Housing while traveling

Specialties Travel

Published

I have a question. Has anyone heard of "craigslist.com"? I am trying to change jobs, and I want to travel. One of the recruters told me that I could go to this website and "share" an apartment with other travel nurses. Opinions?

's RN

I have seen some nurses get shafted with the housing they were given. They were put up in a bad area in sub par housing. I travelled with my wife and had good experiences whereever we went. Just remember you are in the drivers seat. If you arent working the agency isnt making any money. Before starting an assignment ask for multiple options and make the decision yourself. Also ask the other travelers what kind of bonuses they are getting. I know it is taboo, but the agency probably already knows what everyone else is getting anyway. If they can make more money off of a bonus the hospital is paying they probably will.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I drove back home when I was in Oklahoma, but I stayed in Tucson the whole time. I worked A LOT of overtime while I was there, so I did not spend a lot of time at the hotel. If I wanted to experience a new city, I might want to stay in one with more amenities, but I was working and sleeping, that was about it.

I'm not sure my housing stipend would cover the cost of a hotel. Did you pay a daily rate or weekly/monthly? I went to their site and checked out the cost where I'm going next week (too late for this one, but I just wanted to see what it would have been) and I don't believe my stipend would have covered it.

That's something to keep in mind if I get a job close enough to come home on my days off, though.

I'm relatively new to the travel thing; 2 years this month. I'm still trying to tweak it. Especially the packing (Lord, you should have seen the stuff I brought with me on the first assignment lol). Every time I move I take less and less with me. Still think I'm taking too much, but I'm getting better at it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
If you're planning on returning home on your days off, that sounds like the best option. What shift do you work?

Donnie thinks so, too!! I work 7pm-7am WEEKENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love my weekends, mainly 'cause there are less "chiefs" and more "indians"!!:up::yelclap:

I really hope that the assignment I (should) interview for Monday will be flexable enough to let me work weekends, or if not, at least my three nights together!! Ya'll wish me luck!!!

's RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have seen some nurses get shafted with the housing they were given. They were put up in a bad area in sub par housing. I travelled with my wife and had good experiences whereever we went. Just remember you are in the drivers seat. If you arent working the agency isnt making any money. Before starting an assignment ask for multiple options and make the decision yourself. Also ask the other travelers what kind of bonuses they are getting. I know it is taboo, but the agency probably already knows what everyone else is getting anyway. If they can make more money off of a bonus the hospital is paying they probably will.

I've had pretty good luck with housing. I'm interested to see what this next place will be like. I've only had one bad apartment (and boy howdy was that a doozy lol). It really wasn't the agency's fault, and to their credit they moved me to another complex along with all the other travelers who were living there (even though nothing was wrong with their apts).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Donnie thinks so, too!! I work 7pm-7am WEEKENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love my weekends, mainly 'cause there are less "chiefs" and more "indians"!!:up::yelclap:

I really hope that the assignment I (should) interview for Monday will be flexable enough to let me work weekends, or if not, at least my three nights together!! Ya'll wish me luck!!!

's RN

I had that specified in my last contract... that I would work every Fri/Sat/Sun (I do 7ps too). You may want to consider doing that ;)
Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have seen some nurses get shafted with the housing they were given. They were put up in a bad area in sub par housing. I travelled with my wife and had good experiences whereever we went. Just remember you are in the drivers seat. If you arent working the agency isnt making any money. Before starting an assignment ask for multiple options and make the decision yourself. Also ask the other travelers what kind of bonuses they are getting. I know it is taboo, but the agency probably already knows what everyone else is getting anyway. If they can make more money off of a bonus the hospital is paying they probably will.

PLEASE---explain. This is a big first for me!! Nobody's offered any bonus?!?

Angel's RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

I am not a traveler, but have researched it online. Some companies offer completion bonuses after each 13 week period. It seems to be around 500 bucks for an average.

Anyone, feel free to correct me ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am not a traveler, but have researched it online. Some companies offer completion bonuses after each 13 week period. It seems to be around 500 bucks for an average.

Anyone, feel free to correct me ;)

I had a traveler tell me to watch out when big bucks are offered as a completion bonus. Investigate as well as you can, and ask yourself just why are they offering so much money to finish an assignment?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB.
I had a traveler tell me to watch out when big bucks are offered as a completion bonus. Investigate as well as you can, and ask yourself just why are they offering so much money to finish an assignment?

This is true - especially when the completion bonus is large in relation to the length of contract. Also be aware that bonuses are taxed at a higher rate than regular pay. I find that I usually get about 2/3 of the bonus after taxes. Although it is rare to get them to agree to it, I have in the past been able to talk the agency into rolling the bonus into my hourly rate. (Divide the bonus by the required hours and pay that much more per hour) That way it is taxed at the lower rate and increases the rate for any overtime I do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I had a traveler tell me to watch out when big bucks are offered as a completion bonus. Investigate as well as you can, and ask yourself just why are they offering so much money to finish an assignment?

Definitely the smart thing to do. You do not want a completion bonus at the end of the contract; too much is taken in taxes since it is non-earned income and taxed at much higher rate. You are much further ahead to get it added in to your pay.

I am always suspicious of completion bonuses, as it can also mean that not many stay to finish.

Just like the hospital in Texas that had a $50,000 sign on bonus. Very few ever got it, if any. Most left after a short time from there, and the hospital only had to pay a very small part of the sign-on bonus to them. Looked great on paper, but in the end............bad deal for most.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
I'm not sure my housing stipend would cover the cost of a hotel. Did you pay a daily rate or weekly/monthly? I went to their site and checked out the cost where I'm going next week (too late for this one, but I just wanted to see what it would have been) and I don't believe my stipend would have covered it.

I just checked the Extended stay website, and for the one I stayed in in Tucson, Crosslands, 30 days is $929.67, and the larger one the Extended Stay America is $1439.68 for 30 days.

It is cheaper per day the longer you stay, so plug in your numbers and see what you come up with.

Generally I will take the furnished apartment rather than the stipend if I am not commuting back and forth, but I was waiting on my husband to come to Az. and we ended up renting a house, but I didn't plan on being in the hotel as long as I was. We rented a nice house with a month to month lease for $650 and furnished it at thrift stores.

Depending on your company, you may get the completion bonuses rolled into your housing instead of salary, then it is not taxed at all if you meet certain criteria.

The hospital in Tucson, Carondelet St. Josephs did give $2500 completion bonuses at the end of each 13 weeks. It was a very busy assignment, but not bad, certainly not unsafe or horrible. I ended up with about $1600 of each bonus after taxes. My housing stipend was about $1100, and salary $30/hr, so it was not too bad and we loved Tucson.

I understand the Arizona hospital association had been locking salaries, but are no longer the stronghold they were, so you probably could make more money. I was there several years ago.

If you are not trying to rent a house so you can have a dog or family along, I would just take the company housing. My company offers single housing and it is always very nice, never had any complaints.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment