Travel Nursing Advice Column

You can send in your question and get advice from our travel nursing experts.

So how do you go about making travel buddies?
How flexible are the schedules and what are the average pay rates for critical care?
Emergency at home, What should I do?
Can you truly make good money as a Travel Nurse?
What agency should I work with?
Health Insurance inbetween assignments
I'm going to be terminated, what are my rights?
Psych Nursing Jobs
Who can I travel with as an independent contractor?
What will happen if I leave my assignment?
What if my assignment is intolerable?
Can I travel with an Associate Degree in Nursing
More about short term travel nursing assignments
Short term travel nursing assignments: are they out there?
How do you become a paid travel companion?
Is travel nursing pay negotiable?
Stranded in Sacramento
How do I know what is new on this site and what is old?
Where is a good place to work in Southern, CA as a traveling nurse?
Travel nursing with an infant: are we crazy?
Tax Question: can I rent out my permanent residence?
The hospital isn't working with our schedule
I feel pressured, its moving to fast....(8/2/06)
What about emailed contracts?
Do I need a BSN to travel?
I decided not to renew my contract and the company wants me to pay
I am in Nigeria and I want to work in the United States?
I want to sign on with another company, but my company says I can't
How does it all work, I am about to graduate?
What are travelers looking for in a recruiter?
What red flags to look for in a contract
How to file for unemployment
Any advise of dealing with an unfair company?
What can I expect in pet deposits?
Is housing subsidy free in North Carolina?
I had a delay in licensure due to a DUI
What advice do you have for a newbie?
Am I obligated if I didn't sign a contract? Will they consider my LPN experience?
Which travel tax specialist do you recommend?
How much is the standard housing stipend for Californa?
Is shared housing negotiable?
Do you know any companies that staff in Vegas?
What should I do? The hospital cancelled my contract.
Where can I find a travel tax specialist
What agency should I work with?
How is payrate determined?
Is there a log for travelers to use for taxes
Am I qualified to work in the OR as a traveler?
What if I keep getting cancelled on my local registry work?
Is anyone else having trouble finding work?
California and their vehicle registration laws
Should I apply to another company?
Do they need any LVN's from Australia
What are the advantages of an RV
What to do if company breaches their contract
Which agencies staff in the U.K.?
Critical Care Professionals
Working in the Virgin Islands
Info on Phelps memorial hospital in NY
Who staffs strikes?
Resources for overseas assignment
Are there any jobs for LPN's
What if the hospital cancels my contract?
Who sets per diem rates?
How do I find day care while traveling?
Don't companies have to pay time and half after 8hrs in California? (1/10/05)
How does licensure work when traveling?
Do companies provide a rental car?
Who is the best company to travel with?
Can I gain new skills while traveling?
Which countries offer assignments?
How plentiful are psych nurse assignments?
What if I face hostility in the workplace?
How experienced do I need to be to travel?
Can you give advice for traveling with children?
What if I don't like my housing?
What companies provide adequate housing?
How do I keep my experience current?

 

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Question:

Travel Nursing has been a dream of mine for a long time..Im finally taking the plunge but really nervous about doing it alone! My bff was going to travel with me but backed out at the last minute..So how do you go about making travel buddies? Is it easy to make new friends? How do find other nurses out there looking for travel buddies? Im 26 years old and leaving my long term boyfriend behind and my friends/family at home to do this, but its scary to be alone in a new strange city..besides Im not a loner and dont really like doing thing by myself..

Response

First off, congratulations on taking the travel nursing plunge. Second, when it comes to finding travel nursing buddies always use a high degree of caution to make sure you are not associating yourself with someone you wish hadn't and to ensure your personal safety. With that out of the way, as you travel you are bound to meet more nurses who are either interested in traveling too or are already travel nurses. So you may have to be a little lonely at the beginning, but it will get better the longer you travel and more people you meet.

Also though, there are lots of sites that help facilitate the finding of travel nursing buddies (our site has this feature, but it is old and we are phasing it out). Some of the best places to go currently when you are just starting out are travel nursing forums and social networks. Check out:

The Delphi Forum for Traveling Professionals. To find it visit DelphiForums.com and search for Travel Nurses and Therapists Forum.

HealthcareTravelbook.com

PanTravelers.org Back to top

Question:

I am considering travel for more flexibility; generally, how flexible are the schedules and what are the average pay rates for critical care?

Response

Typically the flexibility that comes with travel nursing is not so much about the shift and hours as it is about where you work and having the ability to stop and start assignments when you want to. As far as actual work schedule flexibility, there will be some, but it will be different on every assignment you work and definitely be something you talk to your recruiter about. You can certainly just not take any job that doesn't give you the flexibility in your schedule as you want. It really just depends on how big of a sticking point it is for you.

As far as the average pay rates for Critical Care, it's hard to say for sure. Pay rates can vary so much based on the location and company. According to SimplyHired.com, the average annual salary for a Critical Care travel nurse is $53,000. You will want to shop around and see what is offered. You may even want to take the number they give you and run it by a few travel nursing forums like HealthcareTravelBook.com or UltimateNurses.com to see if it is in line with what others are getting.

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Question

Emergency at home, What should I do? I am on assignment and my mother was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I just arrived on assignment and worked 1 week. I just got news about my mother with given 1 - 2 weeks to live. I need to go home and my company is pressuring me to stay on the job . They will not issue me my travel pay to the assignment if i miss the 2nd week of work. and they are deducting out of my pay ck for the rent if I miss 1 week. they are not very forgiving since I have an emergency at home. what should i do? I am not even sure i can continue with this assignment now.

Response

Sorry to hear about your situation. This decision is really going to be up to you. It is more than reasonable that you would want to be at home with your mother, but first off you need to go over your contract and see what you are bound to and what recourse you may have. There also may be financial ramifications for breaking a contract, so you will want to consider that as well. Breaking a contract can impact your future in travel nursing, not only with your current company, but any others you choose to work with. So it is never something to be taken lightly. It sounds like you have been upfront with your recruiter which is good. And in this case you may have no choice but to break it. But first have you asked about the possibility of just going home for a week or readjusting your schedule to allow for some longer stretches of days off so you can get home in small chunks of time? How your company reacts and treats you going forward will tell you a lot about kind of company you are working with. A good company will give you a second chance in my opinion, if you still want to travel after this situation passes. Before you just break the contract do your best to work out a solution that will make both you and your travel nurse company happy.

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Question

Can you truly make good money?

Response

Pay rates for travel nurses vary by many factors including location, facility, experience and specialty. However, many feel the benefits such as flexible schedule, paid housing and being able to travel are the most important reasons to become a travel nurse. See this travel nursing blog for average salaries for travel nurses: Travel Nurse pay – how much more can you make?

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Question

What travel nursing agency should I go with?

Response

That's what our site is all about. Once you are a free member of our site, you can go to http://www.travelnursingcentral.com/members_only/rank_agency_results.php? and see how other travelers have ranked various companies like the one's that are calling you. If you click on view details, you can see specifically what kind of problems they have had with those companies etc. Take a look. It should be helpful.

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Question:

A nurse friend of mine and I are interested in short-term (4 wks or less)psych nursing assignments. Can you help?

Response

You may want to start your search with the following links

http://www.worldwidetravelstaffing.com/
http://travel.nursingjobs.org/psychiatric-nursing/

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Question:

I have started travelling and my husband accompanies me. Upon listening to some advise from a financial planner, I would like to travel as a true contract worker where I get paid a 1099 at a higher rate rather than a W2 with benefits. Do you know of any companies that allow you to be a true contract employee?

Response

This is the only company I have known that specifically specializes in this type of set up and this was a few years ago. I am not sure if they have changed. You may want to call them and see what they say.

SKILLED NURSING, INC (Independent Contracting Options)
955 Horsham Rd., Suite 205
Horsham, PA 19044
(800) 284-4764
inquiry@snistaffing.com
http://www.snistaffing.com/contactus.asp

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Question

Please Help! I have just arrived in San Francisco and have completed my first day of my assignment at a hospital in Oakland. Unbeknownst to me I have arrived here a week before a strike. I was not told this before accepting the assignment. I have already moved in to my very expensive SF apartment and have been here for a week waiting to start my assignment. I was originally supposed to start last week but I was told by my recruiter and the hospital that I could not start until today. Several issues have arisen with this. Firstly, my company has informed me that I will accrue housing charges for the week I was here before starting my assignment (even though the delay was not my doing). Second, the hospital employees are going on strike. I met several travelers who are working there just for the strike and are getting paid a massive amount of money for the compensation (I am not). Most importantly however, I do not feel comfortable working in these conditions. The hospital is absolutely chaotic. The travelers I have met said they float everyday mid-shift. I was not informed of this in my interview. My first day working at this hospital and I was floated mid-shift to a facility across the street on a post- surgical recovery unit with patients undergoing specialty radiation treatments that I have never even heard of! It was so very unsafe and I was in fear of my nursing license through out the experience. After admitting 4 post-op patients and spending 15 total hours at the hospital without a break, food, or bathroom I've concluded that there is no possible way I could work this assignment! The interesting part is I haven't signed a contract yet. My recruiter had to redo the contract and has sent it to me electronically to sign and fax back to her.

My questions are: What should I tell my recruiter about my decision, should I trust this company in taking another assignment since they failed to inform me of the strike, If I decide to back out all together can they charge me for the week and a half of housing?

Any info or advice you have is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Response

I am so sorry that I am just getting around to reading your email. Sounds like you do need immediate help. By now you have probably decided what you are going to do.

If you plan on leaving, I hope that you didn't sign the contract. A company should never send you somewhere without a contract in the first place. This is a red flag to begin with. Without a contract they haven't a leg to stand on.

I feel for you getting into this situation. What a deal.

I can't really give legal advise since that is not my field. However, I do know nurses that have been in similar situations. They have fought it and won. You can call the labor board or there is also a service called Pre-Paid Legal services that will allow you to utilize an attorney of any kind for a very low monthly rate. It's kind of like having legal insurance. This may be something you want to check into for now or in the future. www.prepaidlegal.com Quality Attorneys for family & business. Call 1-888-770-3651.

Good luck in your decision. I would love to hear back from you on what you have decided so far and how it is working out for you.

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Question

I have been concerned about only having an Associate RN degree. I also have a BSN in
Agriculture Science and Animal Science. Is it necessary to have a BS in Nursing to travel? I am very
happy being a Clinical Nurse. Would I be penalized in anywayfor being an Associate Degree RN. Thankyou, TB

Response

Don't let the Associate degree get you down. Travel Nursing is mostly based on your skill level and amount of experience. That is what they are looking for. You must have at least one year of experience in the area you wish to work.

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Question

I have misplaced the travel nursing agency that offers high pay 4 week contracts with up to 60 hours/week hours avail. They advertise that you can earn up to $9,000 a month. Read about them first in Nursing Spectrum magazine. Have any idea who that agency is?
Sincerely,
GAil

Response

I am not sure which one you are referring to. You might want to try Onward Health 800-278-0332. They are advertising 4-26 wk assignments with good pay and sign on bonuses.

Also, Advantage RN is currently advertising 8-26wk assignments with pay of up to $1950 a week after taxes.

Good luck.

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Question

Hi there ... I'm newly empty nested ... but my husband is still employed. So ... I'd like to find shorter travel assignments (4-6 weeks). Do you know of agencies that offer that? I'm currently working ER, but have experience in tele, oc health, MS educator.

