Traveling to Hawaii -need some advice bad:)

travelinjones · Jan 4, 2008

I've not been a nurse in Hawaii, but I lived on Oahu (Honolulu) for 10 years. There are so many hospitals!~ It really depends on your specialty and your comfort zone as to which way to go. As for the car allowance, I can tell you that on Oahu, they have very reliable public transportation. A monthly bus pass would cost you $40 each. Traffic can be quite frustrating on Oahu. If you are used to having space to live, it could be quite a shock living in town. The apartments or houses are generally smaller, with little space between you and your neighbors. Most of the apartments are in hi-rises.

People there are genuinely sweet. The 'aloha spirit' is a very real thing. Generous, thoughtful, and kind. An awesome opportunity to experience different cultures. The food is an incredible adventure! You will never be bored. There is so much to do and explore. Honestly, most of the beauty of Hawai'i is free to see. The expensive part is housing and dining out. You can get by cheap on food and such if you shop the specials. They also have Sams club, Costco, Walmart, and of course if you like spam and rice, you can always find it at a bargain!

I've only visited Maui, but it is gorgeous!

One thing I would recommend is looking into the HNA website. I believe they represent the nurses union. They should have a copy of the contract, and from there you should be able to glean info on ratios and pay. Look at the classifieds on the Honolulu Advertiser for a good idea on rental prices, so you could determine if the traveler pay + housing is appropriate. Area is everything. You definately don't want to find yourself living on the East side and having to drive to the West side for work, or vice versa.

Best of luck to you!

I went there for vacation and stayed 10 years! I miss it dreadfully!

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Jan 5, 2008

Everything travelinjones wrote is true.

I spent a year there in the 90's working in the Peds ER at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. Would return in a minute if I could get over the "Island Fever". I was OK for 6 months and then I started feeling like I was stuck on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, (Sort of was) and had to get off. Lasted the remaining time knowing I was leaving and had a date. Maybe I will try it again but make sure I have an open airline ticket in my pocket at all times?????

I plan on returning some day. Will take a travel assignment and not extend. Will plan on purchasing a vehicle when I arrive (waited a couple weeks the first time) and will check on Craig's list or some other place to get a roommate that I choose. When I went I had to have a roommate staying in company housing. It was OK but I would have chosen someone different. It is very expensive. You can travel from Island to Island but that costs too, even if you buy the Island hopper book. Nursing Union Membership was mandatory when I was there. It provided you with insurance, PTO and some other benefits. I only work ER and there it's hard to limit Nurse to Patient Ratio's at times but we had plenty of staff back then. When you can just toss a couple kids under each arm and still work it's OK :) Good luck , have fun and take lots of money.

Rod

CraigBSN02 · Jan 7, 2008

:ahem:

Seeing as how the s.o. is from Maui, allow me to expound on a few things.

Maui is god's country. Top 3 most beautiful places I've ever seen, bar none. People who live there, truly live 'aloha'. Maui is nicknamed the Valley Isle, so there are beautiful peaks, valleys, and a volcano to fill up your views (and your camera). Lots of cultural exhibits, the great (and terrifying) Road to Hana, and fantastic resorts should you be able to afford them.

The people are friendly and welcoming, but here's a warning. If the locals think for a minute you are being condescending or paternalistic toward them, or if you do not show respect for their love of the land, you will have a very rough go of it. Hawaiians are at one with the land they live on, the land that was unceremoniously stolen from them by white businessmen, as such they are sensitive about any haole (foreigner) 'putting on airs' around them.

Working in Maui is... different. Maui is sporificely populated compared to Oahu or even Hawaii (Big Island). As such, you need to be prepared to dial down your expectation as to what you expect in a hospital. You will have to take the health insurance that the locals take, your travel company will explain that to you. I don't know what your specialty is, but the patient population suffers from the same health problems that plagues other native populations, namely substance abuse, psychiatric disease, and native hawaiians have a very high rate of diabetes and hypertension.

Living there is wicked expensive. I dealt with $3.00/gal gasoline waay back in 2005. Housing is insane. Most apartments are small and not what you're used to back on the mainland. You should get a vehicle/transportation stipend while you're there. I can tell you that $100 per week is pretty low compared to what I got not 3 years ago. Don't forget about reimbursement to/from the islands. If you're staying longer than 3 months, go buy an island beater (car) and pocket the vehicle stipend.

Regarding housing, most travel companies can't afford to put their travelers in harm's way, so your housing should be good. However, when you interview with the hospital, ask the interviewer for any advice on housing and usually they'll give you the contact info for some of the travelers already there and you can speak to them.

Hope this helps. Hawaii is awesome, so enjoy yourself.

-Craig

RN, BSN and others.

kentuckychick · Jan 7, 2008

Hey, Thanks so much for all the great advice, I really, really appreciate it. It's good to hear from folks who have insight, This will probobly be a once in a lifetime chance for me, so I want to make it as good as I can! Thanks again, and keep it coming!

lemRN · Jan 28, 2008

Hi,

I'm not sure how it is working out there, but i'm looking to find out. I am currently on an assignment now. i would like to go to Hawaii in march or april. I have yet to find a company that staffs there. there are some that say they staff in Hawaii, but they are trying to get me to go elsewhere. if you have any advice or referrals on what company i should try, please let me know. i'm a RN. Thanks.

belka · Jan 30, 2008

How long does it take to get an assignment in Hawaii? I have read somewhere it can get up to a year to get an assignment.

kentuckychick · Feb 6, 2008

I haven't gone yet, and am not so sure I will. I was going through Core Medical Group. I was going to travel with my husband and airfare was going to be 2500.00 at the cheapest, with only 500.00 of it reimbursed, appox 500.00/month for a rental car, and that's after the 100.00/week rental allowance, plus only a 23.00/hr pay rate, we would have been working just to be there, Plus the shifts were going to be two twelves and two eights per week, and from what I understand that is how much of Hawaii operates with thier agency staff because it is unionized and we have to work around the staff nurses schedule. The hospital I was going to be sent to had no air conditioning (yikes) but on the upside, The people I spoke with were extremely nice and I think I wouldv'e liked it but it's not financially do-able.