Address discrimination against Travel & Agency nurses, contributing to shortage of nurses
Address discrimination against Travel & Agency nurses, contributing to shortage of nurses
The Issue
As a dedicated travel nurse with many years of experience working in numerous hospitals, I have witnessed and experienced firsthand the biases ingrained in our healthcare system. I'd like to specifically focused on the discriminatory practices against Registered Nurses, many of whom are African American. One particularly egregious practices is the maintenance of 'Do Not Return' lists, made possible by an unfair policy between hospitals, staffing agencies and their certifying body. These entities promote the blacklisting of duly licensed, competent and dedicated nurses based on arbitrary reasons, often influenced by racial biases.
I have Personally experienced this form of discrimination where the charge nurse, place my name on a DNR lists because I was not a staff nurse. I found out weeks later because I was prevented from returning when I requested. I was never informed of this decision nor were there any incident. Another nurse reported that she was added to the list, because she was observed via close camera surveillance, while trying to find the restroom on her first day of a 13 weeks assignment at a major hospital. The observer reported her as "appearing confused and lost." Her name was added to the DNR list afterwards preventing further assignments. She was asked to do a drug screen before returning to the facility. When she complied and the report came back negative, her contract was terminated. Both nurses have two things in common. The Races and the age group were identical, which is the trend seen in the use of the policy.
In 2016, an article from a popular Nursing Journal stated, "Blacklisting, called by several acronyms, DNR (Do Not Return), DNS (Do Not Send), DNU (Do Not Use) to name a few, is an effort to justify terminating a nurse early, and is devastating for a nurse. In an article, Genevieve M. Clavreul, RN, PHD, writes, "that the threat of being blacklisted and labeled a DNS is feared by nurses because the criteria is often applied inconsistently, and can be used as a petty and punitive tool." Clavreul a former editor of Working Nurse Magazine, further points out that blacklisting. What that means is this policy is used isn't used for its intended purpose m, which is to identify a practitioners strength and weakness for corrective actions, a direct opposite of its current application. But in my observation it's used even when the practitioner skills are and knowledge are "spot on" and meeting requirements. Take for example a nurse was placed on the list, after the charge nurse, decide she should be placed on the list all because the agency nurse did not have a sticker on her badge during the flu season. The nurse placed on the list had. But the agency nurse did receive the flu shot. This was documented.
Travel nurses are essential to the healthcare system, filling critical staffing shortages and bringing expertise and relief to overburdened teams across the country. We hold degrees ranging from ADN to PhD, including MSN, yet faced unfair hurdles due to systemic discrimination.
Historically, Civil Rights laws were established to protect workers from discrimination, aiming to create equal employment opportunities for all. Yet, the current practices within the nursing profession defy these protections, holding travel nurses to a different standard. The "Do Not Return" policy, in particular, allows for subjective decision-making that lacks transparency and accountability.
We call on the healthcare institutions and policymakers to reform this policy. Hospitals should implement transparent criteria for their staff evaluations and adopt measures that prevent discriminatory practices. The contribution of travel nurses should be recognized and respected, ensuring a fair work environment that values all nursing professionals equally.
Join us in demanding change to rectify these injustices and uphold the integrity of the nursing profession. Sign this petition to call for an immediate review and reform of policies that enable discrimination against travel nurses. Together, we can ensure a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system for all.
Please follow me on https://YouTube.com/@Dmfnursing for live discussions.
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The Issue
As a dedicated travel nurse with many years of experience working in numerous hospitals, I have witnessed and experienced firsthand the biases ingrained in our healthcare system. I'd like to specifically focused on the discriminatory practices against Registered Nurses, many of whom are African American. One particularly egregious practices is the maintenance of 'Do Not Return' lists, made possible by an unfair policy between hospitals, staffing agencies and their certifying body. These entities promote the blacklisting of duly licensed, competent and dedicated nurses based on arbitrary reasons, often influenced by racial biases.
I have Personally experienced this form of discrimination where the charge nurse, place my name on a DNR lists because I was not a staff nurse. I found out weeks later because I was prevented from returning when I requested. I was never informed of this decision nor were there any incident. Another nurse reported that she was added to the list, because she was observed via close camera surveillance, while trying to find the restroom on her first day of a 13 weeks assignment at a major hospital. The observer reported her as "appearing confused and lost." Her name was added to the DNR list afterwards preventing further assignments. She was asked to do a drug screen before returning to the facility. When she complied and the report came back negative, her contract was terminated. Both nurses have two things in common. The Races and the age group were identical, which is the trend seen in the use of the policy.
In 2016, an article from a popular Nursing Journal stated, "Blacklisting, called by several acronyms, DNR (Do Not Return), DNS (Do Not Send), DNU (Do Not Use) to name a few, is an effort to justify terminating a nurse early, and is devastating for a nurse. In an article, Genevieve M. Clavreul, RN, PHD, writes, "that the threat of being blacklisted and labeled a DNS is feared by nurses because the criteria is often applied inconsistently, and can be used as a petty and punitive tool." Clavreul a former editor of Working Nurse Magazine, further points out that blacklisting. What that means is this policy is used isn't used for its intended purpose m, which is to identify a practitioners strength and weakness for corrective actions, a direct opposite of its current application. But in my observation it's used even when the practitioner skills are and knowledge are "spot on" and meeting requirements. Take for example a nurse was placed on the list, after the charge nurse, decide she should be placed on the list all because the agency nurse did not have a sticker on her badge during the flu season. The nurse placed on the list had. But the agency nurse did receive the flu shot. This was documented.
Travel nurses are essential to the healthcare system, filling critical staffing shortages and bringing expertise and relief to overburdened teams across the country. We hold degrees ranging from ADN to PhD, including MSN, yet faced unfair hurdles due to systemic discrimination.
Historically, Civil Rights laws were established to protect workers from discrimination, aiming to create equal employment opportunities for all. Yet, the current practices within the nursing profession defy these protections, holding travel nurses to a different standard. The "Do Not Return" policy, in particular, allows for subjective decision-making that lacks transparency and accountability.
We call on the healthcare institutions and policymakers to reform this policy. Hospitals should implement transparent criteria for their staff evaluations and adopt measures that prevent discriminatory practices. The contribution of travel nurses should be recognized and respected, ensuring a fair work environment that values all nursing professionals equally.
Join us in demanding change to rectify these injustices and uphold the integrity of the nursing profession. Sign this petition to call for an immediate review and reform of policies that enable discrimination against travel nurses. Together, we can ensure a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system for all.
Please follow me on https://YouTube.com/@Dmfnursing for live discussions.
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Petition created on October 12, 2025