February 20, 2024

25947 Views

The State of Travel Nursing in 2024

Posted on February 20, 2024February 13, 2024 by Medely

Medely provided this article.

The travel nursing industry has gone through significant transformations in the past few years, and as we get further into 2024, we thought it was important to explore the current state of this dynamic career path.

Rising demand for travel nurses

Despite the end of “the travel nurses’ gold rush,” the travel nursing industry is still going strong and continues to be a viable option for skilled nurses, says TravelNursing.org.

In the past several years, the travel nursing industry has grown by more than 600%, according to Supplemental Health Care. This is due to various factors, including the ongoing strain on healthcare facilities and the need for specialized skills in different regions, especially more rural areas. This has led hospitals and healthcare facilities to fill staffing gaps with travel assignments and book travel nurses to maintain quality patient care.

Changing demographics of travel nurses

The demographics of travel nurses are evolving, reflecting a diverse and dynamic workforce. Many younger professionals are entering the field, drawn to the flexibility, professional growth, and unique experiences that travel nursing offers. Additionally, more experienced nurses looking for a change or seeking adventure contribute to the growing diversity within the travel nursing community.

However, there is a projected nursing shortage in the U.S., according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, due to more and more baby boomer-generation nurses retiring, adding to the many RNs who left the profession due to pandemic burnout. This is a good opportunity for travel nurses to make the most of the situation as hospitals and facilities look to them to fill those staffing gaps.

Technological advancements in travel nursing

More and more, the travel nursing industry has embraced technological advancements to streamline processes and enhance communication. Mobile apps and online platforms like Medely connect healthcare facilities with travel nurses, making it easier for professionals to find assignments and for facilities to secure qualified staff quickly. These innovations have contributed to the efficiency and accessibility of the travel nursing marketplace and made it easier for travel nurses to not only find the travel assignments they’re looking for but also pick up local shifts in between. Check out this travel nurse’s story here on how she became a travel nurse to see the world and uses Medely to find the shifts she needs.

Salary trends and perks

Compensation for travel nurses has seen ebbs and flows over the past few years, especially when it peaked during the pandemic, but pay still remains high and competitive, according to Health eCareers. Plus, all the perks of travel nursing are still available and enticing to RNs considering this career path, like flexible schedules, benefits, stipends, higher pay, flexibility, exploration, and career growth.

Challenges and opportunities

As the healthcare landscape continues to shift and evolve in 2024, travel nurses continue to play a critical role in healthcare across the U.S. The demand for highly skilled professionals, technological advancements, and the changing demographic landscape show that this resilient and adaptable workforce can grasp many opportunities this year. Navigating the challenges and embracing opportunities will be key to ensuring the continued success and growth of travel nursing in the years to come.

Want to use Medely to sign up for your next travel assignment? We’ve got you covered. Medely works with thousands of the best facility partners across the U.S.

Check out our app here.

Facts about travel nursing

During the COVID pandemic, travel nursing experienced a significant increase in demand as healthcare facilities urgently sought more nurses to fill critical needs. This led to a surplus of high-paying contracts that attracted many nurses who may not have previously considered travel nursing. Now, as the travel pay begins to find a new baseline, some nurses are now questioning whether travel nursing will remain a favorable option in the future.

Post-pandemic travel nursing remains one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career moves you can make, and we’re going to break down exactly why that is! While the pandemic presented unique challenges and opportunities, the pulse of travel nursing remains strong. The essence of this career choice—higher pay, flexibility, new connections, adventure, a politics-free environment, and professional growth—continues to thrive.

In the past several years, the travel nursing industry has grown by more than 600%, and some estimates expect that around 10% of working nurses will remain in contract roles long-term. The foundational shifts driving both the support and demand for healthcare professionals won’t be settled any time soon.

Travel Nurse Pay Remains High

From March 2020 to July 2022, Trusted Health saw travel nurses across all specialties and states making an average gross weekly income of $3,668! Though the average gross weekly income has decreased slightly since then, Trusted is still seeing an impressive average gross weekly of $3,206. This amount is leaps and bounds beyond the national average of $1,711 earned by staff nurses and is still higher than the pre-pandemic average of $2,273 gross weekly for travel nurses.

Healthcare Worker Shortages

First and foremost, there are not enough RNs and other healthcare workers to meet the needs of patients. That goes back, in part, to a shortage of nursing school programs and educators to prepare incoming nursing students.

So, the RN workforce is growing in leaps and bounds, but the tools aren’t always available to train them. When healthcare facilities can’t find local candidates to fill RN positions, they turn to travel nurses to fill those spots.

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, the highest-paying jobs for travel nurses have been in intensive care units, emergency departments, medical surgery, and home health. Contract labor rates are expected to stabilize at 15% over pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

NBC News announced last fall that “the travel nurses’ gold rush” is over. Hospitals are now negotiating down contract rates with travel nurse agencies by as much as 50%. Though not what it once was, travel nursing is far from dead, and the pay is still above average. The mean travel nurse income has stabilized at around $3k per week in 2023. Given that compensation has fallen since the unprecedented pandemic pay, so have the number of travel nurses, making jobs less competitive.

