Best Travel Companies

MiaLyse, APRN · Jun 13, 2013

Are there any travel companies who have a need for nurses who specialize in psychiatry and substance abuse treatment?

NedRN · Jun 13, 2013

Try Supplemental and Worldwide.

Macann · Jun 17, 2013

I just came across this agency called Worldwide Travel Staffing (easily searchable on google). I know a few nurses who have been placed through them making a decent amount of money, mainly places in NC.

Good Luck choosing what's best for you!

lynnea_marks · Dec 5, 2014

I have just finished my 1st travel assignment and start my second assignment Monday. I am very curious about the pay differences in companies. I wouldn't have been so curious until I heard what other travelers made at the hospital I was at. Large difference. I have been telling myself that it's because it is my first assignment but the other travelers were telling me their take home with housing provided was the same as mine without housing provided. That's 4-500.00a week. I am with a rather large company.

I did want to give a response to the one looking into traveling (motivated). I have worked on and off in health care as an aide before becoming a nurse. Then worked 2 1/2 years at one hospital. There is a big difference when you hop to travel. I went from a magnet hospital to a place that had no real protocol. There of course is protocol but no one knew it. I went to charge and managers to find out their Vancomyacin protocol for lab draws knowing very well what it should be but once I called the MD for the order for vanco. trough and got yelled at for concerning myself with such things and being told not to draw it I thought I should bring it to charge nurses attention. The charge didn't know so I went to DON who also didn't know. I know to draw before 4th dose and they are going to give 6th dose. The DON decided to check with pharmacy. Two days later I got an answer that its drawn before 4th dose. I knew all along so I put in the order and drew it regardless (did tell charge I was doing it). The MD discontinued the vanco. the next day. I have seen patients kidneys trashed from antibiotics like vanco. There was many, many things like this at my first travel assignment which was a shock. They were also transitioning from paper to electronic. Plus the hospital I came from was patient centered TEAM approach which this assignment was the opposite of. No easy approach with doctors and no huddles. I love travel nursing but you also have to be prepared for some pitfalls. In a place like I just came from you can really see the dangers of some places for your patient and truly you have to protect your license too. I don't regret traveling and am starting a new assignment but I also am learning what types of questions I want to ask during my interviews.

I would like some feedback on pay though. The pay difference I am hearing makes me feel like I am getting way less than I should. I know I am new at traveling but to make 2000.00 less is a lot a month unless the others are boosting their actual pay rate.

NedRN · Dec 5, 2014

Well, travelers are no different from anyone else in misstating their compensation. I will say that it is a rare traveler that really knows what they are truly making though. Between housing (stipend or provided), per diems, hourly, travel, completion bonuses, overtime, it is difficult without seeing the actual contract to know it pays. Yes, an actual check cuts through some of the BS, but you are talking about $10 an hour after tax difference. That is pretty large! Also an unusual pay difference. There are half a dozen variables that can account for such differences, like the actual bill rate of each agency (which can vary depending on hospital's current need) and the pass through margin to the traveler. If they are working for a rapid response agency like Fastaff and you are there on an ordinary contract, the difference could be that large, but it is still unusual. Is all your pay taxed? That could account for a some of difference right there.

Just so you know, it is the rare first time traveler that makes as much as an experienced traveler (outside of a very high demand specialty like L&D). There are a number of factors at work here, from agencies compensating for the increased risks of new travelers, to new travelers not knowing the industry well enough to demand better pay or work for low margin agencies that pay better. There are some agencies (Aureus is one example) that lowball new travelers - I've seen $8 real pay per hour differences between Aureus and other agency travelers at the same hospital.

Working with just one agency will usually always limit your pay. You need to work with several just to begin to determine if you are being paid market rates, much less to find better paying agencies and better paying assignments. The pay difference could be a combination of several factors I have mentioned. You don't even need to know which ones they are, you can cut through the crap just by working with and getting real quotes for real assignments from a number of agencies.

bdgolden · Feb 28, 2015

I'm on my second assignment with American Traveler and I really like my recruiter and her responsiveness but I did have some issues with payroll technicalities... I've learned to double check their math every time. Also I'm not making as much as other travelers from different companies this assignment. Any experiences/advice for haggling for better pay/housing subsidies?

Every1luvsMarie · Apr 18, 2015

What is the name of the company

s_e33 · May 29, 2015

Hi everyone, rarely do I feel motivated to respond to a thread, as usually most of what I think is covered by other's responses but I have been a traveler off and on for about twelve years (mostly on) and have worked for a few companies. I started with Access Nurses (now Aya) and they were terrible but I hear they are doing better, American Mobile is huge and they lowball everyone and it's hard to get a response in a timely manner from them (I did three contracts through them) but I am now with prcs and I have to say that even though they don't seem to have a huge number of contracts, they have been wonderful. My recruiter is (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) (I don't know if it's kosher to name names on here but she is extremely professional and very kind). She calls me or emails me weekly and works hard to get me what I want (mostly my three days together). I am working now at a 800 bed level one trauma center in SC and comparatively with some other travelers, I am making about $150-$200 more weekly. I don't take their insurance, which is costly for a family and not the best in the world but if you don't need their insurance, they're great. As for the nurse who said the new nurse "didn't have enough experience"...I have been a nurse for 17 years and every day that I work, I learn something new. None of us have "enough" experience at everything, that's why we work together, because two brains are better than one....and three or four are even better! The way healthcare is changing and new technology is coming on the market every day...none of us can keep up but no matter, nursing is nursing everywhere. There is nothing that can replace putting a cool washcloth on someone's head and holding their hand.

It always has bothered me that nurses can't come together and unite and we could change healthcare. Doctors do it yet we are the majority. I'm so over catty nurses. Help one another, lift up one another. We are all in this together. I may not know it all but I have no problem saying that to a patient and telling them I will find the answer and get back to them. There is no shame in this. :) Good luck.

Crazynut · May 30, 2015

So true! So many haters on here! Everyone is different. I could not have traveled with 1 yr experience. I was still a scared new grad. But I have friends that traveled with 1 yr experience. And they did great. Policies and work flow are different but nursing is still nursing. I think traveling is a great way for new nurses to learn. As long as they are safe and know when to ask questions. What's the problem? I think its more of a personality issue. I know nurses with 20+ yrs of experience and they couldnt handle traveling. People are people. They are going to do what makes them happy. No need to put them down.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

So what are the best travel nursing agencies? I'm looking to start traveling soon. I've done a couple of rapid response assignments and have really enjoyed the experience. :)

I figured I would go with Fastaff because they are the only ones I know LOL

withlove89 · Jun 23, 2015

How can you find out which ones are smaller or bigger? Thanks!

withlove89 · Jun 23, 2015

What kind of experience is typically necessary to do rapid response? I'm an er nurse and would like to know how to break I to rapid response. Thanks!