Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

My wife and I are both nurses and are starting to travel nurse. Her experience is in home health, hospice and LT care. My experience is ED, cardiac and CATH lab. We have signed with a couple different companies, but they seem to be looking more for me and not for us together. Could you recommend a good company that would work for both of us to travel together.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

There are a handful of agencies I use, but when referring people, I prefer to give nurses the names and numbers for specific recruiters, as these are the people I work with and trust. The nurse/recruiter relationship is very important in travel nursing and a good recruiter can make all the difference in the world. I prefer not to post those numbers online as some are direct numbers that dial in to a specific recruiter rather than going through the company switchboard (where most new travelers are routed). If you contact me at david@travelnursesbible.com, I’ll be happy to share with you the contacts I have at the companies I use and trust.

Just be sure that your recruiters understand up front that they need to secure a position for BOTH of you. I have worked with many husband/wife teams (work in a unit with two traveling couples right now). Be very emphatic if you need to, but make them understand that if they don’t find you two positions, they’ll lose TWO travelers to another company that will find you assignments. Do understand though that it might take some time if you are both new to traveling, but the more agencies you use, the better. It might even be possible to find you an assignment with one agency and her an assignment in the same location with another agency.

Email me and I’ll hook you up with some of the people I use.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I am an experienced OR Nurse (over 35 years) and also an experienced Traveling Nurse. I have been permanent for the last three years and I am considering traveling again. I would like to know how the travel nurse industry is holding up (in our current economic situation) in terms of getting contracts that will allow the nurse to continue to be employed full-time within a travel nurse setting. In other words, is it realistically possible to get three to four contracts per year which would constitute full-time hours?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Hello.  As you might already know, 2009 was a bad year for the traveler with assignments down almost 50%. The following year was a “bounce back” year, but things were certainly not up to their pre-2009 state. In 2011, we only continued the climb, but I’d say that with hospitals around the nation facing state and federal cutbacks, we are not going to see anything like pre-2009 for a long time.

However, one thing remains and will continue for a LONG time. We are still in a nursing shortage, that by all accounts, will only continue to worsen. That means staffing needs throughout the country.

If you still have inactive (or active) licenses in a few states, you will be ahead of the game. The major thing is that needs are more immediate and the quicker you can interview, accept, and have license in hand, the better off you will be. Many travelers will now obtain their license before interviewing in a particular state (I believe all the travel agencies I use will still reimburse for that license if it is used on an assignment with them, even after the fact).

You might also need to be more flexible in assignment locations and if you were not using several agencies before, I recommend everyone be on file with at least two or three (I am currently on file with about 6 or 7).

So, if you understand how the market has changed, you should still expect to be able to work on a full time basis. Most of my years as a traveler have been spent on multiple extensions or repeat locations to help me limit my gap time, but you should still be able to keep traveling full time even if you need a change of venue every 13 weeks.

Hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Hello. Thank you for your time. I’m a long time travel nurse, but have been lucky in that the places I’ve been, I’ve stayed and extended, then came back home for a while, and went back out, that sort of thing. I’m with a new company and the hospitals I’ve been at (in California) don’t have any traveler needs, so I’m in unfamiliar territory. Is there a internet site where we as nursing professions can ask what other nurses have to say about a particular facility, or what peoples opinions are on whether a location is traveler nurse friendly or not? Thanks again, have a great day.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

There is no one centralized website where you can find this information; however, there are some sites where you might find info on a particular hospital or area or be able to post a forum question to see if anyone else has information.

The first site that I recommend is the Delphi forum for traveling professionals (go to delphiforums.com, look for the box on the right that says “Explore existing forums”, type in “travel nursing” and the top result is a group called Travel Nurses and Therapists). The reason for my top recommendation of this site is that it has over a half million members. Search through the postings or submit one of your own.

Another forum is ultimatenurse.com. Pan Travelers has a forum, a free section, and a portion where there is a charge to access that information. You can also join Healthcare Travelbook (healthcaretravelbook.com) which is a sort of Facebook style place for travelers. You can also post questions there on their forum page.

Sorry there is no “one place” to find what you seek, but using the above sites, you might be able to get the info you need.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Hi, I am a new nurse, and one of the major draws for me was the travel-nursing career path. I also have a pilot’s license, so I’m curious if this could work to my advantage at some point. I could take per diem jobs week-to-week in different regions (Chicago one week, then Texas the next, for instance). Have you ever heard of anyone doing such a thing?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

While you add an interesting twist to the “travel” portion in “travel nursing”, I’m not quite sure how you would incorporate this into a travel career.

Most assignments are for a set duration (typically 13 weeks) in one location. You could sign up with a travel company that also employs nurses in a per diem capacity. Then you could conceivably work a week in Chicago and then one in Texas, but I would think this a very chaotic schedule.

Plus, if you are only a VFR pilot, then the weather might be an obstacle in getting from location to location.

While not being a pilot, I too have some aircraft time, but have never had enough time to complete my full training. For me, I like the idea of taking a travel assignment and then being able to fly in all different areas of the country (rather than staying local with my flight time).

Explore it further with those companies that offer per diem opportunities. You would truly be a pioneer in this type of nursing. If you can make this work, please keep us all updated on your adventures.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Hello David, I am looking into travel nursing soon, like in march 2012. I have 2 years oncology/hospice and 3 years med-surg. I have talked to two places, one being Aya healthcare and the other Cross Country. My friend works for Cross Country and has given the okay. This morning I contacted Aya to see if they would pay for my travel to assignments. I liked what I heard and they really broke down some of my questions/concerns so I started the beginning processes.

I guess my question is: Do you know anything regarding these two agencies? Should I go with either? I am really nervous and want to make the best decision. I have a family and really can’t afford to have some agency screw me my first time out. Plus, travel nursing is something I am really interested in and do not want to have bad thoughts right off the bat. Please, if you can help me, give me any kind of insite to making the best decision or provide me with a better agency/agencies to go with I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you!

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

You are really charging me with a difficult task here (helping you have a good first experience), even more so because I’m not sure that I would recommend either of your first choices.

I do want you to understand that your company choice is entirely up to you. The only thing I have to go on are the things that I know and the things I have learned in my travels and talks with other nurses (and maybe a bit of common sense throw in). But once I put all that together, I don’t think I can recommend your choices at present. The more I think about this, the more I would prefer discussing this with you personally. If you would, could you email me at david@travelnursesbible.com and I’ll share my reasons with you.

For the readers, the reason I am doing this is because any time you mention specific companies, there can always be the potential for charges of libel should a company not like the comments written about them (no matter how true they might be). For this reson, I want to discuss Briget’s choices with her directly. If anyone has general questions about which type of company they should choose (larger vs. smaller, private or corporate owned, etc), I will be happy to answer those in this forum. If you would like my opinion on a specific company, please feel free to contact me at david@travelnursesbible.com. Thanks

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I am researching and talking to several companies about becoming a traveler. I am currently working as a house supervisor ( past 3 yrs ) with 5 years previous history of ER. I am having a hard time with several companies stating that I don’t have experience to work in the ER anymore so they are not interested in talking to me. How do I convince a company or hospital to try me out? I am on the code team, trauma team and IV team as we are a smaller ( 170 bed ) hospital so I do a little of everything, including work in the ER when we are in overload. Should I just give up on traveling??

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

You have several options here. I would say that if you plan to travel and work at the bedside, ER is your best bet. When talking with a company, focus your experience on how much time you have spent in the ER and how much time you continue to do so. If you work several shifts a month in the ER, I wouldn’t think you would have issues as far as companies at least attempting to find positions for you. If you work several ER shifts a year, then it might be a harder sell. If that is the case, then you have to decide if you really want to travel and if so, you might need to get back to the bedside more.

However, you also have the option to travel as a house supervisor. Now I have no idea how prevalent these positions are, but I know I have seen listings for house supervisors before. Since this is a narrowly focused position (as opposed to something like “critical care” where you might be able to work CCU, ICU, MICU, etc.), you should join a handful of companies so that you can open yourself up to as many positions as possible. I honestly am not sure why more companies wouldn’t agree to work with you with your experience, but then again, they know what hospitals currently want as far as travelers and after all, a company can put you on file, but it doesn’t mean anything unless there are hospitals out there willing to look at you.

