Best travel nurse agencies

Orange Tree · Oct 5, 2010

I'm sorry if you already know this....but there is a travel nurse section here:

You might be able to find some info there? It's something I'm also interested in, but I don't have enough experience to be able to do it yet.

happyjack7 · Jul 31, 2011

I am interested in cath lab travel nursing and want to go to Florida. Any advice to the best agency and areas?

bagladyrn, RN · Aug 1, 2011

You will not find one agency which has the best of everything. There is a finite amount of money for any given contract and if more is allotted to one area (i.e. housing) then there is less to go in another area (i.e. hourly rate). Think of it as a "pie". Larger companies may have more contracts in more areas, but will also have more overhead and therefore may pay a lower rate (but conversely have enough contracts to keep you steadily employed. A smaller agency may give you a more "personal" feeling with your recruiter, but will have less backup (i.e. after hours on call person, clinical liason, multiple housing coordinators)that you would have with a big agency.

The trick is to decide which factors are really the most important to you and go with the agency that offers the best of that, or find an agency which offers an acceptable level of several important things that you can live with. You may also want to do as many do and list with multiple agencies.

hkLD5150 · Aug 2, 2011

I just started my first assignment today!! So far so good!!

I went to this website .highwayhypodermics.com/ as well as I listened to what people had said on here and asked around! I was talking with 2 different companies, both of them had comparable pay packages, and good locations. I ended up going with the recruiter that I felt was really listening to me.......I can't say if she is great.....yet!!! Good luck!!!

happyjack7 · Aug 2, 2011

Are you working the cath lab?

PPA.RNPHD · Jun 23, 2013

Always negotiate. You need to be a quick mathematician because they are tricky about how you bring home your money. I just renegotiated $2400 back into my contract because the stupid company said no per diem on on the weekends. I am 1300 miles from home and they think they they are not liable for my weekends false. Most contract are around $1500 base plus the overtime. In California my base was $1900 because the expenses are so high. Upper NE corner Oregon and California is the best pay. Negotiate and tell them that the numbers do not quit work out. Agencies want 17-20+ off the top...I want a 15% margin from them. The rest is mine. Do not travel if you don't have experience. 2-3 day orientation must of them computer charting and then you will be assimilated in with a buddy. The buddy typically get in my way but do what they do without going over our standards of care and code of ethics.

PPA.RNPHD · Jun 23, 2013

The worst are American Mobile, Cross Country and Nightingale. They are great recruiters but horrible HR when you need help. They also taking the largest margins and will not negotiate until you basically say...I'm leaving. Then somehow the money comes up out of the ground all the sudden. These 3 are the largest, each recruiter is running 60-75 nurses each, and your just a number. Trial by fire. Good luck.

akimoto · Jul 26, 2013

My gf and I are working an assignment in Cali under Cross Country. We like the hospital and want to extend, but our contract sucks. We did not know you can negotiate and we get no other benefits for working overtime. Our contract basically is $20 1st 8 and $30 last 4, $1100 housing and $235/week M&I. What should we expect to take home for working the base 3 days a week in Cali? I'm just asking, so if we can renegotiate there is a number I should be shooting for.

Also is it possible to sign a new contract with the same hospital, but with a different agency?

NedRN · Jul 26, 2013

If you don't shop around, you have little to nothing to negotiate. You might ask for a buck an hour or so as presumably CC is not going to give you travel pay for your extension.

No, you usually cannot switch agencies for an extension. Have you read your contract? You will have to go through CC for any change of employment at that hospital. That will not be a negotiating point, and the hospital will not play along either.

I don't understand your question about base pay. You know what it is as you are working there now. If you want to know market rates in your area at other hospitals/agencies, the only way to find out is to shop around. We don't know your specialty, or experience, or the needs at various hospitals in the area. Offers specific to you can only be discovered by talking to agencies. Then you can use that information and try to negotiate with CC. But without a Plan B, you have no negotiating power.

BluntForceTrauma · Jul 26, 2013

I wouldn't take $20 an hour for ANY travel assignment.

miam · Jul 26, 2013

20 dollars in california? Thats nuts. No way would i talk to any agency who was offering less then mid 30s, then negotiate your overtime pay. And housing is going to cost al least 2000 ( low end), so you have to factor that in as well.