Response

I don't know of any one company that specializes in short assignments. Sometimes, companies that also staff strikes tend to have shorter assignments.

More than likely you will have to ask around when you call different agencies and or negotiate for a shorter assignment. The ER is usually a high demand area.

You may have to look a little harder, but you should be able to get short assignments if you want them. Take a look at our list of agencies to give you a starting point in your search http://www.travelnursingcentral.com/members_only/agencylisting.html

I love to hear from travelers and their stories. If you get a short assignment, please write and let me know how your experience was and what you found.

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Question

How do I get a job as a paid travel companion

Response

You marry a traveling nurse. You'll earn your keep.

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Question

Dear Shalon,

I want to let you know that you have had a HUGE influence on me for getting the courage to finally try Travel Nursing. It is something I've been dreaming of doing for years! I bought your book, "Hitting The Road" about 3 years ago. Family circumstances didn't allow for me to travel then, but I have finally taken the steps to get started. I interviewed with a clinical coordinator today and am just waiting to hear back about compensation etc.
I have read and re-read your book many times. It has helped take the 'fear' out of taking that initial first step towards traveling! Thank you so much!

I do have a question for you though! One of the travel companies I'm working with, has told me that it is the hospital that pays the travelers the same rate, and not the travel company. As a result, there could no negotiation about the compensation.
This particular facility is only going to pay me $6.00 more per hour than I've been making in my home town. And this facility is clear across the country. I told them that I wasn't going to pack up my family and move across the US for that.
The facilty itself sounds great, as for what I'm looking for in my specialty. But I've been an RN for 20 years, with 10-1/2 of those in ER specialty. My gut feeling says to hold out for something better. Although it is for 13 weeks only.
Any advice you could give would be appreciated!

Again, Thank You for all your tips and information about Traveling!

Sincerely,Debra

Response

Thank you for writing. I am so glad you were encouraged to travel by reading my book. It's music to my ears.

Unfortunately, your amount of experience in your specialty may make you more marketable as a traveler, but it doesn't determine your pay. The agencies pay according to specialty area. The ER is one of the higher paying specialties.

You may find that if you travel with a different company, you may be able to find a better rate of pay. Pay varies depending on what area of the country you work in and somewhat on the company you work for.

Did you end up taking an assignment with this company?

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Question

Shalon,
i read your story on line, i am in Sacramento, had a failed attempt at traveling, came all the way from WY and got dumped, literally, almost homeless w/two small pets. i have good skills and as i'm sure you heard, "am a good, good, nurse", but...it's true. I have 27 yrs in the field, however, not recent. there in the problem lays. i still want to travel, but can't seem to find anyone who will give me a chance to see that i am proficient and professional, please advise,
Wy nurse, stranded in Sacramento, Barb

Response

So sorry to hear about your situation.

Unfortunately, you may have to slow down and get a year of recent experience in whatever specialty you want to travel in before any companies will entertain the idea of placing you. This is pretty standard in the industry.

How are things going with you now? Are you still in Sacramento?

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Question

FOR THE LAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN READING THE RATINGS ON YOUR SITE(HOSPITAL AND AGENCY) AND DO NOT SEE ANY FRESH, NEW INFORMATION. DOES NO ONE RATE ANYMORE, OR ARE YOU NOT UPDATING THE INFORMATION? IT IS HARD TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ON ONE PERSON'S OPINION.

Response

Yes, each month we issue a newsletter that tells you what the latest ratings that have been submitted each month so you know what is new on the site. If for some reason you are not recieving the newsletters or cannot open them...you can go to the website and find it under the ABOUT US TAB or go directly to the link http://www.travelnursingcentral.com/TNCnewslettertemplate.html

Last month we had 17 new agency ratings and 15 new hospital ratings.

If you look at the newsletter each month you will know what new information is coming onto the site and what is to come in the future.

Thanks for being an active member. Feel free to email any time.

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Question

All the information you have supplied on this website/book has been very helpful. Have you ever travelled to southern CA as a traveler? Which cities would you recommend working in that are safe, have lots to do, and nice beaches? Also, what are some of the "travel friendly" hospitals that you have come across if any?

Thank You! Carrie

Response

I haven't managed to get to Southern California for some reason. I have mostly stayed in Northern California. However, I hear there are some great areas to travel too.

I did consult with someone I know that has worked a great deal in Southern California. He suggested the following hospitals:

Saddleback Memorial in Laguna Hills
Mission Regional Hospital in Mission Viejo
San Clamente in South Orange County

He says they use lots of travelers and are great places to work. They are also located to some beautiful beaches.

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Question


My husband just started his two year nursing degree and has plans to become a travel nurse just as soon as he has his experience. We were also planning to coordinate the birth of our first child around the time that he takes his first assignment.

My question is obvious! ARE WE NUTS OR IS THIS POSSIBLE? We just figured that since we wouldn't have to worry about living expenses, that it would be a great time to have our first child! With my husband working, I was planning on being a stay at home mom so it would be less traumatic on the baby.

Do you know of any other travel nurses who have done this and how they managed to move a baby every 13 weeks to a new town and a new apartment?

I would really appreciate your advice and encouragement!

Thanks,
The Wombles

Response

The only way I would consider traveling with a toddler is if I had a consistent caregiver that traveled with me to provide care for my little one while I was at work. In this situation, I believe one could travel successfully with good nationwide health coverage and transitioning techniques used to make the kido feel more comfortable in their new surroundings. Before leaving I would research local hospitals and child resources.

Traveling can be disrupting, especially for those who didn’t make the choice to move in the first place, such as children. For most, moving also tends to be more difficult as friends play a more major role in their life i.e. the older they get. Besides the age factor, one must take into account the personality and temperament of your child. These characteristics are not going to change much throughout their lives. Some personalities and temperament are more inherently adaptable than others. You know your child.

In your situation, you will be a consistent caregiver. Now, may be the best time for you to travel while your kids aren't in school. Just make sure you have good healthcare coverage that starts your first day of your assignment. Some programs start 30 days after your assignment and some start on the first day. You may want to stay on your husbands current insurance at a COBRA plan. The travel companies will often reimburse you for insurance expenses up to a certain amount if you wish to carry your own insurance.

Also, it may be possible for your husband to extend his assignment at the end of 3 months if he likes it and the hospital continues to have a need for a traveler. This way, you wouldn't have to transition so often if you weren't ready.

Finally, you want to make sure to ask questions about the area they will be placing you in and research on the computer about the area. Also, see if they can give you an assignment where the housing is located within walking distance from the hospital. This way, your husband could walk to work and you could have use of the car during the day for errands etc.

The following are a few suggestions on transitioning a kid to a new place:

Create routines and keep them going as you travel

Make sure to ask yourself how your child deals with change before you consider traveling with them. It is recommended to try and keep your routines with your children while traveling. This will help them feel more secure, especially if they take longer to adapt to change.

Involve your child in the moving process

Also, involve your child in the process of moving as much as possible. Let them decide what they want to bring. Make sure to provide them with their own space in the new location and allow them assist in decorating it with you. It may take awhile before they have adjusted enough to want to go out and socialize. Give them time to acclimate. They will come around in time.

Do something fun

As soon as you arrive at a new location, find something fun for the entire family to get involved in. This helps everyone focus on the present and look forward to the future instead of what they left behind. This also lets them know that moving can be fun.

Arrive early

Try to arrive as early as possible to your assignment location. They will more than likely need extra attention in the beginning and you need time to find your nearest resources.

If you travel with sensitivity to their feelings and individuality, you will be teaching them many valuable life lessons. Traveling can be a great teacher. They can learn self reliance, how to blend into a new culture, how to face unknown situations without fear. After moving a few times without dieing, children get the idea that things change, but they will be ok. This is a valuable lesson we all need to learn over and over from time to time.

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Question

I own a house in Colorado and am taking my family to Texas to travel. I am thinking about renting my home while we are away. I am wondering how that affects my "Tax Home" status? Would it be better if I claime my parents home as my "tax home"? What are my options? Could you help me?

Jason

Response

Not being an accountant, I referred this one to our travel tax specialist. This was his Response

Absent the exceptions that follow, renting your home changes the dwelling from a primary residence to an investment property. Since someone else is allowed to occupy the home, it is their primary residence, not yours.

There are exceptions

1) Partial rental: A partial rental maintains a portion of the home for your unhindered 24/7 use and availability. For example, if you have a three bedroom home and rent two of the bedrooms, maintaining one for yourself, it is still your home and primary place of lodging. For travelers with families or spouses, this may be difficult for privacy reasons.

2) Vacation rental: did you know you can rent your primary home for 14 days tax free? Our tax code has allowed these "vacation rentals" for years. The balance of the days, your home needs to be clear of tenants, but a few short term rentals along the way will not change your tax home status.

3) A house sitter. You can always have a trusted friend or relative use the home at a rental rate below market value.

In each of these 3 exceptions, the dwelling must be accessible and available to you at all times.

In regards to changing your tax home, you cannot just claim a residence. You either have a dwelling that you incur significant expenses maintaining and use for your lodging or you do not. One of the three requirements of a tax home are the use of the claimed home as your primary and historical place of lodging. A rental from a family member is possible, but the following must be taken into account:

1) There must be a duplication of living expenses while away from home. This means that if you are renting from a family member, the rent must be fair market rent for the area that you are renting even during your absence. The classifieds or local apartments are good places to check for the market rate. In your records, you should keep a record of this in case of an audit.

2) Rent paid is rent received, so the person receiving the rent should consider this when doing their own tax returns. It is also an audit consideration as the IRS can pull the returns of anyone who is paid rent to assure compliance. A written rental agreement is important proof of this arrangement.

3) Zoning ordinances should be considered. The IRS is well within their right to inspect the property and zoning if an audit brought any of this into question.

4) If you have a parent or relative that needs assistance with maintaining their home, sharing expenses may be one approach. Consider ALL expenses, not just utilities. For singles and couples without children, this is also an alternative to a rental arrangement.

For information, referr to IRS Publication 463 for reference.

Joseph Smith EA/RRT
Enrolled Agent/ Respiratory Therapist
Admitted to practice before the IRS
TravelTax LLC
www.traveltax.com
Box 1643, Norfolk NE 68702
866.272.7871 Toll Free
Fax 877.TRAVTAX Toll Free

Any tax advice contained is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by the recipient for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code or applicable state or local tax law provisions.

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Question

My husband and I are both nurses and currently on an assignment. We have 1 week off in our contract so we can go home. We were assured by our recruiter that the hospital would work with us in staggering our days off so we could work the first part of 1 week, take off our week in contract, and then stagger our days to the end of the next week so we would essentially be off 2 weeks. Now we're not sure if the hospital wiil do this and don't think they'll let us know in time to get a decent priced plane ticket home. Now what?

This is an unfortunate situation. I hope it ends up working out for you. Meanwhile, perhaps this is a good learning experience for the future. In the future, if you want time off during a contract, you must tell your recruiter that you need certain dates off as a stipulation of accepting the assignment. Then you make sure that it is written in the contract. Then, when you get to your assignment. You may want to also check with them and ask them if they are aware of the dates that you need off. Otherwise, if it is left to some unknown dates that you hope will work out then it isn't clear cut enough for the hospitals and they may often overlook the inconvenience of schedule changes. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I have heard of similiar situations as yours involving a couples who travel together.

