Traveling CST'S

ewattsjt · Jul 23, 2008

see my other post about joining the ast discussion forum. i don’t think that you need advice asap. agencies typically do not hire unless you have a year or two of experience. it is a goal you may want to set for yourself.

agencies want the experience because the facilities pay them very well for experienced staff. pay depends on your contract but is much more than general staff. remember that because of this, one is expected to learn the facility in a couple of days vs a normal staff having 3 to 9 mths. there are times when you may not work because there are no contracts that you are willing to accept. different agencies have different rules in what is provided etc...

advantages include being able to leave in a couple of months, more pay, getting to travel, etc.. maybe even not working with the same people

disadvantages include paying for your own insurances, having "down time", being expected to know everything about the facility in no time, dealing with jealous (of your pay) staff, etc.. maybe not working with the same people (my facility is great)

MsLeylaBar · Jul 23, 2008

Please get at least 2 years of staff experience in a fairly large OR that does everything before you think of doing a travel assignment.

ShariDCST · Jul 24, 2008

is there anyone out there that knows how i can become a traveling tech. im a student as of now, i asked bcuz im interested in being a traveling tech.
1. what are the advantages of being a traveling tech.
2. what are the disadvantages of being a traveling tech.
3. what's the pay rate of being a traveling tech
p.s need advice asap

as the other poster mentioned, joining the ast discussion forum is probably one of your best resources for the information you seek. the other one would be joining ast as a student member, and getting the monthly journal, as well as access to all the features of their website. they both have lots of job postings, and advertisements from traveling agencies.

two years experience minimum is what i would strongly recommend before you even approach a travel agency. they need to know what your strengths and weaknesses are so they can match you with the best facility offer. if you don't know what those are yet, you can't tell them. and, as previously stated, you do need to be able to pretty much hit the ground running when you walk in the door. i've traveled a bit myself, and it was a definite plus to be a very quick study. every agency out there requires or experience as an employee of a facility - clinical time doesn't count.