American Mobile horror stories
I'd like to post a warning to current and future traveling nurses. American Mobile is one of the largest traveling nurse agencies. They have a huge base of contracts available and frequently get you a contract in locations that other agencies can't. Unfortunately their business practices leave a lot to be desired. The most recent event happened this week when my travel partner was looking for a new contract in the LA, CA area. She had just completed 3 assignments with Kaiser in Panorama City. She took a few weeks off and when she came back she was having difficulty finding an assignment. I had referred her to Supplemental Healthcare as I have worked some per diem with them. Out of the blue a recruiter from American Mobile called her to see if she was looking for work. My partner told them she was but that she had a bad experience with American Mobile previously. The recruiter assured her that she would not have a bad experience with her. Well within a few days the recruiter from American Mobile found her a position at Children's Hospital in LA. At the same time Supplemental got her an interview at USC. She was offered a contract at both facilities. My partner decided to take the position at USC primarily because of the shift and the shorter commute despite the fact that the position at Children's Hospital paid a dollar more an hour. When she called the recruiter at American Mobile and told her that she was taking the other position, the recruiter told her that she was breaking a verbal contract and that she would have to pay her one thousand dollars for wasting the recruiter's time.

I found it difficult to believe that my partner would even talk to a recruiter from American Mobile after what they had done to her previously. She took an assignment at West Hills Hospital with American Mobile. When she showed up to check into her apt., she discovered that there wasn't a refrigerator in the apt. When called the emergency support number on the weekend, the representative from American Mobile asked her in a very nasty tone if she had requested a refrigerator. Being from the East coast it would have never occurred to her or myself to ask if "fully furnished" included a refrigerator. I've since learned that apartments not providing refrigerators is common on the West coast. A week later she finally got a refrigerator. During the contract the Chatsworth fire started, and my partner was told to evacuate her apt. She had to leave work in the middle of the shift to get her cat and important belongings from the apt. American Mobile was absolutely no help in finding her temporary accomodations during the fire. She went to work the next day but was uanable to work the next day because the smoke from the fire was aggravating her asthma. She missed one and one half days of work because of the fire. She was never asked to make up the time. But when the contracted ended my partner was denied her completion bonus. American Mobile told her that the hospital had refused to pay the bonus because she did not work all the hours of the contract. Midway through my partner's next contract she happened to call West Hills to get some information on a piece of equipment used there and she spoke with the surgery director. During the conversation my partner made mention of the fact that she was disappointed that she wasn't paid her bonus. The director was quite surprised by this and asked my partner if she could call her right back. Five minutes later the director called back and told that the hospital had paid the completion bonus to American Mobile. It took months and the involvement of an attorney before American Mobile finally paid the bonus money to her.

I did my first two travel assignment back in 2001 and 2002 with American Mobile. The first assignment was in Orlando, FL, and I had no problems. The second assignment was in San Francisco at Kaiser on Geary. I had my two dogs with me, and finding housing in SF was not easy for the company. They finally found something, and supposedly everything was in order. They knew I was driving out to CA. Mid-day on the first day of my road trip to CA my recruiter called me and said there was a problem with the apartment. It wouldn't be ready until Monday. She asked if I'd mind staying in the Holiday Inn over the weekend and move into the apartment on Monday after work. I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but what could I do? I agreed. I arrived in SF on Saturday afternoon and checked into the hotel. The receptionist informed me that I had a reservation for 5 nights. I told her that I was only supposed to be there for two nights. I asked when the reservations were made? She told me two weeks prior. I started my new assignment on Monday, and sure enough I got a call at work from my recruiter telling me that my apartment wouldn't be ready until Thursday. She also told me that the apartment office would be closed on Thursday, and that I could pick up the keys Wednesday evening. I go Wednesday after work to pick up the keys and meet the meanest nastiest person I've ever met - the apartment manager (she got fired before my contract was up). So the next day at work I get a call from the housing office at American Mobile, and this woman says the furniture company is there to deliever the furniture, but there is no one in the office to let them into the apt. She asked me if there was any way I could leave work and go them in my apt. I said, 'no". I explained to her that I was in the middle of an open heart surgical procedure and there was no way in God's green earth I could leave in the middle of it for any reason. She was absolutely incredulous that I couldn't leave work for even just a few minutes. So that evening I got into my newly refurbished (new paint and carpet odors) with no furniture apartment. I slept on the floor. Oh that nasty apartment manager happened to let the cat out of the bag as well. She made it crystal clear to me that she had told my company that the apartment would not be ready until that Thursday from the first moment they contacted her. My only possible explanation is that I might have delayed the start date on the contract if they had been honest with me about the availability of the apartment. So they lied to me to speed me on my way to CA.

As you can see my and my partner's experiences with American Mobile have been far from acceptable. American Mobile would have you believe that these problems are the exception and not the rule. Maybe from a statistical standpoint they are right, but I would caution everyone to be extremely careful with them and read and understand every detail of the contract. No matter what the company I take my sharpie marker and mark out anything in the contract that is unacceptable to me. When they complain I tell them point blank that I will not budge on the issue. I've never had a company refuse the contract. Please feel free to reply with good or bad experience you may have had with American Mobile