I want out of my travel contract!

Re: I want out of my travel contract!

hmd wrote:

Can anyone give me any advice on how to get out of my travel contract? I cannot stand it at my assignment. The managers are horrible, not communicative, unprofessionsal, catty, and I am treated like an second class citizen because I am a traveler. I was even told this, in not so many words, by one of the managers! I have been traveling for almost two years now and I have never tried to cancel a contract before, but I hate this. It's my sixth week into the assignment and I wanted to try to tough it out, but it's too much. HELP!

no, if you have received any advice let me know, i have the same problem, what kind of protection if offered for travelers? Embarrassed

Re: I want out of my travel contract!

hmd wrote:

Can anyone give me any advice on how to get out of my travel contract? I cannot stand it at my assignment. The managers are horrible, not communicative, unprofessionsal, catty, and I am treated like an second class citizen because I am a traveler. I was even told this, in not so many words, by one of the managers! I have been traveling for almost two years now and I have never tried to cancel a contract before, but I hate this. It's my sixth week into the assignment and I wanted to try to tough it out, but it's too much. HELP!

Possible suggestions: Review to see if there are any clauses that allow you or they to terminate and on what grounds. Contact something like Action Line, or nursing organization to which you belong to see if there are any broad-spectrum policies to address situations like this for travel nurses. I see another replied who is in a similar situation; so it would appear this situation is not rare.. Hope others more knowledgeable than myself on this will respond. Thoughts for quick resolution are sent with this response.
David Russell
guest, Medical Transcriptionist

Re: I want out of my travel contract!

hmd wrote:

Can anyone give me any advice on how to get out of my travel contract? I cannot stand it at my assignment. The managers are horrible, not communicative, unprofessionsal, catty, and I am treated like an second class citizen because I am a traveler. I was even told this, in not so many words, by one of the managers! I have been traveling for almost two years now and I have never tried to cancel a contract before, but I hate this. It's my sixth week into the assignment and I wanted to try to tough it out, but it's too much. HELP!

Hi again HMD,
I wanted to share a quote from an article I read recently by Steve Brown, during my personal quiet time. Steve is a Christian writer and teacher, but think his words are appropriate for us all, especially when we feel stuck. For what it may be worth, read on please.

"Decide what you are about, aa mother, a teacher, a business person, a piano player, a preacher, a candlestick maker a writer, and gauge your time from what you learn. Say no to those things which do, nor enhance or further the fulfillment of those values".

Selfishly, I would be interested to know how this works out for you. Rest assured- it will..

David Exclamation

Did you get out?!
Laughing

Hello: I was a traveller to a small hospital in FL. I had a phone interview with the DON before going down there. One of my stipulations was that "I DO NOT float outside of my area of expertise." I work L&D. After 3 weeks there, it was very quiet in L&D and they wanted to float me to ER!! I did report to the ER because they told me that all I'd need to do was admit patients at their bedside on a computer. I was never instructed on 'how' to do this so after admitting 3 people and then needing to go back to L&D due to an admission... they call up and tell me that I have to do it over, because it wasn't entered!!!! I told them that that is the kind of help you get when you don't orient someone to their job. After that, I decided to stick to my contract and not float out of L&D, NSY or PP. The very next week, they try and send me to PACU!!! That did it. I quit citing breach of contract on their behalf. They did try to get ugly about it, but I told them to take it up with my cousin who's a lawyer. There were things that they didn't want to come out on the stand so I was let go.... but, I was also let go by my recruiting company. They didn't stand behind me, even though they were in on the 3 way interview conversation. Let me know if you made it through the 13 weeks, and don't give up on Nursing... it's great, and there ARE still some good hospitals to work for. 8)

Re: Did you get out?!

Roberta Cole wrote:

Hello: I was a traveller to a small hospital in FL. I had a phone interview with the DON before going down there. One of my stipulations was that "I DO NOT float outside of my area of expertise." I work L&D. After 3 weeks there, it was very quiet in L&D and they wanted to float me to ER!! I did report to the ER because they told me that all I'd need to do was admit patients at their bedside on a computer. I was never instructed on 'how' to do this so after admitting 3 people and then needing to go back to L&D due to an admission... they call up and tell me that I have to do it over, because it wasn't entered!!!! I told them that that is the kind of help you get when you don't orient someone to their job. After that, I decided to stick to my contract and not float out of L&D, NSY or PP. The very next week, they try and send me to PACU!!! That did it. I quit citing breach of contract on their behalf. They did try to get ugly about it, but I told them to take it up with my cousin who's a lawyer. There were things that they didn't want to come out on the stand so I was let go.... but, I was also let go by my recruiting company. They didn't stand behind me, even though they were in on the 3 way interview conversation. Let me know if you made it through the 13 weeks, and don't give up on Nursing... it's great, and there ARE still some good hospitals to work for. 8)

Roberta, hapy for you in that you stood your ground. Noone likes to be pointed out their errors, but better you did, then allow for more to be made.
Best to you,
David the medical transcriptionist

You mean you haven't figured out that getting fired immediately ends your travel contract? All is fair. If you aren't treated right, sleep in tomorrow and appologize about your clock not going off.

