Need Help- 2 Agency offers @ same Hospital

[Cassideca]

Hi-

I am a L& D Rn with 5 yrs experience. My current job has gone stale , No raise in 2 yrs , due to Hospital/Medi-cal Budget Issues. So the past month I have looked in travel assignments here in California.

I signed up one one of the sites, and now my phone and email has been flooded w all these agencies calling.

I have spoke w one in particular Suppplemental Healthcare a few times, asking about insur benefits, stipends, pay rate etc. Well , now the recruiter has set up a phone interview w / the L&D MNGER at the hospital , I have been waiting since TUES, and no call yet. she just emails me "they will be calling you." 13 wk assignment $12/hr $18 hr OT rate w a $950 weekly stipend . total $1252 wkly with medical and dental (high ded/HMO)

I pretty much make that now, where I am . My bring home is $2100 q 2 weeks , on Night shift.

the other agency, Nightengale- called and stated same position at same Hosp $22.74hr/$#$34.11 ot rate $861 weekly stipend +$1625 weekly take home (insur -Crappy) but at that rate , I can pay for my cobra , or another Blue shield plan on my own.

Why the difference ? Agency takes that much of Rate ?

Nightengale told me , since I already have phone interview set up , I would need to call Supplemental and have them remove my profilefrom their agency ,

so that Nightengale can sign me ?

Im thorouoghly confused on whatt to do here. the assignment is 2 hours away from my home, and I think good for a first timer.

Hosp offers $3K bonus at end of 13 wk assignment.

Any Advise much Welcome !

Thanks

[BluntForceTrauma]

I've always heard not to let two different agencies submit you to the same job.

[NedRN]

The issue is that the hospital doesn't want to get involved in agency disputes. Sometimes if they receive the same profile from two different agencies, they will not interview that traveler at all. But generally, the first agency to submit a traveler, "owns" that traveler and the hospital will only take the traveler through that first agency.

So forget about it for that hospital. Other than perhaps negotiating with the first agency to match the pay of the second. It is worth asking your first agency recruiter about it in general, perhaps there is some misunderstanding about the two offers and their total value - possibly the insurance is the issue - Supplemental's insurance is about $700 a month I have heard.

This will not be the only hospital paying a similar amount. Now that you have found a better paying agency, stay tuned into them for other assignments. But don't get involved trying to switch agencies for this particular hospital.

It is too late now, but don't sign up on internet sites that promise connections to all the best agencies. Total BS. It is far better to look for yourself than have someone sell your name to all comers.

By the way, completion bonuses are a bit risky as if you are terminated for any reason, you won't get it. But hospital pass through bonuses can be lucrative if you can make it to the end. In this case, that 3K bonus translates into another $6 an hour.

[RNFiona]

I worked for Nightengale...they are shady...crappy housing....promised a rental car..then told no ...promised health insurance, waited a month it wasn't even insurance..it was a discount card...pay was decent but that's about it