Negotiating in travel nursing

[Guest10/16/15]

I am just finishing my first travel nursing assignment. What an experience...I have learned so much. I have a few questions I thought others might be able to answer. Firstly, I have my next assignment to start immediately after finishing my current position. But, with the initial and the new, the process of compliance, receiving a schedule, instructions for first day, etc has been extremely chaotic. Does the agency really have so little control as mine claims? I am scheduled to start my second assignment Monday, but everyday there is something new I need that the agency supposedly is unaware of. I will be working at part of a large organization. It would seem the agency would have some experience, just by the sheer number of facilities across the states, of what their compliance entails. Today I was at work and received an email stating they require the flu vaccine before starting. Ok. A little late to know, but doable. But, they are withholding first day instructions until I provide proof.

Secondly, my current supervisor told me early on travelers always work first even when census is low because they pay regardless. I recently called off ill one shift and my supervisor stated I would be paid, again, regardless because the hospital pays for all scheduled shifts. The agency states this is incorrect. Who is correct?

Finally, without discussing specific numbers, my supervisor indicated I was probably not being paid appropriately. Do travelers typically negotiate their wages? I Have a gut feeling because this is new to me and the first agency I have worked with, the agency is taking advantage of the situation.

I am a NICU nurse with 8 years full time experience. I started travel nursing after searching for a new position due to extremely low census at the hospital where I worked. Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Argo]

Yeah it can be that chaotic. Just go with the flow. My current location I got instructions the day before from the hospital HR that were wrong and got my actual proper instructions the morning of start on the way in to the hospital from the manager. I don't really care though as long as I have the position, just roll with it.

Yes, negotiate your pay. It may be in the form of higher tax free stipend or higher hourly, either way you want to maximize your earnings. My low number is $2800 take home every 2 weeks with 36 hours and no call. I work up from there, that's MY number. If the particular job is paying lower than that I would make them come up to it. If it is already higher, I ask for more than what's offered. Either way, ask for more money

[NedRN]

Yes, you would think every agency would have QA down. However, it is not just the agency, it is common that hospital's HR or employee health get picky about stupid stuff, like Hep B vaccination proof even though you have a positive Hep B titer. Sometimes you don't find out about this kind of stuff until just a day before your start date, requiring a big scramble or even delaying your start date.

Once done for a particular agency, it is easier on assignment two. All this hassle is a major reason why many travelers don't want to deal with working with multiple agencies. But the truth is, is that once you nail the required compliance documentation by the pickiest of the pickiest hospitals, you can make a file with all the required documents and doing it for a new agency is relatively trivial.

There is a great article on PanTravelers about negotiating. But in short, to negotiate effectively, you ultimately have to be willing to walk away. To do that, you have to have options. To have options, you need to be talking to other agencies. Information is power. A single agency has much more information than you do, it is difficult to question pay if one quote is all you have. If you work with multiple agencies, you will have access to many more quotes and now can negotiate knowing what fair compensation looks like.

Your supervisor may or may not know if you are being paid fairly. For one thing, do they know how much your housing stipend is? If they do not know all your compensation details, and someone else's, they cannot know. Just an hourly rate by itself has little meaning. What they might know is what the contract says about call offs. So that could be true.

[Guest10/16/15]

I was told there was no leniency in the stipends. However, I only receive $50 a week for travel , which I spend more than this in gas alone. I was told by another agency who I am not an employee of there is a website to determine these amounts, accounting for city, county, etc. however the agency I am working for is firm that the stipends cannot be negotiated. Any thoughts?

[BD-RN, BSN, RN]

If they are not willing to negotiate then call another.

[NedRN]

Again, negotiation means you have to be willing to walk. Start talking to other agencies if you believe your compensation is inadequate.

If you Google GSA per diem you will get to the site with legal maximum amounts for housing and M&IE. There is no requirement to pay anything, no matter your actual costs. There may be an element of truth in what your agency is saying in that the IRS may hold them accountable if they pay different travelers different per diems. That is tantamount to recharacterization of taxable income (illegal). Mind you, a number of agencies do in fact do this (and there is no downside from the traveler perspective), and it can be hard to prove except by comparing a number of traveler's contracts. Not your concern about the agency's risk, but it is often better to work for an agency that maximizes tax free stipends and one that is OK with shifting money from taxable to non-taxable compensation - from a dollars standpoint, that is a zero sum game to the agency (or actually saving them some money) but to you it results in a higher take-home net.

Personally, I don't spend any money on gas at an assignment as I bicycle to work. No company can be held responsible for how an employee chooses to spend their compensation. But just so you know, the travel stipend is usually paid in two chunks at the beginning and end of your assignment and is meant to defray travel costs to and from the assignment from your tax home (or prior assignment). In your case it is paid weekly (which is unusual) for a total of $650. It is based on IRS maximum of 57.5 cents a mile, which is supposed to represent the true cost of a midsized car including gas, depreciation, insurance, and maintenance. In your case, your round trip would have to be at least 1,130 miles for them to legally pay you this much without taxes. This usual round trip payment of $600 to $800 in no way pays for the actual costs of driving a car or flying longer distances. You may deduct the difference between what you are reimbursed, and your actual mileage though (which is only helpful if you already itemize your tax return unfortunately).

[Guest10/16/15]

So, on Friday at 4 pm I received instructions to arrive at HR at 0800 Monday, August 31 and for orientation at 0830 on September 8. I tried to find out more information regarding my schedule for the rest of the week without success. I'm a bit confused why orientation would begin the week after. I certainly don't want a bad first impression, but because I'm traveling, I am unable to make childcare arrangements, book a hotel, etc. The agency says they do not have any other information, and I realize I need to be somewhat flexible, but I don't know if I can make this work. Would it be unprofessional to not go on Monday and call HR for at least a 2 day schedule?

[NedRN]

All I can do is guess here, but many hospitals don't have facility orientation every week, yet they need to get travelers started. You will discover that facility orientation is somewhat worthless, consisting of suits reciting mission statements and such. So HR to get your badge and your first week's schedule. Too late now, but your agency should have been able to give (and get) more information. Is this the first time they have placed travelers at this hospital?

There are rare travelers who have kids, but the vast majority of them are traveling with a friend or a family member to make it work. I'm guessing you are from the south and traveling to make more money and I can empathize, however you may want to consider a staff position in a higher paid area instead of travel until the childcare is better sorted. You will do better financially at a staff job between the good health coverage and PTO - zero wiggle room for travelers with urgent childcare issues.

Yes, show up on Monday. You won't have a job if you don't.

[Guest10/16/15]

I would like to think they have placed travelers here or elsewhere as the hospital organization is quite large as has numerous facilities. This is only my second assignment and the last was much the same, receiving instructions late on Friday, for Monday morning. However, I did receive the first week schedule. I'm very frustrated with the agency in general and wish I had not agreed to work with them again, but it is a bit too late for that. I work in the NICU and the positions near (an hour or so) my home are limited so this is why I decided to give travel nursing a try.

[kristenRN1970]

Can you please recommend an agency that a new traveler can actually trust? I have spoken to quite a few of them and it kinda seems they throw ya to the wolves or I am the one always following up with them for possible jobs? I am a home health nurse for the past 8 years and that is what I want to continue to do. Anyone with advice?