Spend some time and talk with more companies. Make a list of ten companies (of which you have heard good things) and spend a day calling and talking to recruiters. Feel free to email me at david@travelnursesbible.com if you’d like me to give you a few names of the recruiters I work with and we’ll see if we can’t get you started.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I have a compact state RN license (KY). I am an ER traveling nurse. I am interested in work in Illinois and Georgia, because of family. I have heard both are going to become compact states soon. Do you have any info concerning this?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

While I have seen some info on this, there is one thing that I have learned as a traveler and that is to never get board information from anyone other than the board itself. While states may have entered into compact licensure, is that already in effect? Or, when does it take effect? Is it the same process as other compact licensure? Are the requirements for licensure the same as other states? All of these questions need to be asked and only asked of the board itself. Even when I have my recruiter give me board information about upcoming assignments, I ALWAYS check with the board itself.

The two links I find for these boards are: Georgia (http://sos.georgia.gov/plb/rn/) - and Illinois (http://www.idfpr.com/profs/info/Nursing.asp)

Hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Do you forward your mail to a new address each time you take on a new assignment? Would it be wiser to maintain a PO Box in one location or have it delivered to a trustworthy friend/family member and have him/her mail it in bulk periodically to your current location? What are your thoughts?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

How you handle your mail is entirely up to you. What you need to know are the options open to you.

First, the USPS will forward your mail to a temporary address for the amount of time you would spend on a typical assignment (13 weeks). By contrast, the USPS will only “hold” your mail up to 30 days. So for many, forwarding the mail works best.

In my travels, I did a combination of things. First, for all of my professional licenses, I used either my mother or father’s address and then had them send me any renewals I needed. I also did this with my auto tags and insurance bills. It was simple enough for my dad to shoot me an email saying that State Farm wanted a couple hundred for my truck insurance and then go online to arrange payment through my credit union. He would also just store up whatever else came along and then forward it to me every few months. However, after awhile I figured it was easier to call every few weeks and we would go through the mail together. Almost every time I would have him throw out at least 90% of what I received.

With my credit cards, I would call and change my address so that I got those bills in a timely manner. I kept a secure list of the credit card numbers, security codes, and company’s phone numbers, so that every time I moved I would simply spend about 20 minutes calling up and having everything changed. Mind you, you have to be aware of when bills are due so that you do not miss a payment and having a credit union or bank that has online bill pay is a big advantage.

You can always maintain a PO box if you wish, but I figure that anything that I can go without seeing for 13 weeks is not something I really need to see anyway. If you were talking about getting a PO box and then having a friend or family member go pick up your stuff, why not save them a trip and just have it delivered to their address?

So as you can see, there are many options out there and no one single solution will work for everyone. Just remember when having a family member tend to your mail, they need to be someone you can depend on to get you the important things on time.

Hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I am approaching my first traveling assignment in Bakersfield,Ca,@San Joaquin Hospital. Anything fully furnished, near the hospital, studio or one bedroom you can recommend to me?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Hello and welcome to the world of being an independent traveler!

I assume you have chosen to take the housing stipend instead of your travel company’s housing. When you do so, the leg work is pretty much yours to navigate. There are a few sites that do cater to travel nurses when it comes to housing (such as Housing for Travel Nurses.com). But, you can also start simple by looking for a room, apartment, or house to rent on Craigslist. However, when you rent these places independent of a travel nursing company, you will have to pony up any deposits and also take care of any problems on your own. That is why I still allow my travel company to arrange my housing after 15 yrs as a traveler.

If you are with a company that does not offer housing, you might consider looking at a travel company that does offer this service. It’s one less headache you will have to deal with when starting an assignment.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Hello David. I am a staff oncology RN in CA with 3 years experience. I have never done travel nursing. I would love to go to Alaska as a travel nurse next year. I am thinking may-aug., but I can do colder months if the jobs are better. How do I know which travel agency to use? Is there a chance I could get an oncology assignment in Alaska, or should I be prepared for med-surg. Thank you very much. Looking forward to your response.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Please feel free to email me personally at david@travelnursesbible.com and I can get you set up with a few recruiters at companies that I trust. I recommend that travelers start out by signing up with at least a few companies to give them more assignment options. You may also need several companies in your pocket as not all of them may have Alaska assignments. However, I’d like to get you talking with a few people because I’d also like you to ask them the questions you asked of me.