The recruiter has to understand, from the beginning, what your stipualations are in order to accept the contract and then it must be written in. This way the communications are clear and the contract speaks for itself.

I know this doesn't help your current situation. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out. You can email me and let me know. We would all like to know if you end up getting to go anywhere with your husband or not.

Response


Well, here it is Sept. 7 and my schedule came out with everyday off that I asked for except one. My husband's has him working everyday that he asked off for. So essentially he only got what was guaranteed in our contract but he's still going to ask to have it changed. So far we have gone to San Francisco a couple of times while being off together. Very nice. We are definitely learning the hard way about contracts.
I guess you learn with every assignment. Thanks for the concern.

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Question

I have only dealt with one agency so far, this is so new for me. What concerned me is that they made me feel rushed. So far, I have an interview set up via phone, but it is happening so fast. I do not want to ruin my chances with this agency or job, but I want to spend more time investigating other options/agencies. Is this normal for an agency to push you? How can I looked into other agencies without feeling overwhelmed or obligated to any one agency?

Response

With internet technology and the amount of competition among the many agencies now adays, things can move very fast. It sounds like they are doing their job. The hospitals often want to fill the spot right away and they also want to get your comittment before you move on to someone else.

Now you have to do your job and tell them where you are at. Once you get the hospital interview, you will more than likely be offered a job and feel obligated to take it or lose it. It's ok to keep telling them that you are checking things out and don't want to make any committments just yet. I would not agree to any hospital interviews until you have checked out more companies and get an idea of what is out there. Then, when a company sounds good to you and they have an assignment that sounds really good to you, then agree to move forward with the hospital interview.

Do make sure you have all your ducks in a row to get up and go because things can move very fast once you interview. What ever you do, don't committ to the position just to hold it while you look at other options. Some travelers do this and it just isn't the right way to go about things and is a good way to burn your bridges. When you interview, make sure to discuss their desired start date and if it doesn't sound realistic to you, make sure to discuss it with your company. Tell your company when you feel a realistic start date is for you to get all your stuff together and get out there. Then the company can negotiate the start date for you.

There are plenty of opportunities out there and they will come around again so don't feel you have to take one out of desperation that it may be gone. Take your time and when the moment seems right then move forward. Be straight forward with the companies. Traveling makes you more autonomous. You are now the one creating your future. Remember that.

Also, remember not to get so wrapped up in how good the assignment sounds like, that you ignore what the company sounds like. You want to pick a good company that will treat you right while you are on assignment.

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Question

I was wondering if I should have the agency that I may use email or send me a written contract.

Response

So many things are being done via email now. Do do want to keep a printed version for your records.An emailed contract should be fine as long as you have the ability to print it out, sign it, make a copy and then send it back. If not, or if this sounds like too much trouble, feel free to ask them to mail the contract in the mail.

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Question

I am currently an RN with an associates degree and have been working in an adult critical care for the past year. Am I qualified to travel as an ICU nurse or is a BSN required to travel?
Thanks for your time and efforts.

Response

No BSN required. Experience is the main thing. One year experience is the minimum you need. Two years might be better in a critical care setting. Only you would know if you feel ready or not. You may want to try working local registry in town to see what it is like to work at another place. If you are comfortable in your skills even in a strange place then you should be ready for travel. good luck.

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Question

I have an issue with my current agency. A friend and I traveled to this 13 week assignment and the hospital was pressuring my friend to determine if she was renewing her contract. We gave our agency a verbal agreement on the stipulation that our next contract have some revisions made to it. Well the revisions are not to our satisfaction and we gave our agency 3 weeks notice that we would not be renewing and now the agency claims that if we do not fulfill the contract that we will be charged for the 13 weeks of housing that has supposedly already been arranged for??? Can they do this without correcting and revising our contract???

Response

I know that paying for housing is a common consequence for not completing your contract. However, it sounds like you don't really have a new contract and you have completed or almost completed your old contract.

It's good on your part to give them plenty of notice. I am not a lawyer, but it doesn't sound right to me. I would make sure that you document everything in case you decide to fight this at a later date. Save any emails that you send or recieve.

Make sure you send the notice that you won't be renewing in writing even if you have already told them verbally. Include the date in your letter, the reason you will not be renewing and the fact that you haven't signed any contract to renew and note the date that the renewal would have started had you agreed etc. Make sure the letter is detailed with all the agreements etc. Be objective and matter a fact in your letter (just stating the facts).You may be able to email it and then save their Response to the letter to show that they recieved it. Or you may want to make a copy and send it via certified mail (or both).

Either way, you get documentation that they recieved your notice along with an explanation and they recieved it in advance. You may want to summarize the letter with a therefore........I don't believe I am obligated for any expenses incurred for a contract I have yet to sign and that the terms were not completely met by them.

If they try to call you about the matter, you may want to tell them that you are finished discussing this matter on the phone and that all communication regarding the renewal and your paying for this apartment needs to be done in writing. They can email you about the details or any further complaints they have so you have it all documented. Let them know that if you are going to be pressured about paying for this housing that you want it all in writing. Let them know you mean business.

They may stop pressuring you or if they continue to press, you at least have documentation of all the events so you get the fair legal consequeces rather than what one person says against the other.

Let this be a lesson for everyone in the future that to avoid misunderstanding, do all negotiations with companies in writing from the very beginning. Save the communications and you will be in a much better position to negotiate and also protect yourself.....if needed.

It is difficult for companies too, because they have to make committments and sometimes financial committments with certain time frames based on what a traveler agrees on. When the negotiations don't go smoothly or as expected they can find themselves in a difficult situation. This should also be a lesson to them to get those contracts signed and communicate more effectively to make sure everyone is happy with the agreement.

These misunderstandings can easily happen and that is why contracts are so important. They help to clarify what each party wants and on what terms.

This is my advice for now. Good luck and let us all know what you end up doing and how it all turned out. Just email. I am always here. There are many other travelers out there who can learn from your experience and apply it to their own situations.

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Question

We do have a traveler wanting to know what red flags to look for in a contract. We would like to open this up for discussion. Please email us at comments@travelnursingcentral.com if you have any suggestions on what to look out for based on your experiences.

Response

Watch out for extra hours - expected by the hospital, but not in the contract. Another travel RN (from a different company), started a job with me. We both had contracts for 36 hrs./week (three 12 hr. shifts) but when we got there, they said that of course, we had to do an extra 8 hrs. every other week to make-up our 40 hour work week. Then, they said, please fill-in the call coverage sheet. Since both of us had chosen this particular location because we wanted to spend time with our families who lived in the area, we were in a quandary: Insist that they honor our contracts, or be "team players" and work many more hours than we had planned. My fellow traveler chose the first option but worked many extra shifts on a prn basis. I chose the team player approach but was not totally satisfied with my choice and wouldn't repeat it. If came up again I'd go with the prn choice.

Another thing to ask about is, 'How long, on average, do the nurses have to stay after their shift to finish their charting?' I'd been used to a system which frowned on having ANY unfinished charting at end of shift. All the RNs on this unit routinely stayed late to chart, it was accepted that you couldn't get the patient care and your charting done in your regular work hours. I remember one particularly horrendous shift followed by four hours of charting!! This left only eight hours turn around time before I had to be back for another 12(+) hour shift. Without my husband traveling with me as support staff, this schedule would have been impossible to maintain.

Since this assignment was not allowing the desired time with family, my fellow traveler and I didn't renew our contracts. Each time we were asked, we stated that we were making other plans. In spite of this, on the last day of my contract, within hours of my departure to my next job, I was told that I had to stay and work because they had me on the schedule!! As I recall it went all the way to an agency vice president before the supervisor admitted that she might have made a mistake and I was free to go.

This job was unusual in other ways: we were paid by the hospital, but not considered hospital staff. Consequently, neither the hospital nor the agency would give us health care coverage (the agency did give a small stipend towards the plan that we found for ourselves, however). Neither organization made any effort to clarify this situation before we arrived. This peculiar financial arrangement made it impossible to participate in any 401 plans for the duration of this contract.

Don't be bamboozled by agency staff. One recruiter told me that I had to verbally agree to a contract before I'd seen it and would be bound by that verbal consent. Take your business somewhere else. You're worth money to the agency - don't work for anyone who makes you uncomfortable. Agency and facility staff should answer all your questions satisfactorily and willingly, it's what they expect of you.

That said, I loved my co-workers at this assignment. We gave good care and saved lives under difficult conditions. Nurses are wonderful people everywhere you go and traveling is a fun way to practice. Just give the same care and attention to your arrangements before you go as you would to a patient assigned to your care.

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Question

Question about Travel Nurse or RN from Nigeria to work in California

Response

You may want to check with this company. If I come across any more companies that bring nurses to the U.S. I will send that information to you as well. Meanwhile, you can try the company below.

O’Grady Peyton International
100 West Cypress Creek Rd, Suite 750
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
Toll-Free Telephone: (877) 855-0655 (U.S. and Canada only)
Facsimile: (877)578-3978 (U.S. and Canada only)
E-mail: routecaribbean@ogradypeyton.com
http://intl.ogradypeyton.com/Contact_Us.aspx

You may also want to try
AMERICAN TRAVELER
1615 South Federal Hwy. #300
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
800-884-8788
Fax: 888-884-6510
Info@americantraveler.com
www.americantraveler.com
or go to the following link:
http://www.nursetown.com/nurse_jobs_article_109.html

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Question


I have currently been on assignment at the same hospital for a year. I want to stay at the same hospital and switch companies. I am afraid there is something in my contract with my current company stating I cannot do that. The new company states that if I fullfill my contract with my current company,after it is done I am free to do what I want and my old company can not legally do anything to me. Do you know of any situations like this or who I could contact regarding contract laws in California. I would like to be sure that they cannot legally do anything to me if I switch companies and stay at the same facility. Thank you

Response


If you want to leave and maintain your integrity too, I would suggest actually talking with a manager or president of the company and telling them what you would like to do. Ask them what the consequences would be if you signed on with another company and violated the contract. This way you are being up front with them and you would know what they would intend to do. If they say something favorable, ask them if you could have that in writing to prevent any future problems.
If they say, well we will try to sue you then you can decide if you want to risk it by contacting a contract lawyer. The following link will take you to a list of contract lawyers in the state of California in your local area.

http://attorneypages.com/518CA/index.htm
I don't know of anyone who has been sued for signing on with another company at the same place.
More than likely,you also have the option of taking an assignment away from this hospital and then returning to it at a later date. The IRS often becomes suspicious after you have been at a facility more than a year anyway. This is just a thought.

I am sure you will decide what is best for you. I would enjoy hearing back from you as to what you decided to do and how it worked out for you. It would be a great story to follow.
A philosopher once said: " life is the art of drawing without an eraser."

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Question


I graduate from nursing school in may and I will be taking my boards shortly after. I would like some information on the traveling nurse programs. Do you get to pick where you travel to? How long do you have to/or could you stay? Do you have to take differnt boards for each state you go into?

Response


How exciting. You have so many opportunities ahead of you. First you need to figure out what specialty of nursing you want to work in. Then, you need to work in that specialty for at least a year before you begin looking for a traveling assignment. You can pick where you want to travel, for the most part. Nurses are needed just about everywhere. The most standard length of stay is 3 months at a time. Often you can extend it longer if you like. You don't have to take the boards again when you travel. Don't worry. You only have to take those scary boards one time and that's it.
 
