Private duty nursing-travel position

[spitfire93]

Has anyone here taken a position a PDN travel assignment. I work currently for a few agencies with children that have a skilled need such as a vent, g tube, seizure disorder, in their homes and schools. I typically staff 12 hours either day or nights. I am interested in hearing about anyone that has taken a travel assignment working block time in a home. Thank you.

[NedRN]

Generally, any position a nurse might have could be filled by a traveler. This seems like an edge case to me much more likely to be filled by local agencies only. I'd try calling some of the larger agencies such as Cross Country and American Mobile. If that fails, you will be reduced to calling local agencies in a city of interest to you. There are some local per diem agencies that also do national travel, so those ones are your best targets.

It is very unlikely local agencies that don't do national travel will provide common perks such as travel, housing, and per diems. These are all untaxed benefits from travel companies if you are working away from the tax home that remains your primary residence. You can itemize these same items on your tax return, but for a number of reasons, your net compensation after taxes will be lower. Some of these agencies will allow (or even insist) that your compensation be reported on a 1099 versus the usual W-4 that employees get. This means you will be operating your own business effectively, and writing off expenses will be "first" dollar and much more beneficial than being a W-4 employee. Still not as beneficial as working for a good travel company, but closer.

To get any tax benefits, you need a contract with a well defined end date. If you take an open ended contract, in the view of the IRS, that is your new tax home just like any other local employee and you will not get any tax benefits. Easy enough for any local agency to write you such a block booking contract (or you can supply one) with an end date. You can have language that the agency may terminate the contract at will which will overcome any objections on their part.

[spitfire93]

Thank you Ned. I do have a NPI number. I will contact a few of the larger travel companies and if I do not have any leads will contact local agencies. I am currently working for Maxim Healthcare and they do have a travel component to their company, just not sure it covers private duty nursing. Will research your advise and thanks. j