Since the recruiters are the ones who place people, they would have better answers for you in regard to availability of assignments and also how often they see Alaska assignments. They would also be a good resource for an assignment so specific because if they have sent travelers there before, they can help you with the licensure process (occasionally a little tricky with Alaska board I hear), and what feedback they have heard from other travelers that have worked in Alaska.

They would also be able to tell you which assignments they place more, oncology or med-surg. I would tend to think med-surg, but again, a better question for those people who place travelers on a day to day basis. I tend to use my recruiters for a lot of information and they appreciate travelers who research assignments.

I will tell you that you want to have enough experience in the specialty in which you wish to travel because you will have little to no chance to cross-train while on the road. Often, the specialty in which you start to travel will be the one you travel in throughout your career, so choose something you love.

Also, if you are well informed about what to expect, great. If you still need to learn more about what travel nursing entails, I’d recommend my book, Travel Nurse’s Bible. It will walk you through the entire process that you will encounter as a traveler. You can certainly learn a lot on your own via the net (like most of us who have been doing this for awhile had to do), but if you’d like a resource that puts everything in one place, take a peek at travelnursesbible.com to see all the things the book covers.

Sorry I could not answer your questions more directly, but I’d just be turning around and picking up the phone to ask the experts I use for that type of info. But email me and I’ll get you to those people directly and you can start making contacts that you will use throughout your travel career.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Hello, I am interested in becoming a Travel nurse starting in 2012. I have 2 years Med Surg experience, 2 years Post Partum experience and 1 year L & D experience. I was wondering if someone could give me a few tips on how to decide which company to start with and how to get my ducks in order to prepare for this. Thank you!

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

If you’d like to email me at david@travelnursesbible.com, I can give you the names of a few recruiters I trust, at the companies I recommend. I always tell travelers to sign up with at least a few travel nursing companies to open yourself to more assignment options.

A few resources I recommend for those just starting out are UltimateNurse.com and the Delphi forum for traveling professionals (go to DelphiForums.com, look for the box on the right that says “Explore existing forums”, type in “travel nursing” and the top result is a group called Travel Nurses and Therapists with over half a million members).

Pan Travelers is also another good site with a forum. They have a free section and also a portion where there is a charge to access that information. You can subscribe to Healthcare Traveler Magazine for free on their website as well as read back issues. You can also join Healthcare Travelbook which is a sort of Facebook style place for travelers. I also blog on a site that has good travel information at travelnursingblogs.com

I will also recommend my book, Travel Nurse’s Bible, which takes all of the information and my experiences from over 15 years of being a traveler, and puts it into one place. It’s not a necessary purchase to become a traveler, but it has helped quite a few nurses gain a better understanding of the process. If you’d like to check out what is included in the book, you can take a look at travelnursesbible.com.

Hope this helps and feel free to email me for the names of the recruiters with whom I work.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I have not worked as a nurse for the last year and a half, can I still work as a travel nurse?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

My thought would be no, but in this case my thought does not count. You would have to contact the travel companies directly, go over your background, and then it would be their choice. Generally speaking, I would think not, but if you do have any luck, please post again to update our readers with your experience.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Hello! I am on my 1st travel contract. It is not what I was hoping it would be. I am currently working in a Neuro ICU. It’s more of a stroke unit and not at all what it was advertised to be. I was also in a rollover car accident. Luckily everyone was ok. That near death experience has made me miss my “home” more than ever! The unit I’m working in is very negative and going through a rough transition phase. Has anyone else felt this way on their 1st contract? I’m stuck between canceling it and going home to my old hospital or sticking it out. I’m only about 4 weeks into my contract. Any advice? I know I should talk to my recruiter about it and see what she thinks? Always good to have an open channel of communication. She’s been very helpful thus far and I’m not sure how she’ll react when I tell her this? Thanks!

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Sorry that things turned out this way on your first contract. It does not matter if it is your first or thirty-first, whenever there is chaos on the job, it makes it very difficult being away from home. However, when all this happens on your first assignment, it only makes it harder to justify travel nursing at all. You are not alone in feeling this way, but from this point on, it is only you that can decide where you go from here.

