First-time traveler?? - need help!

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Hi friends!

I'm a Registered Nurse with 3 years of Operating Room experience... and I want to start traveling. The thing is I HAVE NO IDEA where to start! I don't know how you choose an agency or what the beginning steps are... I've set up a time to talk to a recruiter next week, but am not sure what questions to ask... Do you all feel that this is a good economy to travel in? I'm not worried too much about location, but do you think I'll have issues getting assignments with only 3 years of experience??

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

Kathy

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Most agencies only require 1-2 years experience. That being said, do you feel like you're ready? The main thing to ask yourself is can you be self starting no matter where you go?

Also when talking to recruiters, register with at least 2 companies, and let them know you are not talking to them exclusively! Make them work for you and not be pressured into taking whatever they offer. Also make sure that whatever they tell you is in writing before you sign a contract.

Mike

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Address all your concerns with the recruiter. Call several more agencies and have the same conversation with them. You will begin to fine tune your questions and start to figure out what agencies can offer you and what they can't. And which agencies and/or recruiters will be trust worthy. For unbiased info about traveling, PanTravelers dot org has a wealth of articles, including questions for agencies and the hospital nurse manager during the interview.

Three years experience is plenty. I had about that when I first started traveling - I'm also OR - although I did a little per diem at other hospitals before I took the plunge. Having only worked at one hospital, I wasn't sure what other hospitals did and if I had the skills to readily adapt. Turns out I did, and I've been traveling for 17 years now.

However, hospitals and agencies will not know if you have those skills until you have a couple successful assignments under your belt. You are fortunate in that OR was one of the few specialties to thrive during the downturn (relatively) and is still in demand. But still, hospitals and agencies will give preference to seasoned travelers over you. Set your expectations appropriately for the first year of traveling, don't be too fussy about location or money and just have fun! Every city has something to offer, and you will learn new things on every assignment professionally.

While the role of a travel nurse is primarily to circulate, managers love scrub experience because it give them a lot more freedom in staffing. Having that experience will give you an edge. Every once in a while, you will also pick up an assignment that is heavy scrub - my current one is about 80 percent (which is a really great break from circulating). CVOR experience is also a big edge. I have gotten several assignments just based on that, even though I didn't actually do any during the assignment. Managers like to have depth of experience just in case, so that also gets your profile extra attention over other profiles submitted. Remember that travel nursing is a business and you are in competition with other travelers for the best assignments and pay.

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Thank you both for your comments! While I don't have any scrub experience, I do have a year's worth of CVOR circulating experience so that is good to know, NedRN. I'll look over those sites and think of some good questions before I talk to a recruiter later this week.. Do you guys recommend any specific agencies??

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Agencies have very different flavors and it is difficult to pick the best fit for you. Large, medium, and small agencies all have their place and are a good way to group agencies. I often recommend a very large agency for new travelers for superior job selection, they are more likely to have an appropriate assignment for a new traveler not to get burned on first outing. But anything I recommend will be proven wrong by someone's personal experience. Your recruiter is very important to your success. In fact, a good recruiter at a crappy company is usually better than the reverse. If you end up selecting an agency (or several agencies) you feel like are a good fit for you, but you do not communicate well with the specific recruiter, ask the agency for a different recruiter. I did just that before my very first assignment and ended up working for the same agency for four years. I was prepared to go with a different agency because my stress was so high with my first recruiter, even though I had already picked my first assignment (actually visited the hospital on vacation) and they worked only with that agency.

Asking for recruiter recommendations may be of more help to you than a specific agency. But lurk, learn, and talk to different agencies. I cannot really recommend a recruiter either, sorry.

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Ha! While I don't recommend agencies, I do point to bad ones. And Trustaff is almost at the top of my list. But every agency has happy travelers, and it sounds like RoamingRN probably has a good recruiter (although she may have no frame of reference). Trustaff has had trust issues in the past, and pay is somewhere near the bottom of the industry. Both Trustaff and Aureus are notorious for exploiting new travelers.

To some extent, new travelers should get lower pay as they represent a much larger risk to agencies and hospitals. But there are reasonable limits given that the bill rate is the same.

Trustaff is also the prime vendor for RLS on St Thomas, a very slow to pay hospital. My belief is that Trustaff is probably undercapitalized (cash flow issues) and that it is risky to work for such an agency with St Thomas hanging over their head (I could certainly be wrong on this issue as they have managed for about a year now).

As far as Highway Hypodermics goes, it made a valid attempt to make a 10 best list of agencies. However it is primarily ranked by by the agencies that bothered to fill out their questionnaire, and who provide lots of benefits. Which means almost all larger agencies. Nothing about pay, and only a small attempt to have traveler input. Good a place to start calling agencies as any, but it is good to know what any list really means.

The blurbs on agencies are just that, PR written by the agency. Just about as useless as visiting an agency website, although perhaps faster. You still have to legwork and spend some phone time talking to agencies.

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I agree that 3 years is enough to start traveling since 2 years is usually the minimum requirement. Having 3 vs 4 years starting travel nursing doesn't seem to make a big difference, as long as you have the minimum. However, it does seem that many hospitals want you to have travel experience (kind of like the new grad predicament!) and some states/hospitals seem to be more first time traveler friendly than others.

There are quite a few helpful travel nursing books on Amazon.com, Highway Hypodermics is definitely one of them! Also, www.healthcaretravelbook.com is a great resource. The couple that runs the site are amazing and they are planning the next Healthcare Travelers Conference in Vegas in Oct. (see website for details). The conference last year was really helpful and so much fun. I highly recommend it for first time and experienced travelers.

Feel free to message me if you have any other questions!

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Well, that's interesting. The current reply #5 by myself was in reply to a #5 that was apparently deleted. I didn't know that happened. No doubt everyone can read between the lines to see that the original #5 was saying what a good experience she had long term with Trustaff and how Highway Hypodermics best agency list was a good place to find an agency. Otherwise, I'd look kind of nutty!

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Thanks so much for the tips. I am just terrified that I will be taken advantage of somehow. Guess you have to trust a little and navigate cautiously. Would you recommend American Mobile - i know their marketing makes them visible everywhere...so it leaves people like me thinking they are the best way to go. Because I have ICU experience, travel experience ( 3 years ago for just two contracts that went very well). Had a lifestyle change and needed to be grounded by family for a while and now plan to travel in the next six months again....I get bombarded by phone calls and emails etc...so annoying but i guess it is part of the process. Any tips on RED FLAGS or just trust the statement if it sounds too good to be true it probably is......also, what if you plan to travel and do not own or rent a home in the place that you are leaving from? ie...i plan to travel to Florida when my lease is up in Michigan...i really dont want to sign a lease again if i am not going to be here except to visit. Am I allowed legally to claim my parents address as my own? or is that completely breaking the law as far as taxes etc..? Thanks

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Specializes in ED, Med-Surg, Psych, Oncology, Hospice.

I just wonder how current all the info is on Aureus? They were my first agency and still are. I have never been treated differently from day one and don't feel exploited. My last assignment I worked with at least 6 other Aureus travelers and they were all satisfied with the agency. I'm sorry if others have different experiences.

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NedRN, I am just beginning the process of travel nursing and am also an OR nurse. Can you give me any suggestions as to which agencies to start with? It is quite overwhelming with all of the agencies. Thanks.

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Just start calling agencies at random. You will begin to learn. Look for recruiters you can talk to and put them on your short list.

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