frustrations & worries

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Hi travel nurses, I need advice and words of encouragement.

I am a two-year experienced tele/cardiac nurse who has given up her apartment and given her resignation for Sept 6th at work. I have been in contact with one nursing travel agency since January to begin my career as a travel nurse this September. I have been working with two nursing friends (and ER & neonatal nurse). As the time is getting closer, I am getting very nervous as some problems arise.

Many of the jobs posted on the site are not available for 1st time travelers.

We have been told one pay rate and then it turns out to be lower.

We all wanted to be in Seattle, second choice San Fran. The neonatal nurse cannot get a job in either of these cities. Myself (tele) and the ER nurse can get jobs in the suburbs of these cities but not in the city which is what we requested from the get-go. We were not told that this would be difficult to achieve.

I investigated travel nurse agencies and went with who I believed was the most reputable and has the most opportunities. I am using a recruiter that was recommended by someone else. She is nice but not very business-like. Is it in bad taste to kind another recruiter in the same company?

I told the recruiter that I would like to have a Sept 24th start date but am flexible. I am getting nervous that a job is not secured. PLEASE someone advise me that securing a job last minute is normal.

Thanks for any advice!

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Specializes in OB.

This is about when I would start looking for a position for mid to late Sept. I usually start about 6 weeks out and that is too far out for some hospitals, unless they are planning ahead for the "season" as in winter in FL or AZ. Usually I will have something definite lined up about 3 weeks before the start date - sometimes sooner, but by then all the details are worked out and papers signed. That said, in 11 years of traveling I've never left a contract without having the next one lined up.

It sounds as though your issue may be trying to coordinate contracts in the same place with two other people. This may not be realistic if you are not somewhat flexible about location, etc. Even couples who travel together can have problems if they aren't willing to compromise a bit.

If you do not feel comfortable with your recruiter, it is perfectly acceptable to call the company and ask for the person who supervises the recruiters and ask for a change of recruiter, perhaps just explaining as not a good personality fit.

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Thank you for your advice. Anyone else have anything to add. Thanks again!

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I agree with Bag lady - you might have to be a bit more flexible about your location OR going by yourself. It is hard enough to coordinate 1 person to get to a job, let alone 3 (but not impossible). I just signed a contract for Seattle to start in the mid September - look me up if you end up there!! Good luck.

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Diarygirl512,

I see you are very experienced with travel nursing. Would you please respond to the other questions I asked too?

I took your advice and the other persons advice and am trying to be more flexible but I do want to really do this with my friend. I'm so bummed we might not get a Seattle area job. San Fran is looking grim too. So we just put out requests for Denver and Tucson.

I would love to email you and ask you who you work for and what you think of them. If you don't mind, would you please tell me how to do that.

Thanks so much!

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Connie, I am sorry it took me some time to get back to you.

It may be that you have to take a job by yourself until you get experience as a traveler, then you will be able to go for those jobs that want you to be an experienced traveler.

As for your recruiter, you can ask for someone else. I think you should make clear that it is a difference in personalities that makes you request and not any failing on the part of your recruiter.

I would love to email back and forth with you about all this. If you can get to Seattle, It would be interesing and fun to have someone there that I could spend time with as well!! ;)

I will drop you a private message and then we can talk about this more and you can ask me more questions if you like!

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Specializes in OB.
Diarygirl512,

I see you are very experienced with travel nursing. Would you please respond to the other questions I asked too?

I took your advice and the other persons advice and am trying to be more flexible but I do want to really do this with my friend. I'm so bummed we might not get a Seattle area job. San Fran is looking grim too. So we just put out requests for Denver and Tucson.

I would love to email you and ask you who you work for and what you think of them. If you don't mind, would you please tell me how to do that.

Thanks so much!

I'll chime in here to say that if you really have your heart set on being in the same area then Tucson or Phoenix in the winter might be workable, as there are multiple hospitals who all greatly increase their number of travelers in the winter when the snowbirds come back. You might not all 3 get at the same facility, but could be in the same area.

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