Travel Nursing

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Specializes in Cardiology, Telemetry, Home Health Care.

Hi, does anyone have input on travel nursing? I work for an interventional cardiologist as his office nurse and am looking for more money. I am married, have a 22 & 19 year old. They are pretty independent. My husband is ok with me traveling but I am not sure if I can do a long stretch since I have never been away more than a week... I am 46 yrs old and feel that if I am going to do it I need to do it now before I get any older. ??? Any Advice????

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.

If you are going to do true travel nursing in the hopes that you will make the big bucks, you will be disappointed. If you are doing it for new experiences and to see different parts of the country, then you certainly won't be disappointed.

A travel nurse will get anywhere from the high $20's to $40 per hour (if you luck out with a rapid response need) plus housing. You will incur additional expenses since travel reimbursements never cover the travel & most companies don't provide housewares, tv, cable and phone. Some will even make you responsible or the utilities. Also, you will have to pay state (and sometimes city) income taxes in the state you work in, in addition to your home state (if it has income tax). One more thing, contract are cancelled all the time, leaving a traveler stranded without a job, home or income-so, you would need to have a financial cushion before you begin.

If you are looking to make money, best think about doing a local contract through an agency. They usually pay the best since the company doesn't have to pay for housing.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Telemetry, Home Health Care.

Wow, thank you for the input. I was expecting a little more positive feedback but if this is the way it is, I am not sure if I want to persue... Thanks

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Specializes in informatics, long-term care, psychiatric.

Does anyone have any information on a good travel nurse agency or any ideas on traveling to LONDON for the 2012 olympics? thanks for any suggestions! Pat

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
If you are going to do true travel nursing in the hopes that you will make the big bucks, you will be disappointed. If you are doing it for new experiences and to see different parts of the country, then you certainly won't be disappointed.

A travel nurse will get anywhere from the high $20's to $40 per hour (if you luck out with a rapid response need) plus housing. You will incur additional expenses since travel reimbursements never cover the travel & most companies don't provide housewares, tv, cable and phone. Some will even make you responsible or the utilities. Also, you will have to pay state (and sometimes city) income taxes in the state you work in, in addition to your home state (if it has income tax). One more thing, contract are cancelled all the time, leaving a traveler stranded without a job, home or income-so, you would need to have a financial cushion before you begin.

If you are looking to make money, best think about doing a local contract through an agency. They usually pay the best since the company doesn't have to pay for housing.

As an agency nurse I can tell you for a fact that we do get canceled, and frequently! Most travel companies I have been in contact with have contracts with the hospitals and travelers that ensure at least 40 hours/week. Hospitals pay BIG BUCKS for travels and do not call them off. In fact, many travelers work 48-60 hours/week. I met a traveler a couple years ago who was doing a 13 week assignment at my hospital. She told me in the 10+ years she had been traveling she had never made less than 100K/year. That is a lot more than I make as an agency nurse any day. I say if you are itching for an adventure you should go for it!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.
As an agency nurse I can tell you for a fact that we do get canceled, and frequently! Most travel companies I have been in contact with have contracts with the hospitals and travelers that ensure at least 40 hours/week. Hospitals pay BIG BUCKS for travels and do not call them off. In fact, many travelers work 48-60 hours/week. I met a traveler a couple years ago who was doing a 13 week assignment at my hospital. She told me in the 10+ years she had been traveling she had never made less than 100K/year. That is a lot more than I make as an agency nurse any day. I say if you are itching for an adventure you should go for it!

I was really referring to doing a local contract with an agency rather than the per diem type of work through them. You get a 13 week contract at a pay rate higher than a travel nurse because the agency does not have to pay for travel and housing.

I have worked staff, travel, per diem agency and local contract. By far, the best pay is local contract &, since it is a contract just like a traveler's, I also get guaranteed hours. BTW, not all contracts (local or travel) guarantee hours, so you will find a LOT of call-offs for travelers that do not have guaranteed hours. Also, since the hospital pays the most for a traveler, they are the first to get a cancelled contract.

Yes, a traveler can make 100K a year if they take a housing stipend instead of having the company provide it & work insane hours. I, too, easily can make that doing a local contracts with guaranteed hours and supplement it with per diem.

Just curious, how much per hour is your agency paying you & is it per diem/prn? Right now I am doing a local contract, days, no weekends, guaranteed hours & make $45.00/hour? Highest I made with travel (not counting the housing allowance) was $35.00/hour.

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Does the housing allowance depend on where you live how much you receive? I live in Georgia and was considering doing a local contract with housing allowance.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.
Does the housing allowance depend on where you live how much you receive? I live in Georgia and was considering doing a local contract with housing allowance.

Yes, the housing allowance is based upon the locale. In high cost areas, such as NYC or CA, you can see $2000-$3000 per month. The South has the lowest. However, last year, I received a $1200/month housing allowance for Dallas, where the average 1 bedroom apt. rental (unfurnished) was about $600-700.

I do have to caution you about getting an untaxed housing allowance for a local contract. It does not qualify for being untaxed, according to IRS guidelines. You might be better off negotiating the housing allowance into part of your hourly wage so you can get more money for any overtime you may earn. If the company puts the housing allowance separate, but taxes it anyway (like they should), they wind up paying you less for overtime; and, you would get less if you should find yourself unemployed or needing disability. Higher hourly wages are the way to go for local contracts. traveling away form home is where it is better to take the higher housing allowance, since it is untaxed.

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Thanks for all your help.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Med Surg.

check out the travel nurse forum, great info

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i know this is an old post but i just wanted to say that a lot of incorrect info. is being put out here. travel companies pay for your travel to and from assignments, they give you a rental car, or if you use your own you get a car allowance, you get a per diem, and you get a great salary, plus housing which includes utilities. its a great opportunity. try it at least once. good luck

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care.

which companies have you worked for pay for relocation and vehicle? My husband is unemployed and although he has been apply for 5-7 jobs per week, nothing yet. His unemployment benefits run out in December, so we are seriously considering the travel nurse thing to help us make ends meet and go live in someplace we like better than where we are now.

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