theresab

Hi pegosys, i sent you a private message....regarding travel nursing.

I am sorry you are having such a time...and I feel your pain. I also had a hard time becoming a I am 56 yrs old and graduated from a BSN program in May '04......age is just a number....lots of people change careers in their 30's, 40's and 50's. I originally started an ADN program and would have graduated in '99 had it not been for a clash with a part-time clinical instructor...who failed me in my last semester. I had a 3.7 gpa and letters of recommendations from all my past clinical instructors...took it to appeal, but unfortunately I lost.....long story....alot to do with politics. By the way I was also co-organizer of the graduation pinning committee. I was so devastated. I took a year off from school, and then I transferred to a 4 yr program. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten my pre-req's at the community college and then transferred to the 4 yr college. The time spent is almost the same. I might add that this same instructor who failed me at the ADN program was also at the school I graduated from ....fortunately I was never assigned to her:)....and I never brought up that I attended another program to anyone in class either. Since then, I have never looked back with the slightest regret. I am now a travel ......and could never have imagined how rewarding my life could be. I not only get to do what I :heartbeat .....I also get to travel all over the country. I would suggest that you take time to decide what you really want to do...as for me I am not into politics, and can't imaging working in administration. I am a true believer in that if you want something bad enough don't give up.....you can do anything. :twocents:"If you keep doing what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten"

I stopped traveling last year......found a job that pays as much as the top travel jobs. Although I miss the travel, my main reason was monitary....unlike you I had the opposite situation older grad career change with only 1 yr nursing experience and student loans, but I was still bombarded with jobs openings. I totally agree with Runman1914. Travel agencies are like dealing with used car salesmen. I don't think your being a nurse for over 20 yrs at one facility has anything to do with it. I've know plenty of nurses who started traveling after their children were grown. However, when I travelled.... I never put all my eggs in one basket. Post your resume on careerbuilder or monster.com ...and if you really want to be contacted for jobs fill out the healthcare travelers "Career Center: Travel Nursing" on-line. I still get calls for openings from that site. Some companies have a strong relationship with a hospital than others. I have even been known to contact the scheduling office to find out which agencies they use most. The best advise I can give you as a new traveller is to talk to a few different agencies, read as many posting on here and on some of the other boards and make some comparisons. The more you educated yourself the less likely they are to take advantage of you. Many of the companies have the same job postiings....some are less greedy than others. Always remember there is a bill rate and you get a piece of the pie and they get a piece of the pie and the pie(bill rate) is always one size....you want the bigger piece and the best offer. Nothing is free it all comes from the bill rate. It is just distributed differently depending on who you are talking to. So when they tell you this is free and that is free, as I said nothing is free. Free is coming out of your % of the pie.

This is one of the agencies that I have crossed off my list. Two reasons: They back charged another nurse for housing when the apartment complex confirmed that her rent was paid through the end of the month. Secondly, they refuse to pay time and 1/2 after 8 hrs in CA when everyone else does. Besides the fact their pay isn 't the greatest.

I considered going with Agostini until my recruiter told me that they do not guarantee your hours. I have never worked for a travel agency that did not guarantee hours....per diem yes, but travel assignments no. So, if the census is down you will probably be the first one budgeted. Everything sounded good until I found that out.

There have been times when errors or changes have been made on my contracts. My recruiters have always volunterally mailed a revised contract. Yes, I would be very suspicious!!!....if the recruiter refused...I would insist on a revised contract or ask her to have her manager call me.....and decline the contract....if they refuse to mail me a SIGNED copy. If the changes are legitimate they should have no problem sending you a revised SIGNED copy for you to sign. As we all know...''If it wan't written...it wasn't done'' I would never accept contract changes via e-mail as a legal document.

I would never work for an agency that doesn't guarantee hours. There are too many out there that do...I would also be leary of recruiters who paint beautiful pictures of wonderful benefits....nothing is free...there is a bill rate split into two parts...their profit/expenses....and your compenstion package....nothing is free.