Still, a number of factors, such as whether a hospital is dealing with a natural disaster or strike, as well as market demand in that region, can cause assignments to attract higher prices. According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual travel nurse salary in the United States is $105,021 or $50/hr as of May 2023. This is much higher than the national average for registered nurses, which is $77,600 per year or $37.31 per hour, according to the BLS.

Travel Nursing Is Still A Viable Option For Nurses

Travel nursing is still a viable employment choice for the nursing profession. Travelers can earn better salaries with stipends and bonuses than their counterparts, with benefits packages and affordable living arrangements. Another perk of travel nursing is schedule flexibility. Nurses enjoy the option to work 13-week assignments with breaks in between.

Another common attitude expressed by travel nurses is that contract work allows them to focus on patient care. They can avoid the bureaucracy of dealing with management and leadership that some face in staff roles. Travelers also choose which hospitals they will work in. They can refuse facilities that they’ve heard have dangerous conditions or too many patients per nurse. California is the only state to regulate nurse-to-patient ratios. It requires one nurse for every five patients in most departments and intensive care units to have a 1:2 ratio.

Travel nursing is perfect for those who want the freedom to choose the assignment and department that fits their lifestyle and interests. It allows nurses to obtain experience in a variety of settings while having the freedom to travel. Despite the current economic downturn, travel nursing remains a feasible employment option for healthcare workers with the right mindset and skills.

Industry analysis suggests that the US may face a shortage of up to 450,000 registered nurses by 2025. According to one nationwide assessment of the nursing workforce, nurses are retiring in greater numbers, with the typical nurse’s age rising from roughly 43 in 2000 to 52 in 2020. This reality, combined with the impending influx of elderly Baby Boomers who will require more care, is expected to exacerbate the situation. These facts suggest that there will always be choices for experienced nurses in all specialties who want to travel.

Travel nursing has been a part of the modern nursing workforce for decades, and it is now a strategic staffing solution. Healthcare systems can leverage this resource to ease the current burden and propel patient care into the next post-pandemic chapter without significant disruptions or serious consequences.

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Alex McCoy

January 25, 2024

1792 Views

Dear Staff Nurses: What Every Travel Nurse Wants You to Know

Posted on January 25, 2024January 23, 2024 by Alex McCoy

If you are a staff nurse who has never traveled or been interested in being a travel nurse, there is a good chance you might not understand exactly how travel nursing works. Sure, you get the gist of it: the nurse must have some sort of experience, they are hired through an agency, and they will be there for 13 weeks.

But…what kind of experience? Are there checks to make sure they actually know what they are doing? Are they just in it for the money?

Here are a few things every travel nurse wants the staff on units to know. Because we do take pride in our jobs and want you to feel confident when we come to work in your department!

Starting a Travel Assignment Isn’t Easy

Our first assignment as a travel nurse requires a lot of paperwork. We have to gather all of our medical records and get a TB test and drug screen (for Every. Single. Assignment.) We need regular physicals and fill out a lot of paperwork. Usually, once we think we have everything together, there is something else we have to track down. All of this to say–you have to be motivated to travel, and usually for more than just money! Just getting into your first assignment takes a ton of time and effort while continuing to work your regular job.

We Take Regular Competency Tests

Each agency, hospital, and department will have a preferred set of skills checklists and assessments we have to complete before starting our job. This can range from a checklist assessing our comfort with certain diseases to medication calculation tests. Generally, if a hospital requires it upon hiring for full-time staff, we have to complete it as well. Plus, our skills checklists give your manager an “average” of what we rate ourselves in different areas, so they know exactly what they are getting upfront.

Your Hospital Sets the Experience Requirement

Some facilities will take travelers with 1 year of experience, while others may require 2 years. It is also up to the facility whether or not the experience has to be relatively “recent”. Of course, as nurses, we care about our licenses and should not take jobs that we don’t feel confident in, but ultimately, it is the hospital or department that decides what the experience requirement will be.

We Take Pride in Our Work

Just because we don’t have a “home” job doesn’t mean we don’t take pride in what we do. In fact, most of us are self-motivated and take personal pride in our work. We do our best to provide the best patient care no matter the situation or location–even if it’s not an ideal work environment!

We Know There Are Bad Eggs

That being said–we know there are people that give travel nursing a bad name. We usually understand if you have been burned by an inexperienced or unmotivated traveler and are hesitant to trust us. If you have experienced a travel nurse that makes you wary of all travelers, let us know! Maybe we can help reassure you or at least validate the experience you had.

We Are Not in it Just For Money.

