Not a Happy Camper

Today was the worst day ever!

It started out that I did not want to get up and out of bed for this class. If you know me, then you know I am not a morning person and especially when Kim doesn't feel well.

So Corinna arrives at six as promised and I head out the door with coffee and tylenol in tow.  We make the drive and arrived at 7:30 like we were asked to as so we could work on schedule before the 8 am class.  Well, that did not happen instead we sat in a room unpaid drinking coffee and then we were taken to the training room for the class.

The class was the only part of the day that sis not stink.  Our educator was really neat. A Mexican native, he has only held the position for two days and we breezed through all the material at warp speed. There was us three travelers from Peds and two ladies working in OB.

After morning sessions we grab a bite to eat and the three of us head over to the Peds unit so we can see if the schedule had been worked out.  This is when the day fell apart.  Now first mind you that we all have been very flexible and we all have contracts spelling out the specifics of what we are responsible for working, pay, etc. We have to adhere to these as gospel for the term of our contracts.  Mine is currently for 13 weeks.

When I was interviewed I asked:

1. if the job was for days or nights?  I was told nights.  I said great as that is the shift I prefer.
2. how many hours per week?  I was told 36 hours. 3 nights per week.
3. would the shifts be worked all together or spread out? I was told that it would be flexible. Like one week 2 on a few days off and then one or just three in a row and then the rest of the week off.
4. what unit would I be working?  I would be working in a 15 bed Pediatric unit which will staff at night 2 RN's 1 LPN and 1 CNA.

So my contract states:

1. I am to work 36 hours per week.  I am not guaranteed to work the 36 hours so if they have low patients I can be cancelled for the night and not get paid.  Normally I do not have this in my contract and I normally get paid whether they cancel me or work me, but I allowed it this time.

2.  I can work overtime if I wish and it is approved by the facility in advance.

3.  My contract is for the Pediatric Unit and is for 13 weeks.

Now this is what she said I was to work.

36 hours one week and 48 hours the second week with all shifts to be run consecutively then 7 days off for a two week rotation.

Do you see what the problem is here... please refer to the phone interview and contract information above, but I am sure you all are educated people and see what the issue is right from the start.

First, I was not asked if I wanted to pick up a fourth shift. I was told.
Second, Seven straight nights on then seven straight nights off is not what I was told scheduling would be.  It is not only exhausting, but unsafe.  Knowing that I also have an hour and a half commute each way. So take that into account that is 84 hours of working and 21 hours of driving all in the span of 7 days.

Now I know I agreed to make the commute and it is not that bad when you are just doing a couple of days here and then a few off then another day or two but come on... all that in a row!
Honestly I could have used my expense money to fly out here and get a hotel for 5 of the days and then fly home for a week and then fly back for the 7 getting a hotel for 5 nights and in a month that would only cost me 1,000.00 a month (300.00 r/t airfare twice and 200.00 for 10 nights lodging at the local hotel employee rate).  My condo is 1,400.00 and I pay gas to commute 160 miles per day.  I could honestly work that arrangement out with the kids and my home life instead of being away an entire 13 weeks without being able to go home.

So, I mention the fact that my contract says I only work 36 hours and it goes ignored. She then continues to schedule me for Friday night AND Saturday night this week which is 4 shifts for this week with Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday night off then back on Wednesday to start my seven in a row. I was funing and lunch was over so we had to get back to class.  She says that the only was we can break it up any other way would be for Corinna and I to work opposite each other and work 5 on and 2 off. Well this would mean we could not carpool and it is still 5 in a row with only two nights off to come back and work 2 nights then 5 nights off.  Then we would not only be working opposite, we will be having to drive it all alone instead of sharing the cost and drive.

