Looking into travel nursing

NedRN · Jul 13, 2014

You can search for the many existing threads on travel nursing in Hawaii and learn a lot. You may be then able to come up with more focused questions. I doubt if too many travelers will know if Hawaii hospitals hire new grads - not something we would ever notice. I've been traveling for 20 years and I couldn't answer that question about a single hospital I've been to.

About new grad hiring: I would suggest going to Hawaii hospital websites and look at available jobs. If they don't mention new grad programs, you may have to call them. Now is actually a good time to do it, as many internships fill up well before graduation.

Otherwise, you are best off getting a internship in a major teaching hospital and getting a thorough grounding in your chosen specialty, a process that will take two to three years in that specialty. Then you can work where you want!

wylie-coyote · Jul 13, 2014

Ned is like an encyclopedia on travel nursing and definitely right on. Look for at least 2 years experience in addition to having a few travel jobs under your belt in order to work in Hawaii as a travel RN. At least this is what the agencies tell me, and who knows what their requirement will be 2 years from now. A friend of mine did go to Maui and applied for a full-time staff RN job, and got hired. That would probably be your best bet if you want to skip ahead. But from what I know, I think Texas is a compact license state which means you'll be able to choose 23 other states for travel.

NedRN · Jul 13, 2014

And all of those 23 states are better places to work than Texas. Even for your first job, I would give some weight to almost any other place to work. Texas has a triple whammy, really bad employer attitude (and bad physician attitudes), really bad BON, and really bad blacklist courtesy of the Dallas-Ft Worth hospital association that is state wide. I might also avoid much of the South, and Las Vegas. About the only benefit to working in Texas is developing a thick skin, which is professionally useful. But perhaps not the best learning environment. This is a vast generalization because I'm sure that there are some dynamite units in good hospitals, but the risks are there. Since you have a hankering to go somewhere else, treat yourself and do it right after school.

All this advice is really premature given that you are long way from graduating, but here is one more tip. When you take the NCLEX, you can choose where to locate your first license, it doesn't have to be Texas. Choose carefully. If you pick California for example (which is where I went to school and had expected to work), you will have to pay a $60 fee to them for license verification to endorse into many states that require verification of your first license and wait many weeks (which I've had to do many times). Most states utilize Nursys, an online system that is immediate (only four BONs now require a snail mail licensure such as California). Some states just have nurse friendlier BONs and customer service. I'd put Maine and Massachusetts in that category. Some states like Texas are just plain nurse hostile (state attitude in general), and NJ is just plain expensive. Picking a state that has compact licensure will give you some flexibility if you travel later, but it does require that you keep that state as your locus (if you move somewhere else, that compact license is now single state and cannot be used in other compact states). Texas is compact but may decide if you get your original license from them that they have lifetime oversight, and what might be considered a minor nursing infraction in most states will become a major event.

Everything I said should be considered if all other options are equal, but they seldom are. Go with the best job offer, working conditions, internship, in your dream specialty (when you decide what that is). Compensation should be secondary to picking the best teaching hospital for you. You will have greater earning power later with the right experience.

Jessicadunbar · Jul 15, 2014

Thank you! That is all great advice! I will definitely look into internships and jobs at specific hospitals in Hawaii. And your spot on about Texas! The attitudes of nurses in the hospitals for my clinicals was overwhelmingly disappointing :/

NedRN · Jul 15, 2014

If a nurse is unhappy at their job, they are unlikely to show enthusiasm orienting students to take over their unhappy jobs.

raindrop · Jul 15, 2014

Ahh Ned!! I just sent everything to the Texas BON for a temp license. Texas appeals to me for a Fall-winter assignment because of the weather and there seems to be a ton of TN jobs around the state for my specialty. Arrgg. Was hoping to go to el paso because I can take the stipend and live at my aunts house. Had no idea that Tx isn't nurse frirndly, should have done my research damn

NedRN · Jul 15, 2014

The majority of nurses working so in Texas do not end up with license issues or blacklists so chances are you will be fine too. I can't say how the job satisfaction of nurses working in Texas compare to other states, all I know is enough real issues and anecdotal evidence such that I will never work there and freely advise others to do the same given other options despite my lack of first hand evidence. But I have worked in Southern states with similar issues. Florida is enticing to many in the wintertime, but man those physicians are rough! As are HCA hospitals generally.

Azariahjoe · Oct 27, 2014

Yeah sure getting into it can be a wise decision of yours, what i personally feel is things has to be pretty reasonable especially for a female when it comes to choosing a profession which stays quite reasonable as a factor and at the same time thinking of how far it can really be taken helps for sure.

WitchyPooh · Oct 30, 2014

Nurses have been known to eat their own. However, having said that-the atmosphere is far more pleasant than it was 30 years ago when I joined the profession. But we still have a long way to go in encouraging and uplifting one another.

On to answering your question-Most agencies I've had interaction with REQUIRE a minimum of 1 year clinical experience. So you will have to get that before going to work for any travel nursing agency. Travel nurse jobs in Hawaii are coveted. There are few and highly sought after. Should one come available, some crusty old nurse like myself will snatch it up Your best bet is as someone suggested, seek out a permanent job at a Hawaiian hospital.

mursec · Nov 2, 2014

Ned what's your speciality? What's company do you travel through? Also what's your best travel experience? I hope you d o n t mind all the questions, but I'm very interested in traveling and you seem to know a lot about it.

NedRN · Nov 2, 2014

OR. No agency, direct contracts only. Every assignment!