Finding a job in a specific location (Jackson, WY)

[GabyRn]

hey there! I'm starting to reach out to recruiters and hopefully get set up with my first travel assignment. I'm really hoping to get placed in Jackson, WY (or Driggs, ID, because I believe it's the only other hospital within driving distance). Since there seems to only be 2 hospitals as options out there, I know it may be a challenge to find a contract. Since I'm not all that familiar yet with travel nursing, my question is, are all agencies basically picking from the same pool of jobs and the only difference is the compensation package/benefits they offer? Or is it worth working with multiple agencies to hopefully find one that can place me where I want to be?

Thanks! :)

[NedRN]

First you need to find out if there are jobs there, and next who staff there. Try calling the manager of your specialty at those hospitals to see if there are any positions for travelers. That will cut through a lot of looking for agencies that have that contract. Even if an agency has a contract there, they may not be a favorite and being submitted through them could be a waste of time. No way you can trust any agency to be honest about this. So what you need to do after confirming an opening is call HR and ask them which agencies they like to use (if the specialty manager hasn't already told you). Get at least two names.

If you get through to the specialty manager, this often turns into a mini-interview and a statement that she'd like you to come. This gives you a lot of leverage to negotiate a good contract with your eventual agency.

Anyway, that's how I would approach this. I have landed assignments at hospitals this way when they hadn't even posted a need yet for a traveler. Trying to find which of 400 agencies has the contract at a small hospital by calling agencies is a waste of your time.