The Good Nurse
Travel Nursing
Getting Started
There are plenty of travel nursing agencies that are ready to meet you and discuss potential assignments. You should start by making a list of questions that are important to you. Be honest with yourself about what potential “deal breakers” you might have. These are key for communicating with your recruiter to find you the assignments that best fits your needs.
Decide where you would like to go.Consider having more than one option in case your first choice doesn't have the need that is right for you at that time. Ask questions about the hospital, the surrounding area, the number of beds, etc. Is the hospital in a metro area or in a rural area? These answers will determine your comfort level in taking on your first assignment.
The more confident you are about submitting your profile and accepting an assignment, the higher the likelihood of you being successful and happy during your placement. Above all, remember that a great recruiter will answer all the questions you have and some you didn’t think to ask.
Before You Sign the Contract
Know and understand that once you accept an assignment from your agency, you will be signing a contract that commits you to certain responsibilities and legal obligations that you must fulfill. Be aware, this is a LEGAL document. Action can possibly be taken against you if you fail to complete the requirements, so be sure and review your travel contract thoroughly.
Some agencies have clauses that allow them to charge a fine against you for cancellation of a signed contract or missed shifts. Remember, your contract is with your agency and your agency has a contract with the hospital.
Unforeseen situations can occur that may limit your ability to start or complete an assignment once you have accepted it. However, the hospital may act against your agency if you choose to not fulfill your contract once it’s signed. Hospital fines and other negative outcomes are possible when these contracts are breached.
Take time to consider your availability and all the important facts of your first assignment before you accept the assignment. In some states, a verbal agreement is legally binding, so do not commit verbally to anything until you are sure of your intentions to commit. Your word as a travel nurse is your bond and your reputation. So how do you make sure your contract is what you are looking for?
NEVER RELY SOLELY ON VERBAL AGREEMENTS!!! Protect yourself and be sure that any negotiations agreed upon with your agency ARE IN WRITING!!! If you receive a contract that is not as discussed, immediately contact your recruiter for clarification. If you don’t understand the wording in your contract, ask for clarification or question their policy.
Find out what the guarantee is on your hours. Every agency may do this differently. Some agencies guarantee pay for a certain set of hours even if you have not worked them due to low census or if you have called off due to illness.
Know what things you are reimbursed for. Know what day are you getting paid. Ask when should you expect your first paycheck. If you are given an hourly rate for gross pay, there are websites that can closely predict what your net pay will be after taxes are taken out so that you are not surprised come pay day. It would be a good idea to maintain documentation in a notebook on the number of hours that you worked and the amount of pay you receive to ensure that no accounting mistakes were made.
Negotiating the Contract
If you don’t require health insurance, consider asking for an insurance stipend or reimbursement pay in lieu of the medical benefits. Clarify who pays for your licensure and CEU’s; some agencies will agree to cover those additional expenses to keep you employable and meeting all the necessary requirements.
Housing is another area that needs to be discussed. Travel nurses receive both taxable hourly rates and non-taxed stipends. Non-taxed stipends are used for expenses such as housing, meals and other incidentals. In addition to non-taxed stipends travel nurses also receive hourly pay.
Bonuses may be negotiable depending on the agreement the hospital has with your agency. Often, some agencies will offer bonuses for completing the entire assignment successfully. Travel expenses can also be a point of negotiation depending on the situation and needs of both the hospital and the agency.
You can ask for many different things, but it is important to understand that all items come from the same “bucket” of money produced by the hospital bill rate from the hours you work. So, requesting pay for some things can and usually will affect how the rest of the pay package is structured.
How to find the highest paying assignments
First of all, you can always ask recruiters directly about their highest paying assignments. That’s right! Let them know that money is a motivator and that you are not interested in assignments that pay less than a certain amount. The best travel nurse recruiters will be honest with you about pay while giving you their best pay packages from the beginning.
We suggest working with agencies that are known to pay high rates and who specialize in rapid-response and strike nursing. Hospitals pay these agencies higher rates to urgently provide highly specialized staff on a short-term basis. Those high rates are passed along to their travel nurses.
Smart Negotiation Strategies
1. Find your own housing.
We suggest taking a housing stipend and securing your own housing. This will give you the freedom to choose your price point. Agencies will often house nurses in pricier accommodations (they have a reputation to uphold.) Additionally, agencies sign corporate leases - leases that come with a “corporate” price tag.
Some agencies, are able to offer free housing if you stay in one of their preferred hotels. Most other agencies do not cover this cost outright, though, they’ll help you set it up.
