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

NedRN · Sep 15, 2021

I'm OK with CC for new travelers. Kind of annoying in big agencies to have many points of contact, not just your recruiter (housing, benefits, clinical approval, payroll, assistant recruiter, et cetera), but big agencies have a lot of appropriate assignments for the new traveler assuming a good recruiter with your best interests at heart (despite obvious conflicts of interest).

Fastaff can be hard to get onboarded with (decades long culture) - but once you are in, it is much easier. But it is a terrible agency for new travelers - no handholding and you are pretty much on your own. But once you know the pitfalls of travel, Fastaff can really get you the money. At your own risk of course so you need to be ready and strong for potentially horrible assignments.

Samian Q · Sep 15, 2021

Most informative!

Okay, so let me ask you a new question, about references.

For my first travel gig, on the applications they asked for references, and since I'm employed as a staff RN (who submitted his resignation before traveling) luckily I was able to do that. However, once I quit my job and go traveling full time, I don't know what I would put down for "current job references" in the future. When you're traveling and have to put down references, whom do you put? The manager of the hospitals you traveled to? The recruiters alone? Or are you forever going to rely on references from your final staff nursing job?

NedRN · Sep 15, 2021

Start your career out right and get written references. Lots easier to verify and it cuts down tremendously on phone calls to your references. And you have much better control over your career (you never know what someone will say on the phone, nor if a reference is obtained from a random person who picks up the phone).

Letters of references are great, but it far easier to get someone to fill out a form. Takes just a couple minutes to fill out a form and add a sentence to make it more personal (I usually hover while they do it).

CC is going to do just that at each assignment and collect on you, but they will not share these with you. They won't, because having these in your hand makes it far easier to switch to other agencies - hence they are considered proprietary. Forms that you can print and even editable forms are available on Pantravelers. Sign up for free membership and then go to downloads. They retain a blank space where an agency logo can go, so in the future an agency can make it appear to be their originals. While you are still on staff, get written references NOW.

I go as high up the food chain as I can including dept directors (have easy access in most operating rooms where I work - and they will always ask for input from downstream management), managers, assistant managers, charge nurses, or service leads. Personally I feel that peer references are last resort in terms of credibility (no oversight duties). I have a ED traveler friend who gets actual letters of reference from physicians he works with. Works really well for him. I've been offered such physician references, but again the oversight issue makes them seem less appropriate to me (they cannot ask for opinions up or down the management chain.

I also get them early in an assignment, and often. I usually collect 3 or so each assignment. This allows you to curate what the next facility or agency sees or verifies. Part of your personal portfolio and I hope you can see how valuable your portfolio becomes in competing for jobs. I get them early because they serve as a protection from false claims of incompetence. They may not stop you from getting terminated, but if escalated to a BON report and you have written references before that point from management, it should be far easier to escape sanctions.

Recruiter references? Completely worthless. No interviewing manager would care, and frankly including such with a profile submission would make the agency (or you if you are using imagination to land an assignment with direct profile submission) unprofessional. Never done it, nor have I ever been asked - well not quite true: applied for a part time staff job and HR said it was relevant to them. I laughed, but wasn't an issue but I didn't get the job. At the time, I had only worked via my one person agency for the last 10 years so I would have only been able to refer them to my employer, me!

Samian Q · Sep 15, 2021

Okay, I've got a new one for you: On your first day, whether it be at orientation or your first day on the floor, are you supposed to bring something for the staff? Like a box of donuts or cookies?

aprilbeville · Nov 17, 2021

On 6/14/2020 at 2:45 AM, TRVL.RN said:

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.

Do you have any strategies for affordable housing. I’ve been traveling about a year now but I have had the luxury of coming home every day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

TRVL.RN, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2021

19 minutes ago, aprilbeville said:

Do you have any strategies for affordable housing. I’ve been traveling about a year now but I have had the luxury of coming home every day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

I usually go to hospital dense cities and do 6 month- 11 month leases(rental communities) instead of furnished units/ Airbnb. I buy just what I need ( a mattress) and basic household items and save as much money as I can. Worst case scenario I get cancelled I'm able to jump to a near by hospital OR cancel my lease which will probably be a small fee versus 3 months of rent.