Are there any penalties in your travel contract that does not include getting fired? For what? Be an airhead and pester every nurse around you to double check everything you do. You will be enough of a pain that they will want to get rid of you, along with the fact that you overslept one singular day.

It's not that hard!

Be Careful of The Right Solutions
I recently was working for TRS-The Right Solutions. The pay rate they quoted me wasn't what they paid me. The hospital and housing was fine. But they couldn't get my pay right. 2 weeks into the contract, I asked them "are you going to fix the problem or not!". The neither called me or emailed me. I gave notice to the ER manager that if the problem could not be solved I would be resigning the following week. They were very supportive. Well, TRS did not fix it, so I resigned on the basis of withholding pay and breach of contract. THAT IS WHEN IT GOT UGLY. The had paid me (incorrectly of course) on Friday...and after I resigned they REMOVED the ENTIRE paycheck on Monday.
I am having to get a lawyer. The now owe me 2 weeks of wages!
BEWARE OF THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS!!

LEAVING A TRAVEL ASSIGNMENT
I WORKED WITH SEVERAL TRAVEL COMPANIES AND WITH EACH ONE THE STIPULATION WAS THATIF I QUIT THE ASSIGNMENT I HAD TO FINANCE MY OWN WAY HOME AND I MAY HAVE TO REINBURSE SOME OTHER ASSIGNMENTS. TELL YOUR COMPANY ABOUT THE ABUSES AND ASK ABOUT RECOURSES. THEY MAY FIND YOU ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT OR YOU COULD WORK FOR ANOTHER COMPANY, THERE ARE A LOT OF TRAVEL COMPANYS AND A HUGE SHORTAGE OF NURSE. YOU ARE NOT WITHOUT BARGINING POWER. GOOD LUCK. BY THE WAY IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE MISTREATED DON'T GO TO WORK FOR STANFORD UNIVERSITY, I WORKED FOR THEM AS A TRAVELER AND THEY ARE THE MEANEST BUNCH OF PEOPLE I HAVE IN MY 30 YRS EVER WORKED WITH.

travel
Hi, I tried to get them to correct things. The company refused saying..."well, if you add the completion bonus and divide it over 13 weeks, that is ALMOST what we said we would pay you." That completion bonus is just that... a completion bonus and not part of my weekly compensation. I tried to go with another company, but the hospital was scared of retaliation from TRS. I has been a nightmare. They are withholding wages for hours already worked. They can't do that legally! I have filed claims w/ the labor boards.
BEWARE of The Right Solutions

I want out of my contract
I understand your problem. several years ago I took an assignment with a Florida based travel company. They sent me to a hospital and the first month was fine then towards the end of the 13 week contract the hospital decided that the wanted to change the orginal terms of the contract by severely short staffing the night shift during my rotation and the nurses were dumping and offered no help. When I realized that pt care was badly being jeopardized and my licensed endangered I called the agency only to be told to work it out with the hospital. Later the agency did find another hospital where I could complete my assignment. This one was worse-no orientation-floated to nights as the only RN. When I asked about relief for my dinner break was told by the supervisor that he would relieve me only to have him show up and ask me what I wanted him to bring me from the cafeteria. His plan was to drop the food off and leave. I was to eat when and if I got time because he was not staying or had anyone to cover while I took a 30 minute lunch break. On top of this I discovered that when their regular staff was on nights they always had two staff members on together. This unite was isolated from the rest of the hospital so in the event of an emergency I was ON MY OWN. To make a long story short I packed up and went home with no discussion with the travel company. They did not give me my last pay check and I really did not care. However they did call persons listed on my application and told them I had left without notification in an attempt to embarrass me; but this was a small price to pay for my license, sanity and safety. One of the nurses at the second hospital told about running out to the parking lot to her car as it was beign stolen; one of many security incidents at the facility.

Contract
Best wishes for getting out of the contract.

My agency has a binding arbitration clause, but again, you might want legal representation. I am currently working a contract in So. Cal that I did not really want to take because I broke a contract prior to starting at Emory University in Ga. I felt that I didn't want to go through the arbitration process and if not, there was a $750 cancellation cost to me. My contract also states that should I get cancelled by the hospital for cause (calling in, oversleeping, being unprofessional) that I would forfeit the $750 and would have to pay all my expenses home and possibly loose money on housing. So I don't think that being a pest and getting fired is a good option, but that depends on how bad it is... money isn't everything.