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Question


i am going to start traveling for the first time. what would kind of advice would you give to another "newbie"

Response


This is a broad question. If I had to sum up all the advice into one, I would say: Learn the art of being flexible while negotiating for what you want.

As a traveler, you must be very flexible and be able to quickly adapt to new situations. On the other hand, you also have to watch out for yourself and negotiate for what is really important to you.

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Question


What are nurses looking for from a recruiter?

Response


I(a recruiter) find in some cases I can not give the nurse the amount that he/she wants or compete with what another company may be paying them for a certain area. But when that happens, I tell them to go ahead and take that position or what is best for them(just trying to be honest). What are some insights that I need to know to just allow a nurse to remember me or to just want to travel with me.

Travelers want someone that really listens to them as an individual so they don't feel like they blend in with the rest of everyone else. They want to hear....I can see that .......these things are important to you. I am going to do everything to make it happen. It's hard, there is so much competition and sometimes you will run across nurses that will be ungrateful no matter what you do. That's life everywhere though.

Well the right assignment and pay is what they are looking for from the company and that is something you don't have control over. However, what they are looking for in a recruiter is someone who cares. They need to feel you are there for them as evidence by:
1. Being available or returning calls
2. Remembering things particular to their situation and trying to adjust or find an assignment that fits those details.
3. At least one or more follow up phone calls after they get to their assignment to make sure they like where they are and how they are doing.
4. A small welcome care package when they arrive to their assignment would be a nice touch that I have never seen done, but think it is a great idea.
What is more important to nurse when they are thinking about taking a travel assignment? Initially, it is often the assignment location and pay. However, more and more travelers are nervous about getting left out in the cold with companies that don't hold up to their end of the bargain. They would also like to find a good solid honest company that does what they say they are going to do. IT is very important.

IF a particular hospital isn’t allowing me to give the nurse more in $$$$, than a particular company will try and give, what are some obstacles do you think I need to overcome in order to keep that nurse interested?

Ask them whatelse the company is offering and see if you can provide something else that they aren't. Perhaps the company pays more, but they have shared housing or you could provide corporate housing if necessary. Find out any particulars that are important to the travler and see if you can cater to that individual need. Finally and most importantly, ask the traveler what it would take to keep them. If there is anything else that is important to them that you may be able to compensate them and keep their business. Point out any strong points of your company and see if there is anything you can work out with them.


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Question


I just wanted to know if you have any information for people who are out of temp agency work. How do they file umemployment? with whom?

Response


If you go to the following website: http://www.thebeehive.org/Templates/Jobs/Level3Image.aspx?PageId=1.529.571 it should provide you with all the information you need to know such as whether or not you qualify for unemployment and how to find the closest agency to you.

 
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Question


I wanted to try travel nursing .I am retired and i thought I might be able to find a really good hospital not too far from my home. I found lovely nurses, but i found things were not as the nurse manager stated. It is a California hospital and yet they expected me to accept patient assignments out of the legally mandated ratio.

They had a web site that invited suggestions to improve the "Next Generation of Care"
I made some and as a result the hospital terminated me. I had never signed a contract because when it came the contract quoted a higher copay for private housing than the recruiter and I agreed on. She said she would send a new contract.

When the hospital terminated me, the travel company determined I was still a viable travel nurse and the recriuter said she would try and get the company to waive the housing charges if i accepted another assignment right away.To make this brief they owe me money for the amount they over charged me and they owe me money for the california penalty on delayed meal periods, but now they have sent me an invoice to pay housing charges.

i was perfectly willing to finish my contract, but the hospital terminated me so i dont feel i should be charged any thing but the contract says... if you start work and you don't sign a contract,. it is a contract. I asked if they were going to charge me for housing anyway...couldn't they just let me stay. They said no i had to be out in 48 hrs.

i have filed a discrimination complaint with the state as I feel hospital terminated me for internal whistle blowing and at the advise of a labor lawyer. I have requested my lawyer write them a letter. I also wrote a letter to the travel agency team leader with my complaints and i intend to file a missing wage complaint with the state labor board.
Can you give me any other suggestions please?
Does anyone have any idea how far they will go to try and collect on housing charges?

Response


Sounds like you are taking all the right steps in fighting back. Unfortunately, these type of situations seem to be happening more often as more and more agencies are going into business every day. We could advise a lawyer who is interested in contract law for travelers, but it sounds like you are already getting necessary legal advice.

There is a movement for traveling nurses to join together right now to fight against these issues, but it has a long way to go. We hope to be one of the leaders in this effort.

Meanwhile, we would love it if you were to keep us updated as to how things evolve in this situation so we can share it with your fellow travelers who could find themselves in similar situations (hopefully not though).

It's scary to be in a situation like this. You can be left feeling vulnerable and alone. Seeking out advise and allies is your best bet to keep you strong and to fight for what you know is right. Keep us all posted. We are cheering you on.

Thank you for your prompt answer. iN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING i AM NOW ASKING PROSPECTIVE travel companies for sample contracts and as another writer
on your site was advised I intend to ask for a clause that if the hospital backs out of the contract that they bear all the expense. I will never travel again if I don't get this. MY current non traveling employer really appreciates me and even though I am casual call I have loyalty to them.

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Question


I have been with my current company for 2 assignments now. During my second assignment, I adopted a puppy. I let my company know ahead of time that I would be getting a dog, so i was put in Dog friendly housing. While on this assignment, I had to pay a $300 non-refundable fee because of my dog. My company took it out of my check in payments. For my next assignment, my company has just informed me that I have to pay a $600 refundable pet fee. They have offered me the option to take it out of my paychecks in small amounts. I feel like this is alot of money to pay for a 13 week assignment. I understand its refundable, but will they charge me for usually wear and tear, or only if the dog damages something.? Do all apartment companies charge this much? Are most refundable? Or are most a one time fee? How long does it usually take to be refunded the money? If I pay this $600, will I get it back in time to put a payment down for the next apartment complex? I know I have alot of questions, but this is the only site where I can find answers. Any input you have will be helpful. I appreciate all you do for travel nurses. Thanks so much for your timeI am sure if you have questions then many other travelers have similar questions about what is involved in traveling with a pet.

Response


I am sure if you have questions then many other travelers have similar questions about what is involved in traveling with a pet.

Apartment complexes are all different. They have different policies and ways of dealing with pets. However, in speaking with a few traveling pet owners, they say they often pay anywhere from $300-400 an assignment for a pet deposit. In some places, the deposit may be higher, such as California for instance. California's rates can be anywhere from $500 to $1000 to have a pet. Many complexes will take about half of the refundable deposits to do extra cleaning when you move out and then send you the rest. Refunds can take 30 days or more depending on how efficient they are.

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Question


Is a housing subsidy taxfree in north carolina?

Response


Whether the housing subsidy is taxfree or not is more dependent on if you have a permanent residence to claim as your home and how far it is from your assignment. It must be at least 50 miles from where you work. The state shouldn't matter.
 
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Question


I have a DUI from 3 years ago. It created some delays in me getting a license by endorsement to Pennsylvania. Do you know of other states that a previous DUI will create problems for me in obtaining a license?

Response


I would suspect that any state that requires fingerprints are more likely to find and have a problem with a previous DUI. I know that California and New York usually ask for fingerprints.
If you (the reader), know of other states that require fingerprints or have any more to add from experience with DUI, you can email me so this discussion can be expanded upon.
 
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Question


I am supposed to start a 13 week assignment at Craven in North Carolina. I was slightly perturbed with the interview on the phone and the manager said something like "Travel nurses used to be great, but now they seem to be the ones that can't work any other way. I read the reviews on Craven, which are not good. My question is this. ....I have not signed a contract yet, everything has been verbal. My start date is May 12. My verbal acceptance was approx 2 weeks ago. Do I have an obligation?, and how angry is my the travel agency going to be? I had accepted verbally a position approx 5 months ago and had to back out because I am going through a divorce and had to get to get all kinds of financial things done.

Response


I agree....backing out two times isn't going to look the best. However, it is also very refreshing to see that you are concerned about this and wanting to do the right thing. Overall, you need to do what is right for you.

If you have not signed a contract, you should be able to back out without any penalties. Make sure to explain the situation and how you have been thinking about it and it just doesn't set right with you.

Make sure to tell them as soon as possible. The sooner you tell them the easier it is for them to let it go and cancel all their obligations as well. This also gives them a little time to try and fill the assignment with someone else. I am acutally suprised that you accepted the assignment two weeks ago and they haven't already had you sign a contract. They should be trying to close the deal as soon as possible for themselves.

Be as honest and upfront as you can be and then let them deal with it however they may. If they really get angry, you can always find a new agency. However, if you tell them as soon as possible and you are honest and willing to work for them on another assignment, it is very likely they will give it another try.

Please write if you have any further questions and try to make sure you are positive before you accept an assignment in the future. It does put alot of strain on the agency and isn't to be taken lightly. However, situations do happen and people are entitled to change their mind. It sounds like your intuition is telling you something about this assignment. The red flags are up. Three months can seem like a long time when you are at a place you don't like to be. Traveling is something that should make your life more enjoyable. I think you are right in not going on the assignment. In the future though, you may want to think about it a little longer before you accept so that you know you are sure. Good luck with you travels!
 
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Question


I just read your article on travlenursingcenter.com. I wanted to know if you could give me any advice on travel nursing. I am in school now and work at a small hospital as an lpn. Next summer I will be working there as an rn. Will my 12 mos experience as an lpn and a few months experience as an rn qualify me to travel? And do you have any advice on places, money, tax issues, etc. ? if you could send me any info it would be greatly appreciated. I am from NH and I would love to travel to California. Any info on California would be great to? stuff like where to go where not to go...whatever you can give me that would be great! Thanks.

Response


You have alot of questions. I will try to answer some of them, but otherwise...I would suggest you read the book "Hitting the Road, a guide to travel nursing." for more information. You can find this book in our library.

California is a great place to travel to and the pay is better than most areas in the country. Be careful. Ask around and check our hopital rankings to find out more about the hospital.
Every year, U.S. News publishes the Americas Best Hospitals. You can go to their website and view their rankings of various hospitals (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/hosptl/honorroll.htm). They do a general ranking and also rank according to specialty.

Also, you may want to check the internet for the crime rate in the area to make sure you are being sent to a good place. Most of the year, the weather is nice especially in Southern California.

In general, agencies like to see you have at least 1 year of experience to travel in your field. With your LPN experience, you may be able to talk someone into taking your LPN background as a portion of your experience. However, you want to make sure you are ready for the journey. I don't know if your small town has registry nursing. If so, I often suggest people try registry nursing first (working prn at different local hospitals through a local agency) to see if they are comfortable going to new hospitals.

You sound ready and willing. Keep up the hard work. You are going to have so much fun and make money doing it.

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Question


I am looking in to traveling nurses. My concern is the different agencies and what I have read about some of them is rather concerning. My concern is does the traveling nurse get abused in their positions, what agencies really work well and should you go with more than one agency to start with?

Response


Most of these questions are difficult to answer because they are a matter of opinion. Some nurses do feel abused in their positions, but not most of the time. It varies from place to place. Your experience will vary from agency to agency and hospital to hospital. This is mainly why travelnursingcentral was designed in the first place. At travelnursingcentral nurses can voice their opinions and share their experiences regarding the agencies as well as the hospitals they work in. This way, nurses like yourself can view the information as well as talk to the agencies and hospitals to get a feel for them and make a more informed decision. Over time we hope to further enhance the standards of the industry by agencies that don't want to get bad rankings and affect their bottom line.

