Agency recommendations for wanna-be Home Health Travel Nurse?

kristenRN1970 · Sep 6, 2015

If nobody replies then what do I do? Does that mean they can't see my post or they just choose to not respond? Just trying to figure this out! Thank you!

NedRN · Sep 6, 2015

Kristen, as I write this, the top of this thread says that it has received 55 views. Most people on forums lurk and read, and contribute only if they think they can add something of value (or not). There are a lot of Allnurses members, but also a lot of forums. This is the only one I visit regularly, with another one I look at about once a month, and one more that I look at once a year. So it is a bit of luck to get good responses, much less instant gratification. I might suggest also posting on the home health forum if you haven't already done so. There may or may not be current travelers on that forum, but you will certainly find more home health nurses who have been travelers on that forum than this one.

Can you please recommend an agency that a new traveler can actually trust? I have spoken to quite a few of them and it kinda seems they throw ya to the wolves or I am the one always following up with them for possible jobs? I am a home health nurse for the past 8 years and that is what I want to continue to do. Anyone with advice?

Exactly what to you mean when you say agencies have thrown you to the wolves? While many recruiters are less than professional about follow up, it may well be coming from the fact that most agencies have few postings for home health. You may be best off trying a large agency like Cross Country.

The trust thing comes from good communications between you and your recruiter and that is a individual thing, which can really only be found out by talking to recruiters. So in talking to smaller agencies, talk to lots of them until you find several recruiters you can talk to and trust. If it is a larger agency like Cross Country you really need to be working for and things are not going well with your recruiter, ask for another one. I started my travels with Cross Country and almost bailed before my first assignment until I changed recruiters.

You can travel with pets, but they knock out 90% of your housing choices (depending on the local market) just like that. It is not uncommon for agencies to be unable to find appropriate housing and if you want the assignment, you will have to take the housing stipend and find your own.