Check these rates out!

NO1_2NV · Mar 8, 2008

Do you happen to know which agency she is with? I am an OR nurse looking to travel only part of the year.

Thanks.

ERRNTraveler, RN · Mar 8, 2008

Does this include FREE private housing, FREE insurance, and travel reimbursement???? Which company???

OR-SPEC · Mar 8, 2008

I'm not too sure. If I see her, I'll ask her.

OR-SPEC · Mar 8, 2008

She takes care of her own housing and she gets a very nice amount for travel expenses. I'm pretty sure that also includes insurance. At any rate, some of the best I've heard of. We as nurses need to understand that these companies are making a killing and we can put more well deserved $$$ in our pocket.

yumwill · Mar 8, 2008

Just think of how much you could make if you could contract your own assignments. The second job I ever went on I somehow got a copy of the backend contract with the hospital and staffing agency. They were getting $68 per hour and paying me $36. I understand they were paying for housing and insurance and all but jeez, talk about overhead. :bugeyes:

OR-SPEC · Mar 8, 2008

Granted these hospitals are probably in the ghetto or may not be too desireable to work at, at the end of the week, you can do pretty darn good.

ERRNTraveler, RN · Mar 8, 2008

BUT, you would have to arrange and pay for your own housing, utilities, etc.....

suzanne4, RN · Mar 8, 2008

If she does not have a tax home someplace else, she is taxed on every single dollar that she gets, so is really not coming out ahead by any means. Average salary in the Bay Area for a staff nurse with experience and full benefits, which she gets none of, is about mid $55 per hour.

Sorry, but the travel companies are not making a killing; it depends on where they put their money and how it is divided up when the nurse is paid. All of the companies get in the same range from the facility.

There is no tax free anything, and if they are paying here like that for that assignment in Florida, then she will have a nice sized tax bill to be responsible for later on. And with penalties. An agency can do things as they want, but the nurse is the one that has to deal with the final outcome.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 8, 2008

Just think of how much you could make if you could contract your own assignments. The second job I ever went on I somehow got a copy of the backend contract with the hospital and staffing agency. They were getting $68 per hour and paying me $36. I understand they were paying for housing and insurance and all but jeez, talk about overhead.

Depends on where the assignment is, in some places the apt is over $2000 per month and that is not with utilities. You have to see what works for you. And when you directly contract with a facility, you are not covered under their insurance for anything, you have to cover your own malpractice, workmen's comp, pay the other 1/2 of the medicare, etc., since you are a vendor to them. You are not their employee. Most fail to include this part when they are calculating out their costs.

OR-SPEC · Mar 8, 2008

So it is a realistic # if staff nurses are making $55/hr. I have seen so many threads w/ nurses stating that making close to $10K take home traveling is unrealistic. She may have a tax home set up if she's enjoying these benefits but I thought she said she didnt. So if she has a friend rent her a room @ $1000/mo and she has a tax home of $1000/mo but she gets a $2000 housing stipend, is she able to enjoy the tax shelter or does she have to pay taxes on $1000?

mountaintex · Mar 9, 2008

Not to venture off the real subject here, but I am a Real Nurse who happens to work in the OR. I have worked the floor, ICU, recovery, LTC, agency, psych, and some other stuff, too. I had to object to the REAL nurse statement, as I put forth as much as an OR nurse as I did in any other specialty. :nono: