About a month ago I became aware of a social networking site for travelers. If you have been a travel nurse for about a second, you are aware of many websites that are geared toward travel nurses. However, most of these sites are run by the travel companies. To my knowledge, Healthcare Travelbook is the [...]
My post this week comes from a traveler just starting in the industry. She said that her travel company was not providing malpractice insurance and wanted to know if I thought she should carry a policy on her own. I would have to say that the answer to this question will depend on personal preference, [...]
I correspond with a lot of first-time travel nurses and lately they all seem to be echoing the same sentiment: right now, it’s tough finding an assignment. I know that in all the writing I do for this blog (and other publications), I have thrown out this number before, but at one point last year [...]
Recently, another publication for which I write, partnered with a company called NATHO. Until that time, I had never heard of NATHO; however, when I read up on this new company, I became very interested in what they might be able to accomplish in the profession of travel nursing. NATHO stands for the National Association [...]
I was recently asked an interesting question by a fellow nurse via email. She was considering her first travel assignment and was also in the market for a new vehicle. She asked me what type of vehicle I would recommend for travel nursing. My first response was, “Um, the one in which you can stuff [...]
In speaking with a few new travelers and some of my recruiters, it seems the travel game has changed a bit. As most of us who are travelers know, last year was a particularly hard year for the travel nursing industry. At one point, travel assignments were down almost 50% from the previous year and [...]
Recently I seem to be getting a lot of emails concerning breaking a contract. While it is not something I encourage, there are things that are beyond our control that might require such a drastic move. However, if done properly, you can minimize any costs and ill feelings from your travel company. The first thing [...]
A recent email asked what specialty someone should choose when entering into nursing if they are later considering a career as a traveler. Obviously, you would want to find a specialty in demand. However, going forward the next ten years, you might be hard pressed to find a specialty that is NOT in demand. Here’s [...]
Last week we looked at the process involved with taking an assignment at a facility during a strike. This week we’ll conclude with a look at how things operate during an assignment at a striking facility. When you are working a strike, you should anticipate working just about every day. Occasionally, if you make it [...]
Last week we discussed taking a travel nursing assignment with a facility entering into a strike. This week, we’ll take a look at what that entails. Taking a contract with a facility on strike can be lucrative work, but that work also comes at a price, uncertainty. If you are contracted for a facility just [...]
An experienced traveler recently emailed asking about working at a facility on strike. In my book I have a section that covers strike work pretty extensively, but wanted to offer a few general facts that might be helpful if you decide to pursue this type of assignment. When you mention “strike work” to a travel [...]
This week I wanted to take a look at how to get the most out of your travel contract. Now by “getting the most”, that does not always mean pay rate, but since that seems to be foremost on the minds of travelers, let’s look at that aspect first. When looking at your hourly rate, [...]
A recent question from a would-be traveler seemed easy enough to answer. She wondered, “How do you tell what things are included in the pay rate my travel company quotes me?”
My instant reaction was, “um, ask?” While that answer is essentially what I conveyed, her question does bring about an interesting point. When did a pay rate start to include more than what you are to be paid on an hourly basis? If that last sentence seems clear as mud, let me try to add some clarity.
Last week we discussed what the travel companies provide in the way of housing. However, there are some instances in which you will want to secure your own housing. There can be several reasons why you would want to secure your own assignment housing. The first, and one of the more common, is that you [...]
Recently, a nurse considering her first assignment emailed me to ask about travel assignment housing. Her question will be the genesis of the posts in the coming weeks where we’ll take a look at the different aspects of assignment housing. As most travelers know, when you take a travel nursing assignment, your company will often [...]
