What exactly does "recent experience" mean?

Specialties Travel

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So my wife and I are both RN's and trying to finalize a plan that will allow us to sail most of the year. We wanted to travel nurse a bit to keep up our skills/licenses as well as supplement our income.

I browsed through some of the listings on faststaff's website and most of them seem to say "1 year of recent (specialty) experience and 2 years of RN experience". So my question would be what exactly counts as recent. If we were to work a 3 month contract and then take 9 months off each year would that qualify?

Yes .

That might work with Faststaff since they specialize in crisis or emergency rates. For other vendors like Medefis, Parallon, PPR, etc. they are going to want more recent experience and are going to be concerned with the 9 months off in between assignments.

I actually got curious enough to call Faststaff and the guy was very helpful. He said that it's actually more likely we would find better options at other places. He said since they tend to pay a premium for emergency placements they are getting the stuff that didn't get placed with other agencies. He said that they would definitely attempt to place us but because their postings are at premium pay that we would be competing with other nurses who potentially have been working full time. He said our best bet was to get signed on with several different agencies (including them) and if we aren't super picky about where we go it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

If you don't happen to be in a specialty in demand, there is another way to avoid any questions and hassle about recent experience. A recurring assignment at the same hospital. This is best done as a seasonal assignment. If you do well and the hospital likes you, there will be no issues with returning next year. There are a number of hospitals in Florida and Arizona that have in-house seasonal traveler programs that would be a good fit for both that reason and another.

Maintaining a permanent residence (not a moveable one like a boat or RV) can get you tax free compensation from agencies - a significant chunk of traveler compensation. Often agencies are reluctant to hire itinerant (no tax home) travelers or withhold taxes properly or encourage them to falsify addresses. You won't have that issue with in-house seasonal programs. They may give you a housing stipend (a few provide housing directly) but they will withhold income tax on its value. A higher hourly than agencies largely compensates.

Such recurring assignments will be easier (whether through an agency or directly for the hospital) as you will be familiar (after the first assignment) and comfortable with hospital practices and policies, and will know many of the employees day one. Fastaff assignments tend to be tough, you really have to hit the ground running more often than non crisis assignments.

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What does anyone know about Cruise ship nursing? It seems like you are allowed to bring a family member on board with you so if my wife and I both worked as nurses we could bring our 9 year old (at that time) daughter with us and it solves the problem of her having to spend months with the grandparents.

It looks like those assignments are 6 months at a time so has anyone ever tried to do 6months on and 6months off?

Maintaining a permanent residence (not a moveable one like a boat or RV) can get you tax free compensation from agencies - a significant chunk of traveler compensation.

We would be forced to stay residents of Minnesota because we own several houses here (that would be about 1/2 of our income) and MN is one of those states that once they get their hooks into you they won't let you give up our residency because they want that sweet tax revenue. So the permanent residence wouldn't be an issue.

Residency is different than a tax home for business purposes. Owning rental property you don't live in doesn't count for (duplicated costs) eligibility for tax free stipends. You have to maintain a residence that you return to regularly, and that you have not rented out.

Cruise ships have bad pay and some say working conditions. Plus it is hard to find openings as everyone seems to romanticize it.

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