Quality of Your 1st Hospital As A Traveler: Does It Matter?

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

So in contemplation of my first assignment, I am torn with regards to where I should start.

My thought is that I should start at a big-name top-ranked hospital, that way subsequent hospitals will be impressed at where I have worked and it will be easier going forward to get into other top hospitals as a traveler and eventually land a perm position when I decide to stop traveling for a while (not necessarily in the same hospital). However, not sure if this really matters. I'm trying to get my first assignment somewhere, though I don't want to shoot myself in the foot and take an assignment at a mediocre hospital only to be forever locked out of opportunities at top hospitals like Johns Hopkins, UCLA or NY Presbyterian.

BTW, this mentality I have stems from a prior career in which where you went to school mattered where your career path was headed. Basically many doors were locked to you if you didn't graduate from a certain number of top-ranked schools.

Also important: My only nursing experience is at a trauma 1 teaching hospital. If I were to take an assignment at a community hospital, particularly a first assignment, would that then preclude me from getting into another teaching hospital later? I have seen requirements for some assignments so this is why I ask.

I know also that getting past the first assignment is one of the humps to overcome to get other assignments that require travel experience. But I just want to start this off the right way.

Just need advice about this from experienced travelers, not sure if I am limiting myself unnecessarily, thank you!

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

[NedRN]

I don't really think it matters much. You have your level one experience and that should hold you for at least a year before some level ones may not consider you current.

[Bluebolt]

Yeah, I agree with Ned. I lucked out and got my first assignment at a medium sized hospital (Level 2) that was traveler friendly, high paying and in a great location. I may pursue a trauma 1 in my next few assignments but I found the offers I got from them weren't as high paying as others. I got an offer from Yale (HUGE hospital) and it's an hour from my current assignment but the pay was about 20% less than my current pay, they require you to work swing shifts (nights and days) and other travelers tell me they treat you like another pair of hands and feet.

[NedRN]

Yale, Duke, Hopkins and no doubt other big names seem to pay less than other hospitals in their respective areas. The same is true of their staff pay generally. They apparently believe the prestige is worth a cut in compensation. They do look good on a resume though! I collected quite a few name brands early in my career. Don't care anymore.

[tech1000]

I have found that a lot of hospitals don't just want your experience at home but want a YEAR of TRAVEL experience! AZ is a big state that wants prior travel experience. Some jobs want TWO years of prior travel. I haven't looked at big name hospitals because quite frankly, I am traveling because I want to see the US, not work for Yale and Johns Hopkins. If you worked at a level 1 for awhile and THEN traveled, I think that'd speak for yourself more than just going as a traveler and wanting to extend. It was easier for me to get my first new grad job in an ER than it was to get some of these dang travel jobs.