Samian Q

But let's be fair and say that exercise is also draining, time-consuming, doesn't work unless you can radically change your diet to cut out carbs and cook lots of protein-based foods (they say it's 80% diet), and can remember to consistently bring and change into workout clothes (try lifting barbells without weightlifting gloves!). There's just a ton of effort that goes into executing workouts properly, and lots of research to make sure that you've got proper form on the exercises. Before my shifts, all I have the energy and focus to do is to get ready for work. And after 12 hour shifts, all I want to do is eat a big meal (from anywhere, really) and pass out. We have enough commitments in our life as it is - whether it be financial, romantic/relationship, familial, work, home, etc. Sure, if you're a teenager and don't have to worry about maintaining a household or maximizing your income, you can pick this up as a hobby. In adulthood, it should be no surprise that exercise ends up a frivolity that is only done casually when there's sufficient willpower.

I've heard that at Kaiser hospitals, their registered nurses can work 'runs' of overtime, where they can work even 30 days plus in a row and accumulate a lot of money! Would UCLA or UCSF do that? Are there lots of overtime opportunities at the latter two hospitals, or just at Kaiser?

I know for the first time you renew, you don't have to do anything. I was in NP school throughout this time, so I know that because of my graduate-level courses I took throughout this two-year licensing period, I'm good to go for most of the CEUs. But isn't there some course I have to take? I think it's Nursing Jurisprudence & Ethics. And I have heard that you've also got a Human Trafficking course now, too - when do you have to take that?

Okay, I've got a new one for you: On your first day, whether it be at orientation or your first day on the floor, are you supposed to bring something for the staff? Like a box of donuts or cookies?

Most informative! Okay, so let me ask you a new question, about references. For my first travel gig, on the applications they asked for references, and since I'm employed as a staff RN (who submitted his resignation before traveling) luckily I was able to do that. However, once I quit my job and go traveling full time, I don't know what I would put down for "current job references" in the future. When you're traveling and have to put down references, whom do you put? The manager of the hospitals you traveled to? The recruiters alone? Or are you forever going to rely on references from your final staff nursing job?

Okay, so I've got a new question for you: A lot of specialities in travel nursing say they want "recent experience" within that speciality. For instance, I used to work medical ICU as a new grad nurse, but that was four to five years back. Now, there's a lot of demand out there for ICU RNs specifically, but the travel companies say they want "recent experience" in ICU, meaning within the past two years. I get where they're coming from completely. And since I work in psych right now, I'm taking a psych travel gig. But does that mean I'm pigeonholed into the psych specialty as a traveler forever? Or can I change and do something else in traveling down the road, if I had wanted to?

Wow, thank you so much!! That was incredibly informative! Coincidentally, I am doing my first travel assignment with Cross Country, too! What I've found is that the recruiters totally vary in terms of engagement (I talked to a few of them on the phone). This one guy with Aya, that I spoke with, he was nice enough, but whenever I showed interest in a job he would never get back to me in a timely manner. And he would say via text that he was "working on it (the application)" but I never heard back on the status of the application. So I assume he didn't really do it, but was saying that to me as a lie. Anyway, I had called their main number to see if they could switch recruiters, and they said, "Sure but it might take a while". (They never did it.). So I just ignored them. I also get a lot of near-daily emails from Fastaff, and I don't know how to unsubscribe, but I just have to manually delete them. Oh, well, it's not that big of a deal.

Ah okay! That makes so much more sense! If only they just put an asterisk by all the items on the contract that are non-taxable, that would really help. It's nice of them to give an allowance because I thought they would just say, "Oh, just use the money you make from your hourly rate as the allowance"!

If both the allowance and the hourly rate originates from the hospital, why is there a separate line for "allowance"? Why don't they just tack it on to the hourly rate?

I'm sorry, I might need some more clarification on this. Suppose a contract gives you an allowance of $400 every week. They aren't just going to give you that money as they would post-tax salary. I would have to furnish receipts and file for everything I wanted and needed reimbursed. What is and isn't reimbursed? For instance, if I have to travel to and from work every day with a ridesharing app, would that be permissible to file for to get the allowance?

If a travel nursing contract has 'allowance' and lists that for a weekly amount, what can you use that allowance for? And how do you get that money? Does it come to your paycheck automatically or do you have to have certain reasons to get it?

I am going to be traveling for the first time in a few weeks (and am quite excited about it!). How do you make sure that you're going to get reimbursed for everything that you file for? Is it all spelled out in the employee handbooks of the various travel companies? Say you're going to use Uber/Lyft to get to and from your housing and the workplace. You want to make sure that the allowance is covering your mileage there to offset your out-of-pocket costs for travel. Also, I heard that it's traditional for travel companies to pay $300 in travel reimbursement each way, so should I buy plane tickets now and just keep the passes as receipts?

They got back to me today by email stating thusly: "Good morning You do need to go in to a certified fingerprinting location. They will need the official’s signature. If you have any other questions, please reach out." So not only do I have to pay them $34.25, I also have to pay a separate fee to someone to do my fingerprinting in person... grrr

I have a question about the fingerprints process. So I got an email for the fingerprinting (I'm a Texas RN) and on the FD258 form there's a box that says "SIGNATURE OF OFFICIAL TAKING FINGERPRINTS". Do I also sign that box? I was under the impression that we only get them signed at a center if we're in Washington State itself, otherwise we can just do it at home.

I know that a lot of states have suspended getting their own state licenses because of COVID and are dispensing emergency authorizations to practice there. With Washington State, I'm kind of confused. They have a law called the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner Act which apparently now lets you work there without having to wait for a WA State license. But it says online you have to register to volunteer as an emergency volunteer first? So confused. I'm from Texas and have the compact license from my state. Seeing some great postings in Washington state but don't have a license up there.