Student Questions

[leckzieloo]

Hello everyone!

First of all I want to say thank you to anyone who replies. I am one semester away from graduating from nursing school. I am aware I need a year or two of experience before going into travel nursing, but had some questions regarding this career path.

My main question is that I have no clue how to understand the contracts people tell me about. If it isn't too much trouble I was wondering if someone could break this down for me. I see a lot of abbreviations such as "GSA, and MEI" in these threads. I have looked through a ton of posts, but have not found a post explaining this.

My other question is simply how does the process work? I assume you apply for a job, interview, they make you an offer, and you accept/decline? I wasn't sure if they gave you a list of locations, or if they only offered you one location based on their needs.

I know these questions will require a lot of detail, so thank you in advance for all the help! I love traveling and have always wanted to venture into this area of nursing. Any insight helps!

Y

[NedRN]

Yup, too much detail for a single post. There are a number of books on travel nursing. For internet reading, most agency sites will have a short synopsis of travel nursing or an FAQ. There are a number of travel nursing sites with tons of information. The travel nurse association site PanTravelers has an abundance of in depth articles on every aspect of nursing. TravelTax focuses on travel taxation, also with a ton of information for free. There are author sites such as Highway Hypodermics with a popular agency list, many blog sites with mixed value, and Gypsy Nurse, another traveler site with a more down to earth bent. Forums such as this one have the most value for focused questions and answers, but you can learn a lot just by reading randomly. Focused questions about per diems and every other topic are answered here, just use AllNurses search function (the magnifying glass) to put in your terms. Usually Google can answer a specific question quickly, try "GSA" or "M&IE" for example (never seen MIE posted).

[JoelleChandler]

It might be helpful to find a veteran travel nurse who canhelp answer some of your questions from a first-hand perspective as far ascontracts go. As someone with experience in the travel nurse recruitingindustry, I can offer a brief overview of that process. Typically, you wouldfind a job listing that interests you and either apply online or call theagency. Once you contact them, they will assign you a recruiter who can furtherdiscuss the opportunity with you, then there is typically an interview processand if all goes well, an offer of employment. Bigger agencies will have more opportunities across the country,which is helpful if you have preferred locations.Your recruiter may also present other options for you to consider, but thechoice of whether or not to take them is always yours. That’s one of the greatthings about being a travel nurse! Best of luck with your career, whatever pathyou decide to take!

[leckzieloo]

Thank you for replying! I appreciate it!!