursing profession tends to be boom or bust. There are either way too many nurses or way too few and it fluctuates from year to year. It's a brutally hard job so a lot of people who start out in it quickly move on. Most of the nurses in my area (South Jersey) work just three days a week but 12 hours per day. The standard used to be five days at eight hours a day. Most prefer the three 12 hour days to the five-day option. They say the hardest part is getting there and then decompressing afterward. The extra four hours once they're there aren't so bad. They just get in a rhythm and go. Coming back after four days off can be tough though.

There were two traveling nurse agencies here for a while with Staff Builders being one of them. (I forget the name of the other one.) Their nurses were generally very good and on six-month contracts with the hospital.

When nursing salaries go way up, as they are now, lots of people enter the field. Pretty soon there are too many nurses and the salaries start to drop. Then the field shrinks and salaries go up again. It's very much a boom and bust cycle with the nursing field. The supply of and demand for nurses varies constantly. When the supply is high, the salaries go down. When it reverses the salaries go up. 

[on the bay]

It really does depend on the state. In some there are no "booms" in salary, during the "bust" in staff.

If we look at the differences in pay across the states, it is really disheartening and does not change all that much. 

And all these business analogies don't really hold today. Nurses are leaving due to covd and impossible work situations not to mention their own safety.

My daughter says all her nurse friends in several different states, hate their job. I think we all can imagine why.

[reiki604]

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@Lindsays Grandma wrote:

@gertrudecloset ..This is a very interesting article.  I am sure it will cause problems down the road.  When they say "traveling nurses" just where do they travel to?  I'm not quite sure how that works, do you have any ideas?

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I did traveling nursing many years ago. I worked with an agency that hat 2-3 month contracts with hospitals throughout the country. Housing was also included in the contract that ranged from hospital rooms to hotels. Salaries for traveling was always better than working for the hospital itself. Now agencies are providing health insurance and benefits that were not available when I did it.I was responsible to get my license in each state I went to and carried my own malpractice insurance. Almost all assignments were for evenings or night tours.  It was great for awhile but living out of a suitcase and with roomates not of my own choosing got old after about 2 years when I came home. OK, DH being here was a factor as well. LOL It was a great experience and I was fortunate to experience living and working in many parts of the country.

[reiki604]

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@phoenixbrd wrote:

@gertrudecloset I can remember when nurses went on strike for more pay.  Working along side "temps" who earn many times their pay could foster an uncomfortable environment.  This is just another vagary that has become more common over the last 9 months.  They are simply taking advantage of the situation...supply and demand.  This will result in higher medical bills.  

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It's called capitalism.

[phoenixbrd]

@reiki604   Which I support....but, unfortunately not the trend now.

[bikerbabe]

I’m a hospital RN.

Travel nurses have been around forever. Nurses are quitting in droves because of the garbage conditions, even by our standards, the past year. I’m laughing at the post that says we get 4 days off in a row. No one that I know ever gets that schedule. At my facility you also alternate every other weekend and get called and asked to PLEASE come in every day you’re off. Those 12 hour shifts are often longer and it’s grueling because you’re always short staffed. there’s been a severe nursing shortage for years.

No sympathy here for hospitals that only pay $30/hr - I don’t care what state and if it has a lower cost of living. Some areas that are paying the highest for travel nurses is because we won’t go there because conditions are so bad. Early in the epidemic, yes. Now? When people and local governments should know better? Nope.

[skatting44]

I've worked as a nurse for  just shy of 40 yrs . I've worked through years of low pay,  horrendous  patient staff ratios, and have worked with " traveling nurses " .

It is a very tough and stressful profession with great liability . Initally ,  I worked the traditional  8 hr shifts and had to  work all 3 shifts in one month which was a true disruption  to one's health and family life. Later I worked the 12 hrs shifts which gave me more time off with family . The continunity of the same person taking care of the same patient was a benefit , however as long as the nurse did not suffer from  exhaustion .

 Nurses, historically have been paid poorly  when you consider the liability and the skill set that is required in being an excellent nurse .  As a nurse I believe that all in the healthcare field have a responsibility to continue their education through seminars  and workshops . Who wants a nurse or a Doctor or any other heathcare worker with  an outdated knowledge set/ skills  providing care to a loved one ?  I know many  nurses  who working  for various  " Traveling nurse " companies . I receive calls from recruiters all the time  esp because I have medical and Surgical ICU experience.  I am glade to see nurses  making a better salary , however I do know that as far as assignments  many of the Traveling nurses are not  usually assigned  the  most complex patient  because they have challenges in not knowing a particular hospitals  policy and procedures  along with each  hospital  may have different equipment . I do know in the 1980's 1990's  many nurses were brought in from Puerto  Rico and the Philippine's . Then many facilities  hired  many nurse techs , but the bottom line is that an experienced seasoned  Registered Nurse cannot be  completely replaced in caring for very ill complex patients .

As far as my opinion, if a hospital  can pay for traveling nurses than they should look at raising the salary of their existing nurses .  There should be programs adopted to encourage  more to pursue  a nursing career .