While travel nursing can be quite lucrative, there is also a lot of work that goes into it. The credentialing is extensive, but even more taxing is the moving between locations. From finding short-term housing to packing your belongings every 3 months, the sheer effort of relocating causes many travelers to go back to staff eventually. So yes, the money is nice, but we also have to love working as travelers–the money isn’t enough to keep you going long-term!

We Aren’t Here to Change Your Unit

We might have learned how to do things differently than you do things, but that doesn’t mean we are trying to change your department. If you want to learn a new way to do something, we can show you. But if we haven’t seen your way of doing things, it doesn’t mean we aren’t educated–there is always something new for us to learn as well.

In the end, we are professionals and people just like you. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. We are usually happy to make friends or keep to ourselves. We appreciate being included in things, but we also recognize it can be hard to warm up to us right away. Feel free to ask about travel nursing–most of us love to talk about our journeys!

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

By TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

May 23, 2023

1446 Views

Everything Your QA Department Can Help You Do

Posted on May 23, 2023May 23, 2023 by TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

TNAA-Travel Nurse Across America provided this article.

Licenses, screening, and immunizations – oh, my! With each travel nurse assignment comes a mountain of compliance requirements. If you don’t have help through your travel nurse agency, staying compliant for each assignment feels like a chore. However, if your travel nursing agency has a QA department, you have a valuable resource at your service. Your quality assurance team should have the know-how to help you navigate the many compliance aspects of this career seamlessly.

Assignment Compliance

First, let’s give a quick breakdown of what compliance requirements you can expect for each travel nurse assignment.

Drug screening & background check
- Licensing (if you’re up for renewal or taking an assignment in a non-compact state)
- Up-to-date certifications
- Up-to-date immunizations

Now that you know what to expect, you can see it’s a lot, especially when each agency and healthcare facility requires a little something different. Imagine all the research it will take to find a place that offers what you need for each compliance piece, scheduling the appointments, and filling out, collecting, and keeping up with all the paperwork. It’s easy to see how helpful a quality assurance (QA) department can be.

But, while lots of agencies have a QA component, it’s important to do some digging into it. Some agencies might give you a list of what you need to have but then say you’re on your own. Others might have recruiters pull double duty to handle assignment compliance or outsource to third parties. And some agencies might have a dedicated, in-house department, so you know you have someone you can call at a moment’s notice when you need help with a compliance requirement (especially when hospitals have last-minute requests just days before an assignment begins).

The Role of Quality Assurance

Compliance is an ongoing process, and all travelers have to meet the necessary compliance requirements mandated by healthcare facilities and regulatory bodies in order to take and stay on assignment.

QA specialists can play a crucial role in verifying credentials, licenses, immunizations, certifications, and any other prerequisites necessary for a successful assignment, as well as helping you schedule appointments, keeping track of paperwork, sending timely reminders for renewals, and assisting you with any necessary updates. Some agencies will even help you obtain the licenses and certifications needed and will pay the fees or reimburse you for them. Check with your agency’s QA team to see what they offer.

Beyond the initial compliance requirements, the quality assurance department serves as a consistent support system throughout your travel nurse assignment that can address any concerns or challenges that may arise regarding compliance and help you navigate through them effectively.

How Can You Make Compliance An Easier Process For Yourself?

By leveraging the expertise and support of your travel nursing agency’s quality assurance department, you can simplify the process of a travel nurse career. When embarking on a new travel nurse assignment, if your travel nurse agency has a QA department, establish open lines of communication with them. Promptly providing them with all the necessary documentation will allow them to verify your compliance status efficiently and get you on assignment more easily. This department should allow you to focus on providing exceptional patient care while your compliance needs are expertly managed.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Gifted Healthcare

April 28, 2023

17039 Views

Why Nurse Certification Is Important for Travel Nurses

Posted on April 28, 2023September 29, 2023 by Gifted Healthcare

This article was provided by Gifted Healthcare.

Nurse certification is a formal process that tests your clinical knowledge, judgment, and experience in a subject or nursing specialty. Certification is the perfect way to accelerate your travel nursing career, increase your salary, and boost your confidence. It’s also a great way to attain personal growth as you strive to live your best nurse life.

This post will cover the basics of nursing certification and explain why each is so important for travel RNs and clinicians who want to take the next step in their travel nursing careers.

The Benefits of Nursing Certifications

The world of travel nursing is vast, and there are many excellent job opportunities available across the country. But on a basic level, earning a nursing certification can significantly boost your career. See below for the benefits.

Better Travel Nursing Assignments

Becoming certified means you have validated, specialized skills in your RN specialty. The more skills you have, the more marketable you are as a per diem or travel nurse. Earning nursing certifications will improve your prospects of getting the travel nursing assignment you want and also make more travel nursing assignments available to you.

Higher Pay & Career Advancement

This also offers the opportunity for upward mobility once you have landed an assignment. The more responsibility you have as a nurse, the more you get paid.