There are two ways you can look at this. First, you might decide that life is too short and you do NOT have to put up with anything you choose not to. If you feel as if being close to family and friends is what matters, then breaking your contract might be what is right for you. But if this is your decision, speak with your recruiter and see what the best way to proceed might be. It all depends on your travel company, but some will enforce fees or penalties for canceling a contract. If you are not financially secure enough, then figure out the worst case scenario. Often, one thing that could happen is the travel company withholding your last paycheck. I believe in most states that you HAVE to be paid for hours worked (but I’m not an attorney and all questions of law should be handled by a professional working in the state where your contract is governed). Also, the travel company may try to get around this by enforcing fees or penalties that essentially strip your last paycheck earnings. This is why it is ALWAYS important to know what your contract says, especially in the case of cancellation.

You should also not expect any travel money for the trip home. Some companies will even try to tell you that you owe for your housing for the rest of the contract. However, this would be hard to enforce without them taking legal action and I can’t imagine it would be worth it to them (but something you must consider just the same).

I have had two contracts canceled over a period of a decade and a half. One cost me $50 because I was in company housing without working for a week while they found me another contract. The other cost me around $1000 in lost wages and unimbursed travel, canceling cable services early, etc. However, my company did not impose any fees or penalties (due to the amount of time I had been with them) and I did collect my last paycheck.

So if you feel you must walk on this assignment, just have a conversation with your recruiter, explain the situation, and see how to best accomplish the termination of the contract.

Now the second way you can look at this also involves feeling that life is precious and should be enjoyed to the full extent. Travel nursing is a wonderful way to see the states and it is an opportunity not many people have with the professions they choose. Once you have your first assignment under your belt, that will open up more opportunities for you due to not having to avoid hospitals that specify “no first-time travelers”. However, you may need to change the way you select assignments if you are taking assignments in locations where you might not necessarily want to go.

For me, travel has ALWAYS been about location. If you choose where you want to go, and wont settle until you get that location, then each assignment is like a vacation. I wanted to see Hawaii on my first assignment. I had to wait a little longer, but then I spent thirteen weeks in the middle of the winter on Maui. I also pursued other interests I had while on assignments in certain locations. I wanted to learn to SCUBA dive and my Maui and South Florida assignments helped accomplish that. A Phoenix assignment gave me opportunities in rock climbing and repelling as well as trips up to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. In L.A. I studied improv at the Groundlings theater where people like Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, and Lisa Kudrow got their start. Several assignments in Hawaii allowed me to try surfing. San Diego provided great weather for learning to skydive and Santa Monica proved equally as nice for my flying lessons. I have so many things that I have been able to pursue because of being a travel nurse. I was also able to make time for trips home and also had a few extended summers when I went back and worked per diem at local hospitals.

Now it may seem like I’m steering you in a certain direction. Again, only you know what is best for you, but I wanted to let you know that you have not experienced, by far, all that travel nursing has to offer. Yes, there will be assignments that suck. But even on the ones I hated, I seized the opportunities in the area on my days off. I loathed my San Francisco assignment and it was the only assignment where I seriously considered walking. But on my days off, I went to Golden Gate Park, snapped tons of pics of the Golden Gate Bridge, or saw local attractions like Alcatraz. Those are the things I remember most, not how many times they floated me.

If you are on the fence about things, then I would say stick it out. Then you will have more opportunities once that assignment ends. Yes, every day is precious and you could die tomorrow, but what if you live the next 50 years? Will you look back and wonder what things you might have been able to experience if you stuck with it? There must be something that drew you to travel nursing in the beginning. I’m just saying that maybe you shouldn’t judge things based on one crappy assignment.

Whatever your decision, it only has to be the right one for you, and nobody else. I just hope this helps you sort things out a bit.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I am an LPN of 17 years and am now going back for my RN. Will I still have to work 2 years prior to being able to take an assignment to travel? Are there any specific fields that are needed more than any others in travel nursing?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

I do not know how the market will look when you are out of school. If the nursing shortage pans out to be like the experts believe, I’m sure the increased demand for nurses will drive the qualification back toward 1 year. But again, I have no idea how the industry will look at the time when you graduate.

The best advice I can give you is to find the specialty that you enjoy. Most mainstream specialties should still be in demand when you are ready to travel. Certainly any high acuity areas like ICU/CCU/CVICU should be in demand, but areas like med-surg/tele and even OB or L&D should work well for you. The further you go outside the common specialties in nursing, the fewer postings you might find. However, there is always a need somewhere. After being contacted by a nurse working corrections, I was surprised to find that there are specific websites that cater to travel nurses specializing in corrections. So even if you choose the most obscure specialty, you might very well find a need for travel nurses in that specialty.

