duggram

A few years ago I contacted Onward Healthcare about a travel position. I did let them have my phone number and email address. They couldn't help me but they have since continued to harass me with phone calls and emails. I got the phone calls to st...

Thanks for the replies. I understand about blocking an email address. But that's not what I was looking for. Don't you think an agency should have the integrity to deal fairly? I would much rather be able to follow the procedure they prescribe to ...

I get an extra $5.00 an hour when I work OT. What do you get? Am I getting hosed? I'm waiting for my next assignment contract to come through and I did my best to get an increase on my OT rate because I know that I will be working a lot more OT. B...

Thanks for the comments. I only have a week left on this assignment and I have the next one pretty much in place. A little tough to change now. During the next 13 weeks I am going to work on a new agency.

I'm not an authority on the subject, but you do seem to understand things the way I do. That rule about traveling at least an hour from the hospital is a local hospital rule. Do they also tell you at what rate of speed you are supposed to travel dur...

Would agency work be the same as local travel? When I was at my first assignment there was a local agency nurse living in the RV space next to me and her take home pay was a lot more than mine.

Angel, you make OHC sound pretty good. Is there a recruiter there that you would recommend? Do they offer a referral bonus? If yes would you like me to give them your name? Thank you, Doug

a21chdchic, The agencies set the hourly rate. The hospitals only deal with the agencies in money matters. If a traveler is getting extra money from the hospital the agency is going to want their cut.

Baglady, thank you for the reply. I have done my research and they do get 60% (or it might be 59.6%). I get $40.00 per hour. Of that only $10 is taxed. $30 is paid as per diem, not taxed. The company collects $98.00+ for every hour I work (reg o...

Suzzane thanks for the reply. Maybe you can help us understand this all a little better. BTW one of the first things I did when considering traveling was to visit a CPA. I wanted to be sure I was making the right decision. Actually all travelers s...

I don't think you have to be married to get the benefits. It's any two people traveling together. You don't even have to be nurses.

It was a married couple that finally sold me on traveling. They came to Alaska every summer to work in the OR at my then hospital. She is an RN and he is a tech. They are from Oregon and do very well. They told me that one advantage they had being ma...

Great topic!! In the 80's I was an OR nurse and in the early 90's I was an informatics nurse where I taught myself basic programming. In '96 I started a 6 career as a software engineer in the Seattle area. After the dot COM bust of 2001 I went back t...

Barrow? Think expensive to travel to. Think expensive for any thing. I've met people that took jobs in Barrow and couldn't afford the housing, so they slept on the floor of the office they worked in. They were public defenders. You also want to consi...

Here's a GSA Web site that specifies the current per diem rates for lodging and M&I (meals): http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC#downloads Rosie, where in Alaska is per diem 90? I'm in Anchor...

Tricia, Sorry for the late reply. I can't comment on housing negotiations with the hospital in Fairbanks because I don't know. I got the information from a traveler that had worked there last winter and that I worked with on my last assignment. Maybe...

Diary, there's a Thai place down on Lake Union that's built in a railroad car. This the first place I had Thai and few since have compared. Then there's this dingy looking Vietnamese place on the north side of the Aurora Bridge that has great food. B...

Diary, I'll be going through Seattle the third week of October. I've got a few friends there if you're interested in meeting them or if you'd like to meet at one of my (or your) favorite resturants, let me know. In the 90's I got out of nursing and b...

New traveler too. In my second assignment. I'm an OR RN and travel with my fifthwheel toyhauler, Harley, and 4wheeler. I'm long time Alaskan and just started being a snowbird. I've worked in WA, CA, and ND but not as traveler. New Mexico is the only ...

snowshooz, the irony here is amazing! i'm a long time alaskan or nurse that has just started traveling to be a snowbird. i've been here most of my life, graduated from the u of alaska and worked in most of the or's in southcentral alaska. in february...

I'm still in my first few assignments but I have learned one thing I think is important. Get an agency that has recruiters that represent either you or the hospital, but not both. Some agencies have their recruiters represent both and the nurse loose...

Dianne, If you look at my previous post on this subject I outline some of the $ benefits I get from traveling. https://allnurses.com/forums/f54/rvs-anyone-158969-8.html#post2365606 It's definitely worth it with an RV. Doug

dianne, over at www.rv.net they have a forum titled campgrounds, resorts and attractions where you can ask a much larger audience about facilities any where. i've just started traveling this year and they've helped me a few times. hope this helps, do...

Rod, Since this picture was taken (Feb '07) I have upgraded my pickup to a dually long bed quadcab. For me these trailers are too big for an SRW (single rear wheel) pickup. I had too many close calls on the Alcan to not upgrade. I also upgraded my ...

I use my pickup or the Harley out of the back of my fifthwheel toyhauler that I live in. They're relatively cheap to buy and you make a lot more $ as well as always having your home with you.