Thinking of traveling

[wanderngal]

I've been in nursing quite awhile, and I'm thinking about doing some travel assignments. It looks to me like there is a great deal of difference in the quality of the travel companies. So far I've looked into the ratings on Highway Hypodermics,(not the most scientific poll I've ever seen-it looks like it was compiled by a single person.) but I can't find any other sites that are unbiased, without a conflict of interest. I'd like to hear from nurses who've been around. Thanks!

[antwonetate]

My name is Antwone Tate, and I am a recruiter for Healthcare providers. I am currently looking for experienced RN's with at least 1-year of recent hospital experience for nationwide contract assignments.
Qualified candidates (minimum 1-year acute-care experience) will make between $400 and $550 per shift, take home -- AFTER taxes! (A staff nurse would need to GROSS between $585-$800 BEFORE taxes to net this much!)(Contracts varies)
I'd love to talk with you to discuss your options and to help craft your perfect assignment! I will partner with you, and working with my team, we will develop a long-lasting relationship that ensures you always have nursing opportunities that pay you what you are worth!
For an immediate assessment, please submit resume and a phone number you can be reached at and I will follow up with you to discuss your options.

***ALSO, THIS JOB COMES WITH FREE ROOM AND BOARD IF YOU QUALIFY!!!***

[blpettus]

I've been in nursing quite awhile, and I'm thinking about doing some travel assignments. It looks to me like there is a great deal of difference in the quality of the travel companies. So far I've looked into the ratings on Highway Hypodermics,(not the most scientific poll I've ever seen-it looks like it was compiled by a single person.) but I can't find any other sites that are unbiased, without a conflict of interest. I'd like to hear from nurses who've been around. Thanks!

Hello Wanderngal. The best advice that I can give you is to do your research, WELL, on different travel assignments and companies because they do vary considerably. One thing that you should carefully research is the rate of pay quoted. Many companies will quote you a rate but that does not include a night or weekend shift differential that is given to them by the facilities they contract with (the travel companies keep this amount). Consider your housing, transportation and meal costs. Many travel companies will quote you a rate of pay but that rate includes you housing, transportation and meals costs-additional costs that you would not have if you were working locally. Your housing, transportation and meals should be in addition to what you want to earn as a nurse, not included in that rate. A "shell game" tactic that travel companies use is to tell you how much your "after tax take home" weekly pay will be instead of what you are actually earning as a nurse. Since these companies have not way of knowing what a nurse's tax bracket is, it is very deceptive to quote such a rate in such a manner.

If you take the "tax free option" for an extended period of time, you make not be able to qualify for a substantial loan, if necessary, later on.

If the weekly rate quoted is equal to or better than your before tax rate of pay plus any differentials for nights and weekends (minus whatever tax bracket you are in) and there is enough of a housing allowance so you can stay in decent housing (or if they provide housing) and if the company is offering a decent daily per diem for other expenses, then traveling maybe justified. If not, you would be better off trying to find a job locally where you can stay in your own home and not incur additional costs.

This means if you have to fly to your assignment, you could be out of several hundred dollars before you even make any money. If you will be responsible for finding your own housing, there again, you will have to generally pay on a monthly basis upfront.

Be sure to read your contract carefully and make sure it is exactly how YOU want it. If there is something that you had already planned for while on assignment and you need to be absent for a few days, be sure it is written into you contract. Do not accept a verbal agreement. Determine if the facility cancels you shift or assignment, will you be responsible for repayment of the travel company. Determine if there are any sick day allowances (will you have to repay the travel company if you get sick or will they expect you to make the days up). Determine what happens if your assignment unsafe and you do not want to complete it.

If you do find yourself in an unsafe situation, do not hesitate to file a complaint in writing and submit it to the facility supervisor and contact the travel agency. Remember, it is your license that is on the line, not the travel agency. If you recognize an unsafe situation and do not report it, you are in a sense accepting responsibility for the situation and what ever happens. If you lose your license, that facility and travel company will just put someone else in your place and keep going but your career has just ended.

Weigh the "travel hook" that many agencies use. Many facilities require nurses to be available for call back at there discretion making it very difficult to explore the place you have traveled. Even if your tour of duty if fairly consistent, you may not be making enough money to do or see anything. Many companies quote a rate of pay for a 48 hour work week which does not leave a lot of time to see the sites.

If you weigh all of the pros and cons and find that travel nursing still makes to you, Go For It, and best of luck.

[rjcb]

BLPETTUS - excellent advise!

[Blue-Sky]

When I traveled, my pay +holiday rates were separate from housing.... I never knew how much they paid for housing and did not care..... I would not go with a company that COMBINES the money..
I always got paid correctly, on time, and health insurance was free.
Consider RN NETWORK and MEDICAL SOLUTIONS for starters...

[markpajak2]

I realize this is an ancient thread (1+ year old) but the original question is still valid. To travel nurse or not to travel nurse?

Use common sense.

If you're a BSN (or better) and you're any good, you like acute care, then you want to work for a great company. That should be your goal.

Great hospitals probably don't use travel nurses. Struggling hospitals use travel nurses. Top employers have happy staff. They retain staff. Struggling employers are hemorrhaging staff - hence the need for travel. In this kind of competitive job market, with as many as 200 candidates for each full-time opening, using travel nurses sounds like a desperate measure, IMO, unless it's some incredibly high-tech critical care nursing. Why the desperation? Something is wrong with that company. Why is that hospital unable to build a strong full-time team, with nurses who want to stay? Back in 2002 it made more sense, but not any more. Back then the market was different.

If you sign up with a travel company, you will be deployed to a place that has problems.

The money may be great compared to what you're making now, but this is because their travel nurses are running away, so they're trying to offer increasingly lucrative deals.

My buddy N just returned from a travel contract. He said the travel agency was ok, but the Florida hospital where they posted him had massive problems, med errors, was very low-tech, etc.

If there are problems, medication errors all over the place, they will hold YOU accountable because the buck stops with the RN.

My 2 cents on travel nursing.

If you disagree and you actually had a positive experience as a travel RN please shere. I'll read with interest. Maybe it's just my luck-I never met a happy travel RN.

[Blue-Sky]

Well, I traveled for years, experiences were good for 3 years, then hit a few places in Florida+ Ma. that were awful. I was treated horribly, given the worst assignments, no one would help, felt afraid for my license... hospital management did not care and the company did not care, about my concerns..... Will never travel again.