Get a well rounded education and try to stick with a common specialty for your best success. In year one after you graduate, perfect your skills in things like IV starts, blood draws, and foley and NG insertions. After a year, call a few companies and see what the hospitals are considering as far as experience goes.

Hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I spoke with a recruiter today about a job that I am seriously considering. He did inform me of the hourly wage, travel allowance, but stated that the housing would be up to me. He states that most of their nurse’s stay at extended stay hotels for about 250-300 dollars a week. He explained that their company does things this way so that the contracted nurse get a tax break and starting throwing out numbers related to tax free salary. I do say I was very confused as other agencies have offered housing. He stated that other agencies take advantage of the tax free percentage of the salary by giving you the housing. Can you shed some light on this issue. I have only completed local travel contracts and am new to the game. The agency is Trustaff…do you know anything about them?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

The first question I have for you is do you have a “tax home”? A tax home is not necessarily a house, but rather, a place or area where you normally do business (you’re normally employed there, have financial ties to the community, vote in that area, have your car registered there). If you do have a qualified “tax home”, then you are able to participate in these programs, if not, their point is moot.

If you do not have a “tax home” then under the eyes of the IRS, then you have to be taxed on your housing. This holds true whether or not you take the company provided housing or just take the housing subsidy. Of course, all of this can be VERY confusing to a new traveler, but you really HAVE to understand the tax implications of using these programs. A great resource to get you started is found on Joseph Smith’s website, TravelTax.com. Joseph is an Enrolled agent who holds a federal tax license and is an all around travel tax guru. It’s a bit hard to navigate to the FAQ page, but here is a direct link:

http://www.traveltax.com/TravelRN/KnowledgeBase/KnowledgeBaseHome.html

I encourage you to read EVERY little box on that page. It contains a ton of information to help you understand the tax implications of travel. He also does returns and will look at any tax advantage program for you for free (or at least last time I contacted him he said he’d still do that without charge).

While gaining more tax information is key, with what you explained, I still see issues. First, I doubt you want to stay in an extended stay hotel. Some people don’t mind them and if you REALLY need every single penny, I guess I can understand. However, I did a Phoenix assignment with my travel company and I had a condo in Ohio where I would live when I was not traveling. Since I had a “tax home”, I paid no tax on my housing (because in the eyes of the IRS, I was duplicating my living expenses while being on the road). They housed me in a gated apartment complex in a one bedroom, fully furnished unit. The complex had tennis courts, two pools (one heated), hot tubs, clubhouse, and workout facility (and this is just the typical amenities that I have on my assignments). Your housing is the place where you unwind at the end of the day. Don’t compromise on this aspect of your assignment. I think you’ll regret it.

Also, I mentioned that this housing was tax free. However, I also made extra money in my paycheck because I was participating in my company’s tax advantage program. Basically, they were giving me the IRS reimbursement that I could have just claimed on my taxes, earlier. So if you have a tax home, your housing should not be taxed and you should find extra money in your paycheck. The situation you described to me made it sound like the recruiter was representing an either/or scenario, but that might be my misunderstanding.

As for the company, I am often uncertain of what could potentially get me in hot water as far as my opinions on certain companies. I have no issue boasting about the ones I prefer, but if the case is otherwise, I prefer to “guide” people to the answers rather than giving them. With that in mind, here are a few reviews I found online:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/trustaff-c345188.html

http://www.ultimatenurse.com/forum/f7/trustaff-pns-onward-healthcare-48424/

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/to-reveal-the-true-face-c148354.html

http://www.xomreviews.com/trustaff.com

http://www.merareview.com/38301/

http://www.ultimatenurse.com/forum/f7/warning-trustaff-terrible-company-work-warning-93138/

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/trustaff-c412447.html

If you need any contacts for companies I trust, feel free to email me personally at david@travelnursesbible.com. I hope this helps give you some info on tax issues and also helps get you on your way regarding travel.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

Is it possible to do travel nursing close enough to home so that I can come back on my days off?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Yes, that is possible.