In addition to higher salaries, nursing certifications command recognition and respect within the healthcare world. Your certification proves that you have worked hard to learn a valuable and specialized skill, which makes supervisors and teammates more likely to depend on you and invest in your professional growth.

Personal Growth

Aside from the professional benefits, earning a nursing certification also provides the opportunity for personal growth. The confidence boost from achieving a hard-earned goal can make a real difference in how you feel, which leads to better performance at work and better care for your patients.

Basic Certification Requirements for Travel Nursing

Two basic certifications are required to be a travel nurse: Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

However, earning additional nursing certifications will dramatically increase your standing in the job market as well as your earning potential.

Important certifications include Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN), Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN), Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) Certification, and many more.

Find a list of common nursing certifications here.

How Do You Know You’re Ready to Become Certified?

Plenty of preparation is required to become certified. Check to see if you meet the eligibility requirements, like meeting the minimum years of experience providing care for a specific patient population.

For example, to become certified as a critical care nurse (CCRN) or progressive care nurse (PCCN), you do not need a formal education to apply. But it is helpful to prepare with any available prep courses, study materials, and practice tests so you can get ready for certification. If you’re acing the practice exams for the certification you’re trying to earn, that’s a great sign you’re ready!

However, becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) requires additional formal education like a master’s or doctoral degree.

For more information on preparing for the certification process, visit the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) website.

Important Nursing Certifications

While there are many different types of nursing certifications, several highly-regarded ones are common and could be a great place to start. See below to learn about a few different important nursing certifications.

Wound Care Certification (WCC)

Wound care nurses provide care for patients dealing with acute and chronic wounds, assisting with the development of their treatment plans and taking measures to prevent infection.

Click here to learn about the requirements for the WCC certification exam.

Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification (CMSRN)

On any given shift, a MedSurg nurse could care for a patient suffering from an animal bite, a patient with diabetes, a patient recovering from a transplant, and a patient with asthma. MedSurg nurses also may carry a heavier patient load than other specialties, often handling 5-7 patients at a time. They are trained to recognize and understand a large range of medical conditions.

Learn more about becoming Med-Surg certified at the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses’ website.

An individual must be a registered nurse (RN) with a current U.S. license, have practiced for at least two years as an RN in a medical-surgical setting, and accrued 2,000 hours of practice within the past three years to be eligible for medical-surgical certification.

Critical Care Certification (CCRN)

A critical care RN provides care for patients with serious or life-threatening injuries and medical problems. Because of the severity of their patients’ conditions, critical care nurses receive specialized training that allows them to remain alert and perform under intense pressure.

Learn more about Critical Care certification at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ (AACN) website.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Lirika Hart

January 22, 2023

3934 Views

Celebrate Daily Wins in Travel Nursing: A Way of Improving Patient Care

Posted on January 22, 2023January 13, 2025 by Lirika Hart

With so much on the shoulders of nurses and frontline healthcare professionals in recent years, you and your nursing staff need a firm foundation of strength and support to perform best. Nursing staff shortages, as well as the added stress, have highlighted the importance of continuing to invest in the well-being of nursing personnel.

Given the demanding nature of your job as a nurse, you should always make sure to help yourself, and other staff members stay in the best shape possible. So, if you’re searching for ways to celebrate each other and boost worker morale, here are five practical methods to prolong this acknowledgment and appreciation every hour of your shift.

Celebrate Each Other’ Achievements

In a medical environment among nurses, every small achievement is a big victory worthy of celebrating. When nurses celebrate the achievements of one another at work, they motivate themselves to help patients more, they feel appreciated, and most importantly, they will constantly be reminded that they’re doing a great job in helping society.

Celebrating is more fun when it involves healthy and yummy snacks. All kinds of nuts, protein bars, raisins, fruit, and vegetables, as well as soda, smoothies, or tea, make a great party menu when celebrating each other’s achievements. However, when throwing those little get-togethers, everyone wants to fully enjoy the party without worrying about other things. Therefore, using plastic dinnerware sets will save you from cleaning afterward and allow you to enjoy the moment.

Promote Mental Health

Nurses recognize the critical role that mental health may play in patient healing and rehabilitation, but it’s easy for them to disregard it in their own lives. So, make sure to encourage and remind other members of your team that their mental health is important and should be taken seriously. Since the nursing profession is made up of strong individuals who are committed to caring for others, their own self-care and nurturing become even more crucial.

Therefore, from attending specially designed yoga sessions for nurses to fitness incentives and continuous mental health awareness programs to meditation applications, it’s critical to demonstrate how much you appreciate yourself and each other, both mentally and physically. At the end of the day, the healthy nursing staff will be able to perform at their highest ability and improve patient care.

Recognize Individual and Group Accomplishments

One of the most effective ways to ensure that good work continues in the future is to consistently celebrate nursing achievements. This recognition can take many forms, including a simple and heartfelt “thank you” from leadership at the end of a shift or from other members of the staff.

