Travel nursing experience

suzanne4, RN · Apr 8, 2005

Stay as far away as possible from an agency that would hire you after only six months of experience...............you stand a good chance of losing license for a silly mistake that you knew nothing about.......

sway · Apr 8, 2005

Stay as far away as possible from an agency that would hire you after only six months of experience...............you stand a good chance of losing license for a silly mistake that you knew nothing about.......

I think that's the biggest lesson to learn here. Just because someone will put you in a hospital doesn't mean you are qualified to be there. As a licensed practitioner, you are ultimately responsible for what you do. YOU will be the one who has to answer for any mistakes...not the travel company, recruiter or charge RN. Saying that you "didn't know" to do or not do something doesn't cut it! To all you new nurses out there who want to travel (or not), the first question you should be asking prospective employers is what kind of orientation/education they offer. The more the better. Just because you can make it through a shift somewhere doesn't make you a good or safe nurse. Some recruiters are like car salesmen...sometimes worse. They work on commission and are PUSHY! They'll tell you anything they think you want to hear just to get you to sign up. Take everything they say with a big grain of salt. Look out for you and your license above all else.

suzanne4, RN · Apr 9, 2005

I've been a nurse for just about 2 years, all of it in an ICU. I would like to work as a travler sometime in the near future, and am wondering how much experience most hospitals require their travlers to have. Most travel companies give me the standard "one year" answer, but it seems like most of the travlers I work with have much more. Also, just because a travel company will work with you doesn't mean a hospital will want to hire you.
Also, most of the travlers I work with refuse to take fresh hearts, mostly due to the politics involved. Do most places require you to take fresh hearts?
Thanks...

Many facilites will not give a traveler the "fresh heart." It will come down to the facility..........

pkapple · Apr 9, 2005

I agree the more experience the better! I worked at a level one trauma center and we used travelers often. Unfortunately it was difficult to have a traveler walk in to ICU and totally freak out. The unit had 30 beds and usually 20 - 25 vented with ggts, icp's, open abdomens, ortho crap, spinal tx, cont eeg etc. Not to knock their experience, but all ICU's or floors for that matter are not created equal!!!

I took a travel assignment to an ICU and I freaked--most of the patients got 3 meals a day, walked in the hall, and wanted to go down to smoke!!!!!

If you have one year experience in an open heart unit that does 3 or 4 cases a day then a unit that does 18-20 with all kinds of assist devices would seem a bit much! I worked a unit that really only had fresh hearts they transferred to step down with chest tubes and pacer pack.

I strongly suggest anyone who considers travel nursing work perdiem agency first,if you enjoy the agency shifts sign up! Travel nursing can be the most rewarding job you'll ever have-see the country-see the world-get the most education possible and make a few bucks while avoiding the politics.

chuma · Apr 9, 2005

I agree the more experience the better! I worked at a level one trauma center and we used travelers often. Unfortunately it was difficult to have a traveler walk in to ICU and totally freak out. The unit had 30 beds and usually 20 - 25 vented with ggts, icp's, open abdomens, ortho crap, spinal tx, cont eeg etc. Not to knock their experience, but all ICU's or floors for that matter are not created equal!!!
I took a travel assignment to an ICU and I freaked--most of the patients got 3 meals a day, walked in the hall, and wanted to go down to smoke!!!!!
If you have one year experience in an open heart unit that does 3 or 4 cases a day then a unit that does 18-20 with all kinds of assist devices would seem a bit much! I worked a unit that really only had fresh hearts they transferred to step down with chest tubes and pacer pack.
I strongly suggest anyone who considers travel nursing work perdiem agency first,if you enjoy the agency shifts sign up! Travel nursing can be the most rewarding job you'll ever have-see the country-see the world-get the most education possible and make a few bucks while avoiding the politics.

Any suggestions on negotiating salary with the agencies, I'm considering traveling to Atl in the next month or two.

suzanne4, RN · Apr 9, 2005

Salary usually isn't negotiable, it is the perks that are. If you take some off that are offered, then your pay goes up.

Each agency is free to set up their own rates................

Veela101 · May 7, 2005

Suzanne - you are so right! Plus, specifically for OR nurses, many states have them only circulate, where in CA :uhoh3: you need to scrub AND circulate or you are useless in the OR - no scrub techs to help you out... aargh.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · May 7, 2005

Any suggestions on negotiating salary with the agencies, I'm considering traveling to Atl in the next month or two.

Unfortunately, Atlanta does have poor pay for all.

markjrn · May 29, 2005

Could you just walk in to a facility where you have never been, get no orientation, and begin working?

After 8 years of traveling, I never worked in a facility where I didn't get some type of orientation. One place tried that once, and I put an end to immediately - it was professional responsibility and accountability, IMHO.

To the OP, I have spoken with companies that require up to 4 years of experience. When you go to these places, you might get, say, 3 days or orientation. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

markjrn · May 29, 2005

I've been a nurse for just about 2 years, all of it in an ICU. I would like to work as a travler sometime in the near future, and am wondering how much experience most hospitals require their travlers to have. Most travel companies give me the standard "one year" answer, but it seems like most of the travlers I work with have much more. Also, just because a travel company will work with you doesn't mean a hospital will want to hire you.
Also, most of the travlers I work with refuse to take fresh hearts, mostly due to the politics involved. Do most places require you to take fresh hearts?
Thanks...

It's hard to generalize and say "most places", because every place is different. I have been pushed to take fresh hearts and refused, and other places I have taken fresh hearts.

suzanne4, RN · May 29, 2005

After 8 years of traveling, I never worked in a facility where I didn't get some type of orientation. One place tried that once, and I put an end to immediately - it was professional responsibility and accountability, IMHO.
To the OP, I have spoken with companies that require up to 4 years of experience. When you go to these places, you might get, say, 3 days or orientation. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

Exactly, most facilities will only offer a traveler three days or orientation at the bedside, and possibly a day to three with the regular paperwork, etc.

But you have to feel comfortable with how to do procedures of all types, and be able to jump in to about any situation. Many new nurses are under the assumption that they will get a full orientation like they did when they first started at their original hospital being a traveler. And this just isn't the case.

There are too many agencies out there now with snakes as recruiters and are just worried about how many bodies that they can supply and nothing about the nurse.

You have been doing this for about eight years or so, if I remember correctly.

Unfortunately, in that time there has been a change in many of the training programs in the US with fewer clinical hours, etc.

markjrn · May 29, 2005

There are too many agencies out there now with snakes as recruiters and are just worried about how many bodies that they can supply and nothing about the nurse.

Like I've said, travel nursing has evolved into a money game, and RN's are a commodity. Nurses who go into traveling without doing their homework - calling alot of companies, asking alot of questions, being prepared - run the chance of getting burned, unfortunately.