Emotional Whiplash

Where do I even start??? 

I'm sitting here, gutted, confused, and so frustrated. I signed my first contract on Dec 5, was ready to go for Dec 13, but the facility made me a Dec 27 start. Still exciting. I ran around like a bloody chicken with my head cut off trying to meet onboarding deadlines....which I did! Including bloodwork that was almost impossible to get and writing exams not even relevant to NICU.I held up my end, but the ball was definitely dropped on the other side. 

For several weeks the facility and the company were very wishy washy about what I would need in order to start, and the facility even stated they had meetings scheduled to discuss this, which never actually took place, so it started to get very stressful. All of this over the Christmas holidays, after I had already given up my staff position with sick time, holiday pay etc.... I was fully invested. I was told last week that the facility had decided to go ahead with international nurses and they were just ironing out the details!!! Finally some answers.... swiftly followed by.... we still don't know what the extra requirements will be....and then to:  the only new requirement will be a visa screen!!! Are you getting nauseous from all the back and forth yet ??? I sure am....but still Yay because  I have a visa screen so no problem! 🤢

 Just before this point I had requested to have my start date changed because I still hadn't been cleared 100 percent to start from the facility. I waited and waited to hear back. After a few frustrating days, I finally got word that "the facility has stated you can start the Monday after your file gets full clearance and they have adjusted your start date in the system to Jan 10!!!" Amazing, I need to start booking stuff!!! Finally!!! 

That message came through at 1130 at night yesterday and by noon today I was told that not having a ssn still might impact my ability to start..... what in the actual eff???? I thought the whole point of this rigamaroll was deal with the fact that I don't yet have that???? 

 Starting to feel super confused, and stressed, but still hopeful that my international background check would satisfy the state requirements....but after waiting on hold for 3 hours to book my flight out, I got the call that after all of this..... the facility had just decided to cancel the contract. Literally the worst thing that can happen to a travel nurse. You might think.... well at least you hadn't left yet, but actually that's not true......had I left.... I would have been approved for my TN Visa, would have been able to keep my appointment with the social security office, and would never have to be in this position again..... but instead, I'm back to square one..... only now, if I don't book an assignment within a week or 2 of that appointment, I will need to reschedule the appointment, and be back in the same boat of waiting a million years to get in. 

It really should not be so hard for us and the more I am dealing with this, the more my inner advocate is being triggered. There has to be a better way. Especially since according to the ssn office, and the USA government, there is literally no reason an employer should not allow me to work while I wait for my ssn..... but somehow the hospital systems, the facilities....they don't understand that. What gives?? Makes no sense in the midst of a pandemic in which Minnesota is losing the battle by the way, to turn down a fully qualified, highly experienced RN due to a technicality.....a requirement that the government itself says there is a 90 day grace period to obtain..... 

So now what?? 

I don't even know anymore, but 

I have reached out to the team at Trusted to see if a start date after my ssn appointment would be doable and so I'll see what they say. They encouraged me to keep applying to other postings in Minnesota, which there are zero of so that's not helpful...   I messaged the unit manager to let her know the facility had canceled me and to thank her for the opportunity, and I've started looking to other agencies that actually have some experience with this process. My Arizona license is still pending so maybe something will come up there, but for right now, there is alot that I can't control.....again. I have emotional whiplash from the constant back and forth of this facility, and now I've signed 2 contracts, and haven't even left my hometown. I'm not happy, and having a hard time even being hopeful at this point. Maybe I need a time out....on the beach.....somewhere hot....with bottomless margaritas..... who's with me?

xoxo 

Alana 

Expect the Unexpected: Delays, Red Tape, and Sacrifices I won't make again

So.......I signed my first travel contract on Dec 3, 2021 with a start date of Dec 27. This meant I was going to have to give up Christmas with my son, which I only get every other year, that I would be in a new Country, alone, on Christmas....not even working that weekend, just waiting to start. I had come to terms with this, since that was the start date I was given, and I have been ready to get this show on the road for what seems like, so long already. On Dec 4, I reached out to my unit manager, as well as my onboarding specialist, to confirm that I would be able to start work while I waited for my ssn appointment.

According to Trusted, as long as I had my I-94, and a signed contract along with my Canadian passport, I was cleared on their end. However.... over the next couple of days I heard back from the unit manager stating that she was unsure if I would be able to start without it......ugh

I was planning to fly out on Dec 19.... yesterday... to finish up some compliance tasks and to get my bearings before I jumped into this new job. I gave notice at my staff job and changed my status to casual. Thankfully I held off on booking any flights or accommodations until I had a solid answer. 

The entire week of Dec 6-10 I was told by my team at Trusted that they had been trying to contact the facility, struggling to get through, that they were unable to connect or get any solid answers.... so I just kept waiting....and waiting......and waiting... 