I can say that I do recommend signing up with more than one agency to increase your choices and negotiations.

Good luck in finding the right fit for you.

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Question


My name is Danielle De Barberie. I have just recieved your book and think it is wonderful. It is helping me in so many ways. So Thank You. I am new to traveling and I really appreciate all you have done. I have a few questinos about taxes though. In your book you reccomend Hicks Financial. I entered my name on the website to be contacted by Hicks Financial, and I was contacted by someone else in another firm, with another agency. His name is Joe Smith, and his firm is called Travel Tax. Do you reccomend him also, or only Hicks Financial? Your input would be greatly apprecitaed. Thanks again for all you have done.

Response


Good question. I am glad you found the book helpful.
Hick Financial is the first travel tax specialist I found. Since then, I have also discovered Travel Tax and Kobaly.com. I would recommend any of these since they specialize in your unique line of work. I am not sure if one is better than the other or more efficient etc. If you do decide to get your taxes done by one of these companies I would love to hear your feedback.

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Question


Hi, I am about to start travelling in CA this coming May and am currently talking with several travel companies about agency-supplied housing vs. taking the stipend instead. My traveller-friends are all encouraging me to push for the highest stipend and assure me that in California, $2,200 is pretty standard. The agencies are saying that $1,600 is standard. My travel friends are also telling me that most people get "screwed" on their first assignment until they get to know the ropes a little better and talk to other travellers about what is acceptable vs. not. I'm hoping that you guys will be able to help me with this!

Response


As long as you are happy with your hourly rate and the stipend covers the cost of your housing than you are doing great. If you get more in your housing stipend then you are more likely to get a lower hourly rate or less of a benefit somewhere else. Every company is different so it is hard to say what a "standard" stipend would be for California. What I can tell you is that $1600 should cover your housing expenses in most places in California. That is what you really need to make sure of. Don't accept the housing stipend until you know how much your housing is going to cost you. If you go to http://www.apartments.com/search/oasis.dll?page=region&state=ca&partner=google, you can find out the average cost of apartments in the area you are going to.
I hope this helps you in making your choices.

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Question


I am trying to find the best way to rent out a home that I have here in Las Vegas. It is a new house being built and for investment purpose only. Since I am a nurse that works with many travelers, I thought I would offer it to reputable people, (RN's) for many obvious reasons. I had heard horror stories of the traveler's housing problems and thought this would be a great idea for everyone involved. I read your Response to the question about the condo in HA, but am curious if you know of specific travel companies that house many of their nurses in Las Vegas, that would be good to start with? I'd appreciate any input you could provide. Thank you.

Response


Unfortunately, I don't know of any agencies that tend to specifically staff in Las Vegas. I invite any travelers that do know of an agency to email us and we will post this information. Otherwise, let me suggest a few ways to go about searching:

-You can advertise your housing for free in our classified section

-You can go to our "meet other travelers" section of our website and email travelers in the las vegas area and ask them who they traveled with or if they know any travelers in the area and what agencies they are with.

- Finally, you can call local hospitals human resource department, explain your situation, and see if they would be willing to tell you a few names of agencies they tend to use.

Hope this helps you a little in your search. Let us know what you find out. We would love to share this information with our readers. I am sure many travelers would love to go to Vegas.

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Question


I signed a contract with an agency to work 7p-7a for a hospital in florida. In orientation I received a call from the director of the hospital who proceeded to inform me that i would have to work 3-11 (40 hrs) for 2 weeks because the census was low and that it would be temporary, then they would put me back on the 7p-7a shift. Now my 2 weeks are up, and the hospital is not willing to give me the 7p-7a shift and wants 2 weeks notice from me, I agreed to do only 2 weeks. I am not giving the hospital 2 weeks notice and now my agency is charging me for housing. What do you think about this situation?

Response


If things are exactly as you say, I would do the following. I am not an attorney and I cannot really tell you what to do in this situation. I can only tell you what I would try to do if I were in this situation.
This does not sound right. The hospital has a contract with the agency that they have not upheld. I would get anything in writing that I can. I would ask the hospital to put it in writing why they cannot provide work now. I would gather all the information I can and then go to the State labor attorney and see if I have a case. Labor lawyers usually don't charge you anything unless you win and then the money is take out of the settlement.

However, before going to all the trouble of a labor lawyer. I may go to the agency and (being as nice as possible) tell them I would like them to find me more work right away and that this problem is between them and the hospital. In this situation, sounds like the hospital should be paying the apartment. I would tell them that I will have to go to a labor lawyer if they continue to ask for money from me for an apartment when I am perfectly willing to hold up my end of the contract and work at the hospital for the agreed amount of time. Furthermore, if I did pay anything for the apartment, I would ask for receipts and a written explanation from them (signed) on their letterhead exactly why I having to pay this money and the situation behind it. Keep all documentation to build my case. I would tell them, I was willing to pay as long as they provide you with satisfactory documentation. Sometimes, this can open their eyes.

Good luck in your adventure and learning experience. Keep us informed as to how things turn out.

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Question


I would like to start travel nursing in april/may 2005.. I am doing some research right now on the agency I would like to travel with. It is downright impossible to contact every agency to find out their availability of assingments.. but I will be traveling doing L&D/ post partum adn well baby nursery.. are there any companies that are 'known' for staffing these kind of nursing positions? So far the only conclusion I've come up with is the bigger the company, the more availability.. but I just didnt want to pass up a smaller company that specializes in these positions. Also.. will travel agencies negotiate on things like housing? I really like one large company with a good availability for what I do, but the housing is only free if it is shared, and I'd rather not pay for private housing. Do you think there is a good chance we can negotiate on private housing? How do I go about this?

Response


Sounds like you have a good grasp of what you want which is a good start. I don't know of any particular company that tends to specialize in that area. If anyone does, I envite them to email and share their knowledge.

You are right, a large company is probably a good start. However, many companies do provide private housing so don't feel like you have to go with a company who only has shared housing. Furthermore, don't feel like you are limited to one company. You can take an assignment with one company that has an assignment in your specialty and then take an assignment with another company that has an assignment. This way, everyone's assignment list is yours and you will be able to find work. There are well over 100 agencies out there.

Furthermore, housing can often be negotiated especially if you are willing to give up something else. Let's say you don't really need health insurance coverage for some reason. That would be the perfect opportunity to ask for private housing instead. Have them tell you all the benefits they offer and how much they offer for each of them and then see if there is a negotiation in there somewhere. Ask them how you might negotiate for private housing. Many of them will work with you as long as they stay within their alotted bugeted amount for benefits. If they don't seem willing to at least take a look at it with you. You may want to reconsider whether this is the type of company you want to work with. It would be a good test of their willingness to work with you in the future.

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Question


I am currently living in the Corpus Christi area of Texas. Is there anyway I can get a list of persons or companies that are adept at preparing the taxes of a travel nurse in this area. Thank you so much.

Response


It is difficult to find accountants that specialize in travel. The two most prominent ones I know about at this time is Traveltax (www.traveltax.com) in NE and Kobaly (www.kobaly.com) in CA. However, you can make copies of your documents and then mail them to the accountants to do. They do taxes for travelers all over the United States. Kobaly even has an organizer you can download to organize all your information right into the computer for your taxes. A travel tax specialist is worth the money. Good luck.

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Question

I have an idea for a journal or receipt log that can be used for keeping up with tax stuff such as gas, miles, expenses; then you can record the totals of data needed from the journal/log to tax forms. Just an idea; sometimes keeping up with all those receipts is a headache and then the receipts can be stored in a yearly file. Maybe the amounts of monthly cell bills, dry cleaning bills and other stuff can be listed too. It might make it easier at tax time. :) Is there a book specifically for travelers about tax stuff that will help us get organized?

Response

See if this is what you have in mind. You can go to www.kobaly.com and download their free organizer. Let me know if this is what you are looking for.

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Question


I am just starting to travel and am wondering about the pay scale. Is there one based on years of experience? Is this something that you usually negotiate with your agency? And how much flexibility is there?

Response


The pay scale is usually based on your specialty, but not years of experience. The rate is sometimes negotiable especially if you are willing to give up some of the other benefits offered.

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Question


I have worked in ER for the last 4 years. Before that I worked for an ortho. surgeon, and have 24 years of direct/indirect OR exp. I have floated occ. on my days off, in the OR. I'm I marketable for an OR assignment?

Response


Technically, agencies and hospitals want to see ONE YEAR OF RECENT EXPERIENCE in the field you wish to travel. However, you have nothing to lose by trying. You may be able to find an agency who is willing to submit you. You would want to present it as working the last 4yrs in the ER while also working perdiem in the OR. Furthermore, a good reference letter from the OR director or even a nurse you have worked with in the OR would be helpful. Make sure they mention that they have been working with you in the OR during this last year or last few years whatever it may be. List the OR and the ER on your work history so they will be able to call if they want to and verify that you work there occassionally and that you are competent. Then of coarse show all your previous experience in the OR. Tell the agency you would really like to work in the OR when you travel and if they can find you work than you will go with them. It is worth a try. The letters of reference from the OR could really help you. The worst that could happen is they say no. Big deal. If nobody will accept you then you will have to make more decisions in planning your future. For now, it is worth a try.

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Question


I reactivated with a local agency for a contract that never appeared. I now am being scheduled per diem, and have many shifts cancelled due to internal staffing changes. Short of moving on, any advise?

Response


Is this the only agency in town? You could sign up with a few more agencies and keep your options open. Are the internal staffing changes occuring in the company or in the hospitals? I am unclear. Depending on the situation, you can tell the agency that you wish to speak with one experienced staff member when you call (request him or her) because you can't afford to have that many cancellations. You may want to talk to a supervisor to get a fuller understanding of the problem, then nicely explaiin your situation and ask for a solution for the time being while things are being straightened out. Put the ball in his or her quart and let them come up with a solution that can help you and them out toward getting you the shifts you are scheduled for.

Thank-you for responding so quickly. The staffing changes are occurring within the facilities themselves. The Hospital System will schedule for open shifts, then cancel 2 hours prior to the start of the shift because census is lower than expected, or they fill within the hospital for less cost than agency. This now leaves me with at least one if not two cancelled shifts per week.
Yes, there are a few agencies in town, (Green Bay) most are relatively new, and are not quite as established. I am concerned about conflict of interest issues if I sign up with another agency, in addition to the one I am currently working with. I have even approached the agency about different hospitals which have consistently advertised for ER nurses, and pushed them to approach these hospitals. They have apparently done this, but have not secured a foothold yet.

I have an appointment today to speak with my former employer about returning, just because I need to have a steady income. I am divorced with 4 teenagers...I don't have a second paycheck to back me up. I will probably stay on with the agency, but work only limited hours with them. I had hoped that working the local agency, which is also nationwide would provide a door to my eventual plans of traveling 2 years from now. My former hospital is a critical access hospital that runs with only 1 RN in the ER, and uses RT for backup. The hospital has gotten much busier, but no RN positions have been added. It worries me that I feel I am putting my license on the line each shift I work up there, which is one of the reason's I left to begin with.

