First of all- Welcome! :) It sounds like you have a LOT of research to do before you even consider beginning to travel... I will try to answer some of your questions.
1. How much experience is generally required by companies? Is 1 year enough?
One year is generally considered the MINIMUM, but most travelers will tell you that you should have more, and even though a travel company will try to place you after 1 year of experience, many hospitals want nurses with more experience (generally at least 2 years). You will be required to function completely independently with only 1-2 days of orientation. Hospitals are paying top dollar for travelers, so they want someone who can come in to a strange and new environment and hit the ground running.
2. If I currently live in the LA area, can I work for a travel company and stay local? Or do I need to sign up with an agency?
You can take local travel assignments, but you will not qualify for tax-free housing or a tax-free stipend unless your assignment is located more than 50-60 miles from your home.
3. What kinds of things should I look for when selecting a company?
The most important thing is to find a recruiter you feel comfortable with- someone you trust who is competent, courteous, and who will work for YOU. Also, pay, benefits, housing, travel/licensure reimbursement, insurance benefits/copays/deductibles, etc...
4. I hear a lot of people saying "this company is horrible" and "this company is great", what is it exactly that makes companies horrible or great? It would seem to me that you probably don't have to deal much with the company once you get your assignment.
This tells me that you need to do a LOT more research before traveling. Your travel company does more than just find you an assignment. They are the link between you and the hospital. They pay you, they administer your benefits, they are the ones to fix any problems that might arise with the hospital or your housing. A bad company usually has a lot of problems with payroll errors, and does not handle problems very well. A good company will stand behind their travelers should problems arise. Example: during my very first travel assignment, the hospital cancelled many of the travelers early due to low census. MY recruiter arranged for me to finish out my assignment at the sister hospital across town. Many of the other travelers who were with not-so-great companies found themselves thousands of miles from home with no job, no place to live, and no support from their company....
5. What kind of pay can be expected in LA with my type/amount of experience?
This varies greatly depending on what unit/specialty, what certifications you have, amount of experience, and what benefits your travel company will be offering. It also depends of what shift you will be working, and if you will be doing 12 or 8 hour shifts.
6. Do the contracts outline which unit you will be working in exactly? Or can they float you around the hospital your assigned to?
This is up to you to have specified in your contract. If it is not specified, then the hospital can float you. I work ER, and always have "no floating" put into my contract. This is usually not an issue because ER's generally don't float out their staff anyways, but I will tell you that for your specialty, you may be expected to float, and many hospitals will not hire you if you are not experienced enough or willing to float. When you interview with hospitals, ask about floating. If they say you will not have to float, or will only float to certain units, make sure that whatever you agreed on is put into your contract.
7. I keep reading stuff about travelers not getting taxed? Can someone explain this in more detail?
If you own your own home, or will be maintaining an apartment in your home town and will be taking an assignment at least 50-60 miles from home, you qualify for a certain amount of tax-free benefits. Check out the articles on
Kobaly.com - Your Healthcare Traveler Tax Specialists! for more info.
