Category: Travel Nurse

Fidelity on Call is a quality travel nursing team.

Calling in… When, Why, and Why Not?

Attendance is a very critical component in any industry. Healthcare is no different. Although, let’s face it, hospital policies have been wild and all over the place due to Rona. Attendance in travel nursing has always been paramount due to the fact that our travel nurses are considered the backup team. Now comes the pandemic. As our travelers were not allowed to work in the early stages of this novel virus, our clients were willing to pay for their time off. After two years things have changed.

So when do you call off?

The good old -fashioned advice never fails to be correct. Are you sick, truly sick?

  • Are you running a fever greater than 99.9?
  • Are you vomiting?
  • Are you making repeated trips to the bathroom for less than pleasant reasons?
  • Did you have a medical emergency?

These are just a few sure-fire reasons you should reach out to your recruiter and manager to call off to work.

What are unacceptable call offs?

Some days we just do not feel our best. We forge on because we are the backup team. Here are some “not great” examples for calling off to work:

  • Winter weather – We all have access to winter weather reports and road conditions. You should PLAN ahead for such events Leave early! Depending on your distance, this may be 30 minutes early or more

✔Ensure your car is in winter driving condition
✔Have proper winter travel supplies in your car
✔Communicate with your recruiter about housing options

  • Lack of Childcare

✔You as a traveler are the backup team member. You should have a backup for your childcare.
✔We have some facilities that allow our travelers to use their childcare resources.
✔Instead of calling off inquire with your recruiter or hospital manager if you can switch shifts/days

  • No Call No Show

✔Proud to report that this is not happening with our Fidelity On Call travelers, but we are hearing this from our clients regarding other travelers doing it (and regularly)! We thought it would be worth mentioning so that we continue with that perfect record.

In closing, calling off makes it tough on everyone involved. Yes, emergencies happen to us all. True emergencies and illness are not every week. Please always keep in close communication with your

Time to Schedule Good Vibes

For several years I worked with a young lady who had a very interesting habit. At least once a day, she would throw her papers on her desk, hop up and shout, “Life sucks and then you die!” Needless to say, she always got the attention of the team that surrounded her, but never in a good way.

Now, decades later and I still remember exactly how she looked and what she said. Did she make an impression? Yes. Was it a good one? No! And, what could have been so earth shattering? She was doing routine paperwork.

And, reflecting back, life was sure a lot easier then than now. Every day there is something new that impacts our lives – so much so that it can seem out of control. During the past two years we have had more than our fair share of challenges in life and in the medical field.

We know and appreciate the fact that our ultimate goal – taking the best care of our patients – is a very important job. Sometimes we see things that are not pleasant, to say the least. Sometimes we take care of patients that are less than kind – shoot, some of them can be downright mean. Sometimes on-site nurses respond in inappropriate ways or try to tear us down. Sometimes the supervisor is a downer. And, never once, have we heard one of our elite team members express such a negative comment.

Yes, attitude is everything. But, we also realize that sometimes it is very, very difficult to motivate yourself to have a good attitude each and every day of the year.

We have shared many things with you on how to be upbeat – our daily habits, what we choose to think about and meditate on and many more. But, one of the things we haven’t done is share the importance of the people you surround yourself with.

If you are hanging out with Debbie Downers they will bring you down. Now, there are seasons in life when someone you know may need encouragement and lifting up. But, there are individuals who NEVER find the positive (remember – life sucks and then you die?). These are the people that you want to distance yourself from.

And, we know that this is not always entirely feasible as that person might be your mother or your spouse. But, you can choose to step back, not accept the negative comments, and find those other friends and family members that you can laugh, share, and have fun with. It is vital to keep your positive energy level up! It not only affects your outlook on life but it gives you that overall sense of well-being that we all need to have.

So, before another negative comment is heard, take an inventory of those family members and friends you can depend on to always be there with a kind comment, words of encouragement or a hug when it is needed. Those are the people you want to spend more time with. Start scheduling time for good vibes now.

