Big change need advice

Specialties Agency

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Hi there, I need advice. I've been a nurse 5 years now. Most recently as an ADON in a personal care/AL home. I have a 1yo and due to insane amounts of staff shortages have had my life totally flipped upside down and have been working nights/days for a month. I had been contemplating leaving my job prior to this due to poor life/work balance, the never ending cycle of bringing in high acuity residents (for this particular loc), not having an appropriate amount of staff nor resources and really just tired of the politics and corporate BS. Everyone is burnt to the ground esp after this year. Anyways, I've handed in my notice and am planning to go agency for a while to make a schedule that works for me and my life. Any tips for agency nursing? What did you do for insurance, especially if you have children. Do/did you love it? Hate it? Make decent money? Tell me your stories. Good and bad. I'm not afraid of hard work and I know it's crazy everywhere. But I am looking forward to leaving work at work for the first time in a long time. 

Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.

The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. If your agency doesn’t offer the opportunity to buy into a group policy, call your local general insurance agent, the folks that do your home and car, and ask for a referral to someone who can set you up with an individual policy. Another option I used as a single mom c 2 little kids was to join the state org for small business owners (hey, it IS your small business!) for like $100 / yr and take advantage of their group plan, premiums lower than just calling up the Blues or some other big HMO. 
Find out if the agency will do your state and fed withholding, or if they don’t, call your local tax prep folks (like HRBlock) and ask them how to manage this. They’re very helpful. 
Personally, I adored the complete control over my schedule and shifts. There may be times where you don’t get as many shifts as you want, so plan for that, but there will be times you could work 100 hrs/wk if you wanted to (nobody in her right mind wants to, I know). 

Kilbourn Word Slinger, BSN

1 Article; 13 Posts

Specializes in 29 yrs nursing, Health Content Writer.

I realize I am late to this posting.  For others that may read it, they may find the information useful.  I have traveled 3 times now.  In 2018 I worked for an agency 13 hours and 3 states from my home.  Granted I did not have a small child but I did have teenagers and adult children and an amazing husband I left behind.  It was very hard after the first 13 of a 26-week assignment.  I went to a full-time position, locally, after that assignment.  I then traveled again this year, back to 13 hours and 3 states away.  This time it was for 20 weeks and I had the hardest time, again.  I believe if you have a family with you it makes ALL the difference.  The money was definitely good.  I have come to understand that money is not everything, just like Cyndi Lauper sings about. I did not need insurance but you can get coverage via your agency and it is not cheap!  The advantages are no on-call, no weekends, and no holidays. Not all travel agencies are built alike, either.  I have learned that information working with other agency nurses.  Best of luck to you and anyone else considering travel nursing.

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