Travel vs. PerDiem

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:nurse:I am currently a traveler but want to be closer to home for a while. Is the money about the same to stay with my travel company and choose not to use housing or do agency perdiem? I want to work about 2 hours from home. I do both PEDS and NICU.

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It is the tax breaks that you get as a travel nurse that makes things more lcurative. You do not get the same with per diem nurisng.

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I agree about the tax breaks. I lived 125 miles from my work. I could not claim any travel expenses, such as lodging. Now that I am a traveler I have many more deductions. This is going to make a big difference for me.

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Could someone explain per diem to me? I am new to the travel nurse thing and I have heard the term many times but I am not quite sure what it is.

Thanks,

KN:nurse:

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Per diem is local agency, where you work when you want. Or taking per diem shifts at a local hopsital, where you pick your shifts.

Travel nursing is a contract for a specified amount of shifts and housing provided, etc. With per diem, housing is normally not covered.

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Another difference between per diem and travel is that generally you do not get health insurance unless you pay extra for it as a per diem nurse. As a travel nurse those benefits are provided, usually for free if you have nobody else that needs coverage.

Ten

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Depends on the per diem agency, I used to always get my insurance covered provided that I worked a certain number of hours per week, not any different than being a traveller.

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