Randy.RN

I too have been thinking about travel nursing with Cross Country...I've never done traveling before...a bit skeptical but at the same time excited. From all my research I am learning the biggest single determinant in a successful and/or good travel experience boils down to the recruiter. I have already initiated correspondence and application with Cross Country...I found this thread helpful. So thanks. Also, I'm nervous about giving up a salaried position for an unknown income...and some people are posting that there aren't alot of assignments out there and that this isn't a good time for traveling (referring to the economy) ...but when I check some of the job postings, such as Cross Country, I see plenty...can anyone speak to this.... Thanks

definitely go for it!!! It's just an interview. Just be honest and forthcoming with the interviewing manager and see if you get the offer. If you do, then calculate the pro's and con's of each..... BTW...be careful not to burn your bridge with you current job and manager.... Good Luck

If there's an option to use a filter needle and non-filter needle.....I would certainly use the filtered needle as best practice, simply because the filter needle is adding that extra 'component' of safety. Who wouldn't...it changes nothing in manual process, but has an added measure of safety!

Smilelee, I am a nurse manager in Texas and I wanted to offer a few pieces of advice along with the previous postings. First, please take some time and re-evaluate your first impression, whch may very well be your resume. In that case it is worth your time and effort to create an excellent resume with the best phrases which will include proper English and grammer. Heed the advice of the previous posters for having a second pair of eyes proofread your resume. On a personal note, if indeed your native language is something other than English, then I encourage you to invest extra time and energy into ESL classes to improve your communication to a more fluid and proper expression. And don't give up. In these economic times, even nurses can't be too picky with their jobs. Just keep applying. You may have to compromise some of your preferences and possibly accept a lower pay, a longer commute, a different shift, and a different status. Getting your "foot in the door" is the best way to gain access to better opportuntites. Emphasize your willingness to be flexible, increase your availability, and re-assess the overall presentation of yourself as a reliable and hard working nurse. These are traits that go far. Good luck.

Totally agree with PP

Salary will definitely vary depending on a few variables such as...the region, the specialty, the shift, employment status, and even the level of need by the hiring facility. In general, ambulatory facilities pay more when they are closer to a major metropolitan area....because they need to compete with other nearby centers. I have found the further you are in rural communities the salaries can potentially get lower...but maybe not. Another varibale that is considered when offering a salary to an employee is how much specific experience does the applicant have to the job...a nurse with 10 years outpatient ambulatory experience at an ASC within their speacialty will evoke a higher salary than a nurse with, lets say no outpatient experience. Outpatient facilities need lots of flexibility from employees due to the nature of the surgery world and the fluctuating case loads, so having a very flexible schedule of availability is a plus. Can't say enough about having excellent interview skills. Salary in my area near Dallas Texas for outpatient can range from $29/hr - $35/hr, with $30-$32 the average. Hope that helps.

That's a question that involves more information, particularly, what pathway are you looking to go down in your nursing career? Where do you eventually want to plant yourself and in what specialty? The answers to those questions are individualized just for you and your aspirations professionally. So use that info to help make decisions now that will launch you in that direction with more success and experience. However, as a hiring manager myself, I will tell you that I think a job in an Endoscopy center will give you more nursing and job skills that can be applicable to numerous future nursing opportunities. The Family practice route can offer experience, and some skills, but ultimately its a different set of duties than the responsibilities you would have in a endoscopy center. I know endoscopy nurses who segway into perioperative nursing like, Pre-Op/PACU/OR specialties. In general the more experience you have in an accute care facillity utilizing advanced skills and assessments, that would be a smarter move when you consdier future opportunities in the patient care health systems.

April, that does sound bad. This economic recession has impacted healthcare facilities all over. In the end....a hospital is a business and they too have fiscal restraints, budgets, and function like any business, just usually on a larger scale. So it's understandable to see where they too can be in situations to 'cut back', implement hiring freezes, and even close their doors. In general, on the larger scale for the nursing profession, there is a shortage and need for nurses. It also might warrant compromising some preferences in a job..such as being willing to accept a different shift, a lower pay, a longer commute, a different specialty, or PRN/Per Diem work.....I have nurse friends that struggle to find nurse jobs because they want every variable to accommodate their preference and in the long run they are limiting themselves of viable opportunities. If the region where you are is in that bad of shape, have you considered a relocation to a regioin where there is more opportunities. If I was desperate to generate income for myself, I would be open to relocating where the jobs are and start applying in those regions. That sounds discouraging. Good luck to you.

oh wow...I am looking in Cross COuntry Travel Corp and I found this thread very informative. These figures posted by loricatus are very intriguing to say the least. From what I am learning...no matter the company...it ultimately comes down to the 'recruiter' you have. Every company has it's good and bad reps.

