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.

As a traveler, I've learned that it's ok for the hospital/agency to break their contract with you, but not you with them. I've met a few travel nurses who came for orientation and had contracts canceled because the mgmt wouldn't work with the time off stated in the contract that was already signed by both parties!!! As a traveler, you're expected to be flexible, you have been so far. If I were in your situation and money wasn't an issue, I would break my contract and find a hospital & agency that's willing to honor my contract. And if they're not willing to, then your agency should increase your pay as was previously discussed for weekends.

They've asked me several times to sign a contract at the different places I've traveled to, but the truth is, there's usually a big problem in that dept/hospital if they need you, a traveler to work for them. This has been my experience and after a couple of weeks into your assignment, you too will start noting the problems.... If you find a great hospital you like with good pay and the benefits you want, then why not? Just make sure your travel company is ok with it- I worked with AMN and they insisted we couldn't take a perm job at our travel hosp for a yr after the contract is over.

Question: has your experience only been in the nursing home or do you have any recent hospital experience in the past year? I ask because I've never had a travel company hire a nursing home RN, but I could be wrong. Just asking.... So, if you're going into travel RN for the $, you need to know it's possible to make over $40/hr IF you take the housing stipend and find your own housing. If you take their housing, you'll probably make close to what you're already making now, therefore, it won't be worth it to you financially. Here's a breakdown of how it works: $22/hr hourly rate (time & half after 8 hours if you're working in CA, but most companies will quote this as a "blended rate) $3000 Housing stipend $245/wk Meals & Incidentals If you take the housing money (stipend) and find a cheap, safe place to live for about $600 (Craigslist), you can pocket the rest of your housing stipend $2400!!! That's the ONLY way I've made money as a traveler, not based on the hourly rate. I generally find locations that'll pay me a good hourly rate with a good housing stipend, that way I can maximize my income.....then research the hospital, etc Good luck

That's pretty much what travel nursing is- if you were an agency nurse as you've said and handled the situations well, then you'd make a great travel RN.

I honestly think that the male nurses I've worked with in the ER are respected more, questioned less vs females.

Just because you're a nurse doesn't mean you're operating at some higher level, where you don't experience excruciating pain-- I see no reason to be humiliated that you're in pain. It's a human experience and nothing to be ashamed of. I also DON'T understand WHY you'd be labeled as a drug addict- you practically refused narcs to treat your headache! I don't think the nurses were talking about you in reference to the drug addict comment, could've easily been talking about someone else. From your history, I think you're one of those medical professionals who refuse pain meds to AVOID being labeled as a drug addict, not vice versa. No one ever said you should've stayed home and sucked it up!!! Most people here have tried to give logical explanations for your treatment, however you're stuck on being a victim. At some point, you have to take responsibility for the lack of care you received, as you were the one dictating it! Your step-father maybe an MD for 35 years and suggest you go to the ED, but I'm sure he didn't suggest you become a difficult, know-it-all patient. Last but not least, the LP was THAT important, and I'm sure the doctor explained it to you, or assumed you had basic knowledge of it's diagnostic capability given the fact that you're a nurse, you've had it before AND refused it in the past. It's a catch 22 with you- you wanted something done, yet you wouldn't let them do it or wanted it YOUR way. :confused: Beggers can't be chosers....

Sounds to me like you got exactly what you requested- no narcotics and no LP, however you're upset they didn't treat your pain? I don't undestand what the problem is, except their lack of communication & assumption that you're drug seeking. As many have stated, you can't go into a situation seeking help while dictating how/when you receive that help. A lot of people assume that coming to an ER will give them a definitive diagnosis of their problem, and unfortunately, that's not the case. An ER visit is to RULE OUT an emergency- in your case, a head bleed, meningitis, etc. When the doctor is sure you don't have an emergency, then you're free to go follow up with your PMD, which is exactly what you got. HAD you been admitted to the hospital, how would they relieve your headache/diagnose you when you refuse narcs & further diagnostic exam? An ER is not Burger King and you don't get to place your orders and have it your way..... Hope you continue to feel better.

When I graduated nursing school, I knew 2 things for sure- I wanted to work in the ER and I wanted to be a travel nurse, however the hospital that hired me didn't take new grads in their ED, so I agreed to work as a tele RN to get experience necessary. Those 12 months as a telemetry nurse proved to be the most hated period of my nursing career!!! I tried to find creative ways to call off work, dreaded working most days, and finally a lightbulb went off-- I went down to the ED in the same hospital, interviewed with the manager the same day and was offered a job as an ER nurse. Two weeks later, I said deuces to floor nursing and I can tell you wholeheartedly had I not made a change, I would've left nursing by now. I love ER nursing! I understand you were advised to be a nurse, but you have to go with your heart. You can't afford to please people/their expectations of you while being miserable!! It sounds like bedside nursing isn't your forte, so you should look into working on the non-clinical side. There are many choices in this career, so you don't have to be stuck as a bedside RN..... Good luck to you.

Mttzakr: You'll need a bachelors degree after obtaining your ADN to further your career as an FNP. Different schools have different GPA requirements, but I believe it usually has to be greater the 3.0 or even 3.5 to be more competitive. Here's a great resource for more info: http://www.aanp.org. The question & answer section will probably cover most of the info you need in this early stage. Is it worth it? In terms of what- money, experience, autonomy? Regardless of the answer, that question is something you'll have to answer for yourself, but if that's your passion, then regardless of the answer, it'll be worth it to you as well. Good luck!

You asked for advice regarding experience necessary, I gave you such. Anyway, the best place to get any information you're seeking is from the horses mouth itself..... American Association of Nurse Practitioners website is http://www.aanp.org They have more than enough info to answer all your questions without offending you or your experience. Good luck