I am new to traveling and am looking to take my first assignment...any suggestions on which companies pay well and take care of their nurses....
RN Network is a good company, pay is ok, but the benefits are good,which start day 1(health insurance, 401k and they offer vacation time after about 4 assignments) They have alot of jobs and very good housing. Private Message me for my recruiter, just to talk and get information. Pay varies on your specialty. Read thru the posts and you will see which companies have horror stories even tho they may pay more. Some nurses sign on to a few companies just to ge the best deal, which is fine. If you are a new nurse the pay rate is alot better than what you would get as a staff RN. Also if you take the housing stipend if gives you more $. Just be careful, money isn't worth it if you get a lousy company and lousy recruiter, then it ruins the travel experience.
Hope this helps. Where do you want to travel? What is your specialty/
I am on my 4th assignment with Cross Country Trav Corps. I am very happy with them. Housing is great, pay is good, and most importantly my recruiter is so easy to reach and any problems are taken care of very quickly. I worked with a company before them, and there is no comparison that CCTC is what works for me.
I've been with Medical Express for 4 contracts now and love them. Johnny-on-the-spot with any questions I have, and they are great at finding good assignments and meeting my needs. They also offer free CE credits as an employee on rn.com. Pretty sweet.
I'm happy to give you the phone number for my recruiter and answer any other questions you have about them - they made my transition from staff nurse to travel nurse wonderful.
:) Kat
Hi
I have worked with healthcareseeker.com for 1 1/2 years now, can't go wrong, pays very well, excellent benefits day one. They are a small company with low overhead, hence more dollars in your pocket. They are the only ones when I first started calling different travel nurse companies that spent the time talking to me about my concerns about becoming a travel nurse before they asked for a resume and completed application. :)
i would say it's not the company but really the recruiter
i had a terrible experience with medical express
but then Tom (i think that was his name) was a total snake in the grass
each company has pretty good benies and pay depending on where you go
my advice is sign up with 8-10 companies
take the time to fill out the paperwork and skills list and develop your contacts
then look at the pay, housing stipen and bennies and see what looks the best between all of them
i like my recruiter and company, medstaff but i'm sure someone had a terrible agent and that just made their experience terrible
another word of advice if your agent is a douch don't be afraid to call the company and ask to speak to the manager and want a different agent, they'll do it in a heart beat
most of these agents are payed by commission to a certain degree so some will try and keep benies and bonuses while others could care less (little hint agents that are single give out less bonuses then those that are in a relationship/married, reason being they and are not as financially tight/stressed as the single person....usually)
good luck and go into traveling with an open mind
i did and am really enjoying it
Stay away from American Mobile.
Aureus is ok, but switch your recruiter by region/state
I'm currently in talks with Healthcareseeker.com and they seem to pay ALOT more than Aureus when comparing apples to apples. (Like $11 more/hr)
I am looking to start traveling, and I am having a really hard time figuring out which company to go with. Any advice for us newbies? I have been working for a small Iowa based staffing agency, but have been able to stay at home and commute to my job. I have just finished my fourth contract at the same hospital. They recently offered me a 26 week extension and I have accepted, so I will be there a total of 18 months when I am done in Dec. Come the end of the year, I want to Really travel. My hubbie and I are looking to go to California, or somewhere else on the west coast. Any thoughts on what is a good company to work with? What questions should I ask a recruiter before I sign with them? What I should expect for pay, bennies, extras? Etc. Also, do any companies offer rental cars to their nurses? We are having a hard time trying to decide if we take our car with us or not. My husband may not stay with me the whole time, and he would need it if he came home, but I hate to think of being stuck without a car, and I don't think I can afford to rent one on an extended basis.
Thanks for any and all thought!
Helen the Cat
Helenthecat wrote:I am looking to start traveling, and I am having a really hard time figuring out which company to go with. Any advice for us newbies? I have been working for a small Iowa based staffing agency, but have been able to stay at home and commute to my job. I have just finished my fourth contract at the same hospital. They recently offered me a 26 week extension and I have accepted, so I will be there a total of 18 months when I am done in Dec. Come the end of the year, I want to Really travel. My hubbie and I are looking to go to California, or somewhere else on the west coast. Any thoughts on what is a good company to work with? What questions should I ask a recruiter before I sign with them? What I should expect for pay, bennies, extras? Etc. Also, do any companies offer rental cars to their nurses? We are having a hard time trying to decide if we take our car with us or not. My husband may not stay with me the whole time, and he would need it if he came home, but I hate to think of being stuck without a car, and I don't think I can afford to rent one on an extended basis.
Thanks for any and all thought!
Helen the Cat
sign up with multiple companies.
i would say between 5-10 is good.
then talk to each and see what they have as far as the west coast.
each company will have different options available in california.
as far as transportation you can look into subways and buses.
not ideal but better then walking if the hubby leaves with the car.
been traveling for almost a year and i like it alot.
see the country for free and i make better money then a staff position.
but i usually go where the money is good.
there are some jobs that won't pay well due to the location and time of the year.
exp. Hawaii
good luck and remember to go someplace you will enjoy, that is what traveling is about really.
Stay away from Healthsource global staffing read their travel forum their nures are furious:(
Travel Nurse Solutions will offer a rental car to you:) If you want a recruiter's name, PM me and I will send you the name of the recruiter I have worked with in the past.
Cheryl
