home health nurse and travel

NedRN · Apr 3, 2014

Job postings are usually phony even if you find a home health one. Jobs move too fast to be worth updating job boards and even most agency sites so any posts are just representative.

There are travel home health jobs, try larger agencies such as Cross Country and American Mobile. By the way, search jobs on their site, they are actually real. They are two of the few agencies that have that capability - more for their current travelers than ones that haven't signed up yet.

sparenurse · Apr 3, 2014

Thank you NedRN. I just went to their sites and yes they do have available positions. Have you looked at the website Ultimate List Of Travel Nursing Companies

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2014

duplicate threads merged as per the TOS

NedRN · Apr 3, 2014

Lists of agencies are a good starting point, but you have to take them with a grain of salt. Highway Hypodermics list is heavily weighted by a questionnaire Epstein sends to agencies to fill out (and has no agencies on it that don't return the questionnaire). The end list is largely about which agencies have the best benefits, which are the larger agencies. If you know that, you are fine.

Virtually all methods of looking for agencies, with or without a list, are seriously flawed. Until you are working for an agency and have some real trouble, you will never know how good they are. Much of the success of any assignment comes from a good recruiter, not an agency "name". It may not even be helpful to get referrals to a recruiter that another traveler likes, as interpersonal communication is, well, personal. So really the only way to do it is to call lots of agencies until you find a few recruiters you communicate well with and make a good case.

In the case of home health, you may be stuck with just a few large agencies (I'm not really sure if there are smaller agencies that get such jobs). I would recommend that if you don't get along well with the luck of the draw recruiter you are assigned to at an agency that you ask the manager to change recruiters. I started out with Cross Country in 1995 and almost bailed because I hated my recruiter so much. I got them to switch my recruiter and ended up staying with them exclusively for the next four years.

sparenurse · Apr 3, 2014

Thank you for all your wisdom NedRN. I have never been a travel nurse and my background is mostly ICU. I have recently started working as a home health nurse and love it. A great change from hospital nursing. I plan on traveling to a warmer climate in november. This past winter in Maine was the changing force.

NedRN · Apr 3, 2014

There is a possibility that some hospitals that hire seasonal help directly in Florida may have home health too. If so, they probably pay better than agency, although your housing benefit will be taxed (you will still be able to deduct those costs if you are maintaining a home in Maine). That could work really well for you if you want to continue living in "Vacationland" when it is warm. I've worked in Bangor and Portland, but summer/fall only. Two of my most memorable assignments!

I'm big on compiling lists, but I don't have one for direct hire seasonal hospitals. I probably should make one for reference. I seem to recall Broward (System?) is one. You may be able to Google seasonal travel nurses Florida and come up with some hospital names. They advertise, likely right here on Allnurses, and on Healthcare Traveler, various nursing journals, and regional publications you may have seen in hospitals like Nurseweek and Nursing Spectrum. You may be able to access advertisers at those publication's sites.

spankssnowbunny · Apr 4, 2014

Sarasota hires seasonal nurses as does Baycare out of Clearwater. I think Naples does too.

sparenurse · Apr 4, 2014

Oh thanks so much spankssnowbunny, we have family in Naples so that would be a good place to start. I'll research this summer then plan my getaway by november.

nursegwen1 · Apr 17, 2014

******* @ Trustaff is awesome! Tell her ***** sent you :) Had a great experience in HH.