NICU Travel Nursing

[SteveNNP]

Hi all,

I have recently been considering taking a year off from my FT job and doing NICU/PICU travel nursing.... I love to travel, am currently single, and love a change of scenery. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this, and would want to share any info, tips, etc.....

Thanks!

Stephen

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

If you are going to CP as a travel nurse, you are not going to be able to go there as their employee for some time, per the fine print in your contract with the agency that would be sending you there

Right, don't most agencies and hospitals have a 6-month rule or something, where you can't become staff at a hospital you've temped at in the past 6 months? Something about "stealing the competition" from what I've heard. Very good point.

I also agree that, no matter how great the hospital is and how much experience you have, you will NOT be trained to do transport, cardiac, or ECMO as a traveler. Travelers and agency nurses are just a step above pull nurses - they have more NICU experience than your typical hospital pull nurse, but they're still not staff. We've had both, and if someone is just doing a 13 week assignment, something like that, then they get some pretty boring assignments. We tend to give our own staff the sicker kids simply because they know the unit and docs better, and basically because we just trust them more. There are only a handful of agency nurses that we get who we give really sick kids to, but they are the ones who work by us almost as much as staff and we've built up a relationship with them. Someone only there for three months, though, no way. You are a temp worker, and they basically aren't going to waste money training you only to have you leave. It costs money because you'd be precepted, and they'd be paying two nurses for one job. As a travel nurse, they're already paying a lot for you, and they're going to use you to work on your own, not paired with another nurse. Kind of defeats the purpose of having agency!

I agree with Suzanne - I'd look in to trying to get that staff position there instead of agency. That way you can get all that cardiac, transport, and ECMO experience NOW, so that by the time you get your NNP, you have that knowledge. And to be an NNP, I do think those things are very important to have under your belt. Even if it's FT nights, you can make it work, seriously. Do it now before you have a wife and kids, while your schedule is pretty open as far as when you can sleep. Even if at some point you have to go PRN, do it as staff, not agency. Get your foot in the door there!

You have so much enthusiasm and intelligence - we just want to help guide you in the right direction so that you can be a great NNP in the end. :)

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

We've had a couple of travelers that signed on as staff and they didn't have to wait a certain period of time before doing so. Hmmm. Maybe it differs for each state.

[mac23]

I've know many travlerers who signed on staff right after doing an assignment. I did it myself.

Usually if there is a clause it's between the agency and the hospital whereas if you sign on with the hospital, the hospital will owe the agency x amount of money. If the hospital needs/wants you bad enough they will pay the money and you'll never know what went on.

Some agencies will have something in their contract that says you can't work for another agency for a year after you've worked for them etc etc etc but I know lots of travelers that switch agencies with each assignment with no problems.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

Usually if there is a clause it's between the agency and the hospital whereas if you sign on with the hospital, the hospital will owe the agency x amount of money. If the hospital needs/wants you bad enough they will pay the money and you'll never know what went on.

I do remember reading something along those lines from when I signed up to do agency nursing PRN. However if you decide you want to work at that hospital, you might not be able to unless the hospital wants you just as badly. So yes there are rules, but they can easily be broken for a price. Makes sense, too. Some hospitals might be willing to shell out the extra cash to get an employee they already have experience with and know is a good nurse - which can be invaluable!!! But you always have to face the possibility that there might be a waiting period.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

Yeah.... I went back and read my OP, and realized what I'd written. I guess I meant that while travel appealed to me, I also want to learn transport, ecmo, etc, which had me leaning toward taking a staff position. The agency I was looking at is pretty flexible, and states on their website that their travelers often take permanent jobs at some hospitals. (I know, you'd think they'd be upset!) I never expected to be trained to ECMO/transport as a traveler, but omitted it accidentally in my post. But thanks for all the advice!

Stephen

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

Yeah.... I went back and read my OP, and realized what I'd written. I guess I meant that while travel appealed to me, I also want to learn transport, ecmo, etc, which had me leaning toward taking a staff position. The agency I was looking at is pretty flexible, and states on their website that their travelers often take permanent jobs at some hospitals. (I know, you'd think they'd be upset!) I never expected to be trained to ECMO/transport as a traveler, but omitted it accidentally in my post. But thanks for all the advice!

Stephen

I thought something was strange - usually you make perfect sense!

Good luck in whatever you choose. Or why choose at all? Do both - travel for one or two assignments and then take a staff position to learn ECMO and flight...