Nurses in Partnership

Sunnibee · Dec 6, 2006

I worked an assignment for them several years ago...my first travel assignment. I would not recommend them; they tried many sneaky to illegal stunts, were unavailable for help until they wanted me to renew my contract, and treated the other nurses on contract with them poorly as well. Low pay, poor housing when they can get away with it (can you say, bathtub with mouse-holes?) Attempted violations of CA wage laws, i.e., threatening to hold last check until apartment "clears" damages, etc.

No, no, no. Get a reputable agency, talk to the director of the unit before you take the contract, and get EVERYTHING from hourly $ to stipend to furnishings of your housing to utility bills to float policy written in the contract.

burntrn08 · Dec 7, 2006

How do you go about finding a good travel nurse agency? Are there ones that are better for certain states than others? Are travel nurses the same way agency nurses are treated in the hospitals by the other nurses on the floor? Also, I don't understand why travel nurses get paid more than nurses who work for the hospital?

Sunnibee · Dec 7, 2006

The best way to locate a good travel company is to talk to travelers! Delphi's forum, or the ones here, or in your home hospital. A company is only as good as its recruiter; use Healthcare Traveler magazine to help you narrow down which benefits and perks are most important. Don't take less than $14 hr more than you currently make or you will lose money; don't go with a company that jerks you around on benefits if you don't have health insurance another way; don't take less than private furnished housing with local telephone and basic cable, or a stipend equal to that, from anybody. (That rules out American Mobile!) Beware of contracts that focus on bonuses; they are rarely paid due to fine print or the habit of hospitals to cancel your contract two days before you are eligible for them. And bonuses are taxed at the highest rate, so you actually keep about 50% of them even if you get them. Per diem money and stipends are not taxed and should get more interest from you. But ask flat rate first; they will lowball you bad if you ask about per diem or housing stipend first. Flat rate being, hourly rate at guaranteed hours per week for specified number of weeks, with private furnished housing utilities paid including local phone and basic cable. If you don't get that they are suckering you.

When you are travel in a hospital you are low man on totem pole, first to float and first to be cancelled. Period. Your weekly hour guarantee is for wherever they can find for you to work; if you never did L&D or operating room, those are about the only places they won't try to float you. And that's not for patient safety; that's because the family in L&D will be able to see your inexperience and sue them, or the surgeon in the OR will throw a tray at you and call the administrator!

Never accept a contract that involves showing up without first interviewing with someone on the hospital staff.

Ask them nurse to patient ratios and let them hear you write down the answer.

The reason hospitals pay agencies $80-100/hr for you to take a 13 wk contract with them is: either they are HORRIBLE places to work and can't get help, or they have lots of business in a highly populated or highly uneducated area, and no nurses to take care of folks. It costs a hospital $80K to train you; they expect a travel nurse to show up trained and at least able to fake a JCHAO inspection, etc, so that they can save money on HR and training that they spend on the often seasonal need for your services.

carebearRN · Jan 2, 2007

Hi there! i was a traveller w/ NIP for my 1st travel assignment in Palm beach Gardens, FL and i have all good things to say about the company. My recruiter was great and still keeps in contact with me. The pay was good in my opinion and the housing was excellent- in a ritzy area, safe, across the street from a new shopping/dining complex, and 5 minutes away from the hospital I worked at. The hospital was ok but the workers on my floor were very "traveller friendly" which is most important to me. my paychecks were always accurate and on time and i have never had a problem with this company! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Kait · Jan 3, 2007

The best way to locate a good travel company is to talk to travelers! Delphi's forum, or the ones here, or in your home hospital. A company is only as good as its recruiter; use Healthcare Traveler magazine to help you narrow down which benefits and perks are most important. Don't take less than $14 hr more than you currently make or you will lose money; don't go with a company that jerks you around on benefits if you don't have health insurance another way; don't take less than private furnished housing with local telephone and basic cable, or a stipend equal to that, from anybody. (That rules out American Mobile!) Beware of contracts that focus on bonuses; they are rarely paid due to fine print or the habit of hospitals to cancel your contract two days before you are eligible for them. And bonuses are taxed at the highest rate, so you actually keep about 50% of them even if you get them. Per diem money and stipends are not taxed and should get more interest from you. But ask flat rate first; they will lowball you bad if you ask about per diem or housing stipend first. Flat rate being, hourly rate at guaranteed hours per week for specified number of weeks, with private furnished housing utilities paid including local phone and basic cable. If you don't get that they are suckering you.
When you are travel in a hospital you are low man on totem pole, first to float and first to be cancelled. Period. Your weekly hour guarantee is for wherever they can find for you to work; if you never did L&D or operating room, those are about the only places they won't try to float you. And that's not for patient safety; that's because the family in L&D will be able to see your inexperience and sue them, or the surgeon in the OR will throw a tray at you and call the administrator!
Never accept a contract that involves showing up without first interviewing with someone on the hospital staff.
Ask them nurse to patient ratios and let them hear you write down the answer.
The reason hospitals pay agencies $80-100/hr for you to take a 13 wk contract with them is: either they are HORRIBLE places to work and can't get help, or they have lots of business in a highly populated or highly uneducated area, and no nurses to take care of folks. It costs a hospital $80K to train you; they expect a travel nurse to show up trained and at least able to fake a JCHAO inspection, etc, so that they can save money on HR and training that they spend on the often seasonal need for your services.

Sunnibee, thanks so much for all this! I'm going to be taking my first travel assignment probably next month, and this is invaluable to me. I really, really appreciate you taking the time to write it all out!

Cardiolyte · Jan 6, 2007

I found them to be VERY pushy, wanting me to accept a position I interviewed for that I DID NOT WANT...somewhat condesending in attitude. Would not send me any written material, I find that odd.

I have been a cardiac nurse for 2.6 yrs, taking my ACLS at the end of the month and will travel with another company.