6 Ways for Travel Nurses to Manage Stress

Today, life is not what we would call normal. Prior to 2020’s pandemic, we all went about our lives without much thought to what was happening in our country and the world.  We handled the day-to-day stress of home and job in a much different way than we can right now.

Now, we no longer know what each day will bring.  In our industry, there has been extra turmoil. People are angry. They are more easily upset. Patients are combative. Things that would have previously “rolled off our backs” no longer do so.

Continue reading 6 Ways for Travel Nurses to Manage Stress

The First Phone Call Forms a Lasting Impression

“I’m worth big bucks. What are you going to pay me?”

Because Fidelity On Call works in the “people business,” it is sometimes hard to tell if you are getting the right person. A good indication we are talking to a quality nurse is how the conversation starts.

If a nurse says, “I’m worth big bucks. What are you going to pay me,” it is obvious that their focus is wrong. They are in it for the dollar and truly care little about the patients.

Our nurses receive top pay, tax free allowances, bonuses and more, but their focus is on providing the best of care for their patients and being a seamless part of the hospital’s team.

We thoroughly reference check – not just dates of employment – and we talk with their previous supervisors. Also, members of Fidelity On Call’s elite team pass a national criminal background check, have a discipline-free license and are subjected to so many other quality checks they are too numerous to list.

Yes, we want to take care of our nurses. But, it can never be at the expense of quality patient care.

To see if you qualify to be a member of our elite team, call us today!
309-691-1500

Fidelity On Call’s Series on Travel Nursing

Welcome to Fidelity On Call’s series where we discuss all things related to travel nursing. We’ll answer frequently asked questions and share tips on how to make the most of your travel nursing career.

Our series is co-hosted by: Kellie Short, Sr Recruiting Specialist and General Sales Manager; and Carla Edwards, Recruiting Specialist.

Segment 1: Attitude | Fidelity On Call’s Series on Travel Nursing

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about the importance of having a good attitude, and share why it’s a big factor for the members of our elite team of travel nurses.

Segment 2: Holidays | Fidelity On Call’s Series on Travel Nursing

The holidays are coming, will you be working or not? Kellie and Carla discuss what a travel nurse can expect.

Segment 3: Allowances | Fidelity On Call’s Series on Travel Nursing

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about tax-free allowances. Some agencies offer packages with big tax free-allowances, but don’t mention you’ll have to pay it back to the IRS!

Segment 4: The Love of the Patient | Fidelity On Call’s Series on Travel Nursing

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about our mission and some of the traits we are looking for when considering a travel nurse to be on our elite team. Plus, Carla tells a touching story about how one of our nurses went the extra mile with a patient’s family.

Segment 5: Our Team Organization | Fidelity On Call’s Series on Travel Nursing

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk our team organization and how we set a higher standard for ourselves to bring the best opportunities to our elite team of nurses.

Segment 6: Why Travel Nursing?

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about some great advantages to becoming a travel nurse including: Flexibility, getting to choose your next assignment, opportunities to learn and grow, and more.

Segment 7: Adapting to Change

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about how being able to adapt to change is important for a traveler to be successful.

Segment 8: Integrity

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about the integrity and the principles that Fidelity On Call holds true, and why upholding that mission has been so important since our inception in 1994.

Special Segment: Allied Health Openings

Kellie and Carla share about the opportunities that Fidelity On Call has – not just for nursing! There are openings right now with allied positions ranging from Respiratory Therapist, Surgical Tech, X-Ray Tech, LPN and more. Give us a call! (309) 691-1500.

Segment 09: Red Flags

In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about red flags. As nurse recruiters, these are the things we hear most often that travel nurses need to watch out for…

Segment 10: Client Red Flags

We work with hundreds of hospitals in the state of Illinois. In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about concerns clients share with us, that are red flag issues they’ve had with other agencies and travelers.

Segment 11: Team Support

Our recruiting team doesn’t just back up our team, we coach, mentor, and support them In this episode, Kellie and Carla talk about some of the ways we are there for the travel nurses on our elite team.

Stay tuned for more episodes of our series on travel nursing…