Or a bulletin board highlighting employee training and education achievements, or institution email notifications that outline and celebrate nursing staff’s hard work and commitment. It’s a little investment in effort, but continuously taking the time to genuinely express gratitude and highlight successes, big or small, can help keep morale high by cultivating an appreciation culture.

Create an Employee-Nominated Rewards Program

One of the best methods to encourage engagement and improve your nursing staff is to create reward systems in which they directly participate. Create a system in which you, as nurses, are encouraged to nominate your coworkers for their hard work, fast thinking, positive attitude, or creative methods.

These types of acknowledgment foster trust and support among nurses while also providing supervisors with the insight they may not have had the opportunity to witness personally. Rewards can vary from an employee of the week or monthly highlights, gift cards, lunches, and other awards that can be selected by the nursing staff.

Exchange Personalized Gifts

With personalized, unique gifts for nurses and your healthcare co-workers, you can put your team’s values front and center. You might use a popular slogan or a value that you live by as your organization’s logo to show appreciation to one another and boost morale.

The best presents for healthcare workers are frequently both practical and meaningful. Coffee mugs, socks, or tumblers are excellent gifts because they can be used frequently and remind healthcare workers that they are respected and appreciated during their lengthy and challenging shifts. These little reminders throughout the day will help nurses stay motivated, resulting in better patient care.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, nurses face a lot of stress, both physically and emotionally, and it might feel like the negative surpasses the positive at times, but it is in their hands to turn that around. The entire nursing staff always gives their best effort, and it is critical for nurses to support one another and stay motivated in order to improve overall patient care!

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Katie Fitts

December 24, 2022

1502 Views

Navigating The Road to Travel Nursing- Part 2

Posted on December 24, 2022December 5, 2022 by Katie Fitts

In part one of this article series, we talked about the history of travel nursing and when you can or should start thinking about travel nursing. In this part of navigating the road to travel nursing, we will talk about finding a travel nurse agency and finding a recruiter.

Finding a travel nurse agency

Once you have your experience and are ready to entertain travel nursing seriously, it’s time to find a travel nurse agency to work with. A lot of picking a travel nurse agency to work with depends on where you want to go, what benefits you are looking for, and even your specialty.

People often ask me if I recommend one travel nurse agency over another, and I do not. Certainly, it’s nice to have a referral from a friend who has a good experience with a certain travel nurse agency. However, the reason I don’t always recommend companies is because I work with multiple companies at a time, around 2-3 at a time. I suggest you do the same, but not too many to overwhelm you. Working with more than one travel nurse agency allows you to compare and contrast offers and be exposed to a wider variety of jobs.

Not every travel nurse agency is created equal. Different companies have different jobs and offer different pay. Some of the larger companies, for example, Aya, has access to a LOT of contracts with major hospitals, but they may not have the smaller hospitals and likely will not have any smaller local contracts. Some hospitals only have contracts with certain companies, so even though the job is available with travel nurse agency A, travel nurse agency B may not have access to it.

Additionally, different companies have different benefits. When selecting a travel nurse agency, you want to consider what benefits you need. Will you need health insurance? 401 k? PTO/sick pay? Short-term disability?

Most companies these days do offer health insurance, but it may be a very poor plan, so it’s best to do your research before signing with a travel nurse agency if you plan to use their insurance. As for the other benefits, it’s a hit or miss. I, unfortunately, have yet to work for a travel nurse agency that offers PTO! I just know that if I get sick on the job, that comes out of my paycheck, and plan accordingly. But some companies offer PTO, which is an excellent benefit to have!

Finding a recruiter

Once you have a travel nurse agency, you will be connected with a travel nurse recruiter. What is a recruiter exactly?

A travel nurse recruiter is assigned to you personally and, among other duties, is responsible for matching you to the best of their ability with jobs according to your desired location, skillset, and shift preference. They will work with you to get you onboarded, submitted for a job, follow through to the start of the job, and be your point of contact throughout the job.

A recruiter plays an integral part in travel nursing, and it’s important to have a good relationship with your recruiter. A bad recruiter can make all the difference in your travel nurse experience.

Recruiters should be responsive and proactive. Recruiters are quite busy these days, maybe not as busy as during the height of the COVID pandemic, but still quite busy. Your recruiter should respond to your inquiries promptly, usually within 1-2 days. Travel nurse jobs are competitive, and it’s important to have a recruiter to timely respond and submit you to jobs when you are ready, so you don’t miss out on the opportunities. Recruiters should also be proactive, anticipating your needs. For example, if they know you are a new travel nurse, they should know that they should take more time with you to explain the process and make sure you understand your next steps. Another example, they should know when your contract is ending and be touching base on whether or not you want to extend or look for another contract.