As I have mentioned in previous posts, literally nothing happens on weekends with this stuff. These decisions are for the Mon-Fri crew and so any movement seems to be at a snails pace. I try to stay positive, to trust the timing, to remember that there are 4 or 5 people/ departments between me and the unit, but it is SO hard. I start feeling irritated.... we both agreed to this contract, knowing I didn't yet have my ssn, so why is it even a question? I only wanted to confirm that it was going to be ok, and now part of me wonders if I should have just showed up and not said anything. I didn't want to be that risky though, and I'm glad we are working through this. Maybe it will be WAY easier for the next Canadian trying to work at this specific hospital. 

Dec 13 comes and I finally decide to bite the bullet and take my doggie in for her international health certificate. A 200 dollar piece of paper with 30 day expiry date.... still hoping that this week will bring some answers..... I scrambled to get some final bloodwork done so if things got delayed, it wouldn't be due to my negligence. As a nurse, we sometimes have to be tested for TB. In Canada, we typically do this via a skin test. You get a tiny injection just under the skin, then go back and have it looked at 48 hours later. A 2 step skin test... I was informed that this facility would want 2 2 step tests, which meant 4 total appointments and 5 days in which to complete them if that was the route I was going.....a bit excessive if you ask me. So I opted for the blood test instead. So many travel nurses talk about this test as being way easier than the skin test.....it's not.

I had to make an appointment with a Dr in order to get the requisition for this test, and when I got to the lab, I was told it was a pretty rare test and they didn't have the right tubes, but was told I could go to the lab at my work...Ugh, ok.... so I went to the lab at work before my shift. There, I was told I would need to make an appointment, and that my Dr would need to get special approval from the virologist on call in order to request that test. ok.... so I called my Dr. and asked her (well I had to ask through the receptionist because the Dr's don't just take phone calls) to get the special approval, to fax it to the lab at my work, and made an appointment for the next day. As I was waiting to be seen, the lab tech came out and said "did you know you need to pay for this test"... yes, I said, I just wasn't told how much. She went on to explain that they have no way to bill me there, and she would have to make a call.....I did finally get the test done, apparently they will mail me the bill, which my company will pay for, and I was able to see my results online within a few days. With this test done, all my compliance was done, and days ahead of schedule....but still no word from the facility if I can actually start working as planned. 

With only 6 days left before I had planned to fly out, and still no news, I emailed the unit manager to let her know that we had been trying, but that there had been some issues getting any kind of info from the hospital end. She was frustrated as well, and within an hour of emailing her, I got an update from Trusted that the facility was planning to meet about this specifically the next morning. FINALLY... SOMETHING. 

A little bit of excitement crept back in, and I felt like I might actually be able to pull this off timing wise. Tuesday came and went.....crickets..... and Wednesday too. Did they even have this meeting? Am I just being strung along here?? Why is it so difficult? Trusted is technically my employer and they have cleared me, why is the facility struggling so much?? On Thursday, 3 days before I anticipated leaving, I was told that the facility was going to meet on the following Monday. A week before my contracted start date, and a day after I wanted to arrive. So the meeting that was meant to happen on Tuesday....didn't. 

Will today's meeting actually take place??? I really really hope so.

Meanwhile, it's still Christmas time...I still went casual at my job, and on top of a plethora of other personal issues, I am now faced with a delayed start date as a best case scenario. I am missing Christmas with my kiddo for nothing, a sacrifice I will never make ever again, and I still don't know what the next couple of weeks will bring. 

It is not all bad though!

I feel like I have just been handed one of the most important lessons of travel nursing, without even having to travel anywhere..... Expect the Unexpected, and accept that so much is out of your control. I feel like I have been in a vice the last couple of weeks, just waiting... and so much of that stress is because I chose to accept a contract that would require me to travel over the holidays....So that's on me...I didn't anticipate the sloth paced communication, the unfamiliarity of international nurse requirements from the facilities HR dept, and so much red tape......Not knowing if I will be home for Christmas or not, has caused extra stress for everyone around me, has taken so much of my attention away from being in the present moment, and no matter how badly I want answers or how irritated I get, that somehow doesn't speed things up. 

 I did everything right. Rushed around to make sure I had test results in time, even wrote a prophecy exam completely unrelated to my specialty because the facility required it, met all my deadlines on time, for once had all my ducks in a row.... and that wasn't enough. Even though I did everything in my power to ensure things went smooth, as my onboarding team keeps telling me "we are really at the mercy of the facility here, and are waiting on them". I asked Friday for a pushed start date since it is because of the facility that I am not able to start on time. So far all I have heard is that we are now looking at a Jan start, just no set date as of yet. Until I hear back, everything is still kind of up in the air, which is super uncomfortable for me, but a valuable lesson in both patience, and presence. 

Happy Holidays 

xoxo

My First Contract!

I feel like I'm just holding my breath, waiting......not sure if, when I finally exhale, it will be a sigh of relief, or of disappointment. 

I signed my first travel contract yesterday! After 7 months of going through all the motions, collecting paperwork, hours and hours on the phone with different agencies, regulatory bodies, immigration people, and 3 different license applications.... we finally crossed that line into Travel Nursing! 

So why do I feel so stressed???? 