To take full advantage of any tax breaks that you could receive, you will want to take an assignment that is far enough away from home that it is reasonable to expect that you would need to stay somewhere (hotel,etc) rather than returning home at the end of a work day. Some people call this the “50 mile rule”, but in fact, the IRS does not have such a specific rule. The IRS is hardly ever specific on anything and in this instance, they say something to the effect that an assignment needs to be far enough away from your permanent “tax home” to require an overnight stay rather than returning home from work each day. If you would like to read up on the taxing aspects of this, Joseph Smith is a well known tax expert in the world of travel. You can access a bunch of info on his website under his FAQ page.

Joseph is also very knowledgeable about tax advantage programs, which your company might offer. He is also very approachable and if you have further tax questions you could send him an email through his site or even contact him by phone….believe he has contact info on his site TravelTax.com.

You can actually take a local contract that is a travel assignment. I have worked a “travel contract” that was just 15 miles from my tax home. However, under taxing guidelines, you are more restricted on what you can claim as far as housing reimbursement, meal and incidentals deductions, etc. To stay the safest under the eyes of the tax men, you could just take an assignment in another part of the state (maybe a hundred miles away or more) and then easily return home on your days off.

If you do not already have companies you are working with, I can give you the names of a few of the recruiters I use at companies I trust (my email is listed below). Be sure to join more than one company (I am on file with about 6) to open yourself up to the widest range of assignments. Hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Is it realistic to think that I can be a travel nurse with a family? I have a husband that works a full time job and three small children. Would it be worth my while to take this on? I love the thought of travel but hate the thought of leaving my family behind. I have to be honest as well and say I am thinking of traveling for the money. Is it not worth it?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

It is not unrealistic for anyone with a family to be a travel nurse. However, the other question you had, “Is it worth your while?”, might be a better place to focus.

You mentioned a husband that works full time. Is he the primary earner in the home? Would he be able to find work when you travel? Would losing his income affect your family’s finances? These are the things you need to ask yourself when considering travel. Can you make a good living being a travel nurse? Sure, but the days of thousand dollar completion bonuses on every other assignment are gone. You can still find assignments with completion bonuses, but they are not as prevalent as they once were.

I know many nurses who travel for the money, but they are always going from company to company in search of the top hourly rate. They also tend to take high paying assignments that might be high in pay because no one wants to travel to that location. Or it could be that it is at a facility that will float you often during your contract (float positions tend to be harder and therefore should pay better). It’s possible to concentrate on the monitory aspect of travel nursing, but I have always been more about the location than the pay.

Plus, once you are on the road you will have several other things to think about. First, as we mentioned before, does you husband work for a company, or in a field, where he can easily find work while you are on the road? Who will watch the children if you both work? What will you do for schooling? All these things are not impossible to overcome, but you need to look at each variable to figure out if the situation is doable.

Call up a few recruiters at the travel companies and see what you might expect to earn in your specialty. Ask them what assignments they currently have available to give you an idea of what to expect. Also ask them what their company would charge you for the extra options you might require. For example, most assignments come with free private housing; however, that is commonly a one bedroom unit. Would you require a two or even three bedroom place? Would you be adding your family to your insurance once you started traveling? If so, how much more does that cost? You really need to have forethought and plan accordingly.

As you can see, there are a ton of variables in this equation. Do you plan to take your family, or is it possible to leave them behind? If you take a travel assignment just a state away, you might leave your family behind and group all your days together and then head home on your time off. You could then also just take the housing stipend and stay in a hotel during the days you work. At $50 a night, you could sleep in a hotel for each shift (assuming 12 hr shifts or 12 days a month) and that would only be $600 a month for hotel expense. Your housing stipend would likely be over $1000 a month. So, in this instance, you would have an extra $400 each month (assuming it was only $1000 a month for your stipend). You could also deduct many expenses on your taxes, especially if you have a “tax home” (some place you normally stay, where by going on the road, you would be doubling your expenses).

Without knowing all these specifics, it’s impossible to tell if it would be worth it in your situation. However, I’ve hopefully given you a few things to consider when asking yourself that very question. The great thing about travel nursing is that you might even be able to take a leave from your current position and “test the waters” a bit.