So we head back off to finish up class and I so called my recruiter Joe!  He does not answer right away and as I am leaving him a message on his cell phone, as I have that number for when the office is closed, he calls me back and asks what is up. I explain in a loud fury as to what he has gotten me into and he knows I am ticked off to the point of no return so what does he do??? He listens, sympathizes with my concerns and says that we will work it all out tomorrow and then makes a few jokes makes me laugh and we hang up. I am sure he was just glad to get back to his peaceful evening an dknows I will be calling him less frenzied tomorrow.

We get into the final segments of the class and right before it ended we were called and told that she wanted to see us after class.  We head back to the unit after giving Kudos to our instructor, and she is all smiles that she has found us a solution.

The solution is that she has found us some housing options that we can pay for during our seven nights on so we can still commute together but have a place to stay in town so we do not have to make the three hour trip each day. But this would be at another added cost of course.  Now I am thinking to myself, I already pay for housing and you are now already making me work more than I am contracted... why cannot you furnish me a place to stay for those extra nights.  Corinna and I take the housing information that she has given us and say that we will work the schedule she has made, because frankly we have no choice and we leave.

We decide to walk over to the Human Resources department to speak with the nurse recruiter who arranged our contracts with our agencies.  Now we all three work for a different one and Corinna's contract states for 36 hours per week and they are guaranteed hours.  Mine states 36 hours per week, but not guaranteed and Melba's states 36 hours then 48 hours guaranteed.  We went to his office and explained the situation. I flat out told him that I was mislead in my interview as well as Corinna. I told him that my contract was for 36 and that I could work overtime if I had it approved, but it was not mandatory.  I told him that if I was asked to work extra I would probably to help out as that is how I am, I try to be helpful and honestly that if it was two nights on then 2 nights off then another two nights on then three nights off that I could totally work extra hours as it was all broken up.  He listened and as a formal travel nurse himself knows the boundaries of contracts.  He then stated that he would contact one of the staff doctors that had a room available and see if we could stay there during our weeks working.  Honestly it would only be 5 day shifts as the first night we would drive in and the last morning we would drive back and then Corinna would just stay in the condo with me and share the cost and she lives in Texas and she would possibly just go home the week she was off to see her daughter.

The other option is to stay at the local motel and it is 40 a night for employees and sharing that cost would be 20 a night.  This is about what we would pay in gas to commute but making sure that they would have a vacany the entire weeks we were working would prove to be a challange as tourist season approaches here soon.

So we left with knowing we got some information and a whole lot of stuff off our chests, well I did anyway... and decided to just hope that the good doctor would feel sorry for us and let us use his house while he will be away and that it is only 11 more weeks to go.  We dropped Melba off at her trailer and we headed back towards Flagstaff with lots to think and discuss.

She took me to dinner tonight and my whole diet went out the window for one day.. I ate a 6 ounce sirloin, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, pumpernickel bread and a LARGE margarita!  We decided that what ever housing arrangement we can make in Tuba City (either renting from doctor or hotel) she would pay for it and we will stay there the week we work and then the weeks we are off we will stay at my place in Flagstaff that I pay for and she would drive and pay for the gas each way, which would be a fair compromise as I make more money in expenses and my place is more expensive and nicer and away from the Reservation.

So now I am sitting on the bed and my mind is still racing as I am scared of the fact that seven in a row may not be the safest thing for everyone involved. I just think I am most upset that I was not given all the proper information to make my decision before I accepted the job.  The hospital is really great, the employees are super and even the supervisor in question is a very nice lady and honestly is trying to do the right thing by trying to make the commute and housing easier.. she just doesn't realize the other issues with nights/hours.  I am still glad I came here, I am just conflicted is all.

Sorry for the ranting... it actually feels better to have a place to do that and I always know that if you don't want to hear it you can always close out of the blog... or just do not answer the phone if I call :)

Hopefully I will get some sleep and things will be different tomorrow...

Will begin Day One of diet again.
Hope that we get cheap housing that will be available the entire time we are there.
Hope my headache will be completely gone
and
Make Joe aware of my concerns and solutions.

Good Night!