On Thursday I received a phone call from the unit manager at one of the hospitals I had applied to through Trusted Health. This phone call coming literally moments after I had taken myself onto my back step, to enjoy the warmth of the sun in the chilly winter air. To really just breath, relax, and be grateful. I took a few deep breaths, felt the sun hit my face, heard a few chickadees playing in the trees. I closed my eyes. "Everything is working out for me". A mantra I have on repeat, especially in times of stress or unexpected events. My phone rang. The caller ID read "Minnesota". 

It had been 3 weeks since I had started applying with Trusted, and 4 days since I submitted myself to this particular job. I was starting to feel defeated. I asked the powers that be for "a little break....something to keep me positive". Funny how slow time goes when you are waiting for something totally out of your control. Apparently they heard me. 

It had also been 2 weeks since the recruiter at AYA had submitted me to a position that I never had a chance of getting. She strung me along none the less. Stating that my application was still in the running, each day getting closer... "3 applicants still being reviewed and you are one of them" 2 applicants left".... until that same day, after having a great conversation with my new potential manager, she updated me that this particular hospital won't take nurses without a ssn. A pretty important tidbit since she knew I didn't have one yet. A question that should have been directed to the vendor before, or immediately after my submission. Not 2 weeks later after she told me straight up I was being considered. Considering most of my interactions with this particular individual seemed to leave a bad taste in my mouth, this was the last straw for me. There are far too many agencies and recruiters out there to stay loyal to someone you don't trust. I don't see myself working with this company anytime in the near future, but it's true what they say.... the recruiter is more important than the agency.

The hospital is located in Edina Minnesota, a place I had never heard of, but turns out to be only 15 min from downtown Minneapolis. The unit sounds amazing! Much smaller than where I am, and the babies are a bit more stable than the 23 weekers we sometimes see here. A tight knit group of staff who never leave, where they don't have a constant influx of travelers. In fact, I will be the first one in a couple of years. People tend to stay where they are happy, so this a good sign as far as I am concerned. And on top of all that, the manager sounds so nice, supportive, and I could easily see myself doing great here. She told me at the end of the call that she would reach out to my company and extend the offer! 

I am not even joking when I tell you guys that it only took a couple of hours for me to start questioning my sanity. Did I really just get my first travel job? Maybe I misunderstood? Is this really happening? It just seemed too easy considering the amount of energy I had to invest before I was at this stage. Could the really hard stuff be over?? 

I messaged my nurse advocate at Trusted to fill her in, and within 24 hours they had recieved the offer and my contract was signed by the end of that day. I called the social security office in Minneapolis to see how to go about getting my SSN upon arrival. Another big step in my travel nurse journey. 

Everything I have read online states you can go in with the required documents, apply in person, and that's it. The woman on the phone told me a different story however......

She stated that I could only go to the particular office that I was calling, that I would need an interview and that an appointment was required. The soonest available time was Jan 26!! That's no good. Not when I'm contracted to start work Dec 27. 

I could feel my whole body tense up. After all of this effort, money and time invested, was this going to impact my ability to work?? 

Disappointment started to set in. Along with alot of other negative thoughts. I felt...trapped, defeated, but not hopeless. 

I immediately emailed my soon to be manager to let her know the situation and to inquire if I would be able to work while waiting for that number, and tried to keep the faith. Meanwhile scouring the internet to find out what the actual requirements are. So it turns out there is a 90 day grace period for new US  employees, but I believe ultimately it's up to HR. She replied and told me she would reach out to them and her recruiter person. 

It was about an hour after that email went out that Trusted recieved the offer, and that came from the hospitals recruiter person, so I assume that I have the ok as far as HR is concerned, otherwise I don't think they would have sent that offer. However, I still haven't heard back from the unit manager, so this is still a big question mark, a big, heavy one with alot of things riding on the answer. Send good vibes please  

On top of that, I received my onboarding instructions from Trusted, and among all the timed competency exams, the health documents, the covid questionnaires, I am asked to provide a SSN. 

I have been working with trusted every step along the way to be able to work with them as a Canadian. Nothing is really formatted for us on their site, but I love the values, the staff, the model.....so I kept with it, and they kept supporting me, making little adjustments, submitting me manually for jobs, responding with happy emojis and patience every single time......so I am cautiously optimistic that they will continue with this super supportive model, and allow me to provide my SSN as soon as I get it. 

The other little bump is getting my AHA BLS. As I've previously told you guys, it's impossible to get this certification in Canada. I reccomend anyone looking into travel nursing , to book your required certs on your next trip to the US so you aren't in the same boat as me. I completed part of it online and am booked for my in person skills session for the week I arrive. Luckily my onboarding docs are not due until a few days after I arrive, and I'm already booked in to the skills session for it. 

I will be anxiously awaiting confirmation from my potential new manager, as well as from  Trusted health regarding the SSN situation. I'm currently 50 percent ridiculously excited, and 50 percent cautiously optimistic. Should be an interesting week! Never in my life have looked forward to Monday so many weeks in a row. 

Xo

Alana