New to Travel Nursing...need advice!

[amanda419]

Hello all!

I am an RN and have worked at my current position for a little over 2 years now. I'm currently a Med/Surg RN/Charge Nurse at a Critical Access Hospital. Love the job, but I really want to explore travel nursing. Doing online research has helped me out a bit as far as general topics are concerned (i.e. pay, benefits,travel reimbursements), but I really need some advice from those of you who have done or are doing this.

I have some questions, and any answers you could give me would be so greatly appreciated!

-Are there any agencies that target to more rural hospitals/urgent care clinics? (Ideally, I would like to work in smaller cities and hospitals)

-How frequently do you find yourself not getting the destinations you've requested?

-What is the housing situation like that the agency provides you with?

-When you arrive at a new job, how does the staff respond to you being there? Are they helpful and kind, or are you sort of seen as an outcast?

Obviously I have many more questions, but these are the ones I could think of at this time. Most importantly, I think, is hearing feedback on the agencies themselves so I know what I am getting myself into by applying to them. There are so many out there, I just don't know where to start!

Thanks so much! Best of luck to you all!

-Amanda

[mellyreid]

I am about to leave for my first travel assignment in DC which I am really excited about. From what I have observed, usually there is a wide variety of places that are offered. In the end I did not get the place that I really wanted because I took too long to respond. I have found you have to act quickly and get submitted ASAP for an assignment you are interested in. Also, a lot of places ask that you have previous travel experience so really once you get your first assignment under your belt, a lot more options are opened. If you do want to get to certain places, I would just recommend trying until you get it. For me I needed a job ASAP so I responded to ones that were taking people in a short time frame. For the staffing agencies I recommend "interviewing" a few to see if you like their company and what they have to offer. The great news is you are only with them for the period of time you sign your contract, so if you are not happy with them after all you can change to a different company next time. Best of luck to you in your endeavors! :)

[Citigyrl]

There are Med surge positions available in the virgin islands if you are ready to travel soon. I can give you info if interested.

[EmergencyNrse]

First you should start out asking/talking to a recruiter.

You are never just sent out to work somewhere you don't

want to be. You decide when/where you will go. The recruiter

will show you the job offerings in the states you want to work

and you can pick and choose the place. There is still an interview

process (usually telephone) that takes place before you're hired

and can sometimes be competitive with all the nurses seeking similar

"choice" destinations.

Licensure can be an issue with some states and can be as much

as 6 months to wait on a temp or permanent license. Most nursing

programs meet standards for all states but reciprocity is not guarranteed.

You must go to the Board of Nursing in each state you are interested in

working to ensure you meet all their requirements.

Lastly, this is a word-of-mouth driven industry. Get with some other

travelers that work in your same field. We discuss the best companies,

the best destinations, and the hospitals to avoid. (There are some

#ell-holes out there and you don't want to get stuck in a bad assignment)

Traveling should be enjoyable. Don't stress about it but arm yourself with facts and intelligence BEFORE you contract anywhere. There's good information here and other websites.