Travel Nurse Staffing Tips

Travel nursing jobs allow for travel across the country, from sunny California to the slippery slopes of Colorado. But before accepting your first assignment, it helps to have a few tips.

Visit the area if possible. When offered an assignment, visit the medical facility and the neighborhood before accepting the offer. While this might not be practical if the assignment is across the country, checking out a neighboring state assignment is well worth the time. This will allow you to determine if the geographic location is a good fit for you.

If you’re accepting your first travel nursing job, try out a shorter contract. For new nurses, a contract up to 6 months can be a good place to start. This will allow you to determine if this career is the right fit for your lifestyle.

Don’t forget to ask about additional benefits. Travel nursing jobs offer a variety of benefits: relocation assistance, 401k plans, housing stipends and medical benefits. Before accepting a job, partner with recruiters to ensure you’ve secured the maximum compensation possible.

Most travel nurses figure out that partnering with a staffing firm can help them land a position sooner. But, finding the right firm won’t just help you find an assignment, it will help you find travel nursing jobs that fit your career goals. Read on to learn three tips for finding the right staffing firm.

Discuss your goals with the recruiter. Discussing your personal goals and career ambitions with a travel nursing recruiter can often give you a feel for the firm. Companies that specialize in travel nurse employment, like Clinical One, are often more sensitive to issues unique to this occupation.

Ask for references. Since travel nurses come back to staffing firms after their assignment ends, current candidates can be an excellent resource when checking out a firm.

Discuss “worst case scenarios” with the staffing firm. For example, what if you need to leave your assignment early for an emergency, or what if you find another opportunity during your assignment? Ask the agency how they respond to these situations to determine if they’re a good fit for you.

Before finding travel nursing assignments, it’s important to determine your career goals. This will help you decide which positions are a good fit, and ultimately make you happier in your career. Read on to learn tips for discovering your travel nursing goals.

While some nurses can pick up and leave within days, others need to tie up loose ends. Determine when you could realistically start an assignment, a week, a month, or longer? This will help you narrow your job search.

You’ll also want to determine if there are locations that are highly desirable, and areas you aren’t willing to go. Having this information ahead of time will help your recruiter place you in the right position.

And finally, make sure to partner with a staffing firm that specializes in travel nursing jobs, like Clinical One. Once you’ve determined your nursing goals, they can help place you in an assignment that’s a perfect fit.

Travel nurses earn a generous wage, typically between $25-$28 an hour. However, you may be able to negotiate some additional perks. Imagine paying little or no rent, no utilities, and having assistance finding housing close to work. Some staffing agencies will negotiate these items for you so that all you have to do is show up in your new city of employment.

The first step in negotiating housing benefits is to partner with a staffing firm. If you’re looking for housing benefits, they can help you book your housing, arrange for furniture, pay for utilities, and more. Also, a staffing firm who specializes in travel nursing jobs often has access to jobs that aren’t available on traditional job boards.

And if you already have housing arranged, the agency will offer you a housing subsidy instead of the free housing. Some companies even offer bonuses for completing your assignment or referring another travel nurse. Taking advantage of these perks will help maximize your earning potential.

Finding your dream travel nursing job is the first step in launching an exciting career. However, once you find the position, it’s important to have the documents needed to secure the position. Here are a few tips for figuring out which items to gather beforehand so that you can quickly get your resume to the hiring manager.

Organize and photocopy application materials. Besides your resume, there are several documents you’ll need to submit when applying for a travel nursing job. Documents that are routinely requested include your nursing license, certifications, 2-3 letters of recommendation and immunization records.

Also, don’t forget to partner with a staffing firm who specializes in placing travel nurses. Once you have gathered the required documents, contact a staffing firm who specializes in placing travel nurses, like Clinical One. After discussing your skills and goals with a recruiter, they can help you get access to jobs that aren’t available on mainstream job boards.

A common question that aspiring nurses have is, “How does licensure work?” While some states grant temporary licenses, others belong to a Nurse Licensure Compact, which means your licensure is good in all of the compact states. There are currently 17 states that belong to this group, and new states are being added all the time (a complete list can be found at www.ncsbn.org/158.htm).

If the position you’re interested in doesn’t belong to the Nurse Licensure Compact, don’t worry. If you visit the state’s board of nursing, they will have the information you need to get your nursing license processed. Worse case scenario, you may have to wait eight weeks to get a temporary license.

When working with a recruiter, make sure to discuss the states you would accept travel nursing jobs. This will allow you to get the necessary paperwork started, so once you find a position, you’re ready to start.