More importantly, recruiters should be respectful and polite. As in any industry, there are a few bad apples out there. NEVER let a recruiter bully or pressure you into a contract you do not want or feel comfortable with. At the end of the day, it’s your well-being and nursing license on the line. Recruiters should listen to your job preferences and skills and be working with you, not against you.

We hope you found these articles on the road to travel nursing helpful. Below are the links to the other articles in this series.

For more information on finding a job, credentialing, and preparing for the journey watch out for part 3 of this series Navigating The Road to Travel Nursing articles. For part 1 click here.

If you are tired of endlessly researching answers about travel nursing with nothing to show, skip the overwhelm and let me Teach You How to Travel Nurse!

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By ONESTAFF MEDICAL

November 29, 2022

6195 Views

Should I Work with More Than One Travel Nurse Agency?

Posted on November 29, 2022January 16, 2023 by ONESTAFF MEDICAL

Onestaff Medical provided this article.

When healthcare professionals enter the field of travel nursing, they may wonder, “Can I work with two travel nursing agencies simultaneously?” The short answer is yes, although you’ll want to consider the pros and cons of working with more than one travel nursing agency before deciding to do so. Overall, it depends on what experience you’re looking for as a travel nurse, how much you’re looking to work, and if you can handle the demands of more than one agency.

Let’s find out the advantages and disadvantages of working with more than one travel nursing agency and what you should consider as you choose the right travel nursing agency for you.

3 Pros of Working with Multiple Travel Nurse Staffing Agencies

There can be many advantages to working with two or more travel nurse agencies, including the following:

1. More Opportunities

First, working with multiple travel nursing agencies allows you to take on more assignment opportunities. This is one of the most common reasons travel nurses decide to have more than one agency to fall back on. With more job prospects, you are less likely to deal with the stress of long breaks between assignments and how that may affect you financially.

Additionally, more job options mean you are more likely to find assignments that fully meet your wants and needs rather than accepting subpar assignments that don’t meet your expectations.

2. Salary Increases

If you inquire about a travel nursing assignment from a few different agencies, each agency will likely offer a different salary amount. With this information, you can accept the assignment from the agency offering the highest salary amount, increasing your overall income.

Doing this long-term can result in a large salary increase, making it easier to afford what you want, such as nicer housing, and giving you the flexibility to periodically take breaks between assignments.

3. High-Quality Recruiter Relationships

Working with multiple agencies not only helps diversify your assignment options but also allows you to foster close relationships with more than one recruiter.

Your travel nurse recruiter is someone who should act in your best interest and be a constant support system for you. Working with more than one gives you more people to fall back on if you need additional help and support during your assignments. If your travel nursing assignment is canceled, you have more than one recruiter to support you and transition you to a different location.

4 Cons of Working with Multiple Travel Nurse Staffing Agencies

There are some caveats to consider if you decide to work with multiple travel nursing agencies at one time, including the ones listed below:

1. More Paperwork

Unfortunately, working with more than one agency does mean you will likely have to complete and keep track of more paperwork. Many documents and records will follow you throughout your travel nursing career, including records of your credentials and other qualifications. When you work with multiple agencies, you may double or even triple the amount of paperwork you must complete, making it more challenging to keep track of your records.

If more paperwork is keeping you from trying out other agencies, consider developing an organization system that works for you so you can properly keep track of any documents and easily find them when you need them. Then, if an assignment ever becomes problematic, any contracts and legal documentation will be easier to find and fall back on.

2. Taking On Too Much Work

When you work with more than one travel nursing agency, there’s always the possibility that you will bite off more than you can chew. Taking on too much work at one time can be incredibly stressful and quickly lead to compassion fatigue, which is a common reason many nurses decide to leave the healthcare field completely.

While there can be many perks to working with more than one travel nursing agency, it’s not wise if it comes at the expense of your mental and physical well-being. If you find yourself taking on more work than you can handle, it’s likely time to step back and reevaluate whether it’s the right situation for you or if you’d benefit from having one less agency to answer to.

3. Scheduling Conflicts

Scheduling can quickly become conflicting if you’re trying to meet the demands of more than one agency. For example, assignments may end up overlapping, or you may not be able to accept an assignment from one agency all because you already accepted one from another.

Also, if you’re choosing to take on more than one assignment at once, you may find it difficult to create an effective daily schedule based on the demands of each position, leaving you with little to no downtime outside of work.

4. Travel Nurse Agency Policies

It’s important to remember that some travel nursing agencies may have a conflict-of-interest agreement that you must sign. In this case, if one agency finds out that you’re working with another and it’s against their policies, they may terminate your agreement to work with them.

For this reason, read all angles of your employment contract terms to ensure that working with more than one agency is allowed, and don’t make any assumptions before doing so.

3 Ways to Manage Working with Multiple Travel Nursing Agencies

While working with more than one travel nursing agency can come with its challenges, it can be possible. Consider the following tips as you talk with more than one recruiter.

