New Travelers Get Taken Advantage Of...

CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY NEW TRAVELERS GET SO TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THESE COMPANIES?

A NURSE WHO I USED TO WORK WITH IN VIRGINIA IS INTERESTED IN TRAVELING TO CALIFORNIA. ONE COMPANY OFFERED HER $23/HR FOR SAN DIEGO W/BENE'S, AND HOUSING.

THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. I TOLD HER SHE SHOULD BE GETTING NOTHING LESS THAN $30/HR. I'LL GIVE HER THIS WEBSITE AND OTHERS TO GET MORE ADVICE ABOUT TRAVELING.

[gypsigirl]

Hi TEXAS,

I go to Delphi.com , there is lots of info about traveling and travelers who give their advice and experiences. So far I have found almost 155 travel agencies!!!! There are some really great ones, some really bad ones. I am a student now but look forward to traveling as soon as I can. What I am doing now is homework about traveling nurses and companies. I have started files about each company I find about and then investigate it as throughly as I can so that when I am ready I'll be prepared.

If you don't know anything about how it works you can really get taken...I've read some scary stories, but overall good. Tell your friend to also check out genocities.com It is a good web site also. good luck

[live4today, RN]

Originally posted by TEXASWAG

CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY NEW TRAVELERS GET SO TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THESE COMPANIES?

A NURSE WHO I USED TO WORK WITH IN VIRGINIA IS INTERESTED IN TRAVELING TO CALIFORNIA. ONE COMPANY OFFERED HER $23/HR FOR SAN DIEGO W/BENE'S, AND HOUSING.

THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. I TOLD HER SHE SHOULD BE GETTING NOTHING LESS THAN $30/HR. I'LL GIVE HER THIS WEBSITE AND OTHERS TO GET MORE ADVICE ABOUT TRAVELING.

Actually for San Diego, those bennies sound quite 'normal', especially if your friend is going to travel at Sharp Hospital or Kaiser Permanente Hospital. I use to do agency for them when I lived there, and they were the lowest paying of all the hospitals in or near San Diego. :)

[Brownms46]

Originally posted by TEXASWAG

CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY NEW TRAVELERS GET SO TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THESE COMPANIES?

A NURSE WHO I USED TO WORK WITH IN VIRGINIA IS INTERESTED IN TRAVELING TO CALIFORNIA. ONE COMPANY OFFERED HER $23/HR FOR SAN DIEGO W/BENE'S, AND HOUSING.

THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. I TOLD HER SHE SHOULD BE GETTING NOTHING LESS THAN $30/HR. I'LL GIVE HER THIS WEBSITE AND OTHERS TO GET MORE ADVICE ABOUT TRAVELING.

I agree with you....as $23.00/hr is what I have been paid with housing and bennies! Most agencies are offering at least $33./hr or more...with $35.00/hr being close to the normal...and up to $50/hr being the high for the first 8hrs!

I never accept the initial rate I'm offered... anywhere. To me everything offer is negotialable..or I don't bite...:).

[gr8nurse4u]

Originally posted by Brownms46

I never accept the initial rate I'm offered... anywhere. To me everything offer is negotialable..or I don't bite...:).

Okay, I'm ready for my next lesson in Negotiations 101. How do you overcome the "Take the offer or go jobless" fear? I am a traveler but traveling with my family. Here's the scenario:

I REALLY want to go to Florida next and I know that positions are starting to open up for the time when my current contract ends. The highest paying position (in my preferred med/surg area with the 12 hour day shifts I like best) I'm told about pays the same hourly as I have now but no high completion bonus that I'm currently getting. Do I .....

A) Take the offer and make less money before risking being left here where I don't want to remain .... or becoming jobless and homeless with my family

B) Tell my recruiter that I want more money and give in if she says no

C) Explain to my recruiter that she get me the higher pay I want and deserve or shove it

D) Bring up a higher salary and/or bonus during my telephone interview

E) Other. (please explain)

I really admire assertive nurses. It's a skill that I struggle to attain. Please advise!!!!

[Brownms46]

I'm going to PM you. Have no fear though...because YOU are in the cat bird seat so to speak..

[gr8nurse4u]

Brownie ... Thank you for your reply! Please be patient if I do not recognize the PM when you send it. I'm not exactly an old pro at this message board thingie. I get a lot of pop-ups and sometimes I close them before they load completely ... without paying attention to what they are.

feel free to email me ...... Kimber

[Brownms46]

Ok..Kimber...I will cut you some slack...and you have my daughter name...:chuckle.

No really...click on PM under you message...and look in the far right corner toward the top...and you will see "private messages". Click there and it will take you to my pm to you. If you have trouble I will email to you...

[finallyRN]

$23/hour plus benifits. I think that sounds a little low. I work in sandiego, have been a nurse for 3 years and make that much as staff.

[GailWHNP]

Brownie,

Would you PM or email me the info, too? Thanks.

Gail

[biscuit_007]

I got taken advantage of as a traveler when i irst started cause i had a family and was an lpn. I discovered how much i was taken advantage of when i became an rn and was offered 1 dollar an hour less to take an assignment. Travel companies, in my opinion are as bad as admin at hospitals

[sjoe]

Use SEVERAL travel agencies and see what they offer you.

When I was working in Hawaii, one travel nurse there doing the same job as I (I was not a travel nurse), was being paid $4 less than I was. Her agency convinced her that just going to "paradise" would be worth it (it wasn't), that since everyone wanted to work there (which they didn't) the salary had to be low, and the quarters assigned for her to live in turned out to be a dump.

Also be advised that when you work for an agency you have TWO separate sets of supervisors, the agency and the workplace. All it takes is one person to dislike you or to lie or whatever and you are out on your butt.

And of course some of these agencies that are so hard up for nurses that they have to pay the bucks for travel nurses are hard up for very good reasons. Like they've lost their accreditation, they've had no medical director for several years, etc.

So shop wisely, since it will be your life (and license) for the next 13 or so weeks. PM some of the people you will find on this thread.