I understand your struggle with politics and the need to work. I am not sure how big Green Bay is. Smaller towns are a little more difficult to get the hours you need. However, it should be in your best interest to sign up with all these agencies. Hospitals have a list of agencies they work with and they will often staff that day with a nurse from the agency that returned their calls first, or the one they like to work with the best and so on. I have had situations where the hospital told one of my agencies they didn't need a nurse anymore and meanwhile the other company ended up sending me to the same hospital. Who knows how they pick the agency for that day, but you want to make sure you are in the file for choosing. Depending on the norm of the area, some agencies will take it personal if you sign up with another agency, but most of the time they understand and they see their competition more on the hospital end than with the nurse. You are a nurse who is will to work for anyone that can place you. It is their job to compete for the work. If one of them calls you to work, but you are already scheduled somewhere than you can simply tell them you are unavailable that day, but you are available so far on the other days. They don't need to know your life story.

Agencies are just glad to have experienced nurses to work. Don't worry about this affecting your future travel plans. The agency you have been working with and many other agencies will be glad to work with you when you are ready to travel.

Can you apply to any other hospitals in town instead of the one that scares you? What if you worked part-time there and the other days were registery? So many options to consider. Good luck. There is no doubt that one of the disadvantages of local registry is that you have no guarantee of hours. Sometimes, even if you do get a shift, you may be sent home early. The larger the city (more hospitals) the easier it is because there are more options to fall back on.

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Question


I am currently on assignment in Bay Area , with the state budget the California Highway Patrol ( CHP ) now has a crackdown on out of state registration , encouraging people to turn in CHEATERS. Ca. has a law that any person who works in Ca. for more than 20 days must change vehicle registration and drivers license to Ca. I asked my recruiter about this and reply was yes we knew about the law, and basically informed me it was my responsibility to check on local laws.. I have a friend (traveller) who was pulled over in San Francisco who was arrested , car impounded and it cost him 935$ to get car out of inpound. I feel that Travel Companies should be required to warn people they place in Ca. of this law . Do you know of any agencies who provide rental cars to Ca. travellers so they can stay out of jail..

Response


Thanks for the information on the California laws. I will post this right away for travelers to read. What is it costing travelers to register?

Meanwhile, finding an agency in California that provides a rental car will be very hard to find especially since the cost of housing is already so expensive. However, if a traveler is lucky enough to be staying with friends or family, he or she may want to negotiate for a rental car as part of their housing allowance, but not to replace the housing allowance.
 
The cost depends on what kind of vehicle you drive of course.. but changing your drivers license is a big hassle.. once you take test it takes 4-6 weeks to get license with photo.. You are issued a piece of paper.. no hotel, hard to use charge cards , and attempting to fly is a nightmare with out a government issued photo ID..I forwarded the CHP cheaters web page... thank you for warning other travellers thinking of choosing a Ca. assignment about this problem..

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Question

I have been traveling for almost a year now (2 asignments). i have had little difficulty finding assignments until now. my last assignment ended 6/24 and i have been out of work since. im working with 2 agencies and have submitted to about 12 hospitals and have not had any interviews. i was interviewed faster when i had no travel experience! i have gone over my profiles and can't find any reason to not have any Responses. very frustrating! is this just the nature of the beast or is there somethng else going on? do others have this problem??? please advise!!

Response


What is your specialty? The demand for certain specialties can vary. Are you looking to travel in a particular area? I am not sure what is happening without knowing more. I would to suggest you sign up with more than 2 agencies in order to keep your options open. The competition among agencies for positions is increasing

I did finally get an assignment yesterday. It isn't my chice of location or specialty but it's not bad and I can't afford to be picky at this point!! I wen with a bigger agency-I'm wondering if that was the problem. Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate the time you spent!!

I am glad you found work. Larger agencies tend to have a bigger selection of assignments, yet they are often less personal. You want to keep yourself signed up with at least 5 to 10 agencies of various sizes so the odds are in your favor. Then start looking around a month before your assignment is up. Good luck and thanks for the update.

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Question


I recently applied to travel nurse international to work in calif-i am from alberta,canada- i am now being told completion bonuses are being deleted as they are taxed heavily by amer.gov't. is this true and are the majority of travel nurse companies deleting them or should i apply to another company?

Response


I have yet to hear of such a thing. However, I would continue to apply with other companies and then make your decision. It is always a good idea to have more than one option. You might try Supplemental Health Care and O'Grady-Peyton for example. They are well versed in international travel. You can find them on the website's agency listing.

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Question


I am writing to ask if you know if LPN's from outside USA are employed by any nursing travel agencies, I am from Australia and am a Registered Nurse Division 2 which is equivalent to a US LPN and I am hoping to get work in the US,any information would be greatly appreciated

Response


Unfortunately the requirements for LVN travelers are not as high as RN in the United States, but that is not to say an assignment isn't there for the taking. If I were you, I would start with the following company. They are most likely to have a position for you and know how to get you there.
O' GRADY-PEYTON INTERNATIONAL
532 Stephenson Ave. #100
Savannah, GA 31405
877-504-7794
info@ogpinc.com
www.ogpinc.com
They are experienced in international staffing and are actively involved right now in trying to staff California. California recently implemented a mandatory nurse to patient ratio. I predict LVN's will be in higher demand in California shortly to help with staffing costs etc.
Keep in touch and let me know what you find out.

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Question


My husband and I, both RNs, are thinking about travel in a RV. What are the pros and cons of this? Thanks

Response


Traveling in an RV can be fun and financially rewarding. The RV serves as a comfortable transportation vehicles as well as a mobile house. You would save additional money living in an RV while collecting travel allowances and housing subsidies. When it was all said and done, traveling will have also paid off your RV which you can then sell or upgrade. You no longer have to pack and unpack or wonder what type of housing you will have when you arrive to an assignment. The down side is that you will be limited to RV park locations. From what I understand, this isn't much of a problem. You should be able to find one fairly close to the hospital. There are many RV parks throughout the United States.

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Question


How could I go about dealing with a travel company that breached the contract that I had with them?

Response


I am not sure about the details of your situation. I will continue to check into this question in a general sense for others in similar situations. For now, I would suggest you contact the Labor Commission of the state you were working in at the time of the contract. Also collect as much evidence and documentation as you can. Labor Attorneys usually don't charge you, they make their money from winning cases against companies that have done you wrong, especially if the company owes you money. I would get a Labor Lawyer and then keep us posted as to how things go. This information would be helpful for all travelers to know.

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Question


Hello. You mentioned that you have information on agencies that staff nurses in the UK. I'd love some information if you could pass it on!
Thank you!

Response


The following agencies have been known to staff nurses in the U.K. Let us know what you find out when you call them. We would love to hear from you.
Catto International Limited+44 1276 500 529 www.catto.net
Kate Cowig 353 (0) 1 671 5557 cowhig@iol.ie
O'Grady Peyton International 877-504-7794
Supplemental Healthcare 800-543-9399
World wide Healthcare Exchange +44 (0) 1707 259233 www.whe.co.uk
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Question


Have you heard of Critical Care Professionals? Is this a travel nursing agency? Are they on the web, I can't find them anywhere?

Response


Sure, their phone number is 410-321-5580. They staff dialysis nurses as well.

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Question


I am going to be interviewing for a job at St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. Do you know of any nurses that have worked travel assignments there, and liked it?

Response


I haven't known any nurses that have been there, but I did know a surgical technician that love it. According to him.....the hard terrible part about going there is having to return home. I hope you write in and tell us about it if you go. I am sure others would love to hear about your adventure.

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Question


Looking for info on Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow New York. Especially housing. Anyone?

Response


I assume you are wanting information from other travelers such as what it is like to work there and what the housing is like. If this is the case, I would post this question in our membership forum for all to respond to. Also, if you go to the websites meet members section ....you can email nurses in New York. They may have heard what it is like. The meet members section was created for just this kind of reason. You can quickly gain and share information with one another.

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Question


Are there any agencys staffing for strikes at present.

Response


Try HPO, Fastaff, and Travel Nurse International. These are the agencies that are known to be the big players when it comes to staffing strikes.

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Question


What resources can I use to locate travel companies that offer over seas assignments?

Response


Good question. I don't really know of one good source to find assignments that send people overseas. We need to fix that. I will continue to research this question and meanwhile we will open this open for discussion. If anyone knows of a good source for this and or any agencies that staff overseas please send an email and we will begin right now to change that and make a list right here on this website.

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Question


Are there any jobs out there for LPN's in travel? I have filled out apps with allof the travel agencies; they write back saying they have plenty of openings. I am flexible with location, then they say there is'nt much for LPN's.

Response


This can be frustrating. Unfortunately, most recruiters are told to tell you there are plenty of openings in order to get your application. They want your contact information. Then they worry about whether they really have a position later. I know LPN's do travel, but yes, the positions are not as easy to find.

There are over 100 travel companies out there. One of them is bound to have an assignment. For starters...I would suggest you go to this website's find assignment section and post your resume. Your resume will be sent to several travel companies at once and then they can contact you if a position comes available.

Meanwhile, you may want to find a smaller agency and offer a committment to them if they are willing to market you and your skills. Yesterday, I was on the phone with Robison Medical and they brought up the fact that they staff LPN's. You may want to try them if you haven't already. Their number is 888-288-5659. Furthermore, I just read an article about an LPN who recently worked in Alaska with Healthcare Seeker 888-331-3431.

Keep me informed and let me know when you find something.

The following agencies have staffed LPN's within the last year. You may try contacting these companies. If you find one that is no longer staffing LPN's please email me and we will remove them from the list. The industry is constantly changing.
advantage 800-749-1122
american traveler 800-884-8788
Bonnieville 800-777-6430
Core Med 800-995-2673
Cross Country 800-343-3270
Favorite Nurses 800-755-1411
HPO 800-611-6462
HRN 800-476-5561
Medical Express 800-544-7255
Medstaff 800-732-9992
Nurses RX 800-733-9354
Preferred Healthcare 800-735-4774
Preferred medical 800-552-6845
Procare 800-877-6785
Qshift 800-733-6877
Stat nursing 800-962-8678
Prestige Healthcare Resources (866-997-9844) just wrote me about several positions they have in California. December 2, 2003
 
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Question


The hospital I am currently under contract with is cancelling my contract 6 weeks early. They are cancelling all travelers at the hospital. My recruiter tells me that it is OK and that we need to find another assignment. Does this hospital not have to "settle" this contract? What do I get out of this besides a lot of worry? Any advice on this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Response


I really feel for you on this one. Life is not always as it should be. Obviously, the hospital should have the decency to finish out their remaining contracts on ethical grounds at least.

Legally......every contract is different so it is hard to say if they are obligated by law. The contract may have a standard clause saying they could discontinue at any time for any reason. It is also likely that your recruiter doesn't know. Many recruiters are not allowed to view contracts.

You could curse and pull your hair out trying to get to the bottom of it and it probably wouldn't be worth the effort. If you like your company, I would definitely use this situation to negotiate for extra benefits on your next assignment to compensate your hardship and disorientation.

I can tell you that this situation is not common. Many hospitals will gradually taper off rather than drop off. Also, the next time..... you can always try to negotiate for a statement in your contract with the agency stating they (the agency) will pay you for the length of the contract should such an occurrence happen in the future again that is out of your control.

Good luck. Remember blessing sometimes happen in funny ways. Who knows what is going to happen now. Please let me know if it leads to something great. Life has a funny way of doing that.

Followup
Thanks for such a speedy reply. You are right when you said blessings happen in funny ways.
Although I like the hospital that is canceling me, I have just found out that a hospital I had been to before, and loved, is needing immediate help.

