Traveling Companies that hire new grads?

Specialties Travel

Published

I have read several items on here and on the net that there are no traveling companies that hire new grads, but me being a person hard to convince, I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has ever heard of a company that will hire a new grad or a fairly new grad? Traveling nursing is what I have wanted to do for a long time and am excited about getting started as soon as possible. I graduate with RN in May of 2008.

crnawant2be

44 Posts

Specializes in CVICU.

I was on the phone with a rep from "staffcare.com" today talking about this very subject. She was looking for a CPR and ACLS classes which I teach. anyway back to your question, there sister company will hire new grads. She say they have positions all over the US

Selke

543 Posts

You must be proficient in your field before you can get hired by a travel agency. This has been said multiple times on these boards. You are not at a travel assignment in order to be precepted and learn how to be an RN. The staff RNs are likely to give you a heavy load and judge your work very critically because you are a traveler. Your first job out of nursing school must be precepted, you are a neophyte and cannot function independently on a nursing unit. As a travel RN you must be able to function independently in the job. Trust me, it is difficult enough as an experienced nurse to learn the ropes of a new facility in order to function there, figure out the nursing culture, &c.

Nearly every hospital wants applicants for travel assignments to have at minimum 1-2 years' experience in the area of nursing the job entails, continuous experience, before they will look at your resume. Recruiters won't consider you, either. I'd like to know which agencies will take new grads ...

That said, you might get hired as a traveler with one years' fulltime experience after school.

Are you just trying to get out of Dodge, so to speak, and leave your hometown via travel nursing? Why not decide where you'd like to live and work after graduation, and start job hunting in those areas now. You could probably get hired as a new grad long distance, relocate, get precepted, work and live there for a year or two, and enjoy that just fine, then travel.

11:11

208 Posts

Specializes in SICU-MICU,Radiology,ER.

Are you just trying to get out of Dodge, so to speak, and leave your hometown via travel nursing? Why not decide where you'd like to live and work after graduation, and start job hunting in those areas now. You could probably get hired as a new grad long distance, relocate, get precepted, work and live there for a year or two, and enjoy that just fine, then travel.

This can easily be done, with a bonus and relocation too most likely.

Traveling can be nice but it has its downsides too, things you cant and wont see coming unless you have a few years experience.

Not to mention being a self starter in a sometimes not so friendly environment.

Do yourself a favor, get the experience first, then do some perdium work. After that consider traveling-

BROOK9960

51 Posts

You must be proficient in your field before you can get hired by a travel agency. This has been said multiple times on these boards. You are not at a travel assignment in order to be precepted and learn how to be an RN. The staff RNs are likely to give you a heavy load and judge your work very critically because you are a traveler. Your first job out of nursing school must be precepted, you are a neophyte and cannot function independently on a nursing unit. As a travel RN you must be able to function independently in the job. Trust me, it is difficult enough as an experienced nurse to learn the ropes of a new facility in order to function there, figure out the nursing culture, &c.

Nearly every hospital wants applicants for travel assignments to have at minimum 1-2 years' experience in the area of nursing the job entails, continuous experience, before they will look at your resume. Recruiters won't consider you, either. I'd like to know which agencies will take new grads ...

That said, you might get hired as a traveler with one years' fulltime experience after school.

Are you just trying to get out of Dodge, so to speak, and leave your hometown via travel nursing? Why not decide where you'd like to live and work after graduation, and start job hunting in those areas now. You could probably get hired as a new grad long distance, relocate, get precepted, work and live there for a year or two, and enjoy that just fine, then travel.

SELKE, I appreciate your reply and all of the other replies. NO, I am not trying to "get out of dodge", traveling has always been something I have desired to do and with a perk----a job I have wanted to do since I was about 5 years old. It is unfortunate that some people always look on the pessimistic side of things..........but I assure you, my desire to travel has nothing to do with me trying to skip town...lol. But, once again, thank you for your reply and I will make best use of your advise in my future endeavors.

bagladyrn, RN

2,286 Posts

Specializes in OB.

Brook - there is nothing pessimistic about trying to tell you the realities of travel nursing. I've seen a couple of minimally experienced nurses try travelling and crash and burn badly - not an experience I'd want to see any colleague have! Hospitals that hire travelers are already shorthanded and those that are willing to take someone with no experience are desperate - and usually hellholes!

Taking the time to prepare yourself before you start traveling can really up the odds that you will be sucessful at it and have a great experience.