NedRN · Nov 17, 2021

22 hours ago, aprilbeville said:

Do you have any strategies for affordable housing. I’ve been traveling about a year now but I have had the luxury of coming home every day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

The most affordable housing is shared housing, I.e. housemates/roommates. Besides being much lower in cost, it comes with a host of conveniences. Utilities already on with no need to do paperwork and wait, furnishings, and a local to talk to. Mind you, I have stayed in places that were technically shares, but absent owner. I use Craigslist heavily, and post my own housing wanted ad to cover not only share, but single occupancy. Often you find something that is never listed in marketplaces. Travelers are highly desirable tenants despite being short term, in part because they are known to have money. Not a facebook user but presume that can be a good CL substitute.

Red flag here just in case. Doing travel while living at home means your stipends are fully taxable as income, just like a staff nurse (no free lunch). You would need to report them on your tax filing (good timing if so on your first year of travel and at the end of the tax year to avoid digging a really deep hole). The only exceptions are professional reimbursements (also allowable to staff nurses) such as scrubs, licenses, certifications, and education.

Cass7272a · Dec 9, 2021

Do you have any insight on the best company to work for? So many options. Also I am only licensed in washington state 16 years experience in utilization review RN. Let me know your thoughts please

thank you for your time

De-Stress RN · Dec 13, 2021

NedRN what does "CC" stand for when in Sept you mentioned "CC is going to do just that at each assignment and collect on you, but they will not share these with you" with regard to references? thanks very much!

NedRN · Dec 13, 2021

"CC" stands for Cross Country so I assume this was the agency asked about. It is routine for agencies to send evaluation/reference forms to facilities to return to them on each traveler placed. This forms are used to market the traveler to the next facility. As such, they are considered proprietary and not shared with the traveler. From this you can easily infer their value. A traveler that collects their own references on each assignment is no longer tethered to a single agency managing your career in their best interests. You can also now pick and choose the references you believe best describe you, thus managing your professional portfolio and not trusting profit driven entities to misrepresent you.

Written references rule! They also reduce the hassle for your referees, and the randomness about who picks up the unit/manager phone and what they say about you. I collect at least 3 for every assignment I'm on, starting around week 2.

Mike00, ASN, RN · Dec 22, 2021

Hello,

Looking for some advice. I’ve been an RN since 2008. I spent roughly 8 years in ICU/PCU, 1 year Med Surg (tele / ortho), 1 year in the ER, and 4 years in Behavioral Health. I’m desperately trying to get into traveling but have run into some issues. I haven’t worked in the hospital in about 4 years but have continued working as an RN largely in Behavioral Health / Substance Abuse. I haven’t lost my skills. I’ve only spoken to a few recruiters but what I’ve been told is that to travel I would need 1-2 recent years working in a particular field in order to take travel hospital positions. Is this true throughout the different companies? I know I’ve been out of the hospital for 4 years but I’m completely confident I could walk back into med surg, stepdown, ED tomorrow and be able to work unassisted. It might take me a week or 2 to feel confident working in the ICU or PCU but I’m not concerned about my re - learning curve. Basically I‘ve been told to go back to the hospital for “experience” in order to travel. This seems bizarre to me considering new nurses can travel after a year or so in the hospital. I have 10 years of hospital experience. It just doesn’t make sense to me why I would need to go back for a year in order to travel. Is this true? Any suggestions? Thank you

NedRN · Dec 22, 2021

Yes, recent experience, recent references are standard. Think about Covid. Tx has changed considerably over the last two years. Ready for that?

Best way forward is to get a staff job for a year. Relocate somewhere interesting and consider it a long travel assignment!