End of the Exodus?
Long time no post! Few updates, starting with the somewhat abrupt end of my second assignment when I was notified the day before what became my last shift, my contract extension was being cancelled due to low census. Yikes. I figured it was going to become a reality for me someday, based on the whispers I’ve been hearing of cancelled contracts and the diminishing rates, still I was not expecting it! I signed my contract extension about 2 weeks prior, and if only I had signed a LITTLE sooner, my position would have been secured but it wasn’t to be. So back on the travel nursing market I go!
Within the past 2-3 months, there has been a perceptible shift in the world of travel nursing. The listings have had a significant drop in pay rates, as well as sheer volume of postings. It was expected that eventually the industry would try to revert back to the pre-covid status quo, but it’s hard to imagine already returning to it! While many facilities are removing postings and decreasing the rates of offers, the number of staff vacancies remain high. Seems the goal is to push the travel nurses back to staff positions, which I understand since the travel market has become comparatively much more saturated than it was 2 years ago. For myself though, I am not keen on the idea of going back to a bedside staff position anytime soon.
I think for a lot of nurses who transitioned to a travel role, it has been the only way we could rationalize staying in the stressful and ever more demanding profession. To say money is the primary motive of our healthcare industry is a scary thought that I don’t believe is fully accurate. However. To say money is not is wishful thinking. It’s unfortunate but it feels like the majority of our healthcare system seems like any other business, where the goal is sustainability and profits rather than human engagement. Whereas frontline healthcare workers, be it doctors, nurses, therapists, techs, or the myriad of other professions tied to the industry, are often led by the selfless intention of helping others, it can be a quite tiring and self-sacrificing calling. For a while I thought I wanted to go into management/admin, and while part of me is still indecisive on that front, I feel it would make me a hypocrite. I know there are good administrative systems out there, it just seems the overall impression is one of superficiality and disconnect.
On a less serious note, work the past month had been interesting! The facility I was at was playing with their nursing care model, and transitioned from primary nursing to team nursing. With some modifications… the worst part was that literally every unit seemed to be doing their own thing. I floated twice during this period and was very confused on what my responsibilities were - made me feel like a brand new nurse again! Some places would split 10-12 patients among two nurses and have one do meds and the others assessments. Other places would split 15-16 among 3 nurses, have one do ALL the assessments and the other 2 do meds. Thankfully, some units left it up to the nurses who always opted to make primary nurse assignments as usual. It seemed to be a creative solution to the current (and now upcoming) staffing issue, a change that almost everyone was up in arms over.
I suppose it was good experience to see a different nursing model in work, but it just made me appreciate primary nursing all the more. Team nursing and splitting up the care and responsibility made things feel too segmented, and allowed for too much ambiguity with expectations. Perhaps when more solidified the model could work better, but I was not a fan for the brief time I saw it in practice.
It was bittersweet to end that assignment so abruptly without saying proper goodbyes to many, though admittedly I noticed myself being less personable at first, being caught in the mindset “I’m only here temporarily, just do your job.” I realized that mindset just further manifests a hostile and unhappy work environment - at least from my perspective. While nursing (and all of healthcare) may be at times a stressful and downright crummy gig, it can be much more tolerable if we just approach it with a positive attitude. Even if we have to fake it every now and then for the sake of others - which is a skill in which I admittedly feel I have become adept. And wherever the assignment, whatever the conditions, if we focus on pursuing the reason that led us to our profession in the first place, maybe we’ll be able to view our job in a more positive light.
