Traveler to Permanent employment

[Calibound28]

I'd like to move to CA from WA in 2 years. By that time, I will have 5 years LDRP experience. I'm not sure where I want to land, so thought it would be a good idea to travel to different areas in SoCal to help me decide which area and which hospital I like. My question is: Once I've been a traveler at a hospital, is there a fee involved if I choose to become a full time employee? If so, is that typically paid by the hospital or the nurse?

[NedRN]

Yes, most travel contracts have a 6 or 12 month non-compete clause tying you to that agency so you cannot switch agencies or go staff without the agency getting a fee. Even if you don't see such language in your contract, chances are that it is in the agency to facility contract having the same effect. This is identical to the standard fees of a regular employment agency for "introducing" or finding the job for you. In the old days, finding a staff nurse was really hard and hospitals gladly paid these fees. Now, not so much.

This shouldn't present a problem for you if you can wait out the non-compete period which it sounds like you can. If you demonstrate your value to a hospital, they may be willing to pay for your release from those terms after some negotiation. These fees are negotiable. To give you an idea of amounts involved, 25% of your first years salary is typical. For comparison, the agency's gross profit from one traveler working for one year is around $20,000.