I am an ICU nurse with about 5 yrs of experience. I am currently talking to travel agencies and am not very impressed. I have not been able to find a job in the cities I have been looking for, they are all about 25 miles away or so. And the pay packages I am not impressed with as well. I currently make $42/hr and having trouble seeing how I am even going to break even on packages. All there packages are about 1400 or less a week and I make more than that now. Is travel nursing not what it use to be? Can people who actually travel tell me if they have a hard time finding jobs they want in places they want at a decent pay to go? I am a nurse in Texas. This is a breakdown of a hospital job in North Carolina and it is almost exactly the same for one in Maryland right outside Washington D.C.:
Unit- ICU
Pay Package
• Breakdown- $20hr
• Housing- Provided or $565 weekly stipend
• Food- $250wk
• Mileage- $600 total ($300 to assignment and $300 after completion of assignment
• OT/Callback- $50hr
• Call- $3hr
Position Specifics
• Shift/Hours- 12hr Days
• Floating Requirements- Discuss in interview
• Assignment Dates- 7/31/17 – 10/28/17
• Pre-Arranged Days Off- None
• Other (Scrubs, charting, call expectations)- NA
Paperwork Qualification
Is this normal? And how much do you actually bring home weekly? Do you get to work your full amount of hours and is it easy to pick up overtime. Worried if I go, I will not be making the money I am accustomed to. Also how is the housing? Is it hard to find your own furnished place that is private and not shared so you can take home more of the stipend? Sorry for all the questions, but I just want all the information i can gather to make the best decision for my self if I should go or just stay at current job? I appreciate any and all feedback.
I'm just a poor ER travel nurse but I usually get 16k to 25k/weekly on a contract. I prefer 36hours a week only and will flat out refuse on-call requirements. I hate on-call. But at 25miles your not far enough to qualify for the tax free stuff. Good luck
I love your attitude towards your profession! I'm keeping my staff job and I would like to develop this deep loyalty to my profession and my patient. No politics! No BS! You're my hero!
I'm a traveler (> 3 years of it) but am becoming tired of the following:
Learning new door codes
Figuring where to put my lunch box
Figuring out where supplies are
Water at the nurses station? Yes at some; how dare I think of water at the nurse's station at others
Some core staff get so frustrated when I can't figure out their department within 2 shifts (eye rolling must be a required addendum to their job description)
Filling out forms that the other hospital/state required me to fill out for patient transport yet, this particular facility in a new state never heard of this (How dare I ask this, right)
Eye rolling when I ask which forms are required by their facility to obtain blood
Meeting other non-eye rolling great core staff yet, leaving them
Answering the phone using the prior facility since I just left two weeks ago
Figuring out how to make due when supplies such as IV pumps are limited
Can't believe every room has an IV pump
Recruiters wanting to extend me for eternity
Learning where to park
Some eye rolling core staff thinking I'm here for the big pay (no, it kinda sucks lately)
I have been in 11 different facilities within the past 3+ years in several different states and they are all different. Unless you're set on sightseeing, be certain you're traveling for the right reasons (sick of politics ~ it's still there but comes at you like a strong wind that'll knock you over if not ready for it; wanting to see how new facilities operate and incorporating them into your long term management positions; sightseeing.
Hope I help someone make a decision about traveling.
Obviously for multiple reasons, traveling doesn't suit everyone. Communication style is important. I ask way more questions than most travelers but I've never seen an eye roll. Other reactions ranging from frustration (some don't want any questions) to feeling intimidated (unable to answer) do happen.
I left a place that I loved to become a traveler because
- Excited about exploring a new area and growth as a human being
- Single, no wife, no kids
- Only made $27/hr
- Wanted to be closer to family/friends
Everyone travels for their own reasons. The extra money is nice, but there are always unexpected costs. However, the overall experience can be invaluable - you'll never know what you'll find until you try.
As soon as people start getting preachy and instructing me on what should and shouldn't be the proper motivation/reason/impetus for why I (me, mind you...not them) may or may not do something - without knowing a thing about me, my history, or my circumstances...which is essentially saying that their uninformed opinion of my reasoning is more important than my well informed experience which informs my reasoning, my brain shuts them out. Can't help it. Does...not...compute.
If this is a pattern in your life, recognize it and take some ownership. Wonder why and consider how you could be triggering this behavior. Do you really believe the world is against you and you are the victim? I've never experienced this pattern.
If this is a pattern in your life, recognize it and take some ownership. Wonder why and consider how you could be triggering this behavior. Do you really believe the world is against you and you are the victim? I've never experienced this pattern.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Hey, listen...if you would have someone believe that a healthy response to your shaming behavior is something they should examine as being deficient within themselves...for the sake of saving face for your ego....then you may also benefit from some introspection...
If this is a pattern in your life, recognize it and take some ownership. Wonder why and consider how you could be triggering this behavior. Do you really believe the world is against you and you are the victim? I've never experienced this pattern.
Im have come to realize that I just dont reply past the trigger points on posters like the one that is triggered by your mild response. I just kinda sit back, shake my head and think "oh, I get it, they have a thing".... for some reason people have a hard time with constructive criticism or even a viewpoint that doesnt match their own. They get all defensive rather than moving forward.
I like the eb and flow of travelling. People get into it all pumped about it with delusions of grandeur then have zero real plan. Then they leave after a couple of assignments. Sure rates go down when they build up high numbers of travellers but all the sudden their lack of planning kills them with the low rates. Then they get stressed, unhappy and hateful towards the travel life and leave then BAM rates go high again.
Its easier to see from the ivory tower(or whatever it was called earlier in this thread) of the OR though. Lol.
I'm just wondering if his naughty finger ever gets tired from waving it at everybody all the time...Does he get naughty finger cramps? Is there an ointment for that? A nursing diagnosis?
I'm just wondering if his naughty finger ever gets tired from waving it at everybody all the time...Does he get naughty finger cramps? Is there an ointment for that? A nursing diagnosis?
You just dont get that he is giving sound advice. You misunderstanding him is part of the problem.
My post was directed to people other that NedRN and i can assure you he gets what im saying.
Wolf at the Door, BSN
1,045 Posts
LOL it is totally different world.