Choosing
the Right Travel Nursing Placement Agency
Travel nursing is becoming one of our nation’s fastest
growing professions, and it’s no surprise. If you love seeing
new places and enjoy exciting new experiences that evoke the
feeling of taking an extended vacation, then the career of a
traveling nurse might be just what the doctor ordered! Travel
nursing enables many people to stay on vacation for two to six
months in free luxury accommodations while earning high hourly
wages at the same time.
Yet despite all these advantages, many nurses describe to me
that they’ve shied away from the traveling profession. Why?
Because bad experiences with placement agencies have left them
with nothing but a negative impression. They’ve been underpaid
or lacked benefits, and I can’t tell you how many nurses have
complained to me about inadequate housing or recruiters who were
unkind, uncaring, and just plain unavailable. The sad result is
that nurses end up jumping from one agency to the next, always
in search of the perfect package that’s never there.
In this light, choosing the right staffing agency requires a
nurse to consider everything that is offered. Some nurses
emphasize pay as their top priority. Others require an excellent
benefits package. Many travel RNs are location-specific and want
to experience the lifestyle in the country’s hot spots. Career
flexibility is often a pivotal factor, along with customer
service. The bottom line is, your agency choice depends largely
upon one of the four following criteria.
SALARY
No question about it, there are some agencies that offer more
money than others. So the first thing to remember is that
agencies may base salaries upon things like location
availability, need-to-fill assignments, and cost of living.
Some agencies must offer noticeably higher rates if they
expect to fill certain assignments where nurse-to-patient ratios
are very low, or where a facility has extreme patient needs. If
you’re a nurse who is attracted by very high dollars, be alert
for a potentially desperate situation you might be entering, and
the workload it could bring. You may make more money, but
you’ll earn every dollar and more.
Location also factors into salary. The California bay area
and many larger east coast cities definitely offer more
lucrative pay rates. It’s also much more expensive to live in
those places, so recognize the relationship that exists between
salary dollars and cost of living. I’ve seen nurses return
from Hawaii saying they had a great vacation and made a lot of
friends—but their purses were lighter, not heavier from the
experience. You might get less money in an exotic location and
come back with more money from a not-so-exotic location. My
point is, your criteria will determine your priorities.
BENEFITS
What some companies may lack in salary, they make up for with
benefits. Many agencies offer benefits programs that revolve
around monetary bonuses or discounted luxury housing; and I have
even observed a trend with several newer companies that offer
entirely free housing to all their nurses. Take note, however,
that those agencies may not ante up the really high salaries.
It’s a trade-off, so they compensate you with benefits to save
you daily, monthly, and annual expenses. Every nurse should be
aware of what benefits they need the most, and then ask their
recruiters to assist in developing a package that is tailored to
their individual needs.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
To many traveling nurses, customer service and aid are the
most important attributes a placement agency possesses. If you
called ten agencies and only talked with one live recruiter,
it’s probably best to narrow it down to the agency where
individual placement specialists were easily available. After
all, if you’re ready to proceed with a new assignment you’ll
want an agency that can make it happen fast and has recruiters
available who already understand your criteria. In fact, your
criteria may change from one assignment to another, so customer
service is paramount. Determine what you want and then find out
which agencies can make it happen.
FEATURED LOCATIONS AND HOT SPOTS
While for some nurses, salary, benefits, and career
flexibility might be the number-one interest, many others just
want the obvious—to travel and see the world. If you’re an
adventurer who cares more about the travel experience than the
money, then you’ll need an agency that can offer you the
locations you want.
Not every agency can send you just anywhere. Figure out where
you want to go, and then call around to discover who can send
you there.
A travel nursing career is absolutely one of the best, most
rewarding choices any nurse can make, but it’s important to
select a company who will partner with you every step of the
way. Before you jump in, do your homework and research all the
best placement agencies. Finding the agency that fits your
unique wants and needs will drastically increase your chances of
success and happiness in your career.
About The Author
Janet Fikany is a "Placement Diva" for HealthCare
Staffing Network. For travel nursing advice, please visit HSN
online at http://www.hcstaffingnetwork.com,
or call Janet toll free at 1-877-385-3097.
nat@hcstaffingnetwork.com
Written by: Janet Fikany
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