First travel gig!

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jan 9, 2015

If you let fear take over, you will never know what it was like to do travel nursing. I had similar fears but took the chance and left my staff job with good benefits for a travel gig. No regrets! I love my first assignment even more than my staff job and just now am extending into a 2nd contract. And I get paid a lot more. Bonus for me is that I took an assignment with family near the hospital so I get to stay with them for free, keep the housing stipend and see them more. Win win!

Like Nike says: Just Do It!

sweetgurly25 · Jan 9, 2015

Its ok to be nervous. I researched from 1year before i decided to jump on the travel wagon. Your never going to feel fully confident in ALL your skills but thats what makes traveling awesome. You become confident as you are put into uncomfortable situations. When I can't get an IV i call someone else, simple as that. Always remember its all about the patient. Talk to a few recruiters and pick the ones you are comfortable with. Maybe take an assignment close to home so you are not home sick. Good luck

N-Nads, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2015

Thank you guys

Travel_RN_0714, MSN, RN · Jan 24, 2015

If you let fear take over, you will never know what it was like to do travel nursing. I had similar fears but took the chance and left my staff job with good benefits for a travel gig. No regrets! I love my first assignment even more than my staff job and just now am extending into a 2nd contract. And I get paid a lot more. Bonus for me is that I took an assignment with family near the hospital so I get to stay with them for free, keep the housing stipend and see them more. Win win!
Like Nike says: Just Do It!

Not the smartest thing to go on an International forum and tell us that your are keeping your "tax free" housing stipend and living with family for free. Did you not read the part of the IRS form you filled out when it came to your "tax home base" and the other part where you attested that you have to duplicate living expenses in order to be paid a "tax free" stipend. If you're ever audited, and have no way of showing how you duplicated your living expenses, you are setting yourself up for a large penalty and then all of the "tax free" money you kept will be taxed as income. You might not want to broadcast to the world that you are violating the tax code.

Just sayin'

NedRN · Jan 24, 2015

That rant might be deserved if the OP had said she abandoned her tax home. She did not say that.

What are you implying about this being international forum? Do we have to preface every comment about every reader's possible home country tax rules? That would be rather unwieldy don't you think? I think a stipulation that 99 percent of all travelers and assignments are in the United States as a starting point for threads in travel nurses would be good.

Travel_RN_0714, MSN, RN · Jan 24, 2015

That rant might be deserved if the OP had said she abandoned her tax home. She did not say that.
What are you implying about this being international forum? Do we have to preface every comment about every reader's possible home country tax rules? That would be rather unwieldy don't you think? I think a stipulation that 99 percent of all travelers and assignments are in the United States as a starting point for threads in travel nurses would be good.

If you can read, this wasn't directed to the OP. At any rate, my comment wasn't directed to you and you should go back and understand that I was trying to tell the person that was telling the world that he is violating the "UNITED STATES" tax code that, it's not a smart thing to post that what he is doing is illegal. Hey everybody, I'm taking "tax free" money and violating the rules by living with my family for free. Get it now ?

NedRN · Jan 24, 2015

That person said no such thing. Again, no statement that they abandoned their tax home. Merely that they were able to minimize housing costs at their assignment by staying with family. That is completely consistent with IRS rules, you merely need to prove you were working away from home on business temporarily. If that is done, there is no requirement to get receipts to cover reimbursements from your employer as long as they don't exceed the GSA maximums.

No tax code violation in the U.S. Can't speak for other countries.

Travel_RN_0714, MSN, RN · Jan 25, 2015

That person said no such thing. Again, no statement that they abandoned their tax home. Merely that they were able to minimize housing costs at their assignment by staying with family. That is completely consistent with IRS rules, you merely need to prove you were working away from home on business temporarily. If that is done, there is no requirement to get receipts to cover reimbursements from your employer as long as they don't exceed the GSA maximums.
No tax code violation in the U.S. Can't speak for other countries.

Are you taking drugs or what ? He stated that he was "staying with family for free and keeping the housing stipend" Where did you read that he was "minimizing housing costs by staying with family" ? I read that he was bragging that he was staying with family for free and keeping the "tax free" stipend. Not a smart thing to do. At any rate, It's NOT consistent with IRS rules and if ever audited, you'd better be able to show that you duplicated your living expenses... hence, keeping receipts that show you paid for your housing with your "tax free" stipend and not stating that I'm living with family for free and keeping all the money. I don't know where you are getting your information from but the tax free stipend isn't there to cover reimbursements from your employer. You get paid a weekly tax free amount according to the IRS/GAO guidelines and are expected to pay for your meals and housing with that "tax free" money. There is no reimbursement. You get tax free money to pay for your lodging and if there is ever a question, you'd better be able to prove that you used that money to pay for your housing while away on a travel assignment. It's guys like you that play around with the rules that will ruin this for everyone else.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2015

FYI, I stay with family on assignment as many other travel RNs likely do, but I still put in my monetary share of housing utilities and I do pay my own way in terms of food, laundry, and other necessities -- all the while continuing to maintain my apartment back home. By free I mean that I don't pay towards rent but it's not totally free, so in essence I do duplicate expenses to some degree. There's no requirement for it to be dollar for dollar. And besides, what about all the travelers out there that find housing substantially cheaper than their stipend? They get to keep their surplus, that's really no different.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

NedRN · Jan 25, 2015

Are you taking drugs or what ? He stated that he was "staying with family for free and keeping the housing stipend" Where did you read that he was "minimizing housing costs by staying with family" ? I read that he was bragging that he was staying with family for free and keeping the "tax free" stipend. Not a smart thing to do. At any rate, It's NOT consistent with IRS rules and if ever audited, you'd better be able to show that you duplicated your living expenses... hence, keeping receipts that show you paid for your housing with your "tax free" stipend and not stating that I'm living with family for free and keeping all the money. I don't know where you are getting your information from but the tax free stipend isn't there to cover reimbursements from your employer. You get paid a weekly tax free amount according to the IRS/GAO guidelines and are expected to pay for your meals and housing with that "tax free" money. There is no reimbursement. You get tax free money to pay for your lodging and if there is ever a question, you'd better be able to prove that you used that money to pay for your housing while away on a travel assignment. It's guys like you that play around with the rules that will ruin this for everyone else.

For the third time, no where does she say she has abandoned her tax home. I have family all over the country and I'm going to guess others have as well. I still have my home when I travel, I don't abandon it even when I stay with family. No matter what kind of housing is obtained, as long as you are working away from a legitimate tax home temporarily on business, the stipend is yours to spend as you wish.

Yes, those stipends are indeed called reimbursements. Otherwise they are taxable compensation. If you read the IRS Publication 535 I recommended earlier you will learn the basis for being able to use GSA amounts instead of receipts for business expenses (read chapters 2 and 11). Agencies have to be paying reimbursements under an accountable plan, and of course employees have to be working away from home temporarily on business. In lieu of reimbursements, employees can deduct business expenses on their tax return.