Thus far the assignment is going well and the hospital admin has been very supportive (week 3 of 13). It is a small ER at an older hospital and they are busier than a one-legged cat covering up crap but the 12 hour shifts are over before you get to take a deep breath. I think this will be an okay assignment and I keep trying to look at it as good experience despite not wanting to come.
I will not take another assigment with this agency and am looking for suggestions for a good group to go with.

Again good luck I hope you can work it out through the hospital or the agency

travel assignments
I am appalled at the incidents some are experiencing.
I have emailed for the list of 10 best travel companies.
In the interests of others however, I will write that I heard, from other travel nurses, working at U.T.M.B, when I was there, several years ago in Galveston, of varied sabotage methods.
They occured in all departments, "losing" blood instead of routing same to lab, being "deaf" to requests for assistance, sometimes in urgent situations, as in a 'stat' C/S.
Schedules unexpectedly changed on your days off, without notification, too much creative sabotage to ennumerate.
I heard of nurses (travel) just "walking off"
I went in on a 13 week assignment, formed attachments to a staff person (originally from Trinidad) and a fellow traveller (from Nigeria) and myself (originally from England via Australia) and ended up staying 16 months.
We watched each other's backs, and it made a difference, obviously.
This hospital also requires their staff nurses to submit an annual packet of documentation, from doctors, midwives, patients....recommendations, as well as proof of community service AND DOCUMENTED courses in furthering education, to retain their own position.
Some staff working in a R.N. 3 capacity, whose packets were not acceptable to the "board" were dropped back to R.N. 2 status with the pay scale dropped accordingly.
Hundreds of nurses left and came back to work as agency.
The reason they still depend so much on travellers.
This all began about 10 years ago.
Subsequent legal battles, ongoing, have not changed the status of this situation.
My friend who worked as staff there, still battles the system.
To add "the straw that broke the camel's back" our travel company, paid us incorrectly for our 'bonus' time, they couldn't keep competent accountants. Months after I had left I persisted , sending my times and bonus times with good documentation and received eventually all that was owed to me.
Once while I was away on days off the company tried to get the apartment management to enter my apt. pack up my belongings and move me into a shared apt, to free up my single for a new male coming on board .
Fortunately the management refused, I took the opportunity to find my own housing and take the stipend allowable.
I was completely moved in 2 days, but made the company wait 2 weeks for the apt.
Such tales of woe, things have improved somewhat, but I still won't "jump in" blindly.
We have the upper hand, we make the money for them, deal with it,

RE: LA Travel Nurse
WARATAH,

Please email me @ [email protected] to ensure that I don't get caught up with that agency. Where are you located in Louisiana? I am planning to relocate there in December. I need all the advice I can get!

Thanks,

Carolinagirl

Have you read your contract closely?? I did work for one company that had in the contract that if you break it, you would pay them 2000. I mostly work for the same company now, and I have had to call and tell them it was unsafe, and I was worried about losing my license if I stayed, and they told me do what I thought I needed too, and was very good about it, and helped me find another contract. I have always been told by my recuriter to make sure anything I wanted was in the contract. I have had christmas week off wrote in, my birthday weekend, etc. my experience with travel companies is if you don't trust them, and the deal smells like yesterdays trash you need a new company., but if your that worried, call a lawyer, you worked to hard to get where you are.!!Good luck

You all work in the wrong state. With the current nursing sortage why sign anything that is not avantagous to you? Travelers do make more money I know, but they are always dumped on everywhere. So are seasonal nurses. I really recommend a regular job. Premium Pool. You work all you want and you make pretty good money. Good luck.

@TravRN,

TravRN wrote:

Be Careful of The Right Solutions
I recently was working for TRS-The Right Solutions. The pay rate they quoted me wasn't what they paid me. The hospital and housing was fine. But they couldn't get my pay right. 2 weeks into the contract, I asked them "are you going to fix the problem or not!". The neither called me or emailed me. I gave notice to the ER manager that if the problem could not be solved I would be resigning the following week. They were very supportive. Well, TRS did not fix it, so I resigned on the basis of withholding pay and breach of contract. THAT IS WHEN IT GOT UGLY. The had paid me (incorrectly of course) on Friday...and after I resigned they REMOVED the ENTIRE paycheck on Monday.
I am having to get a lawyer. The now owe me 2 weeks of wages!
BEWARE OF THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS!!

I know this is old BUT did you ever get your money back? Having a similar problem with TRS-The Right Solutions. They are refusing to pay me as well.

@hmd,

What do you mean you cannot get out of a contract?

@dianeaallen,

You have to finance your own travel to get home?

@MsKnowledgebased,

the two people you replied to posted in 2005...

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