Temporary Versus Direct Hire Tips

When you’re working for a healthcare staffing agency like Clinical One, you’re not considered self-employed. That’s important information to know when it comes time to file your tax return. Clinical One would be considered your employer, since they’re the ones paying your salary. However, as with anything, there are many gray areas related to what you can claim as expenses, so it’s best to check with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) before venturing to complete your own tax returns.

The IRS has a great website where you can find answers to all of your income tax questions, get state forms to complete, read up on new tax laws, and e-file your tax return. As someone working for a healthcare staffing agency, you may find yourself scratching your head when it comes time to file your tax return. If you’re really uncertain, your healthcare staffing agency will be able to offer some guidance and put you in touch with a tax consultant that specializes in the filings of travel healthcare professionals.

Remember, you must report and pay taxes on all of your income. No matter how complicated your income tax return might seem it’s important to get it finished and submitted before the deadline.

Whenever you work with a healthcare staffing firm, it’s important to remember that you’re not a free agent. Yes, you will have the option of picking and choosing which temporary nurse jobs you want to apply for, but once you’ve signed on the proverbial dotted line, it’s your responsibility to complete the assignment. That means a number of things. As a travel healthcare professional, calling in sick regularly or not showing up for your shifts leaves the hospital short staffed and is not acceptable when taking travel positions. Temporary nursing staff play a vital role in the healthcare industry because they’re filling a void.

People do get sick, however, and life happens to the best of us. If you find yourself in a position where something has happened that you know will prevent you from completing your assignment, talk to your healthcare staffing agency immediately. Don’t put it off. The best thing you can do is agree to work until the healthcare staffing agency can find a suitable replacement for you. Never leave your employer scrambling to cover for you.

Temporary nurse jobs are a great way to build your portfolio of experience. To build a solid reputation as a reliable healthcare professional, your employers need to know that they can count on you when they need you the most.

If you’re working for a travel nurse agency, chances are you’re traveling to various job sites around the country. You might even be accepting international travel nursing positions. A healthcare staffing agency like Clinical One generally places people in short-term nursing assignments within the United States. While you’ll likely be working various shifts, there’s still going to be some downtime. Not sure what to do for recreation? The following fun ideas should get your creative juices flowing:

1) Look up the city’s leisure and recreation department to find out if they offer any GPS courses. It doesn’t take long to learn how to use a basic handheld GPS device and you can use it to play an internationally known game called geo-caching. The Internet is a valuable resource for more detailed information on what geo-caching is all about.

2) Refer friends to the healthcare staffing agency and consider taking travel assignments together. Agencies like Clinical One offer referral bonuses for every qualifying friend or family member!

3) Go shopping. Depending on where your temporary nursing job is located, there’s a good chance of finding off-the-beaten-track boutiques, spas, shoe stores, and clothing stores.

4) Visit the public library on your off days. Nobody ever thinks of the library, but it’s the perfect place to find serenity and hopefully a good book to rest your mind.

5) Sign up for a tour of the city. Most cities and towns offer historic, cultural or scenic tours for minimal cost.

6) Explore the great outdoors! Visit the local hike and bike trail, take up kayaking, go rock climbing, or what other adventures await you in the local area.

In order to get the most of your travel work experience, don’t be afraid to get out there and try new things. This is just a very short list of ideas to get you started on your adventure.

As a recent graduate, it’s important to gain as much work experience as possible. Do you have a specific career goal in mind? If so, Clinical One is a healthcare staffing agency that can help you meet those goals. For example, your ultimate goal might be to find secure, permanent nursing jobs within the United States. In order to get to those permanent nursing positions you first need a fair bit of experience and exposure to various clinical settings. A healthcare staffing agency like Clinical One is the perfect place to go for that. Clinical One will assess your resume, check your references, and make sure that you have the proper licensing in order to accept a variety of temporary nurse jobs.

Working a temporary nurse job helps you gain valuable experience. While accepting various assignments, a healthcare recruitment specialist will be accessible to you for advice and guidance. No need to worry about paying for travel expenses either! Clinical One will cover reasonable moving expenses and will cover the cost of a furnished, one bedroom apartment.

Basically, a healthcare staffing agency is the way to go when you’re just starting out. It’s the quickest way to build a strong professional reputation and a great way to earn money while also saving money.

After you’ve accepted your first temporary nursing job through a healthcare staffing agency you’re going to have to decide what to bring. Before you try to stuff your favorite ottoman into a suitcase, remember that your healthcare staffing agency is providing you with an apartment that is already furnished and contains the basic necessities including:

• Bed and bedding
• Living Room Group:
  Sofa
  Chair or Loveseat
  Coffee Table
  1 End Table
  1 Lamp
  TV Stand
• Dining Room:
  Dining Table or Dinette Table
  4 Chairs
• Bedroom:
  Queen or Full Bed
  Headboard
  Dresser with Mirror
  1 Nightstand
  1 Lamp
• Sofa and chair
• Television set
• Microwave
• Clock radio
• Utensils
• Pots and pans
• Dish towels

Working for a healthcare staffing agency could put you in any number of jobs throughout the years, and in any number of places. As you further your career in temporary nursing positions, remember to keep track of your professional portfolio. It might seem like a lot of work, but having a professional record of where you’ve worked, lived, who you’ve met, and what courses/workshops you’ve taken, can come in very handy.

