A difference?

Gompers, BSN, RN · May 5, 2005

Travel nurses are those who take assignments in cities that need nurses - usually they are about 3 month assignments. The travel nursing agency provides a furnished apartment or gives the nurse money for housing while on these assignments. The nurses are usually assigned to one floor or unit, and they are basically like regular staff during that time. They don't get cancelled if the unit/floor slows down, but they might get floated to another area in some hospitals. They can renew their contract after 3 months or can choose a totallly different city, which is thrilling for many nurses.

Regular agency nursing doesn't require such a commitment. You can sign up with an agency in your town, and either work for them exclusively or use them to get "extra" shifts at other hospitals while you work as a staff nurse somewhere else. You don't sign up for months at a time, it's a shift-by-shift kind of a thing. If you're free, you tell them, and they'll let you know if any nearby hospitals need an extra nurse that day/night in your specialty area. It pays up to twice as much as regular staff nursing, but there are no healthcare/paid time off benefits, and you are the first to get cancelled if things slow down. No work = no money.

JustOne · May 13, 2005

Travel nursing is almost exclusively RNs and Allied health personel as well. A good travel company will probably also have a local office for you to work out of. At least one close so you have someone to contact in an emergency.

suzanne4, RN · May 13, 2005

Most national companies do not have local offices, it would be way to expensive for them to operate that way.....but they should have someone available 24/7, a human, not a voice mail that someone will get back to you.

I am working in CA, the agency that I work for is based in Ohio, as well as my recruiter, and I never, ever have a problem reaching someone. That is one of the most important services that needs to be available to you.

JustOne · May 13, 2005

Most national companies do not have local offices, it would be way to expensive for them to operate that way.....but they should have someone available 24/7, a human, not a voice mail that someone will get back to you.
I am working in CA, the agency that I work for is based in Ohio, as well as my recruiter, and I never, ever have a problem reaching someone. That is one of the most important services that needs to be available to you.

Absolutely true S4, and by local office I meant a local staffing office, not neccessarily one who deals with travel, but at least a presence in the area. And yes, being able to reach someone 24hours a day is a must, and it must be a real person.

suzanne4, RN · May 15, 2005

I have never worked for a travel company that had an office even in the state that I was in and it has never been a problem at all.

Again, if ti is a national company, having any type of office in each area that they staff can be cost prohibitive. I would rather that the money go to me, and not paying for all of the extra overhead............it has to come from somwhere.

presC. · Jun 16, 2005

hi suzanne, is nurse staffing agency same with agency nursing? kindly lighten my clouded mind please.

suzanne4, RN · Jun 16, 2005

Can be, but in terms of foreign nurses they are different. A per diem agency normally does not handle immigration papers, etc. as well as anything having to do with immigration.

Agency work as discussed here means you work for a facility on a day to day basis in most cases, sometimes can be a contract for acertain amount of time, but they do not pay your housing, etc. When I still lived in Michigan, I used to contract for several months at a time in an OR, but that was still "agency" and not a travel contract.

Hope that this helps clear up some things for you. :)

The agency that you have contracted with, more than likely will place you with one facility for the length of your contract and either they will handle your immigration documentation or the hospital will.

presC. · Jun 16, 2005

oh.. thank you suzanne. your explanation's as clear as crystal.