I will be asking for a clause in my contract regarding cancellations from now on.
Thanks again,

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Question


I am on assignment in Boston. The GSA per diem rate is $50/day. I am only getting $40/day. Am I getting ripped off? Who sets the per diem rates for your contract? The hospital or your company?

Response


I am not familiar with the term GSA per diem daily rates. I assume you are talking about the daily tax deduction you recieve for working away from home as a traveler. This is one of the greatest financial benefits of being away from home.

This daily deduction is determine by the IRS. It is rare that a company would be giving you this money ahead of time. Perhaps they are offering this benefit to you as a way to provide you with more money sooner. However, sounds like they may be keeping a little money for the service. In that case, I would say that $40 dollars a day is not up to standards according to your information. If they are giving you less than the allotted amount, it may be worth your while in the long run to discontinue their special plan and have your accountant do the daily deduction for you at the end of the year for the full $50 dollars a day. It can really add up.

Per diem is a tax free amount of money given to a worker each day while on a temporary assignment. It covers daily living expenses. GSA (General Services Administration) sets the per diem rate for Gov't employees, and the IRS uses this as the guideline as to the maximum that will be allowed to be tax free. It is based on the location. High cost areas are $50/day, lower cost areas could be as low as $35/day. The rates are subject to change every year in October. There are 2 parts to per diem: housing, and meals & incidentals. Since our company provides housing as a separate paid item, the per diem we get is actually for the meals & incidental portion.

When I quizzed our company about the $40/day per diem, their answer was, "That's all they will pay" (meaning the hospital). I thought the agency set the per diem rate, wage rate, etc. Do you know how all this works?

I am not completely sure how they work it because not many companies offer this kind of a plan. I seriously don't think the hospital sets the rate. I would think the agency sets the rate based on some kind of deduction they get from the IRS since this is really a tax issue.
Regardless, you should be able to deduct the difference ($10) at the end of the year when you file your taxes as long as your pay checks are itemized to show that you are getting paid a $40 dollar a day living expense and the GSA is really $50.

One resource you may want to try is www.hicksfinancial. He is an accountant that specializes in travelers taxes and he has his own website now.

I will continue to research and please continue to keep in touch if you make any further discoveries as well.

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Question


I am very intersted in traveling, but I am a single mother, and am not sure how to arrange child care for my 4 yr old, especially on weekends or holidays

Response


Traveling as a single mom can be challenging, but not impossible. When you talk to the agencies explain your situation and tell them you will work for them if they can help you find an assignment and childcare. When you interview with the hospital explain your situation again and ask if they know of any resources etc. and if it is a problem...tell them you won't be able to committ to weekends or holidays unless you can find childcare. Most of all, make sure to get all these agreements in writing in your contract with the agency. The travel industry is very competitive and resourceful. Let them help you.

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Question


My next assignment will be in a level II nsy in Bakersfield, CA. I have been told by other travelers with friends working in CA that if you work 12 hours anything over 8 hours is paid time and a half. I looked online and read the CA Labor Law and I could not understand all of the double talk that goes into legaleze. Does anyone know what the law means to me as a traveler working 36 hours a week but 12 hour days? My company assures me they would not break the law, but I want to know the truth about how the law in CA works.

Response


I will have to look into this further. So far..what I can tell you is that California does pay time and half after 8 hrs and double time after 12. However, many reputatble agencies located in California get around this to a certain extent. If you are scheduled for an 8 hr shift but you work 12, the pay the time and half for the 4hours over. But, if you are scheduled for 12hrs from the start...then they pay regular pay. What I don't know...is how this is justified according to the law. What I can tell you ...is that your company is not the only one. A loop hole must exist to allow this. I will research this further. For now, I hope this help somewhat.

I have been checking around. One experienced recruiter I spoke with recently told me she believes that the hospitals file a waiver with the state in order to bypass this law. Some hospitals have filed and some have not. If you want to comment on this topic click here and we will post it.

Comment from Gloria A. Brent, R.N., author of Travel Nursing at it's Best...Expect Nothing Less
California does pay time and a half over 8 hours and double time over 12 hours by law! However, many agencies give you what is called a "blended rate." It is important when taking an assignment in CA for 12 hours shifts that you know whether you are being quoted a "base rate" or a "blended rate." Here is what I mean by a "blended rate":

Base Rate = $28 per hour
Time and a half of that rate = $42 per hour

Now, we are going to work a 12 hour shift....

$28.00 x 8 hours = $224.00
$42.00 x 4 hours = $168.00

$224.00 + $168.00 = $392.00 pay for a 12 hour shift.

Now, the agency will divide $392.00 by 12 hours = $32.80 per hour

They will tell you that the rate of pay is $32.80 per hour. (That is actually a low rate for CA, but I hope you understand the math)

It is important that you ask the question if is is a "base rate" or a "blended rate." It would be terrible to expect time and a half of $32.80 after 8 hours and not get it, because the agency wasn't clear of their actual rate. Now...the problem with the blended rate comes in when you are cancelled for the last four hours of your shift! Now you didn't work the 12 hours. Guess what?! You will only get $28 per hour for the 8 hours you worked!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment from Victoria Taylor, RN
Also, some CA hospitals have unions who have voted to work however long work days (usually 8) and not get paid the double time after 8 hours so that the money can be placed evenly into their pay throughout the day. This is where people who come in afterwards have to be cautious.

Comment anonymous
I have been told two things about the overtime in California by a Recrutier most company quote a blended pay which incluced the overtime. Second if the travel company is not based in CA they dont have to pay the over 8 rule just over 40 hrs. I would make sure that my contract is very clear what pay I would recive .

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Question


I've been researching requirements for licenses. What does it mean if the temp license fee is included in the cost of the permanent? Do travel nurses recommend getting permanent licenses? Do most agencies cover the cost? Should I keep my original license renewed? My state doesnt require CEU'S to keep my license; do I need to start acquiring CEU's to be licensed in other states? About how many CEU's are needed?

Response


Unfortunately, there is no standard Responses when it comes to licensure. An effort has begun to standardize the process....the licensure compact. You may have heard of it? You have to reside and originate in one of the compact licensure states and then you can use your license like you use your drivers license from state to state. You can find out more details about that at (www.ncsbn.org).
If you do not live in a compact state.....the licensure process will be different for each state. Each state has different CEU's, cost, processing time, and temporary license expiration. A few states only offer permanent licenses. Many states do not require you to show your CEU's to get the license, but perhaps to renew it. Others such as New York require you to have classes topics such as abuse and aids etc.

It all sounds complicated and overwhelming if you try to look at the big picture all at once, but it really isn't. The first step is to decide where you want to go and then see how long it will take to obtain your license and what it requires before you commit to a start date. If you want to travel right away, often recruiters have an idea which states are easier and faster to get licensed. Some states are what they call "walk through" states where you can literally take your paperwork into the office and get licensed that day.

Licensure reimbursement is one of those negotiable benefits. Not all companies offer it. If they do, it is often a partial reimbursement and is usually paid after you begin your assignment.

Travelers often recommend getting a permanent license. Some temporary licenses do not stay active for a full 3 months. Also, you never know if you may end up liking it and want to extend your assignment or take another assignment in the same state. This way your options are open.

I would recommend you keep your home state license active for a few reasons. To maximize your tax benefits you will want to maintain a permanent residence which means you will need to return home and work occasionally to look like you still live there. Also, you never know when you will want to return home for a while to visit friends or relatives. However, if you know you won't want to return and your don't care to maintain a permanent residence then you can request that your license be put in inactive status. This way they still keep you on record and the process is easier to activate then to reapply for licensure, yet you don't have to pay for an inactive license.

Overall, licensure is a fairly simple process in most states and isn't usually an obstacle to traveling. Yet, it is good to consider the licensure requirements as far as timing your assignments and managing your commitments.

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Question


Do you know of any companies that will provide a rental car? I'm nervous about driving clear across the country by myself.

Response


Companies do not provide a rental car as a standard. However, you can negotiate for one. Often you can trade one benefit for another. Get creative....especially if they offer a benefit you don't need. Also, tell them that if they figure out how to provide a rental car for you.....you will travel with them. This will motivate them and believe me they have ways. This is a competitive business and they want you to work for them.

Note: If they give you a car allowance...make sure to call and find out what the car rentals in the area cost. One time a company provided a car for me in Alaska. They gave me a car allowance that sounded great. When I got there....I discovered that it was double that to rent a car there.

Also, you may want to consider traveling with a friend. With the travel allowance they pay.....if you travel low budget (motel 6)...you can often pay for your friends food and airline ticket back (or 1/2). The trip can be a great experience. Many people would love to go and see part of the country and then fly back.

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Question


I have been researching many traveling companies over the last four months. I can not decide which one to go with. When I feel that I have made my decision then I heard of someone who had a bad experience with that company. I feel frustrated. I looked to your company to hopefully find the highest ranking company to go with. Please give me some advice. I will be traveling with my family and I do not want to make a huge mistake and end up in a mess somewhere! How do you find the best company to go with as you FIRST!

Response


Thanks for writing. Good question. One of the reasons travelnursingcentral started ranking agencies is because of this very problem you speak of. They want to get a compilation of opinions from several people for a rating of a company. You have to take traveler's individual experiences with a grain of salt. One person may be really happy with a company and another unhappy with the same company. Most travelers claim that their recruiter makes all the difference.

My advice is to look at the ratings, pick a company that has been around for awhile, ask lots of questions and have them make the benefits clear and spelled out in the contract, and meanwhile consider how comfortable you are with that recruiter. They will be your lifeline.

The good news is that most companies that have been around awhile they are competitive with everyone else. The travel companies are very competitive. The worst that can happen is that you don't receive your paychecks or the housing is a bummer. If the housing is bad, you can demand they find different housing or you will leave. Remember they want you to be happy. You are making them money. If you leave the contract...they miss out on the money and they look bad to the hospital. Try to get direct deposit for your paychecks. Companies that don't pay..don't stay in business very long.
Pick one and go for it. You can always travel with someone else next time. This is not an exact science and each company will have its strengths and weeknesses. You have much more to gain than to lose.

You may try asking your recruiter what she feels her companies strengths and weeknesses are. Also, when you interview with the hospitals ask them how satisfied travelers seem with the company and is there a different agency they staff with that travelers seem more satisfied with.

I know the first step is a scary one, but after the first one you will have much more confidence. As a traveler, you really become your own business person. You market yourself and negotiate for what you want. It may feel that you are helpless in their hands, but they are also in yours. Without you, they won't have a business.

Go for it.......you'll be fine. If it was that bad....there wouldn't be so many people traveling. Even the people you talked to who had bad experiences are still traveling aren't they? You have to do your best to make a good decision and then make the plung.

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Question


I have been an RN for a bit better than two years, and have traveled for the past nine months (on my third assignment now). my experience is med-surg, some telemetry; also orthopedics and some others (i've worked in small hosptials where you do it all). i really want to work PACU, perhaps ER or ICU. i have the paper credentials, just no experience. i've made it clear during my interview that i'd be happy to float to these units as a "pair of hands" (just for the exposure, though i don't say it that way). so far it hasn't happened. any other suggestions for gaining this experience? i'm getting a bit burned out on med-surg. thanks! oh--great site!

