I'm an operating room nurse who started traveling in August, 2001. I've worked in the operating rooms since 1972, as an O.R. technician, and as a nurse, since 1978. When I retired from the VA in 2001, I elected to start working as a travel nurse and have been very pleased to do so up to this time. I have worked for Sunbelt Staffing Solutions, Inc. for all but one assignment with Cross Country Travcorp. I would never do another contract with CCT and will stay with Sunbelt until I decide to quit traveling.
In the summer of 2001, when I was contemplating traveling, I attended a nurse job fair in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I visited fifteen booths that were nurse agencies and one of the questions I asked every one of them was "how long have you been in business?" Twelve out the fifteen agencies there were only three years old or less. I would never work for a company that is not very established and does not have the support personnel to take care of your needs as a traveler. There is little or no "regulation" to this business and that is why you never hear the same story from any of the companies you might contact to find out what benefits they might have, what your pay will be and the housing they might find for you in any of the places you might go.
I have always found my own housing and elect to take the tax free housing allowance and the tax free food stipend every place I been. I contacted one company, that claimed to have the most nurse travelers in the country, and was told they won't do that for their nurses because of some question with legality. I immediately knew that the individual I was talking with did not know what she was talking about and would suggest to anyone reading this to never believe anything from a company whose employees make unfounded comment like this. It is bad enough that you have to know to ask all the questions you might possibly have since not very many are up front with all the options you might have for pay, housing and benefits.
The tax free housing allowance and per diem can help keep you in a lower tax bracket if you ellect to take these options in your pay. An extablished company will have education reimbursment, for the continuing education hours you must have for license renewal, PALS, BCLS, ACLS and for licensure renewal or other states licensure where you might want to work. An established company will pay for your travel from one place to another. They should also pay for any yearly physicals you might be called on to undergo and furnish any mandatory reviews on cultural differences, age specific care of patients, back injury protection and safety and so on. Most travel agencies answer to JCAHO and if they don't, you probably want to steer clear of them.
A well established company will offer choices for health insurance, life insurance and possibly leave for contracts successfully completed. I have been very happy with the choices that I've made and have learned alot about the travel business by asking questions and not being shy about it. Remember, it is off the sweat of your brow that the agency makes their money also. From some of what I have learned, for every dollar you are paid, the company you work for takes in seventyfive cents to over a dollar more. That's how those people you talk with on the phone make a living. Please share any information you might have on traveling with the rest of us and be safe out there.
In the summer of 2001, when I was contemplating traveling, I attended a nurse job fair in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I visited fifteen booths that were nurse agencies and one of the questions I asked every one of them was "how long have you been in business?" Twelve out the fifteen agencies there were only three years old or less. I would never work for a company that is not very established and does not have the support personnel to take care of your needs as a traveler. There is little or no "regulation" to this business and that is why you never hear the same story from any of the companies you might contact to find out what benefits they might have, what your pay will be and the housing they might find for you in any of the places you might go.
I have always found my own housing and elect to take the tax free housing allowance and the tax free food stipend every place I been. I contacted one company, that claimed to have the most nurse travelers in the country, and was told they won't do that for their nurses because of some question with legality. I immediately knew that the individual I was talking with did not know what she was talking about and would suggest to anyone reading this to never believe anything from a company whose employees make unfounded comment like this. It is bad enough that you have to know to ask all the questions you might possibly have since not very many are up front with all the options you might have for pay, housing and benefits.
The tax free housing allowance and per diem can help keep you in a lower tax bracket if you ellect to take these options in your pay. An extablished company will have education reimbursment, for the continuing education hours you must have for license renewal, PALS, BCLS, ACLS and for licensure renewal or other states licensure where you might want to work. An established company will pay for your travel from one place to another. They should also pay for any yearly physicals you might be called on to undergo and furnish any mandatory reviews on cultural differences, age specific care of patients, back injury protection and safety and so on. Most travel agencies answer to JCAHO and if they don't, you probably want to steer clear of them.
A well established company will offer choices for health insurance, life insurance and possibly leave for contracts successfully completed. I have been very happy with the choices that I've made and have learned alot about the travel business by asking questions and not being shy about it. Remember, it is off the sweat of your brow that the agency makes their money also. From some of what I have learned, for every dollar you are paid, the company you work for takes in seventyfive cents to over a dollar more. That's how those people you talk with on the phone make a living. Please share any information you might have on traveling with the rest of us and be safe out there.