I got an offer I couldn't refuse! How not to mess this up!

Specialties Travel

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Hello fellow RNs,

So I'm new to traveling (~4 years ICU experience, a little PICU experience). I had my heart set on traveling to California where I'd worked before and enjoyed. My California offers were usually $1300-1600/wk take home in southern CA. But recently I was contacted by a recruiter on my LinkedIn page offering me a PICU assignment in Ohio for over $2000/wk! What??? I just got my contract and it seems legit enough... $38/hr taxable, $76/hr OT/holidays, 36hrs/wk, not taking benefits. Housing stipend is $1050/wk. Not too shabby I think...

The hospital is great, and cost of living is inexpensive and I've already found a place to live within 10 min of the hospital.

1. Why am I getting paid more in Ohio than I would be paid in California?? It just doesn't make sense!

2. Are there things I should watch out for? I've never brought home this kind of money before!

3. Any tips on how not to mess this up? I need this job!

That housing stipend is $4,200 a month! For Ohio that sounds really really high. I'm not 100% sure but I've been told that the tax free stipend amount has a certain limit due to IRS. Check into that, maybe that much a month falls within a range they allow.

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

It sounds too good to be true.

But if it turns out to be legitimate, please pm me the name of the agency. Thank you.

Good paying assignments can turn up anywhere for hard to fill specialties, even in usually low paying Ohio. One of the highest paying assignments I ever had was in Zanesville. The only danger sign I see is "a little PICU". If you interviewed normally and were upfront about your skills and experience you should be OK. Some high paying assignments are difficult, but some just have a hard time finding specialty nurses.

I work full time in a large PICU right now and from the interview, it seems like my PICU experience is perfect. Oddly, PICU is easier to me than adult ICU. I am in a level 1 trauma center and we are a huge, very reputable Children's hospital. I've seen some cool stuff.

I'm just still so dumbfounded that I'll be making more in Ohio than I would in California! I wonder why? Is it the demand? I mean, Ohio isn't exactly the most ideal place to spend your winter, especially if you're not used to the weather. From the sounds of it, I won't be taking the immediate post-op transplant patients and I won't be allowed to float to other units... Rock on!! I can do trachs, vents, pressors, PD, post-op ENT/general/ortho surgeries and any kind of invasive monitoring... that's my cup of tea. The manager said they don't get much other than those anyway.

I'll post later to give updates on the assignment itself, just to see if it turns out to be "too good to be true." I just signed my contract today and I start next month. I'm just excited to get to pay off my consumer debt and student loans!!!

There can be lots of factors affecting bill rates including specialty, crisis needs (rapid response), and isolation and desirability of the area (including season) or specific hospital (some pay high for good cause). How many travelers a hospital uses often impacts how many agencies they use, and the fewer travelers, the fewer agencies, so when a need arises limited competition can increase rates.

The rate you are quoting is on the high end, but there are many such assignments, especially if you work for certain smaller agencies, or rapid response agencies such as Fastaff. Don't worry, be happy!

That housing stipend is $4,200 a month! For Ohio that sounds really really high. I'm not 100% sure but I've been told that the tax free stipend amount has a certain limit due to IRS. Check into that, maybe that much a month falls within a range they allow.

First off, if an agency wants to pay you too much, there is no charge back to the traveler from the IRS (unless they are not eligible for such tax treatment because they are not traveling away from a tax home). But I have never seen an agency pay too much for stipends, it is really hard to do (and there are tax consequences to the agency)!

The current gold standard are the rates published by the GSA. There are ways for companies to pay higher (actual receipted expenses, or a private database on costs), but there is little need to do so for ordinary employees. Standard CONUS (continental US) rates have a floor of around $900 a week anywhere in the lower 48. Most cities (often entire counties) are somewhat higher. The link below is for Ohio cities (that are over standard CONUS rates) and all listed are over $1,000 a week for total housing and M&IE (often lumped together in a single number by agencies).

Per Diem Rates Look-Up

These rates are more of interest to agencies to be competitive and legal than to travelers. Often when travelers look up rates, they believe they "must" be paid per government rules and feel like they are being taken advantage of when the agency is offering a much lower amount. Not so, an employer does not have to pay them at all, and the GSA is a maximum, not a minimum anyway. The GSA rates are fascinating, but not of much real use to travelers.

The stipend seems like a high amount, are you sure it's not $1050 every 2 weeks? Please make sure you get that in writing. The pay package itself seems to add up, the stipendsounds a bit fishy to me.

I've seen several PICU positions that are offering premium pay due to influx of patients, especially with the entero virus going around. Be prepared to float between the adult and pedi ICU's.

Nope and nope! Contract is in writing, no whammies here! Also, I wouldn't be floating at all... Actually, the manager said that PICU travelers aren't allowed to float from their unit!

I'm lucky to have gotten a pretty decent gig :)

Make sure that is in writing too! (the non-floating part) Also, make sure to get guaranteed hours also!

Can't wait to hear how this turns out llb_rn :up:

WOW a 1050 a week for housing thats alot... I have never heard of a stipend that high for housing a week maybe a month. but if its wrote down on contract like that lucky lady you are. NOt even CAlifornia has that high of a housing only stipend more like 2200 a month and their housing is expensive. .... lol what company are you with

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