AppleRN4

I think working as a travel RN is a great way to get your foot in the door of any hospital, and if you're a well-liked travel RN with good work ethics, by the time your contract is over, your unit will be begging you to stay/extend your contract. At that time, you can take advantage it and apply for a staff position. I've always been asked to re-new my travel contract or apply for a position after a travel assignment because it's easier & cheaper to hire a traveler they already know and like vs an unknown new staff applicant with a questionable work ethic.

If you're traveling in California, a lot RN's here are unionized, it's often difficult to break into the system as a newbie. For example, getting hired into California Kaiser Hospitals in my experience is like trying to break into Fort Knox. With that said, if you're currently traveling in a hospital you like (you already have one foot in), apply for a Med-Surg position there. Since your current Med Surg unit already know you and your work ethic as a traveler, you'll most likely be hired if they like you. Once you're "IN" the hospital, you're now a unionized RN as well and can receive the perks associated with being a union member. From there, you can freely advance to the ED or wherever you'd like to work. My experience is that if you're a good travel RN and well liked in your unit, they'd gladly hire you. Apply to work in your unit & use them as a stepping stone for where you'd like to be. I've know a lot of travel RN's to break into a hospital system this way (union or not).....myself included. :) Good Luck!

I agree with NedRN about communication with your recruiter being very important. In my experience, it seems most recruiters just want to throw you to the wolves (any hospital, any-where) to make a quick buck out of you without regard to your wishes. If you find a good one who listens to your wants/needs regarding your location, pay, housing, etc then you've struck gold. As a new traveler, I found Highway Hypodermics: The Ultimate Site For Travel Nursing Information to be a great site for rating travel companies (not recruiters). You could start there, find a company, then "interview" recruiters. Good luck.

Due to the high housing cost in the Bay area, most companies SHOULD offer considerably more housing stipend. When I worked in the Bay area 2 years ago, my housing stipend alone was $3500/mo. I brought home $1880/wk (including housing stipend). Consider that if you take the housing stipend for the bay area, you'd be paying approximately $2500-$3000 for a one bedroom apartment which leaves you with appox $1700 after rent is paid (not including utilities). You should demand more housing stipend if you choose this contract, as your current wage is more suitable for the Sacramento or like areas where housing is more affordable.

After 9+ years an an ER RN and having worked in a few trauma 1 & 2 hospitals, I know for a fact that I wouldn't be competent/independent in these trauma ED's without YEARS of experience. It's a little scary to think that you'd feel competent working the ED with only 5 months experience-- even with 5 years ICU experience. The ER is a much different beast vs the ICU and I can't pretend that I'd be comfortable working in ICU after only 5 months in your department, but to each their own. If you think you'd be ready, then so be it. Experience is often the best teacher. Good luck. :)

Hmm….it's hard to give an opinion of a huge hospital system such as Sutter; You're probably better off critiquing individual Sutter hospitals vs the entire system as a whole. One bad apple doesn't mean they're all the same….. I've worked for two Sutter hospitals in Northern California as a travel nurse-- one was incredible, the other, not so much. I usually go into any travel contract with the mindset that if it's terrible, I'm gone after 13 weeks, and for the terrible Sutter assignment, I did just that. The other, I extended my assignment three times and met some great people, including my husband. Good luck with whatever you decide, and remember, you can do almost anything in 13 weeks.

I wouldn't advise you to travel as an ER nurse with only 5 months experience, even if a travel company/hospital hires you in that position. Just remember, you're expected to be competent and independent in the area you're traveling in and this is not the time to experiment with any new specialities where you'd constantly need help from the hospital staff. In my experience, the ER can be brutal and they have no patience at all with incompetent travel nurses. Stick with what you know which is ICU and you should never have a problem securing an assignment. ICU is always in demand. Good luck! :)

I've always taken my car to each assignment…..For me, travel nursing wasn't about commuting back and forth to a hospital 3 days/week, and with that said, I needed reliable transportation to explore my surroundings without having to be at the mercy of public transport. When I decided to travel in 2010, I was in your position as well with an unreliable car-- I bought a brand new car and drove cross country from Georgia to California and have been here ever since. Since you'd like to travel on a whim, you could always ship your car to your next destination, but you'd have to factor shipping costs. Or you could rent a car once you arrive to your travel destination, but the cost can sometimes be equivalent to owning a comparable brand new vehicle.

I've traveled all over California and have taken the stipend from my company each time. I usually get to the location of my new assignment a week & half in advance and have a couple of CL options scheduled to check out the rentals prior to my assignment. I've always had good luck with CL (except in LA). I prefer to live in neighborhoods with families or people with children; I figured if they can trust a stranger to be around their family/children, then it's probably safe. I usually have a list of questions for them to make sure we're a good fit for each other--- i.e., utilities covered, smoking, furnished, visitors, parking, temperament, etc. Most people on CL prefer 6 to 12 months lease agreements which doesn't work for 13 week assignments. If you chose this option, make sure to have savings before you start this journey since you'll frequently be required a month/2 months rent or you may not find anything suitable in a timely manner. It's safer to have company provided housing for the turnkey readiness, however, it's definitely possible to find your own and pocket a huge chunk of change in the process. Best of luck to you. :)

In terms of saving, I think you have waaaaaay more than enough/most people do before they travel- good job. I don't imagine you'd spend it all seeing you're savvy with money, and it's even more possible to double your saving while in CA. Yes, housing is expensive here, but that doesn't mean you have to pay premium-- find a roommate or Craigslist. As far as cities go, the farther up you go in CA, the more $ you'll make.....Since you like to ski, NoCal may just be the place for you to have fun and maximize your income. :)

Housing for travelers can be a hit or miss depending on your agency. I've always used Craigslist, but have visited other friends who are travelers, and you generally get one bedroom, one bath and basic utensils provided. Most apartments don't accept pets, so let your company know so they can provide housing that allows your cats to come along.

That recruiter lied to you. You should read IRS Publication 463, Page 3 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p463.pdf If you don't have a tax home, you shouldn't receive a stipend, and if you do receive a stipend without a tax home, you better save it. You never know when you'll be audited and the gov't will want their money back with interest! Don't believe recruiters when they tell you about tax benefits. They know nothing about it because they're not tax professionals; you should find a CPA who specializes in travelers.

You need to read Page 3 of IRS publication 463 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p463.pdf ...... it clearly defines 'tax home' and who qualifies for it- you don't. You may get away with taking the housing stipend now, but just be ready to pay back Uncle Sam when you're audited. In other words, have that money saved up because someday, when you least expect it, they'll require you to pay it all back WITH INTEREST.

You can live with your significant other on a travel assignment- for both of you to get the housing allowance, you must BOTH have a tax home. If both of you have it, then you can easily share take the housing given to one and split the others' stipend when traveling to the same location. To find out the maximum meal/housing allowance, look up IRS Publication 1542 (Per Diem rates) as it applies to your location. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1542.pdf I've never heard of cell phone allowance either, but my company gets 25% off Verizon

You don't get a stipend without a tax home.