2. Be flexible.
If money is your motivation, flexibility is key. Sometimes the highest paying assignments pay higher because they are not the most ideal. They may be in a less than desirable location or on a hard to fill time shift, such as nights or variables. Though it’s not always the case - nights, variables and weekends may come with higher pay or shift differentials.
3. Work with the agencies who are known for their high pay and transparency.
Every agency is different and will structure their pay packages differently as well. Transparency is key. The most trustworthy agencies will publish their compensation packages publicly and will disclose take-home pay. This focus on transparency allows nurses to skip the negotiating or fact-finding step and rapidly decide if the position is right for them.
Furthermore, industry jargon and terms like “blended rates” get confusing. Negotiations can increase confusion and lead to mistrust between nurse and recruiter. That’s why working with agencies that do not allow for negotiations may prove to be the best agencies to work for. They likely give the nurse their best rate from the “get-go” and therefore actually have no room left for negotiations. If you’re able to negotiate with a recruiter, why weren’t they offering you their best rate from the beginning? Something to consider.
4. Stay organized.
Top paying travel nursing assignments come with a timestamp - they are in high demand and competition is fierce. Truth is, agencies can’t simply submit you for a job just because you want to be considered. They literally have to “sell” your skills to the hospital.
How do they do this? Through your paperwork, commonly referred to as your “profile” - resume, references, skills checklists, license, etc. Having organized paperwork that can quickly (and easily) be submitted to a new agency will increase your chances of landing high paying assignments. The quicker you get your paperwork to your recruiter, the faster they can submit you to a top paying job.
Side note, many nurse managers hire travel nurses on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Why? Because your agency has already vetted you, the hospital doesn’t need to do more research to determine if you’re qualified. The hospital needs your skills to fill a temporary staffing need. If you treat every high paying job with extreme urgency your chances of landing the job will increase.
We recommend keeping your paperwork up to date and storing it online on a cloud, drop-box or even on the google drive. This will make it easy to simply share your paperwork folder with your recruiter. Another tip, if you don’t have a scanner, download a scanning app so that you don’t have to lug around a bulky machine.
Many agencies are getting tech-savvy and developing mobile apps that allow nurses to directly upload their documents into the nurse’s profile with the company, where they can be stored and updated when the app notifies nurses of their certification or assignment expirations.
5. Work with multiple agencies.
Truth is, no agency will have assignments available in every location in the US. In fact, some hospitals pay each agency at a different rate. Additionally, local agencies may have better relationships with the hospitals in their area. Bottom line, it’s a good idea to work with multiple agencies because this will increase your potential opportunities.
Word of caution - if you work with multiple recruiters, don’t be shady. Be honest with them about each other. Don’t make them compete against each other. It's important for you to keep in touch with them even if you don’t choose their assignment at this time. Chances are they’ll want to work with you again in the future. Who knows, you might even make a new friend!
6. Maintain multiple state licenses
Did you know that many hospitals will not even look at your professional profile if you are not licensed in their state? It’s true. You’ll increase your chances of continuously landing high paying jobs by maintaining active licenses in multiple states. For example, rates in northern states usually increase during the winter months - so, a license in Massachusetts is a must!
If you want to work in a certain state, you need to have a license. Period. If you don’t have a license in that state, and you want to travel there soon - apply now! Some states have a quick licensure turn around of 48 hours. Other states, like California, can take up to 6 months to process licensure paperwork. Some agencies do assist or reimburse for licensing fees.
7. Work agency per diem and pick up extra shifts
Travel nurses who want to make even more money will often work local agency per diem shifts. They’ll also volunteer to work extra shifts during their assignments.
8. Communicate
Recruiters are the connection between you and the highest paying travel nursing assignments. It’s important to communicate with them about your compensation needs. Looking for a high paying assignment? Ask. Need a sign-on or completion bonus? Ask. Can’t live happily with an income below a certain amount? Tell them. Remember, you have not because you ask not.
9. Ask for sign on, completion and retention bonuses.
Some travel companies may offer bonuses. Bonuses are paid either on day #1 of your assignment, upon completion of the assignment or when you work multiple assignments with your agency. Inquire about bonuses.
10. Refer your friends to agencies
In the travel nursing industry, referrals are golden. Nurses are much more likely to trust their friend’s opinion of an agency they’ve actually worked for than they are an advertisement or recruiter. This is why agencies pay nurses referral bonuses to refer their friends. Referral fees differ but some agencies pay as high as $5000 per nurse referral!
Happy Travels!
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