1. Don’t Talk About Your Other Agencies Directly

Honesty is always the best policy, but you also don’t have an obligation to get into the specifics of each agency. While you shouldn’t get into the specifics of other travel nursing agencies you’re working with, you should be upfront with each recruiter so they can place you in assignments effectively.

This way, your recruiters are aware that they may be working around different assignment schedules, but they don’t have an abundance of information that could lead to conflict down the road.

2. Retain Control Over Your Applications

It can be difficult to balance the trust level you have with your recruiters when it comes to submitting applications for new assignments. On the one hand, having too much trust may lead to being put in an unideal assignment. On the other hand, not having enough trust may mean that you miss out on job opportunities.

Because of this, try to retain a certain amount of control over when your applications are submitted to a new travel nursing assignment. One way to do this is to establish clear guidelines with your recruiter and create a system that works best for both of you. This may mean allowing your recruiter to submit on your behalf only when an assignment fits your needs but consulting you first before submitting if the assignment doesn’t have everything you want.

In addition, if you are working with multiple agencies, you’ll want to consider whether you’ll need more control over when your applications are submitted to ensure you don’t run into scheduling conflicts.

3. Be Honest and Upfront

Being upfront about the fact that you’re working with more than one agency can help ensure that your recruiters place and schedule you in the most effective way possible. Having an honest relationship with your recruiter also means they’ll be more respectful of your situation and more willing to work with you, helping create a stronger nurse-to-recruiter relationship.

Most recruiters know they can’t always offer you everything you want in an assignment, and they know there are recruiters elsewhere who can. A great recruiter won’t hold it against you if you decide to work with another agency, but they’d also rather know this upfront.

While working with more than one travel nursing staffing agency is a great option for securing the position you love, our recruiters at OneStaff Medical are here to help ensure you receive a travel assignment with everything you’re looking for. Contact us today to learn more at 877-783-1483.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By StaffDNA

October 24, 2022

1832 Views

Advice From an Experienced Travel Nurse

Posted on October 24, 2022October 23, 2022 by StaffDNA

StaffDNA provided this article.

In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, rates for travel healthcare professionals have remained high; therefore, the market has been flooded with healthcare professionals ready to give a travel career a spin. With the added competition, it’s important to put your best foot forward to ensure you’re considered for the position you want.

Where and how to start? According to veteran travel nurse Kay Slane (RN, BS, CGM) of Highway Hypodermics, there are some key ways to make your profile shine and ensure it reaches the top of the manager’s stack.

Make sure your information is accurate and up to date.

By having your profile ready to go, you can get in front of the line when you see the right opportunity for you and be among the first for consideration when jobs are moving fast.

Make sure your highlighted features are at the top.

Hiring managers are busy people, and time is of the essence. Immediately showing that you meet all the qualifications is the best way to catch a manager’s eye.

Spotlight your previous assignment and outstanding performance as a staff nurse.

Nothing carries more weight than solid experience and proven success.

Be aware that your first assignment will be the toughest for you to obtain.

You are competing against healthcare professionals with long work histories and experience as veteran travelers. But don’t let this bother you. We all start somewhere. Include anything that you feel will help you stand out and move ahead with confidence.

Be careful about putting restrictions on what you want as a traveler.

People frequently ask for all holidays off, a position within two hours of home, and a “no floating” clause, and then wonder why they can’t find a traveling job. When it comes to getting your first travel assignment, flexibility and adaptability is the name of the game.

Be realistic about money.

You can’t demand $5,000+/week on your first assignment, especially in most of the southern states. But that doesn’t mean being taken advantage of either. The best advice is to take it slowly at first. It doesn’t take long to build the experience you need to command the pay you want.

Compare the same job with other agencies to make sure you’re getting a fair deal.

Digital platforms like StaffDNA can help give you an accurate view of the marketplace. By eliminating recruiter fees and putting the healthcare professional in control – allowing them to find, book, and manage the whole process – you get access to the highest-paying positions nationwide. And to ensure an apples-to-apples comparison, don’t forget to analyze what agencies offer in benefits, too.

Know exactly what benefits you are looking for and the wage you need.

Benefits can range from insurance to paid time off to a 401k with or without a percentage match. Make sure that your take-home pay is enough to cover your bills and travel expenses.

Using these tips from a veteran traveler can give you the upper hand in finding and acquiring your best travel assignment. With the right approach, you can have a successful travel career built on physical, mental, and financial freedom.

We hope this information from a veteran traveler was helpful. Do you have any tips or advice to share? Comment below.

