jlynn325

I always check them out online, get to know the hospital. I ask questions about the unit, staff, equiptment and charting systems, orientation length and if there are any tests to take. I also ask my company if there are any other travelers there from that company...if so they can connect you with them and you can ask them as well. Also ask on your interview if that unit has any other travelers, and ask the manager if she has ever had to cancel anyones contracts, and if so why. You have a right to know their expectations of a traveler, just like you have the right to know what youre signing on to.

I chose "Yes, if you cant take it another day" because what kind of care are you giving if you cant take it another day? Unprofessional or not, you cant give good care if you are so stressed. I wouldnt want to be the patient on the receiving end. Good survey!

I was 20 when I started working as a nurse...and couldnt have imagined traveling then due to the lack of experience. I am now 27, and have been traveling for a year. I wish I would have done it sooner, but in a way im glad I didnt because I worked in a few specialties. Now having knowledge in a few specialties, I have an easier time finding a job I want as a traveler. So my advice would be work a little longer, work in a few specialties (er, pre-op, tele, peds...) that way when you want to travel, you can be a little more picky about the job, location and hours because youre more flexable and can work different jobs without being turned down. Good luck! Have fun and keep in touch! And just remember to take youre time and dont settle for nothing but the best for yourself. And dont go on assignment and falling in love with all the beach boys like I did! LOL! But I did find my hunny on an assignment after all...it only took me moving several states away from my home to fall in love with the boy I grew up only minutes from!

Im soooo glad i didnt end up there. I ended up at a wonderful hospital in Frederick, Maryland. Excellent experience!

Thank you for sharing that...im so glad that I didnt go there! Which hospital are you at in Greenville...thats not too far from where im going next in Newport News, I used to live in VB and often thought of making NC my next stop.

Most contracts state that the facility as well as you can cancel your contract at any time, for any reason. It sucks to be cancelled, but even when its hard you have to try to remember everything happens for a reason. Maybe your next job will be even better and maybe you were meant to go somewhere else to touch some ones life. Best of luck! And keep your chin up!

If you are interested in a specific hospital and you know your agency has used that facility before and maintains a contract with that hospital, and your agency does not have any current openings there right now, you can still request your recruiter send your info there, this sends out a "cold feel" to see if they can get anything opened up for you. Otherwise it never hurts to get the managers name and number of the unit you are interested in and call...ive done it before and got jobs! Just say...my recuiter told me that in the past travelers have really liked your floor and I was wondering if you have any needs for travelers coming open and that you would like to be considered. I had a manager tell me once that she would be having some openings and would put me on her list of interested tavelers. It never hurts to ask, whats the worst they could tell you? "no"?...but at least you tried.

Try calling the board directly. If you are with an agency they would know best and can put calls into the board to process your application more quickly. Im in the same boat right now with Maryland, and my recruiters were more than helpful and got me a license in a week, where it normally takes 4-6 weeks. Also remember travel companies reimurse 100% for the costs. Good luck!!

That sounds awful...i almost took a travel assignment at Sinai...i grew up in a small town in the country (western Pa) with people who think like that lady "Karen G." thinks. I am on assignment in a small town now, its great, and nothing wrong with small towns but there is something wrong with people who think small like her and think traveling is "not a responsible choice".

Karen, You should stick to what you know, and that clearly is not the aspects of travel nursing. Travel nursing is not a monopoly. And before you start bringing in legal facts such as that, you need to do your research. You just cant admit that we are a valuable resource. And maybe a part of you wishes you could be as valuable as we are, as outgoing as we are and skillful as we are. Maybe part of you wants to be part of a team. But the truth is, you would never survive in our world, and since you wouldnt survive, you are against it. Since you are too scare to get to know us, you shut your heart and mind to us. It would be too much of a risk for someone like you. Someone like you, who sits in an office and never has to see the nurse (thats been in your facility for years), see her spirit break because she cant take it one more day there with that patient load or those attitudes, but whose life might have been changed by a traveler. And that nurse, may have just stayed in your facility. When staff see travelers, they think "wow, my boss cares enough about me to bring in some help when there is no one to hire." It sad that youre so closed minded to new experiences and the true feelings of your staff. If you would listen to our stories you would find out why we first started traveling. Not always do we initial decide to travel for the experience, or because we are fed up at the job we were at, maybe because it was personal. We all have stories and a journey we are on. I feel bad that you are stuck in what we call "small town syndrome". Its not so fun being inside the box once you can be outside of it!

