Cross Country Healthcare worked with 4,756 healthcare facilities and filled more than 30,000 healthcare jobs throughout 2021. With nurses specifically, they employ roughly 10,000 nurses annually.
The company is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, and they have 69 office locations nationwide.
Cross Country Healthcare staffs more than just registered nurses. They work with just about every kind of healthcare professional there is, including:
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Licensed practical nurses (LPN)
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Certified nursing assistants (CNA)
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Respiratory therapists (RT)
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Physical therapists (PT)
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Occupational therapists (OT)
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Speech-language pathologists (SLP)
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Social Workers (SW)
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Imaging, laboratory, and pharmacy technologists'
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Nurse practitioners
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Physicians
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Nurse Managers
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Nurse Educators
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House Supervisors
No matter what your nursing specialty is, Cross Country Healthcare most likely has a travel nurse position for you. Some nursing positions being staffed through Cross Country today include:
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Acute care hospital:
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Emergency Room
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Intensive care unit (ICU)
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Progressive care unit (PCU)
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Telemetry
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Medical Surgical
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Operating Room
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Post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)
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Labor and Delivery
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Long-term acute care hospital (LTACH)
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Psychiatric care
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Home health care
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Correctional/ Prison care
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Outpatient and Ambulatory Clinic care
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Nursing Facilities
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Rehabilitation Facilities
Believe it or not, this is a significantly modified list. Any healthcare job you can think of Cross Country Healthcare has an opportunity -- take a look for yourself.
Cross Country Healthcare Opportunities
Cross Country Healthcare has it all when it comes to nursing positions:
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Travel nursing Contracts
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Local nursing Contracts
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Per Diem nursing positions
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Permanent nursing Positions
If you're researching Cross Country Healthcare, you may find references to Cross Country TravCoprs, MedStaff, and Medical Staffing Network. These three brands were merged into Cross Country Nurses, now part of the Cross Country Healthcare brand. This move was made to simplify the search process and make their team of national recruiters more accessible to travel nurses, no matter where you're located.
I worked with Cross Country through Medical Staffing Network, which focuses on per-diem local contract nursing. The application process was archaic at the time, and looking up contracted positions was only possible after speaking to a recruiter.
Everything has appeared to change since 2018—and for the better. While I can't speak to their current application process, it's evident that Cross Country has upgraded its website and job search process to a user-friendly digitized format. You can even browse the nursing contracts available, including pay rates.
Nursing Contract Job Search
Job Description
Based on travel nursing reviews (below) and contract rates listed on their website, Cross Country Healthcare remains competitive with its high-paying contract rates. Zippia reports that registered nurses working with Cross Country earn an average salary of $98,994 per year at an hourly rate of around $48.00. Payment is made weekly for their travel nurses, locally contracted nurses, and per-diem nurses, with the pay breakdown varying depending on the position you take:
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Travel Nurse Contract: Weekly contracted rate with guaranteed hours, plus housing and meal stipends (unless you choose company housing).
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Local Nurse Contract: Weekly contracted rate with guaranteed hours, without housing or meal stipends.
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Per-Diem: Hourly pay. Your weekly pay will vary depending on the hours you work each week
In addition to weekly pay and stipends, Cross Country Healthcare offers excellent perks, including:
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Professional liability coverage
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Free continuous education (CEU) opportunities
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Tuition discounts (may be limited to their per-diem Medical Staffing Network)
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Nursing licensing reimbursement
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Employee discounts
To top it off, Cross Country Healthcare provides some of the best bonuses for travel nurses:
Overall, Cross Country Healthcare provides competitive pay rates and excellent benefits to their travel nurses, making them a great option to consider when searching for your next position.
Cross Country Healthcare Insurance and Retirement Benefits
Cross Country Healthcare offers contracted nurses comprehensive medical insurance, with multiple options to choose from, including prescription coverage. Dependents are also eligible for these benefits. According to an Indeed review, benefits are available from day one of your contracted nursing assignment.
In addition, they provide the following:
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Dental Insurance
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Vision plans
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Long-term disability coverage
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Short-term disability coverage
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Accidental insurance
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Employee assistance programs
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Pre-tax flex spending accounts
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Supplemental life insurance
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Identity theft programs
Retirement investment is also possible with Cross Country Healthcare's 401(K) plan, which is available through fidelity. The company even offers free financial empowerment and education courses for its nurses and healthcare professionals.
Cross Country Healthcare may also include company matching with the 401(K) plan. However, it is unclear if this applies to only per-diem nurses working with their CCMSN (Cross Country Medical Staffing Network) division or to travel nurses as well.