I'm looking into Cross COuntry Travel Corp (CCTC) and am glad to hear that it is not affiliated with AMN. I have read so many postings that have had bad encounters with AMN and do not recommend them. However, I am also learning that the biggest variable in the mix to having a positive experience is about the 'recruiter' you have...they appear to single handedly define a good experience or bad experience regardless the specific company. I think of it like a school....any school has it's good teachers and bad teachers.

~$40/hr in Texas near Dallas

My first thought is to encourage you to re-evaluate your resume and interview skills...applying for hundreds of jobs and not getting a call back is a bit extreme. This a is a red flag to me. Maybe consulting with a career counselor who can offer you contructive feedback might offer you an opportunity to improve the overall presentation of yourself professionally, which might bring you more success. I would also heed the advice of all these postings...there are many with suggestions for new areas and facilities that are hiring...relocating into other regions not so saturated will make you more of an asset in a less competitive area. But it would take looking at the whole 'picture' and dynamics of your life and family situation to know what's the most meaningful and smart for you...I'd hate for your husband to quit his job without a solid back up plan.

I was considering RNVIP.com. I came across the website which takes your one-time application and submit it to multiple travel agencies. The process sounds efficient...but I've read a couple places where nurses were slammed with phone calls from recruiters.

Hi. I am a Nurse manager at an ambulatory facility and I have to tell you that I receive cold calls from nurses looking for a job. I personally do not care for that method because I am a 'working' nurse manager who is not always in a position or available to discuss that at the moment the call comes in. From my experience I appreciate a nice 'easy-to-read' professinally executed resume. Either faxing, emailing, or dropping it off at the front window for me which includes a short simple note and intro about yourself. I do get several interested candidates, inquiries, and apps a month of nurses looking for a job. The positions at my center rarely become open because it's a competitive position being no nights, no weekends, no "on call". I compile all submitted resumes and when the time comes that I am going to hire I pull the resumes and review and pull out the best candidates for a phone interview. From there, I meet face to face with the best of those, and so forth. I will tell you...please write an "objective" statement on your resume that is specific to the job you're desiring at that facility, and clearly identify if you're looking for Full Time, Part Time, PRN, or Per Diem. Bottom line...a killer resume submitted to the hiring manager is huge...along with a word of mouth reference from someone on the inside if you can network...that's always a bonus. And be realistic about your desired salary....I can tell you, applicants can get dismissed quick when their salary requests are way out of range.

I am a Nurse Manager of Pre-Op/PACU at an ambulatory surgery center in Texas. My admit nurse is always busy...she has the least downtime of any other nurse in the facility. Of course she is responsible for pre-admission phone calls (the phone calls made prior to DOS to gain patient health hx and offer pre-op instructions...a very time consuming chore BTW)...and she admits patients for their surgery. I agree with brownbrook, Admit and discharge nurses cross train, but OR circulators are specific only to OR...and that's how I've seen it everywhere I have ever worked. I will add that the OR and PACU are specific nursing specialties and most nurses in these specialties don't necessarily know or float to the other. However, Pre-Op nursing is indeed a type of nursing that almost any RN/LPN/MA can learn, train, and perform because it's a 'task' oriented job. But I say that with the intent of stressing how the admit or Pre-Op nurse needs to be a capable person with critical thinking skills...an admit nurse needs a large knowledge base of information...at least in my facility because we are a multi specialty facility with many different surgeons who require different pre-admit testing, prepping for surgery, different paperwork, and processes....an admit nurse needs to work fluidly through all these various situations, and work fast and productively while providing safe care and good service to the patients. From my experience when Pre-op admitting gets backed up, slow, or in a bind....that has a ripple effect to the whole surgery center...and it's not a pretty environement.