Response


Unfortunately, it is difficult to get "experience" in a new department while traveling. You almost have to find a unique agency or hospital. I believe Cross Country used to advertise a cross-training program along with traveling. You may want to see if they still do anything like that. Otherwise, most hospitals want to put you to work where your strengths are. You are only there for a short period of time. The time and money to orient you to another department is difficult for them to justify. I know a nurse who recently stopped traveling to work a year in NICU so she could gain the experience she needs to travel and work in NICU.

The only other suggestion I have..... would be to discuss this upon your interview with the hospitals. You may be able to agree to work with them for a certain period of time, if they will work with you. I would try to propose this with a hospital that is known for having a ongoing need for travelers.

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Question


What countries offer international assignments to U.S. nurses?

Response


The english speaking companies tend to offer the international assignments. The most popular places are New Zealand, Australia, and London.

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Question


How plentiful are Psych Nursing assignments, and which agencies have the most Psych jobs?

Response


Psych is not as plentiful as other nursing specialties. While these positions may be more challenging....it is not impossible to travel.

Your best bet is to find a company willing to search for positions for you. Once you find a company that is willing to work with you on an individual basis you will be fine. Also, Coremedical has been known to have psych positions in the past....you may want to try them. Also, if you are interested in international travel at all....you may contact Psychiactric Care Consultants (pcc@pccnurses.com.au).
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Question


i'm finishing a current contract where i was for 26 weeks from the intial first meeting the staff trhoughout the hospital was not friendly,hostile and just downright rude....now the nurses are reporting things not done wheras they are guilty of the same thing..plus i'm guarenteed 36 hours and the next two weeks she has sligted me 12 hours each week...what should i do?

Response


I am glad you are finishing up your contract. Way to hang in there. Every once in awhile a nurse will find herself among a sea of sharks. Your proper plan of action is to contact your agency. They should have someone that is a nurse advocate for problems like this. The cut in hours will concern them as well. Unfortunately, some agencies are great at backing up their nurses and some aren't. Good luck and watch your back and dot your I's as they say.

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Question


Is traveling only for the very experienced? I work full time in an office setting but only do 1 day a week in acute care. Woulkd i be able to adapt to a travel experience?

Response


Good question. First, it is great that you are keeping your foot in the door by working once a week in the acute care setting. I am curious how long you have been doing that. Are you experienced enough to travel? Well, only you can really determine that, but here are a few pointers: Travel nurse companies usually require a minimum of one year experience in order to travel. What if you meet the requirements, but are not sure of your comfort level? The more experienced you are...the more comfortable you will be. Here is a good way to test yourself out without too much risk: sign up with a local registry in town and try working a day or two in different settings in town and see what your comfort level is like. If you really want to travel, continue to do occassional registry work in town until you are comfortable going into a new setting and being put to work right away. If you can work at a variety of places in town with comfort, you will be able to travel in comfort. Local registry gives you a chance to see what traveling would be like without the risk of uprooting yourself first.
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Question


Do you have any advice for traveling with children?

Response


Plenty of travelers take assignments with their children. Some only travel in the summer when their children are out of school, others homeschool their children. One company many travelers recommend is www.sycamoretree.com as a resource for home schooling children. I would recommend negotiating for private housing and to let your company know you will be traveling with children so they can make accomodations for you. Traveling can be whatever you make it.

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Question


What if I don't like my housing?

Response


Get out! Be firm with your company when it comes to housing. You need to be happy with where you are residing. If you feel real strongly about your housing, you can refuse to stay on that assignment unless they provide adequate housing. Many times the company has not seen the place you are staying and have to rely on advertising. A few good websites to use in finding another apartment in the area is: www.rentnet.com, www.apartments.com, and www.petplace.com (for people who have pets).

Reader comment: I just read your article on "What travel companies are the best ones"

I work in the marketing department of a travel nurse agency who has been around for 15 years, and as you said we are very competitive. We work hard to provide good benefits to our nurses and recruiters work hard to bond relationships with their travelers.

I can appreciate all the information provided to nurses, especially ones trying to research companies for the first time. I think its a helpful tool because many don't know what they are allowed to do, ask for etc.

One thing I'd like to point out, however, is that in some of these articles the nurse is empowered a little too much. Yes, we want them to be happy, yes they are making our company money, but we also have obligations and we enstow trust in the nurses we choose to work with. Your suggestion to "demand new housing or you'll leave the assignment" I don't feel is appropriate to say.

We do our very, very best to find the best possible housing for each and every assignment. Of course its impossible to see it, and yes, sometimes and housing is not the best, but may be an extremely high priced area, or the nurse may have brought a pet or had other requirements. In any case, once a nurse agrees to an assignment, our company signs a lease with the housing committing us to this housing for at least the period of the 3 months. Having a nurse demand new housing is usually not an option unless its the housing's fault, not just becuase they don't like it. We also have obligations, and we're not concerned with no making the money on the contract, but now we are responsible for the full three months lease.

A better suggestion to the nurses would be to do their own research on housing, if its a big issue to them. Once a housing place has been established, encourage them to call around themselves, talk to the landlord, call the local police station, ask about how long they have been there, what part of town its in, if its safe, etc. They are grown adults after all.

If they are not comfortable with the housing at that point voice concerns before signing the contract, and if new housing cannot be found, then they should choose not to accept the assignment at that point.

Again, don't know if this makes any difference, but being on the other end it seems like people encourage the travel nurses to do whatever they want and demand everything since its so competitive, but we are trying to do the best we can and feel there are more proper ways they can accomplish the same things.


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Question


Can you list some of the travel agencies who are known to provide adequate housing? Or can you provide a ranking system by travelers just for housing?

Response


We cannot specifically suggest one travel company over the other, but travelers can. This is why we have a ranking system on our website for travelers to rank the agencies according to their experience. Over time, we hope this will be invaluable information and improve the standards of the industry. We hope to become the largest independent site for travelers to meet and voice their opinions and share information. On the agency ranking page, you can view how each characteristic of the company is ranked in detail including housing.

Our referral service can referr you to companies that offer private housing if you would like. However, we cannot personally give out our own opinions. Besides, what better place to get that information than from other travelers on the web. We did a ranking system to get a accumulation of opinions rather than one persons opinion. You probably already have realized that many people have differing opinions about the same agency depending on who their recruiter was and what kind of experience they had with them.

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Question


I am about to start the traveling experience soon. I have experience in many different areas of the hospital, in nicu and pacu currently. what kind of assignment should i look for in traveling to keep my experience current? i like to work with neonates and adults

Response


Good to see you are versitile in your experience and thinking ahead. These two qualities will make you a great traveler. No problem. Since most assignments are only 3 months in length, you can make sure you work with each patient population throughout the year. For example, if working with neonate is your favorite or the easiest to find placement then take most of your assignments in NICU during the year. Yet, make sure one of the assignments is in PACU. Agency like to know you have at least one year experience in each of the departments you wish to work. Furthermore, they like to know you have worked in that department sometime within the year prior to the assignment so you are current on your skills. You should be just fine. However, if you wish to work in other departments, you may want to get the experience before you travel. It is difficult to gain new experience as a traveler. Since you are only at the hospital for a short period of time, they want to utilize you where your strengths are and often don't want to spend the time and money to orient you to a new specialty. Back to top

Question


I am on my first assignment and at a small hospital, contracted for 12 weeks in ICU. I am frequently floated out to a very disorganized Tele unit. At times I am starting to think my license my not be safe. I have been there 4 weeks and already have worked with a 52 years old, in good health, developed pneumonia and died. The wife is a nurse and requested an autopsy, from an "nonhospital associated" source. I feel good about the care he got the day I took care of him, but still worry about giving a deposition. If I refused to continue working at this hospital, what would the potential consequences be to me. My contract says that if I don't complete they can bill me for any expenses they incur. they did not pay any of my travel expenses and they do not provide the housing. My housing allowance if paid with my hourly pay, each week.

Response


Are you still feeling like your license may not be safe? You are in better shape than most people who feel they must leave their assignment because they aren't providing your housing. That's usually the issue is their having rented out a space for a certain amount of time that will no longer be occupied. Be sure to notify them by email or letter and explain why. This way you have some sort of documentation.

It's too bad things are turning out this way. Is there any way you could refuse to float to the tele unit? What's the worst that could happen....they would end your contract?

The best thing to do in order to know what the company is going to ask for is to tell them the situation and ask them straight out what they would want you to pay if anything? This way you know what you are facing if you decide to leave.

Please write and let me know how this turns out.

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Question

I'm going to be terminated

Two days ago I was informed that my current contract was being terminated. My recruiter asked me to wait until he had further details regarding the situation. Today (2/23/09)he contacted me to inform me that the apartment complex wanted me to be moved out by the 25th of February. He stated that he had just cut a check to them a few days previous to the place where I was living that was to follow through until March 23rd, 2009. I'm going to attempt to be out of the place by Friday, February 28. He stated he would be giving me my full 36 hour pay,(for which I had coming from the previous week), but was not going to pay me my per diem for the previous week that I had worked in order to recupe some of the losses. If the management is able to rent the apartment before the 23rd of March then he would be getting the remainder of the $$ back. So, if I am out on February 28th and they rent the apartment on March 1st he'll be getting that $$ refunded. I will be out my per diem which I've already worked for and as I understand is considered part of my pay.**At least the way I understand it.** I'm going to speak with the apartment manager tomorrow as I could not contact her today and ask that my date be moved to Friday, Feb. 28th. She can most certainly show the apartment as I have kept it very clean and even done some light repairs and improvements. I believe it to be unreasonable to think that I can move out so quickly considering the short notice I received and the fact that I'd been employed here in Tucson and live in Wisconsin. Does the company have the right to with hold from me the per diem $$ that I have already earned for hours worked?? I also wonder are they allowed to not pay me the travel costs to get back home. I've been informed that they will no longer be employing me. I have worked for this company for four years. The reason given by the facility for the termination of the contract was "that I simply was not a good fit for this position." I worked a total of 5 weeks at this
facility. Please let me know about the per diem, etc as I could certainly use that money to help me get back to Wisconsin and have some cash until I can secure another position elsewhere.

I'll be waiting to hear from you, and thankful for any help and advice you can give.

Response


Each party could argue their rights, but the fact is that even if you are in the right for the money, it doesn't mean you are going to get it without an attorney. They can basically do whatever they want to do unless you get an attorney(labor lawyer) to back you up and it won't get worked out before it is time to leave.

If you did decide to get an attorney at a later date, you may want to check into prepaid legal http://www.prepaidlegal.com/. I know someone that uses this very affordable service and says it has worked great for her in different situations.

For now, you are going to have to make take lemons and make lemonade.

Good luck and please write back with a follow up on what you ended up doing and how it worked out so we can all learn from each others experiences.

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Question


If health insurance is provided by a travel agency, what happens if I take a few weeks off between assignments?? Does this cause problems when trying to establish insurance again once I go to a new assignment?

Response


Insurance is a good question. I used to get my own independent insurance. However, it's a little harder now to get insurance that will cover you from state to state. When you have your own independent insurance, you don't have to worry about things like that and the companies will often reimburse you for your expenses of the insurance.

Company insurance isn't a bad deal either. First, I would call and find out when exactly your insurance coverage ends. Sometimes the insurance is good for 30 days after your assignment ends, depending on when it started. If your insurance is expiring at the same time your assignment expires, you can pay for COBRA insurance. All companies have to offer COBRA insurance. This basically allows you to extend your insurance coverage. It is a little more expensive and it comes out of your pocket, but you would be covered when you took time off.

Hope this helps you in finding what you need and taking the time off I'm sure you deserve.

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