I spent four solid days going through the internet and the only conclusions I can come up with are:
1. some love it and some hate it
2. you better be flexible and assertive or you'll probably drown in the experience
3. some agencies are great and some just flat out suck...just like the hospitals
4. travel nursing took a downswing along with the economy but the opportunities are growing with the rebounding economy.
5. some love the free spirit of the winnebago and some must have traditional lodging
Our community has six hospitals and none of them use travel nurses. I am told it is because the cost is excessive and a concern of quality control along with three universities and two community colleges within 60 minutes, there is no shortage of nurses and no upswing requirement due to seasonal issues. I was hoping to get some face time and ask but this forum is the next best thing.

Questions: with so many variables..how do you nail down a good opportunity? Are the recruiters upfront what you are getting into or are they just filling a slot. One person's gem is another person's turd and that appears to be the consensus on rating opportunities..(other than a couple spots in Calfornia and a couple agencies that receive overwhelming bad reviews)

With no viewing experience on how travel nurses are treated..I keep getting this nagging feeling they are getting the worst of the lot when it comes to them checking in at the hospital. It's one thing if there are a number of travel nurses in a facility and a completely different story if it's just once or twice a year a nurse or two is needed. Throw out any thoughts or ideas. I'm all eyes and look forward to the input...good, bad, or indifferent. Any help on sorting through the vast majority of information out there is welcome.
Thanks