Once you get in the portfolio mindset, you’ll realize that it’s really all about having a compilation of your professional life at your fingertips. Being able to sum up your career in a concise, articulate manner might come in handy when you’re on an interview for the job of your dreams. To keep track of your career, use these tips:

1) Whenever you start a new temporary nursing staff assignment, grab a shoe box and add to it throughout your assignment. This might include certificates from any training you take, letters from your employer, paystubs, etc.

2) At the end of your assignment, use whatever notes and documents you have to come up with a narrative about your experiences during this assignment. Nobody else has to read it. This is just to solidify your own strengths, weaknesses, and future goals. Having it on paper makes it more real.

3) Keep a binder or some other method of filing your narratives. Make sure to file away any receipts, pay stubs, etc., for income tax purposes.

The idea is to keep track of where you’re going, where you’ve been, and what you might like to accomplish in the future.

There’s no other profession where it’s more important to keep current on industry standards than in the healthcare industry. There are many benefits to working with a healthcare staffing agency, but one of the greatest perks is being able to take advantage of free continuing education opportunities. Clinical One, for example, offers a wide variety of online courses and workshops that can go a long way in enhancing your career.

Even courses that are not specific to temporary nursing jobs play a vital role in your professional relationships. Learning the “soft skills” (i.e. bedside manner, human resource issues, effective communication, diversity in the workplace, and how to manage your own health on the job) is very important.

Looking for specialized certification? Clinical One offers the kind of courses that can lead to eventual certifications, diplomas, and possible hourly rate increases. The more you know, the more you could earn. So make sure not to overlook the benefit of a free education. No matter how busy you might be, take the time to sign up for continuing education through Clinical One.

There are numerous advantages to working with healthcare staffing agencies. Clinical One (a Randstad company) has been around the block and knows the industry inside and out. On days when you feel like pulling out your hair, the healthcare staffing agency will be calmly standing by, ready to troubleshoot anything that comes up. They’ve seen it all before!

Besides the personal touch that a healthcare staffing agency can offer, there is also the higher pay, excellent health and dental benefits from day one, bonuses and continuing education opportunities to consider. Taking a temporary nurse job through a healthcare staffing agency is like having a professional guardian angel overseeing every assignment. If you need to talk to someone or have any serious issues come up while on assignment, your recruitment specialist will be there to help you work through it.

Many hospitals and clinics actively seek out reputable healthcare staffing agencies like Clinical One. They know that the employees they’re getting (people like you!) have already been screened, back-checked, and have the proper licensing. They know that they can hire someone to fill temporary nursing jobs who can hit the ground running.

When you apply for temporary nursing positions through a healthcare staffing agency like Clinical One, you don’t just get a job, you get the reputation of the company backing you all the way.

Does going through a healthcare staffing agency to find work sound like a lot of trouble to you? If you haven’t given the idea of a healthcare staffing agency the time of day, maybe you should start. Of course you can apply for jobs through career job boards, but if you really want to make a change in your professional career, you need to set your sights higher.

Taking permanent nursing jobs through direct-hire has its pros and cons. Starting work in permanent nursing jobs with a long-term plan to continue your career in that job gives you a sense of belonging. You know that once you’ve warmed up to the job and climbed the learning curve, you’re home free. On the other hand, it’s a lot harder to accept nursing positions in another town, city, or even state unless you’ve got the financial means and freedom to travel.

A healthcare staffing agency like Clinical One will do all the ground work for you. Why waste your money traveling back and forth to different locations, researching places to live, and trying to figure out whether the move will be the right decision for you when Clinical One can fill you in on all the details? No need to even find your own accommodations. Clinical One will do that for you, footing the bill for a one-bedroom apartment complete with furniture and basic necessities.

Don’t hesitate any longer. A healthcare staffing agency is the way to go when looking for temporary or permanent nursing jobs, and it’s a completely FREE service available to you!

If you’re not having any trouble finding permanent nursing jobs, you might wonder why you should bother with a healthcare staffing agency like Clinical One. After all, they only place people in short-term nursing assignments, right? Well, yes and no. Clinical One does offer placement in permanent positions as well as travel, per diem, and contract assignments. Even if you’re already working somewhere on a full-time basis, there are still good reasons for making the shift to a healthcare staffing agency including the following:

1) To gain new life experiences.

2) To move closer to a long-lost family member or close friend.

3) To move away from family in order to gain more independence and freedom.

4) To take advantage of the free continuing education that healthcare staffing agencies like Clinical One offer.

5) To develop new skills and expertise.

6) To network and add important references to your resume.

7) To give yourself a professional boost by making a change.

Remember, even if you’re already working in permanent nursing positions, Clinical One can help you find continuous work where you can jump from assignment to assignment. You’ll earn great money, awesome benefits, and reap the rewards of new professional challenges.