New Traveler to California

nightingale, RN · Mar 14, 2006

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Uh... what is that about? That sentence? I am just curious.

Sylvia321 · Mar 15, 2006

I'm currently with an agency called supplemental healthcare staffing doing per diem with a local hospital here in Atlanta GA. I have not decided if i want to travel w/ them yet. I just got off the phone with this nice man from Trinity health care, i'm just surveying companies and see what packages/benefits work for me. I want to travel to California in the summer or fall preferrably southern CA or San Jose area i haven't decided yet. I want a 13 week contract for 12hr nights medsurg. So far i know exactly what i don't want in a hospital. I have a couple of questions.Before i begin these are the things i want as a traveler. 1.excellent paycheck 2.I want an apartment in a safe neighborhood( prefrable gated apt w/ lots of amenities). 3. Good hospital orientation for travelers.( also hosp. has to have adequate staffing,supplies on the floor,and nursing assistant). 4.I definitely need a car. 5. Travel expense covered to and from assigments. 6. Medical and Mal practice insurance Those are pretty much the top things on my list. The recruiter i spoke to said they don't offer free housing however they give u money that is tax deductable or something. I can then spend it on what i need ( housing, car rental etc). Are they apartments that are designated for traveling healthcare proffessionals or do I have to actually go sign a 3 month lease for an apartment how does that work? I know nothing in America is free. So agencies that offer free housing, insurances, car rental etc i think all that suff is somehow deducted from the paycheck. Is it better to get your own private health insurance and mal practice ins? Is it wise to transport my SUV to california or should i just rent a car over there? I'm currently living in an apartment in Atlanta how do you travelers manage your home bills while you travel? What is the going rate hourly or weekly or per assignment for medsurg RN travelers in Southern CA? I'm sorry this is so long i'm just trying to collect as much information as i can before i travel. Thanks Anne

Southern CA pays lower than the San Fran and Sacramento areas. I pay a lot of my bills online, or just write a check and mail to the address that my bill goes to. You can usually check credit card balances on line and write a check if you don't want to transfer money on line. Some travelers have a mail place forward their mail.

Southern CA pay rate should be at least $30/hour preferable $35/hour plus bennies. If an agency offers less, then keep looking for another one. There are over 300 agencies out there. Try Hospital Support, Global RN, I can't think of others that are down south right now. Also that $30 and up includes FREE PRIVATE housing and health insurance, since you would most likely be flying out there, I would want possibly an extended stay as that will have linens and dishes etc.Or you could go to the dollar stor and get cheap stuff then donate it when you leave,, that would probably cost you less than $50. Not all agencies give a car allowance, Global RN does, Bryan Health care does, but not sure if she has contracts in southern CA, you can call and ask. The staffing ratios for med/surg here in CA is 1:5, and it is wonderful. Sometimes you get CNAs and at times you don't. If you work at a Kaiser hospital, then travelers always float, they are unions and it is in the union contract. Some travelers drive from coast to coast and some don't. My car is at my son's in Ark. I am in Sacramento now. Global RN does 4-13 week contracts and give a car allowance, as does Bryan Healthcare. Mike with Hospital Support is good about working with you and he has been upfront in the past.. I would maybe think about trying a short contract to see if you like it. I have been traveling since 1998 and have not regretted it. NEVER EVER sign your name to any lease or utilities any where you go as a traveler. Signing with the phone company if you wish to hook up a land line is ok, but NOT the utilities or an apt. Those are the responsibility of the travel agencies. If you signed and the hospital canceled your contract for any reason then you would be responsible for the rent and utilities. If an agency tries to make you sign or pay, just move on to someone else. Housing in CA is extremely high. If you do not know the areas you could end up in dangerous areas. Like south central LA is not safe,Drew/King hospital is in the middle of gangland and many floors don't pass inspections... Hope this helps

NEC1970 · Mar 22, 2006

as a traveler in soCal, i can tell you from experience to avoid American Mobile. they are huge and run a lot of this market but the downside is their pay is low, rarely get any bonus, no car allowance and very low housing stipend. they also will not authorize overtime at a double time rate across the board even if a manager approves it. i know, it happened to me. my manager signed off on a double time shift and AMN would not pay it. they said it's not in my contract and they only pay time and half after 40 hrs. i said your taking money out of your own pocket and mine plus my manager authorized it after i already did 36 hrs that week. keep your eyes open is all i can say with these companies.

NEC1970 · Mar 22, 2006

anybody have experience working for a KAISER hospital particularly in southern california? i am thinking of applying for a staff position. thanks.

mangubatmc · Mar 26, 2006

hello guys, i'm moving to north cali next month.i'm planning to travel first,yet i don't which agency to choose.do you know pretty good agency in san fran bay area? pls let me know. i'm with fastaff now,but seems like they don't offers in Sf area.

tcon · Mar 29, 2006

i currently work for Nurses in Partnership, they have provided all that you are asking for. Los Robles Regional Medical Center is an excellent hospital. good luck Terri

pearldora · Apr 6, 2006

hello guys, i'm moving to north cali next month.i'm planning to travel first,yet i don't which agency to choose.do you know pretty good agency in san fran bay area? pls let me know. i'm with fastaff now,but seems like they don't offers in Sf area.

Run, don't walk to either the Napa valley area or the Santa Cruz area. Especially this time of year. There are several agencies that are placing nurses in Queen of the Valley Hosp in Napa and two diff hosps. in Santa Cruz. Napa is 45 min north of San Fran (beautiful drive), and Santa Cruz is RIGHT ON THE BEACH, and is about 45 mins south of San Fran. Travel Nurse friendly staff in both locales. Also, I saw a recent post for Travel Nurses at San Quentin Prison. Don't laugh. It's the highest paying gig I've ever seen. After working in a "locked-down" unit at a hosp that admitted prisoners, it's a safe gig. 2 guards stand by you at all times. Prisoners are close-tv monitored w/ one ankle handcuffed to bed. If you want to see the post, go to craigslist.com. It's easy to get around in that website and postings can be found there. Good luck! San Quentin is in the heart of San Fran and you could use your "off" time to day drip around - lots and lots of fun places to explore. Also, you could use the time to find a hosp around the area where you might like to go next. It's a travel nurse's market all over the place up there. There are national contractors who have these positions. Surfs up!!!

ou_rn · Apr 20, 2006

Can anyone give me some advise? I want to travel to Folsom, CA and work there as a nurse while my husband does a six month internship. I have talked to a few recruiters, but they both told me max pay is about $30 and that I would only be able to work nights. When I ask about the housing they told me I had to fill out these forms before they would give me any more info. I dont think I should have to fill out anything to get info from them, is this common? Does anyone have an idea of the pay for the Folsom or Sacramento area? I have 3yrs exp in ICU and 1 yr med/surg..