Currently a Travel Nurse - feel free to ask me anything about it.

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Specializes in PICU, CTICU.

I am a PICU travel nurse, with many friends who also do travel nursing inside and outside of my specialty. ? here to answer any questions I can about being a travel nurse.

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Specializes in ICU.

Hi! I have a year of RN experience in ICU and 5 years as a respiratory therapist. I want to start traveling to gain more skill and save money for CRNA school. My issue is that I have back problems and have had 2 back surgeries. Should I wait to travel? Will they even hire me with back issues?

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Back issues are private. You decide if you are fit enough to work. You do have to have a doctor say you are fit to work but that is trivial if you say you can handle it. But you really need another year of staff experience first in the ICU.

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Specializes in PICU, CTICU.
4 hours ago, RRTtoBSN said:

Hi! I have a year of RN experience in ICU and 5 years as a respiratory therapist. I want to start traveling to gain more skill and save money for CRNA school. My issue is that I have back problems and have had 2 back surgeries. Should I wait to travel? Will they even hire me with back issues?

if you are looking for skills or sharpen your skills in the ICU I would recommend going to a level 1 trauma as a traveler and see if they are hiring, they will be more willing to hire you now that they know you ( so in other words do a contract of 3 months as a traveler and see if they are hiring and stay there for a year if you can work with the time at this point). if not I would stay as a traveler and pick trauma centers. travel nursing is a good way to get your foot in the door at facilities that are usually picky. when it comes to your back, I do not see that being a reason to not hire you however I would probably look into pediatric CVICU where your patients for the most part are babies but the acuity is high and you'll get great experience( I would say it goes hand in hand with CRNA). since you use a lot of drips.

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Specializes in PICU, CTICU.
37 minutes ago, NedRN said:

Back issues are private. You decide if you are fit enough to work. You do have to have a doctor say you are fit to work but that is trivial if you say you can handle it. But you really need another year of staff experience first in the ICU.

I totaly agree, unless time is not on your side when it comes to waiting to travel and apply for the program. I did 3 years of PICU in a level 1 trauma before I did traveling. once I'm done traveling I would technically have 6 years of ICU experience. also as a traveler not always will you be getting the really sick kids(if ever) not sure how it works in adults. but in peds almost always they prioritize the staff nurses for their experience and to get their experience with the really sick kids.

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Hi, I am nurse of 4 years in a Trauma Med Surg unit. I may take a traveling assignment for the first time in an area that I plan on moving eventually. There is only one position for med surg for travel nurse. My question is, what should I be looking out for as far as my contract, insurance any tips or advice. I am so new to this and my recruiter just kind of threw it all at me. The start date is December 21st and I almost feel she is being so pushy to get my info out there so I get the job compared to the other applicant since she said I was a far better canidate. I only called her to learn more about travel nursing and basically by the end of the call she is telling me I may have interview this Friday? Just wasnt expecting that. 

Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in PICU, CTICU.

Sounds like you were submitted for the job/position. I would refrain from given them any information when you're just looking for information. Such as social and resume and certs. They can answer any general travel nurse question without any of that. Also I would visit the page traveltax.com it's a company that started by a traveler RT doing taxes for his travel friends and it became to big and now is it's own thing. They have the best accurate information regarding travel nursing and other travel jobs/careers. Your position in having crazy assignments right now and everyone wants to submit you for a job -_- . I wouldn't speak to recruiters to find out about the career patho of travel nursing, I honestly looked up a lot of blogs and went on that page I mentioned earlier to get a good understanding specially of the tax information. I also had alot of friends who were travelers already and spoke to the travelers that came into my home unit :) they were the best first hand information source. 

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Specializes in ICU.

Any opinions on AYA or fastaff for a first time traveller?

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Hey.  I was wondering if you have any advice on finding cheap housing as a base.  I don't have relatives or friends to stay with.  I'm in Tx and currently living in a room, but it's still too expensive as a base esp because I'm out for months at a time. 

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Specializes in PICU, CTICU.
55 minutes ago, AsstChief said:

Any opinions on AYA or fastaff for a first time traveller?

I've heard great things about aya, I personally have loved working with Flexcare. And fastaffs usually have crisis rates and usually 48 hr weeks/ contracts. However with them you get more per hr meaning more taxes taken out as well. 

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13 hours ago, AsstChief said:

Any opinions on AYA or fastaff for a first time traveller?

Aya, formerly Access Nurses, has a historically bad reputation with travelers (but any agency has their fans). Fastaff I'd only recommend to experienced travelers ready for difficult assignments. Indeed, an experienced traveler is likely to do OK with any agency so the brand is less important that the specific assignment.

What is important for a first time traveler is a successful first assignment. This involves finding a recruiter who shares that goal and is interested in helping you become a successful long term traveler. You need a traveler friendly facility and an assignment well within your current clinical abilities. There are plenty of other issues you will face on a new assignment, such as new to you charting software, new workplace culture and policies and procedures, likely different patient census and local culture, and workflow.

You are most like interested in Aya due to marketing, and Fastaff because of reputation for good pay. In fact, good pay for an inexperienced traveler is a huge red flag. Chase money later.

Personally, I think large agencies are a good place to start, such as American Mobile or Cross Country (yes, Aya now fits that category but I'd still suggest avoiding). They have a wealth of assignments and can easily find a good fit for you. But if you don't click with, or think you can trust your recruiter, move on! Trust and good communication are key to a good business relationship with a recruiter.

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Hi! 
I just started my first travel assignment. I was wondering if you or your friends have ever traveled within the same state of your primary residence? I worked and I’m lived in city A and then my fiancé and I bought a house about an hour and half away from city A. I switched my job to PRN and took a position as a travel RN in city A but a different hospital. I do have a temp address with another travel nurse where we have a rental agreement and I pay her rent. I’m just trying to not get audited by the IRS as I am currently receiving the stipend pay. Any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated :)

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