BROOK9960

51 Posts

I was not stating that Selke was pessimistic about the fact that traveling nurses need experience......I truly appreciate that person's honesty in that matter..........I just thought it was sort of pessimistic to assume that because someone wants to travel means they are trying to "get out of dodge". I don't think that every traveling nurse is running from their hometown. I just think that most people look at it as a means to experience parts of the country they might otherwise never get to see. I truly do appreciate everyone's replies on here about how significant experience is in this line of work, and I have every intention of making sure I get an adequate amount before I ever try. I guess I am just excited about the opportunity of it and was hoping that perhaps there was a way to do it sooner---but not because I am running from my hometown--I love my hometown--but because I want to see new and exciting things.

Selke

543 Posts

I was not stating that Selke was pessimistic about the fact that traveling nurses need experience......I truly appreciate that person's honesty in that matter..........I just thought it was sort of pessimistic to assume that because someone wants to travel means they are trying to "get out of dodge". I don't think that every traveling nurse is running from their hometown. ...

OK, I must have miscommunicated here, poor choice of words in using "get out of Dodge." This phrase wasn't meant to be the focus of what I said. Many people like the idea of traveling around when they get old enough to leave home because they haven't experienced other places to live, other cultures and types of people. Many travel RNs are still like that, years later :) There are also people who want to leave their hometowns and go to the big city, the west, the mountains, the ocean, whatever and wherever. Or leave the big city and experience rural health care, the beauty of remote wild areas, &c, for awhile. I've lived in cities most of my life which people from small towns move to so I kind of take this desire to leave small towns and see the country for granted. There are so many wonderful places to experience in this country that it is confining to just stay in one place one's entire life. We live in a global, mobile world; migration is a fact of life, travel nursing is one form of migration, in a way.

My point was that basic experience is needed before traveling as nobody will hire a traveler to precept them to nursing. My other point was perhaps consider finding your first job out of school in a part of the country you'd like to travel to and stay awhile, work a year or two there, then travel. That's all.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
I have read several items on here and on the net that there are no traveling companies that hire new grads, but me being a person hard to convince, I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has ever heard of a company that will hire a new grad or a fairly new grad? Traveling nursing is what I have wanted to do for a long time and am excited about getting started as soon as possible. I graduate with RN in May of 2008.

Please let us know which ones do ......

so I can avoid them like the plague.

I don't ever want to be associated with a company that places new grads in travel, as that is a terribly dangerous and irresponsible thing to do.

This is nothing against new grads. But they need to be "interned" for at least a year (preferably 2-5) before traveling.

BROOK9960

51 Posts

Thanks to everyone that replied. Thank you for the warnings and the knowledge that you have shared. I will do my best to find a job here, in my home town, that will give me as much experience as possible before I begin my traveling. What area (ER, OR, ICU, Med Surg, etc.) should I devote the most attention to in order to get the experience needed for traveling? Is OR a good area? That is my true area of interest and what I hope to spend my career as a nurse working in.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

There are positions for OR travelers, but you would probably need several years for that. The other issue is that some hospitals require such extensive orientation to OR nursing, that even as a regular staffer they may "contract" you - require a signed contract that you will stay and work OR for "X" years after orientation - because it so expensive and hard to orient people to.

ICU is probably the most in demand with better pay. But you really need to do something that you like.

Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.

Whoa. I wouldn't want to be a travel nurse as a new grad.

I want to try being a travel nurse as well, but I want to get some experience first. Waiting a year or two is nothing, in my opinion, to be able to do what you have always dreamed of doing.

But yeah, as the new kid on the block ALL THE TIME I think you should be able to hit the ground running when you get your new job assignment. Everyone will be watching you to see how you do. They will be much more harsh on a travel nurse than they would on a someone who is a permanent employee. Not that I've done travel nursing. I just know people. I've worked for temp agencies and I'm pretty sure it's a similar thing.

When you are temporary you are always the new kid on the block. You are always being tested by the permanent staff. Sometimes they view you as invading their territory. It takes a great deal of maturity, confidence and self-esteem to hold up under that kind of pressure. If you have it, that's wonderful. You'll do fine. You have to not be too worried about whether people you work with like you or not. Some places are better than others, but in general you're the outsider. You have to be okay with people not inviting you to lunch, making small talk with you, or being supportive when times are tough.

Just, stuff to think about. I wish you luck with your endeavor.

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