Traveling can be fun but trying at times too. Alot of places will do what they call "block scheduling" meaning you work 3-12hrs and then go home for the week, that might be helpful if you have little ones. So where do you stay for 3 days? If you can take the housing allowance, and pay for a hotel for 3 days or ask the hospital if they have any type of overnight accomodations for staff. The last 2 places i have been did. The one im at right now, Frederick Memorial Hospital, in Frederick, Maryland, does have free overnight stays for staff, where you have youre own private bedroom and tv. A great place to try, and very family/traveler friendly. I never seen a hospital or an employeer so happy to help with the needs families and accommodations for employees with children.

For your interview: Always sound upbeat and positve (almost cheezy) on the phone, because remember this is your interview and its via phone, not face to face so the employer cant see how excited you are to go there, but dont sound fake, just interested. Some key phrases to use: "flexable, goal oriented, ready to hit the floor running, willing to learn, and is there any overtime-(even if you dont want it!)". Questions: in addition to the great ones posted, i like to ask 1."does your staff work as a team, are they traveler friendly? 2. are there other travelers on the floor? 3. have you had to "cancel" anyones contracts, if so ask why, how do they deal with dicipline issues...(sometimes they wont tell you that you made an error, they will just cancel you..why? because managers look for people they dont have to invest alot of time and teaching into because you are there to help in a staffing crisis if you cant do it right, someone else can) When you get there: So what shouldnt you expect? dont always expect there are going to be good staff ratios, because if there were, you wouldnt have a job. Be open minded and above all flexable. Treat the hospital and staff as if you really did work there and want to be part of there team. Treat others how you want to be treated, and if you meet someone who doesnt like you and give you attitude...just try and move past it because you are only there for a short while, dont let one person spoil your experience. Traveling is life changing....that you can expect!

Eventhough ive been traveling for awhile, its nice to refresh myself and get new questions before and interview! Thanks... oh and your bathroom story was funny...but so true!!

Well put! Thanks!

Yes, I chose to travel for more experience. I had been a nurse for seven years when I chose to travel....and NO we dont get all that money that is paid out. Its sad to see that you think we are not a valuable resource to hospitals. We dont get vacation pay and full benefits. And no my whole family cant come along (2 sisters, 1 brother and a mom and dad who miss me). As well as a husband working for the Navy...being 3 hrs apart all week isnt easy. But maybe if a hospital paid more and offered more opportunities to "move up the ladder" then yes, I would consider being perm. But where else am I going to learn a wide knowledge base on skills, how other hospitals do things and maybe even better and safer ways of caring for patients. The way I see it, when and if I chose to settle down at one hospital, the skills and knowledge I will bring in are invaluable. Could be the difference in saving lifes or saving on costs. I function as a valuable part of teams when on assignment. I often have staff members ask ME how to do things or use certain equiptment...because I know how!! I have used it at another facility. When other staff and even patients see that we are travelers...they automatically associate that with knowlege and experience, someone they want taking care of their loved ones because we are smart, educated and more well rounded than someone who is stuck in a dead end job for years. Sure you think its great they have been there for years, but do you ever think they might be burned out, have assignment overload?? And burned out nurses provide crappy care. A travler is fresh, friendly and outgoing...follows policies/procedures. Its sad that you concentrate on "saving money" than saving lives. Travel nurses provide relief for those hospitals who care enough about their employees to bring in help and bring down nurse to patient ratios. Kudos to those managers who care enough about there staff to bring in help!!