A question about "negotiating"

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2012

Any contract is negotiable. Start by asking for a complete list of your compensation- base pay, rent, expense allowance, etc. Then also ask if you can speak to some nurses who have done travel assignments at this facility in the recent past. Compare your package to theirs. Or, speak to some staff nurses and see what you are making above their base salary. Compare the package and the cost of living in that area with other compensation you have received for similar areas.

Decide one one or two areas where you would like to see improvement. Will it be hard to find a decent apartment for what the hospital is offering for rent? Is the base pay too low compared to what you've made in the past? Write out these changes, with specific numbers that you're looking for. Don't say, "I'd like to make more per hour." Say, "I see that you've offered $28 per hour, but other travel nurses at this facility with similar experience have made more. I will accept this position at a rate of $34 per hour. Don't say, "Can you increase the amount your giving me for rent?" Say, "I've looked into the real estate market in the area, and $500 per month isn't an adequate amount for rent. I'll accept this position for a rent stipend of $650 per month."

Then present your counter offer to HR, or the agency negotiating for you. See what they say. Good luck!

wickeddiazrn · Jun 22, 2012

I have a question about negotiating your pay rate and perks when signing up for a travelling assignment. I am beginning to apply for and look into various travel agencies, and am intersted on finding out the best ways to get the most out of my assignments.
When I travelled back in 2002-2003, I signed on with a major travel company and pretty much settled for what they offered, which was between $28 - $30, depending on asiignment. While I was travelling,I talked to other travellers who were telling me they were making $60 or more. I never thought to ask at the time, was this amount before or after the "extras" (rent, med insurance, etc)? And if they are making this much money along with the extras, how are they doing this? Or is it simply a matter of taking less perks to make more money? Any info would be very much appreciated. Thanks

You can negotiate, but in today's current market you may loose some of the assignments. I always worked with 10 or so agencies and then picked the one that was offering the better package. You should also take into consideration how floating happens and how the agency will back you if you are told to float to a unit that is out of your practice area. I am a critical care open heart nurse and one place tried to float me to NICU! I flat out refused and my agency backed me up. I have seen RN's that were not so fortunate.

Good luck with your travels!

NedRN · Jun 22, 2012

I have a question about negotiating your pay rate and perks when signing up for a travelling assignment. I am beginning to apply for and look into various travel agencies, and am intersted on finding out the best ways to get the most out of my assignments.
When I travelled back in 2002-2003, I signed on with a major travel company and pretty much settled for what they offered, which was between $28 - $30, depending on asiignment. While I was travelling,I talked to other travellers who were telling me they were making $60 or more. I never thought to ask at the time, was this amount before or after the "extras" (rent, med insurance, etc)? And if they are making this much money along with the extras, how are they doing this? Or is it simply a matter of taking less perks to make more money? Any info would be very much appreciated. Thanks

$30 an hour was good pay in 2002 (plus housing etc) with max pay about $35 an hour. The average bill rate was around $50 an hour and $60 was really excellent. No traveler made $60 an hour unless they had their own agency, and even then, it doesn't compare to employee status and benefits.

You can always negotiate. The easiest is to figure out your total compensation from an agency offer (nifty calculator at PanTravelers does just that) and keeping total compensation the same, negotiate how you want to get paid. You might prefer to maximize your housing stipend and lower your hourly, or you don't need their insurance plan, et cetera.

Other than a couple bucks an hour, or negotiating a fair overtime rate, most agencies will only go so far in paying more total pay. So it is good to look for agencies that pass through more of the bill rate, or are able themselves to negotiate better contract rates with hospitals. Either way, they are your best bet for best pay and you can still use the above techniques for pay packages.

So how do you find the best paying agencies? They tend to be smaller, but no matter, you just have to talk to lots of agencies to compare total compensation. Ideally you would compare offers on the exact same job in the same hospital but that is a matter of luck. But you can compare similar locations and that will tell you much the same thing on who is paying the best.

Some high paying agencies do it on the strength of their traveler's resumes. So if you have strong references, those are the guys to go with. You can also earn an agency's trust with successful assignments and they will give you the better paying assignments. Sometimes the free agent route works best, and other times making the right initial agency choice and sticking with it is a better long term plan.

Personally, I started by sticking with one agency for my first four years and did OK. But I did much better when I left them. But both ways have things to be said for them.

theopenroad54 · Jun 22, 2012

Great responses! Just the sort of info I needed. Thank you for your insights . These are things that I've experienced breifly, but never really took the time to clarify. It's important to do it right this time cause it's going toward an advanced degree, and I want to make the most of it. You've all offered much food for thought. Thank you all. I look forward to more info and will keep you posted.