You can contact Cross Country Healthcare for more information if you have specific questions.
With 36 years of experience in the industry, Cross Country Nurses has a mix of good and bad reviews from nurses. Out of a five-star rating system, nurses ranked Cross Country Healthcare:
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3.9 on Indeed
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4.0 on Glassdoor
Comparing its ratings to some of its top competitors on Indeed:
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Travel Nurses Across America has a 4.1
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Medical Solutions has a 4.1
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Aya Healthcare has a 4.2
Some nurses have left negative reviews about Cross Country Healthcare, citing issues with recruiters, such as lowballing, misrepresenting available locations, and hidden clauses in contracts. However, there are also positive reviews from nurses who praised the company for its excellent pay, recruiter availability, and benefits that started from day one.
Overall, the experience of working with Cross Country will depend on the quality of the recruiter assigned to you. Some travel nurses have reported positive experiences, while others have switched agencies due to negative experiences with their recruiters.
Despite some negative reviews, some travel nurses have had extremely positive experiences working with Cross Country Healthcare. An article was published in 2019 about a registered nurse who completed her 100th contract with Cross Country, having worked with them since 1992. In the article, the nurse expressed that she felt Cross Country Healthcare aligned with her values of integrity and character and that she always felt supported by them.
In addition, Cross Country Healthcare has achieved many awards recognizing they are a great staffing agency to work for.
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Top Workplaces USA 2021-2023
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Top Workplaces Regional 2021-2023
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Top Workplaces Healthcare Industry 2021-2022
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Great Place to Work Certified 2022
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Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction 2023
Cross Country Workplace Awards
Pros and Cons at Cross Country Healthcare
PROS
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Time and location flexibility
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Good pay and benefits
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Licensure and Certification Reimbursement
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A recruiter is available to help you through the onboarding process
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Travel contracts, local contracts, and per-diem opportunities
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Work opportunities for nurses in nearly every specialty
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Digitized platform allows you to review travel nurse jobs available, job descriptions, and benefits before applying
CONS
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Contracts can be canceled
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Lack of transparency'
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Limited job availability
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Difficulty getting desired shifts
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Dependence on recruiter (pro or con depending on recruiter)
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Inconsistent communication from the recruiter
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Unable to review per-diem or local contract rates before connecting with a recruiter
Keep in mind that these potential pros and cons are based on individual experiences and reviews, therefore, may only represent some travel nurses' experience with Cross Country Healthcare.
Q: How much nursing experience do I need to apply to Cross Country Healthcare?
A: A minimum of one year of nursing experience in the contracted specialty is typically preferred by healthcare facilities when hiring travel nurses, locally contracted nurses, and per-diem nurses. Requirements may vary dependent on the healthcare facility.
Q: Does Cross Country Healthcare provide housing accommodations for travel nurses?
A: Yes, if you travel beyond a certain distance from your tax home, Cross Country Healthcare will offer you the option to either secure temporary housing for you or provide a housing stipend, depending on your preference.
If you choose a housing stipend you will need to secure your own temporary housing. To learn more about housing options and stipends for travel nurses check out our comprehensive guide on Travel Nurse Housing.
Q: How long are the typical assignments for travel nurses with Cross Country Healthcare?
A: Typical travel nurse contracts with Cross Country Healthcare are 12-14 weeks in duration and require 36-40 hours of work per week.
You can learn more about the basics of travel nursing in our Beginner's Guide to Travel Nursing or this 14-step guide to getting started as a travel nurse.
Original Allnurses Post
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Q: I'm really considering travel nursing within the next few months. I know the economy is slow and with my experience, it may not even possible to get a job (I have 20months NICU exp but I'm open to going wherever).
I am talking with a few companies and I think I like Cross Country, but I really do not like the recruiter I am working with/talking to. Does anyone have a recruiter with this company that they would recommend via PM?
I do think that this is the right company for me, being Canadian and all but I really want a better recruiter.
A: Dear Poster, I recommend you contact your Cross Country Healthcare recruiter and request to speak with their manager. When you talk with the manager, you can express your concerns and your passion to work with their company. The manager will then be able to set you up with a recruiter that better suits you and your needs. Personalities sometimes clash, and Cross Country should be happy and willing to get you with someone you can thrive with.
When I worked with CCMSN in 2018, I had a similar experience. After notifying my recruiter and asking to speak with his manager, the manager made sure I no longer needed to work with that recruiter. After that the remainder of my time with them was much improved.
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