Travel RN Compensation vs. Current non-travel Compensation

NedRN · Aug 7, 2013

With insurance benefit, I make it as $51 an hour.

globetrotterRN · Aug 7, 2013

There are mutliple discussions on here re: travel pay rates, and travel vs staff pay rates.

From my own experience I've now learned that financially I'm better off to go back to being regular staff. I've never been staff in this country (I'm Canadian and have worked in Australia as well) but being staff elsewhere we get sick time, paid time off, shift differentials, and various insurance (health, life, disability, etc). You don't get those benefits travel nursing. On top of that with a travel nursing you pay extra for short term housing and if you have a break between contracts you have to fend for yourself for accommodation, etc, and what limited insurance you have is cut too.

Personally I've decided to go back to my old job PT. I will get full insurance benefits, retirement pension, paid time off, and have the flexibility to play with me sched to go off and travel.

Travel nursing is not a way to make money in this country. Recruiters throwout lowball offers and many people have the thought, "well, it's only 13 weeks, when am I going to get to visit/live in ____ for 'free' again?" and accept. If people want to start making more money travel nursing than everyone needs to start demanding more and not taking the low offers. After arguing with my (now former) recruiter about pay rates in Cali, he told me that rates are low because that where people want to go, basic supply and demand. He said that jobs in Hawaii and FL pay even less because more nurses want to go out there, so if you are thinking that your Boston offer in low paying you'll likely be shocked at what they will offer in South FL.

As far as your contract goes you would acutually be making $500 more/week than I was offered as an 8+yr experience ED/Trauma RN to work Level 1 in California. I have a friend in Boston doing travel nursing and she is coming out with $20 left at the end of the month for savings. I believes she makes a couple hundred less than your offer. She pays $1500/month to share a small 2 bedroom flat with a couple and sleeps on an airmattress.

Good luck with your decision. :)

NedRN · Aug 7, 2013

Just like per diem, travel should pay more money to compensate for the loss of staff benefits. Perhaps most travelers are from the South as even the lowest pay travel contracts are a big step up. Not too many travelers from Massachusetts anymore, or California, as it is difficult for nurses from those areas to make a financial case to travel.

As always, a choice to enter a career should not be simply about money. If that was true, there would be many fewer people choosing nursing. Travel is a fringe occupation, and if you don't have the aptitude and desire for it, money shouldn't push you to do it. You will fail.

It is certainly possible to make good money as a traveler. After 18 years of traveling, starting with just a used car that I emptied my savings to buy, I own a house free and clear, and have enough money in the bank to consider retirement. I've seen the country and the world, had much higher professional growth than I could have had from a single staff job, and made friends everywhere. But it is certainly not for everyone.

eager1hasbegun · Aug 10, 2013

That looks spectacular unless you mean biweekly instead of weekly? As a staff nurse, my weekly gross income was about 1200/wk as a full time night shifter with 5yrs experience in MD

Also consider that med-surg/tele is the lowest on the totem pole. Specialties like ED, OR, OB, and CVDL are more in demand and compensated for it.

RDUNCAN · Aug 10, 2013

$1700/week takehome sounds amazing to me. My takehome weekly is around $900-$1000 in Missouri. That's PRN wages around $35/hour. And typically working 3-4 shifts/week. Night shifts. If you're complaining about $1700/week takehome, I'll switch you any time! That sounds really good! I've been quoted $1500-$1650/week takehome from California. Maybe I need to get with your recruiter!!!

dansamy · Aug 10, 2013

I make $750/week after taxes. Night shift weekends. 5yrs experience, PALS. No BSN though. That would give me $29 more a week after taxes.

I pay $100/week for my medical/dental.

Welcome to Alabama.

Rain_ray2000 · Sep 3, 2013

Thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it.

Rain_ray2000 · Sep 3, 2013

NedRN, Thank you for your advice. I might be signing a contract. Can you tell me what to look for in the contract to make sure that it is helpful to me as well?

Thank You

NedRN · Sep 3, 2013

Contracts are written by agencies to protect their interests. You need to read it carefully to make sure that it protects your interests as well. Everything you discussed with your recruiter and the manager should be in the contract: scheduled shift, any agreed off-time, hospital, hourly and OT rates, guaranteed hours and call off policy, pass-fail tests prior to assignment start, and housing details. Look closely for "at-will" language, if such language is in there it means they can terminate you at any time, often with contractual missed hour penalties intact (translation: the hospital may terminate you because of low census or because they don't like your accent, and you still have to pay thousands of dollars for failing to complete the contract). Look at the penalty clause, it is usually some dollar amount for every hour missed. It should be really low if you are taking a housing stipend in lieu of provided housing, this shifts a lot of risk to the traveler. Having to cover lost housing costs through missed hour penalties would be double dipping.

If you want more details, there are a lot of employment contract information online, including traveler specific information at PanTravelers. If you are scared by the stuff above, good, hope you at least read your contract (the employee handbook is also part of your contract) - probably most travelers don't read the contract and just take the recruiter's word that it is a good one. But don't let it scare you from traveling - about 90% of all contracts complete successfully. You will learn what is important to you to include in a contract. Most agencies will resist any changes in the contract and it will be tough to discuss it with your recruiter as they are not contract savvy either believe it or not. Most agencies will change the contract if you are insistent and it is important to you. Pick your battles.

losbozos · Sep 26, 2013

I'm working w/ a traveler that says her agency makes her pay a penalty if she has a cancelled shift (low census) even tho it's no fault of hers. How can that be?

NedRN · Sep 26, 2013

A traveler's compensation includes things like housing, per diem, and travel pay in addition to hourly pay. The agency receives a fixed bill rate based on hours worked and calculates compensation based on a certain number of hours worked. Expenses roll through even when hours are not worked. Do you think travelers should get 13 weeks of free housing if they are unable to work? That was a rhetorical question just to demonstrate the worst case scenario.

Because of the costs concerned, agencies also need incentives and sticks to encourage travelers to meet their contracted hours. In addition to these missed hour penalties, agencies often structure completion bonuses into the compensation.

Besides out of pocket costs agencies have for missed hours, they also suffer reputation hits with the client hospital for providing unreliable travelers causing possible lower bill rates and/or loss of future business. Hiring travelers is often a last resort for understaffed hospitals so they really need those shifts worked. A traveler who calls off or quits without finishing their contract leaves a hospital in the lurch. Bad business all round for the traveler's and agency's reputation, the client's needs, and patient care.

Staff pay in comparison already has built in benefits like sick pay and PTO, and there is little danger in getting terminated with reasonable call offs. Agencies work with a fixed pot, a bill rate per hour worked. Very different. Both kinds of nurses are an expense item to hospitals, but travelers are a specific and fixed expense per hour where staff compensation is effectively open ended.