In Need of Travel Company Recommendation

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Thank you Suzanne for putting my question in the right place and thank you all for your replies. Maybe if you all know what I want then you can direct me to some companies that you have had good experience with. I know I want the maximum pay available with private, nice, fully-stocked, safe housing in Charleston, SC. I want to work for 26 weeks in the NICU at the Medical University of South Carolina starting August 2006 thru Februuary 2006. I do not need health insurance, but would like a company that is willing to consider a rental car or willing to pay high mileage reimbursement if I am to drive my own car. I would like to be able to take time off after my assignment is over before I took another one. My husband is military and so we move often. It would be nice if the company was large enough to have contracts all over the USA, however, not so large that I soley become a $ to them. I do have a dog and a cat (can have someone watch my dog if necessary) that I would like to travel with. Also would like a company that offers sick time (just in case) and allows me to contribute to a 410K plan on day one.

Now, I feel like a demanding and spoiled child! :mad: It just seems that if nurses are in such high demand and we all work so hard, pouring our lives into what we do for the sake of others well-being then we should be duly compensated. It is not a job that all can do or do well.

Ok - thank you again and in advance for all your help and advice. I desire to really make travel nursing work for me.

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I just finished an assignment in California with World Health and was very pleased with my recruitor. Am currently back in Texas, with Preferred and am not happy with them at all, and I have only been here 2 weeks. Good luck to you

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I work with HRN and love them however they are a smaller company and would not have everything you are looking for. As far as pets go - travel without them if you can - I have a black lab and finding a place is nothing but a headache!!! Taking time off between assignements is not a problem - usually you have 23 -30 days before you run into insurance issues with most companies. The car thing I do not have any idea about. Most companies give a travel stipend towards your cost of going to and from the assignment. MOst companies have private housing - fully stocked - some do that and some charge you for it. Most will let you contribute to a 401 after you have been with them for awhile. As for a travel company offering sick time - I have not heard of that!!! You might want to check out supplemental - a company out of buffalo - the pay is lower but the do a MLA allowance and you may be able to maximize your income in this manner.

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatric Cardiac.

I just finished a 6 month contract at MUSC with American Traveler. The pay scale ranges about 23-26/hr amongst all the companies that contract with MUSC. I did three months in the PICU at 23/hr and 3 months in Ped Cardiac ICU at 25/hr. Overtime is time and half after 40 hrs. The few times I floated to the NICU weren't too bad. I think they are about 30-40 bed NICU and you float to PICU (1 floated when I worked there and I oriented her to the unit...LOL) or Special Care (NICU Stepdown) and maybe PCICU (but none did when I worked there). Travel reimbursement to the assignment is $.23/mile to max of $300. Where I was housed there were plenty of dogs around; I stayed at Alexan Belle Hall in Mt Pleasant which is a 15 minute drive over the new bridge. Housing is bear minimum, furnished, but you might be able to ask for corporate if you push hard enough. I didn't because I really didn't want to fight too much with it. The apt complex has a gym and pool; W/D hook-up and company rented that for my apt; but also has laundry facility in main clubhouse. 401 K kicks in unfortunately after the first assignment, approx. after 500 hrs. Since you have your own health insurance, you can get a $100/month subsidy to help pay for the cost or break it down and get an extra $1.35/hr incorporated into your pay rate. Thats what I'm doing here w/ my new assignment. I went from 26/hr to 33/hr by getting my own insurance and fudging some other benefits. I'll email you my name and recruiter. I hope some of this info helps you. I enjoyed Charleston very much. I left the VA/MD/DC area for the winter to get away from the snow/ice storms. Enjoyed not having to drive through snow for once in about 5 years. Still got some cold days in Charleston, but thankfully no snow. Good luck. I may see you this winter...I'm thinking of going "south for the winter" again.

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First thing that comes to my head is that you are limited in agencies if there is a specific hospital that you wish to work at. Hospitals usually only contract with a couple of agencies.

This is what I am saying, not all agencies work for all nurses.

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