Travel position to move?

NedRN · Feb 17, 2014

Probably, you would be better off just applying for a staff position. But certainly you can ask HR (their online page should show current open positions) if they like to recruit travelers. I doubt that they have much luck there, travelers converting to staff at one particular hospital doesn't happen with much assurance.

Here is a couple other issues with your plan: a standard feature of travel contracts is a do-not-compete clause which effectively means a hospital will have to pay a healthy commission to the agency to bring you on staff: 25% of first year's pay is the starting point of negotiation. You may lose out on relocation expenses provided to new staff members which can be as much as $10,000. You will also get a much better orientation and less likely to be treated as a commodity but as part of the family. Pay will also be better in Oregon as a staff member than a traveler, and since you are moving, there are no tax benefits to a travel contract either.

Sort of paradoxically, you may be more marketable as a staff member than as a traveler. As a traveler, you are competing with a ton of 5 to 20 years of experience of a jillion med surg travelers. Guess who gets the assignment! As a staffer, you are much more marketable with 2 years of experience than new grads, and yet not as expensive as someone with more experience.

Finally, you may not want to move to a city with no jobs. I think you want to lock something in before you move.

21strawberry · Feb 17, 2014

NedRN, does the hospital have to pay that hefty commission to bring you on as staff once you are there long enough to be maxed out? I believe the hospital where I am currently only accepts travelers for 1 year. I know you had mentioned before about going away and coming back as a way to reset the clock. However, my hope was to go to their ICU float pool when they tell me my time's up. I know that this facility, or at least this unit, does offer staff positions to their travelers at the end of their contract. Sorry to hijack the thread somewhat! But I kind of had the same plan as the OP when we moved out here to CA. Thought it was an easy way in and that I'd be able to check out the area hospitals about which I knew nothing. Turns out I ended up at my goal hospital from the get-go anyhow.

wanderlust99 · Feb 17, 2014

I looked at my company's website and only saw 1 med/surg float travel position posted in Portland right now. Obviously that could change, but it may be better for you to apply for permanent positions starting now, if you plan on moving in a few months. And I'd definitely start now if the market is tough.

NedRN · Feb 17, 2014

NedRN, does the hospital have to pay that hefty commission to bring you on as staff once you are there long enough to be maxed out? I believe the hospital where I am currently only accepts travelers for 1 year. I know you had mentioned before about going away and coming back as a way to reset the clock. However, my hope was to go to their ICU float pool when they tell me my time's up. I know that this facility, or at least this unit, does offer staff positions to their travelers at the end of their contract. Sorry to hijack the thread somewhat! But I kind of had the same plan as the OP when we moved out here to CA. Thought it was an easy way in and that I'd be able to check out the area hospitals about which I knew nothing. Turns out I ended up at my goal hospital from the get-go anyhow.

Resetting a clock refers to IRS eligibility to keep your tax home intact without shifting to the work state after a year of work.

Do-not-competes in the facility contract do vary. A few hospitals with enough pull do not allow them at all so you can switch to staff easily. Allowing travelers to work no more than one year is just an HR policy so locals don't get the idea to work travel contracts permanently - doing so can impair the local pool to pull new staff out of - it is not directly related to a non-compete but again the contract could say a non-compete has expired at the end of four assignments or some other figure.

The industry standard was 12 months from when you end the last day of contract work but is much more commonly 6 months now from when you end the last day. You don't have access to the facility contract but what it says is the decisive factor. Even if your contract doesn't have a non-compete, if the facility contract has it, that is what will rule. If your contract has a non-compete and the facility contact does not, you should be good. Courts in every state have ruled that you cannot restrict the ability of an ordinary worker like a nurse to get a job so it doesn't matter what your contract says.

An easy way to find out the situation is to call HR- the original poster should do this as well. Simply ask if you can work there on a travel assignment and become staff immediately - they should know.

AppleRN4 · Feb 21, 2014

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.