Pediatric travel nursing in Phoenix

NedRN · Mar 12, 2014

There should be lots of assignments there. A web based search is unlikely to work, you will need to call a few agencies. Start with really big ones like Cross Country or American Mobile to confirm availability and then compare offers with smaller agencies.

lemur87 · Mar 15, 2014

Skip agencies and go straight to the health systems. All across the Phoenix metropolitan area the majority if hospitals are associate with Banner. This company spans across the west (AZ to AK) and hires travelers directly...they do not use agencies. Do a quick google search for Banner hospital Phoenix and it will bring you to their site...they have job postings for travelers, info about taking a contract with them, and contact info for nursing recruiters within the health system. The contracts are similar to any you'd find with an agency...13 ish weeks, housing, etc...you just skip the middle man.

I've never traveled with banner, but I am from Phoenix and the hospitals are very reputable. Not sure about working there, but it is a fantastic place to be a patient and that is saying something.

NedRN · Mar 15, 2014

Banner most certainly does use agencies! Yes, they also do in-house, but cannot possibly come close to meeting their vast needs in-house. I'm not positive, but most direct hire seasonal hospitals tax everything including housing. For travelers with a tax home who do not itemize their tax returns should come out ahead working for an agency, even if Banner pays more gross pay.

NedRN · Mar 17, 2014

Good of you to upgrade the notorious IRS 50 mile myth to the equally mythical 75 miles. There is no such IRS guideline for travelers. Your internal agency policy may well protect your agency, but it doesn't protect a traveler willing to commute 75 miles that accepts a tax-free housing stipend and per diems based on your assurance. They will pay big if they get audited.

The actual IRS guideline is that the nature of the job requires a local night of rest. This could be a 30 minute on-call response requirement, stacked 12 hour shifts, or an otherwise short commute over a blocked mountain pass. Any commute from home, no matter the distance, is not eligible to receive tax-free reimbursements or to deduct expenses on their tax return.

Typically, hospitals with in-house travel programs find the potential for liability on not withholding taxes on housing benefits to be too risky. Indeed, a really large percentage of travelers are accepting such benefits without a legitimate tax home, often encouraged by recruiter's misinformation (usually informed by the agency's policies - hopefully that is true in your case) or outright fraud: "Just put your parent's address on our housing questionnaire form and you will be eligible for tax benefits".

NedRN · Mar 17, 2014

Perhaps you should quote the actual IRS guidelines in the future and develop a housing questionnaire more likely to protect your travelers than a simple radius that is meaningless. A valid tax home and working away from it with job demands that require local housing are key, not the miles away from any supplied address.

As far as red flags go, the IRS is not going to audit a taxpayer based on how far away from home they are working (seriously?). In an actual audit initiated for some other reason, if it is discovered that they took some tax free stipends based on working away from home incorrectly, yes, that will be an issue. As you should know, reimbursements are not reported to the IRS by any agency so that by itself cannot initiate an audit. Your concern is nonetheless warranted and your housing questionnaire should be written accordingly.

sweetgurly25 · Mar 22, 2014

I have worked for banner and they are good. they had some issues this year with census so i cancelled my contract. overall its a well organized hospital system. they do provide you housing and you pay utilities (nice properties). pm if you want more details.

Hlemon · Mar 29, 2014

I work at Banner Currently, the are really travel friendly. but as Sweetgurly25 pointed out the census flexes a lot and you can get cut. Also it is starting to get warm here so people are gonna start leaving, and by the end of May this is gonna be the last place you wanna be unless you like 100+ dry ****** weather. But look at Banner staffing for next winter they pay well and usually offer good contract bonuses. Good Luck.

Cheer4WVU · May 8, 2014

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Does anyone know when seasonal contracts with banner typically start? I am looking at starting in August. I emailed a banner recruiter, but she's out of office till the 12th.

Hlemon · May 8, 2014

I started last year in Nov and I was still getting shifts cut for low census. I think the soonest they hire is maybe late September.