New to the Travel Game

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Specializes in L&D.

Hi Everyone

I have been a nurse for 3.5 years and have worked labor and delivery for the past two. I work on the west coast (not California but close to it) and want to try traveling. I really LOVE labor and delivery but am so sick of my hospital and unit. The day shift is functional and busy, but the night shift is full of whiners and laziness. I really need a change. I've talked to several travel companies so far - Medical express, fastaff and advantageRN but have been a little discouraged. I'm not trying to get rich but have been told $700-$900 a week by one company if I take the housing they provide. I refuse to work for this amount of pay since I make more now. I know L&D is high demand so I feel like I'm being low balled and ripped off. What do you think?

Thanks!

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Hi Everyone

I have been a nurse for 3.5 years and have worked labor and delivery for the past two. I work on the west coast (not California but close to it) and want to try traveling. I really LOVE labor and delivery but am so sick of my hospital and unit. The day shift is functional and busy, but the night shift is full of whiners and laziness. I really need a change. I've talked to several travel companies so far - Medical express, fastaff and advantageRN but have been a little discouraged. I'm not trying to get rich but have been told $700-$900 a week by one company if I take the housing they provide. I refuse to work for this amount of pay since I make more now. I know L&D is high demand so I feel like I'm being low balled and ripped off. What do you think?

Thanks!

I would suggest talking to Travel Nurse Across America and Trinity Healthcare. I am taking the stipend, and it was not that hard to find housing. That will be how you really bank some money. When I took their housing before I did not make as much as I thought I would, actually not much more than I made being a staff nurse.

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That does sound low. I'm surprised if you got numbers from Fastaff because they mostly pay $40 or more plus included housing. You may also not be comparing apples to apples (always difficult to compare staff pay to travel). For example, they may be quoting take home pay and you are referencing against your gross pay.

But when you say "not much more", it is higher than staff pay? Presumably your current housing costs will be less if you go traveling. No matter what, ignore the talk you may have heard about rich travelers. Don't do it for the money primarily.

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Specializes in L&D.

Thanks for the responses. I will look into Trinity Health Care and Travel Nurse Across America. I just want to make a little more $500-$1000 a month to cover my expenses that will increase like housing and insurance premiums.

Ned - That quote was from the first company I mentioned. Fastaff called me endlessly then when I tried to get a hold of them it was crickets. I talked to the first company again and told them my concerns and they are now telling me $1400 a week including the housing stipend for northern California. It's still not a good deal (in my opinion) since a garage studio in the area rents for $1600 + utilities. I am going to keep looking and speak with other companies.

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Both Trinity and TNAA have great reputations but I don't know that either of them are known for better compensation. Medical Express is one of the American Mobile brands and they are not known for great compensation either. Advantage RN is one my list of do-not-use agencies for long standing historical badness. Fastaff is well known for lack of responsiveness to travelers not already working for them, constant calling is something new. Often when agencies don't call you it is because you are specific in your location and they have nothing there.

To some extent, finding the best pay is a bit of a numbers game, contact lots of agencies. L&D nurses should be getting great pay, not poor pay.

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