travel nursing

[coastaldesire]

Hi everyone!

This is my first visit to allnurses. What a great site.

I am an ER nurse for 11 years and have just taken my first travel assignment in Southern Cali. I am sure there are many ways to benefits from this but I don't have the travel experience to know what they are.

So far, I have put out alot of personal money and been inconvenienced in the first week.

I spent lots of money packing and storing everything in my home. I expected this expense, still it is alot. I also had a hitch put on my vehicle and rented a small u-haul (both very expensive) and drove over 2200 mi to get here. After getting unpacked and settled, in very nice accommadations, I was told that I had to move due to my 70pd dog. Somewhere between travel agcy and apartments I moved to, the info got unrelated and no dogs larger than 35pds are allowed here. They gave me one week to move! How generous, offering to pay a larger pet deposit did not help.

Anyway, agcy got me another apartment, not as nice and now I have to pack up and move again this week. God only knows where my mail will end up with 2 address changes in a week. (Hope I get that IRS refund). disconnecting cable/internet, and reconnecting, you get the message. Agcy is giving me $300 to move again.

One of my questions is, if my apartment is significantly cheaper than the first one, who gets that money? And shouldn't the agency have found me someone to come in and move me so I wouldn't be inconvienced as much?

Any tips could help. Agency is asking me to consider extending my contract (already) and I a little anxious because other than living in beautiful Cali, I have seen more financial burden and inconvenience than anything. Sorry so long!!!

[suzanne4, RN]

Moved your thread to the Travel Forum where it is more appropriate.

Now to your questions:

Moving your things from your home has nothing to do with doing a travel contract and most do not do that, so that is an expense that is entirely up to you.

Was your agency aware of the weight of your dog before they got the lease for you? Or were they just aware that you had a pet? They are giving you money to help you move, so they are covering their end of it. Did you check out the apt on line before you moved to see what the pet restrictions were before you drove out?

Again, the fact that you rented a U-Haul to move your things out with you is nothing that any travel company has anything to do with, most do not move with that much stuff, only what fits in their car.

You will need to discuss with your agency about you getting more pay if the rent is less, but that is between you and them and whatever you signed.

For others that are reading this:

Always try out a travel assignment first before uprooting yourself from everything, what if the assignment does not work out for you? What if things do not work out in this assignment, where will you go to? Do you have the funds to pay for an apt and everything else for you to stay in?

[bagladyrn, RN]

To add to what to Suzanne has said, also realize that once you have "packed up" and given up your place "back home" you have also in all likelihood lost your "tax home" status and are no longer entitled to any "tax free" money and should now be taxed on everything - including the cost of your housing paid by the company. Look at all this before making the leap!