[BoiseRN]

Hi! I am also very new to this forum and farily new to nursing (3 yrs experience). I am wanting to start traveling very soon and have been in contact with numerous companies. I have reasearched their websites and talked with recruiters. I have given them my background and told them the exact places I would like to travel to for starters as well as some of my other requirements for working with them (nicely and in an asking, non-demanding manner). It is the actually company and what pay packages are best that is bothering me. I hear a lot about "tax advantage" as well as "all-inclusive"

I posted on the general page and listed the companies I was thinking about. I will list them again and if anyone has any input or additional advice I would really appreciate it so I can make the best judgment and get on assignment!

PPR healthcare
RTG Medical
American Mobile
Nurses in Partnership
Travel Nurse solutions
Access Nurses
On Assignment

[confusedtraveler]

i need help my husband and i are both travelers on assignment he got cancelled for using my user id number i know stupid right he should not have used it but anyway what is he responsible for if anything as far as repaying since they cancelled him. and can i get out of my contract my daughter is back home she is sick and needs me home to help her get back on her feet she just had a baby hgb is 5.4 having problems what can i do please help....

[ursula10]

Hi,
I've never traveled but I plan to start next month. I was told that if you cancel that depending on the agency, you have to pay for apt. and utilities for 3 months if you cancel and you might even have to pay the agency the monies that they would have made had you completed the contract. I was told the best thing to do if youre unhappy, is to call out every day. They said that way, the hospital wll cancel you and you won't be stuck paying the cost. Hope this ehelps and I'l say a praer for your family.

[adcheek12]

Hi Suzanne, My husband and I are traveling for the first time with our two young girls and our 2 dogs. I have always wanted to travel but I am scared about going to new places and meeting new people. Are the assignments good to you or not. How are the housing with dogs and children. ANy advice for my nerves.

[suzanne4]

There are contracts for you, that is not the problem.
Size of pets can be a problem, so you may need to find your own housing.

You just need to find a company that can meet your requirements, but it can be done.

[suzanne4]

Originally Posted by ursula10

Hi,
I've never traveled but I plan to start next month. I was told that if you cancel that depending on the agency, you have to pay for apt. and utilities for 3 months if you cancel and you might even have to pay the agency the monies that they would have made had you completed the contract. I was told the best thing to do if youre unhappy, is to call out every day. They said that way, the hospital wll cancel you and you won't be stuck paying the cost. Hope this ehelps and I'l say a praer for your family.

Sorry, but if you call off, then you are responsible for the charges from the agecy. Most agencies have non-cancellation clauses and if you asked to be cancelled, then you pay. Also if you call in, you pay.

You really need to rethink what you are even thinking about. It could cost you a very large sum of money as well as the fact that the agency does not have to pay for your return home.

You have to pay for housing and associated expenses like that, but not for the profit or anything else.

Suggest that you do more reading about travel nursing contracts before you start anything.

[suzanne4]

Originally Posted by confusedtraveler

i need help my husband and i are both travelers on assignment he got cancelled for using my user id number i know stupid right he should not have used it but anyway what is he responsible for if anything as far as repaying since they cancelled him. and can i get out of my contract my daughter is back home she is sick and needs me home to help her get back on her feet she just had a baby hgb is 5.4 having problems what can i do please help....

You need to contact your agency. You also need to know that by leaving your contract early, you will be responsible for the remainder of the housing on your contract and they do not need to pay for your travels home.

They cancelled him, and the housing is responsible to him as well, and so is his travel plans to your home. Nothing of it will get paid by the agency. Read the contract that they two of you signed. It is stated right in it what one has to pay the company.

Best of luck to you.

[mkohut_]

There is so much to think about before doing my first travel nursing assignment. This post was really helpful. Thanks so much

[malamarn06]

Contract Question:
Is it standard to state in contracts that you are not allowed to disclose salary and benefit information? Isn't this against your freedom of speech?