About StaffDNA

By creating the first self-service healthcare staffing platform built on the industry’s most advanced technology, StaffDNA has revolutionized how healthcare professionals find their next job. Candidates can see available positions nationwide with complete details and apply 24/7. All onboarding can be handled in the app, and once they’ve started, candidates can manage the entire assignment—from credentials and timesheets to booking or extending a contract. StaffDNA has been designated the first Total Staffing Solution from Staffing Industry Analysts, the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions. The company frequently makes regional and national Best Places to Work lists, including from Dallas Business Journal and Modern Healthcare. The StaffDNA app currently averages 30,000 unique downloads a month, making it the #1 downloaded app in the healthcare staffing industry.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. There you can search for what you are looking for in housing.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Medical Edge Recruitment

August 17, 2022

2040 Views

Traveling to a Foreign Territory!

Posted on August 17, 2022August 17, 2022 by Medical Edge Recruitment

Medical Edge Recruitment provided this article.

Written By: Joshua Matthews, Jr. Recruiter, Medical Edge Recruitment

As the market for travel nurses continues to prosper, small towns continue to resort to these methods to meet their staffing quota. This may seem like a great idea for the staff in need, but when the location of the contract is unheard of for veteran travels, what can be done to ease the stress of interesting and unfamiliar territory? When your primary source of income comes from travel contracts, are you to wait for something more familiar to come along? Let’s say you do wait, and it still doesn’t happen. What next?

Let’s explore a very common challenge for an adventurous travel nurse, a contract to a location yet to be explored. Here’s exactly what adventurous travel nurses need to consider before traveling to unfamiliar cities.

Location: Work, Live, Play

Three of the biggest details to come to grips with for a travel contract that leads you to a brand-new location are the facility location, where you will be living, and where you will be spending most of your time away from work.

Your first priority should be to familiarize yourself with the location of your contract. Lucky for us, the internet exists. Even for small-town facilities, there are several resources to utilize in your research efforts:

Location type
Surrounding areas
Facility reviews – both staff and patient reviews are useful

After you feel comfortable with where you will be working, the next step is to find a place to live. Understandably, this process will look different for agencies that supply housing and those that do not. If the agency you work with provides housing, make sure to consult thoroughly with housing management and leave the conversation prepared for what you are getting into. For those that are tasked with finding their own living situations, spend some time researching the topics below:

Safety First – How safe is the area you are moving to?
Commute – Make sure to have a reasonable commute in mind before choosing and stick with it!
Community living – Are there any other travelers at this location, and are they open to building a bond for the contract? Do you have a travel buddy?

Another point of interest that should be a part of your research is where you will be spending the rest of your free time on the contract. Of course, if you are a homebody, there’s no place like (a temporary) home. For those that like to stay active, what kinds of organizations are in the area? Are there any Facebook groups to join before relocating? Will you have the opportunity to engage in any of your favorite hobbies? Having a good sense of what your contract might look like outside of work can be another deciding factor for you to consider.

Financial Preparation: Housing, Food, Fun

Finances are always a part of any decision in life. Not only does having a reasonable budget for what you are looking for in a travel contract give you some standards, but it can help the decision process progress smoothly. One thing to note for any travel contract that leads you to a new destination is that smaller towns can be a bit pricey because of the available living situations. Sometimes there just isn’t a lot to choose from, and that might lead prices to cost more than expected.

Food might be something you rarely consider when choosing a contract, but restaurant choices may be scarce in a small town. Are you willing to cook some meals? Will the housing you chose allow that? Are there grocery stores nearby? Spend some time weighing the food options for the location before committing. A best practice would be to understand what you take home each week, what your weekly living expenses come out to be, and what you want your savings to look like from a travel contract.

Can you bring a travel buddy?

Some of the strongest bonds come from traveling contract to contract with a familiar face. Not only does it relieve some of the financial burdens when it comes to housing and travel costs, but it gives you the sense of being on a team. Travel buddies can come in handy whenever you come across feeling like an “outsider” from the local staff and surrounding areas. Most facilities have more than one need to fill, and some agencies offer referral bonuses for anyone you bring along!

Nurses are a network who share the same healthcare goal – helping those in need. If you have traveled to an unknown location before, your voice matters! It can be good things that have come from uncomfortable situations that give hope to another nurse. Remember, we are all human beings who share a passion for healthcare. Don’t be afraid to share your experiences and give feedback. Strength comes from challenges and new experiences!

We hope you found this article on tips for adventurous travel nurses helpful. Whether going near or far, there is a tip for everyone. Do you have any tips to share with fellow travel nurses or those just starting out? Comment them below.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

Need help finding your next adventure?

Medical Edge Recruitment is the premier travel nursing recruitment agency specializing in providing top talent to clients in the healthcare industry. We connect clinical and allied providers to their ideal opportunities, focusing on building long-lasting relationships through honesty and transparency. In travel nursing, bigger does not always mean better. While we have an extensive network of job opportunities, our experienced team is dedicated to making a personalized provider experience a priority. There are a lot of moving parts in getting set up for a new assignment, but we take care of all the details along the way. Adventure awaits for adventurous travel nurses; let Medical Edge Recruitment show you where to go next!

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

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