Is it standard for there to be a penalty for not working these hours beyond housing?

[palkie]

Originally Posted by suzanne4

Per Diems and mileage reimbursments are published by the IRS; housing stipends are not posted. And there are those companies that will try and take advantage of someone.

Beg very politely to disagree - the federal government publishes per diem rates in all areas of the US. And the "per diem" rate I'm speaking of is for the amount allowed by the US Government/IRS PER DAY (or per diem) for lodging, meals, and incidentals -while working away from home.

If you go to irs.gov you will see that "per diem rates" is one of the most requested pages or sites. Click on this and you will be taken to pages where these rates and amounts set by CONUS are listed for everywhere in the US. If they are NOT specifically posted as being 'different' - meaning lower or higher than the 'standard' then they are the 'standard rate' which is posted at the beginning of the lists.

You must look carefully, these rates are updated and DO change every 6 months, BUT - PER DIEM is the DAILY AMOUNT ALLOWED FOR COMBINED LODGING (whether you use it for your apartment, hotel, or camper space rental - it DOES NOT MATTER - it is an amount based on cost of living in the area!) MEALS AND INCIDENTALS.

If I remember correctly as of July 2008, the MINIMUM OR STANDARD AMOUNT allowed for ANYWHERE IN THE US is $109.00 PER DAY. Multiply that by 7 days for weekly, 30 for monthly. Some cities have per diem allowable rates as high as $168.00 per day! Now good luck getting a company to pay you that, and NOT drop your HOURLY TAXABLE RATE to (YES!!) a RED FLAG hourly salary of $10-$15 per hour!

But the Federal Government and the IRS ALLOW companies to pay employees who travel UP TO the rates published. (again the charts show these amounts both broken down into lodging, meals, and incidentals - and totaled for a daily allowed per diem or what we call travel nurses call our "stipend" rate.)

I AGREE with you WHOLEHEARTEDLY that everyone should check with their tax advisor, however, this information IS available to anyone who wishes to look at it.

I found it and had huge arguments with recruiters because the amount of stipend in some places SHOULD have been over $700 per WEEK, yet they were offering $1200 per MONTH!!

(My theory - and it is only that - a theory - is that some of the larger companies have package deals with Real Estate Management companies all over the US. Perhaps they pay a flat fee for a certain number of apartments. So when a company will not pay the full stipend, it is because they can actually get corporate housing for you much cheaper than the 'going' rate, so of course it saves them money - or they MAKE more money - IF you choose company housing over maximum stipend.)

Again - these per diem rates are amounts the Federal Government allows business travelers to be paid while working away from home! If the traveler - whether nurse, salesman, or company president chooses to stay at the local homeless shelter, in a tent, or at the most expensive 5 star hotel - the AMOUNT ALLOWED FOR A COMPANY TO PAY YOU - AND FOR YOU TO RECEIVE STAYS THE SAME! AND YOU ALSO CANNOT BE PENALIZED FOR RECEIVING THE MAXIMUM PUBLISHED AMOUNT.

If for some ODD reason - you ARE paid MORE than the published maximum rate - yes!!! You will be taxed on any amount OVER THE PUBLISHED MAXIMUM - no matter HOW many receipts you have!

So - get as much as you can per hour - AND if you want to find your own housing - look at irs.gov for per diem rates, and make sure you are not being paid more stipend than is allowed. Also make sure you aren't being ripped off and paid way less than allowed!!

Or simply take company housing.

Additionally, there should be NO deductions EVER from ANYONE'S payroll check that are not authorized by the payee, such as insurance, or payroll deduction for savings, etc. (State or federal ordered garnishments are of course excluded.) Anyone who is having ANYTHING deducted from their check that they DID NOT AUTHORIZE should contact the Federal Wage and Hour Comission, or the EEOC, or other agency they can think of - I'm not sure which would be the proper authority - I just know there is one!!

Seriously - check out the website - it is VERY CLEAR ON PER DIEM RATES.