I hope this has helped as far as thinking through the process. Once you have the financial information from the travel company (as far as what you would be paid, what family plan insurance would cost, any costs for larger housing, etc), sit down and discuss it with your family. While not impossible, traveling with a family does certainly require more attention to detail and it will be an adjustment for all.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I have one year current NICU Level II experience. I do have previous experience 8 months rotating labor and couplet care ( mother/baby) and a previous 6 months NICU. I ventured away from nicu to try labor only to realize nicu was were I wanted to be. From your experience do you feel with one year current nicu that I have enough experience to begin travel nursing.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Thanks for your question. While I personally feel that you would do okay in starting to travel, the big question is how will the hospitals feel.

Most travel companies are asking for two years experience now days, but that is driven by the facilities asking for the cream of the crop as far as travelers. However, you work in a specialized field and one that will be in demand. While a facility might want two years, they might also just be desperate to get some able bodies in the door. At that point, they would take a look at all your experience and might give you a look.

Work your first assignment with a good reputable company (I have contacts at many of the companies I recommend if you like). Once they find you a hospital willing to take a look, hit on all your strengths during the hospital interview. Do NOT elaborate or exaggerate your experience level, but do sell yourself with the things you feel you do well.

While I feel that there would be a company that could probably find you an assignment, they (the travel companies) will be better able to tell you if they feel they can place you. Start by choosing a few companies you’d like to travel with and speak with a recruiter at those companies (again, if you like, I do have contacts at the one’s where I refer many travelers).

I hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I will be doing a travel assignment at Boston Children’s Hospital. Not being familiar with the area I am planning on taking housing offered by my company. However, the housing is in Waltham, Quincy, and/or Malden which I’m finding is a commute of an hour or greater. Just wondering if you had any advice or info you could share.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

I have over 15 years of travel experience and during that time I have always allowed my travel company to provide my housing. However, I have never had more than a 30 minute commute and that was only when my company specifically asked me if such a commute would be okay.

I do not know the company you are with, but there are currently hundreds of travel companies out there and not all are equal. I tend to travel with “well-rounded” companies that might not pay the highest hourly wage, but they offer a fair rate, good housing (close to the facility), and good standard benefits (health insurance, travel reimbursement, etc).

Even when I have been in places known to have expensive housing, the company has placed me within a reasonable distance to the hospital to allow a commute that is less than 30 minutes. Your situation would be unacceptable to me, but honestly, with the companies I travel with, it has never even been an issue; it’s simply not something that is done.

I would tell your housing coordinator at the company that it is unacceptable and that it might cause you not to take the assignment. Of course I do not know your specific situation with the contract you signed and that affects a lot. But most contracts allow the company to terminate the contract (with or without advanced notice) and mine have all stated that I can do the same. This is especially true when they have no expense involved (if you haven’t taken travel money and haven’t stayed in any company housing, what money would they ever be out as a result of you not taking the contract?)

Again, it’s impossible to know specifics without reading your contract and knowing your situation. But I would also contact your recruiter and get them involved on this. If it can’t be worked out to your satisfaction, there are plenty of other companies that would place you closer to your assignment facility (you might even mention this to whomever if you have to play hard ball).

I hope this helps.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

I was placed in a housing area where others and myself are concerned. What do these housing folks look at in regard to safety? This agency took offense to my concerns and did nothing. Is this the norm or do some agencies really place their people in good places? Do they look at the cheapest place first? Has anyone you know been placed in Norfolk and if so where? Do most use stipend and find own housing?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

I’ll start my response by telling you a story that I included in my book.

It was my very first assignment with a new travel company and they placed me in a location that they had not used before. The day I arrived the first thing I noticed were the neighborhood watch signs all over the place. I shook it off only to find my apartment was dark and depressing with appliances that came straight out of the 70′s. I was honestly in a somber mood after seeing where I was to live the next three months.

I figured nothing cures depression like food, so I took a trip to Burger King. When I returned, I saw five cop cars lining the entry drive to the complex. I saw an officer walking by and quickly exited my vehicle to try to ask him if this type of thing was the norm in this apartment complex. He rounded a corner about 10 seconds before me and as I followed, I started to hear voices. As I brushed by the corner, Whopper in hand, I saw an episode of “Cops” unfolding right before my eyes.

There were a group of about seven officers, all with guns drawn, screaming, “GET DOWN. DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!!” This was all happening in the courtyard less than 100ft from my door.

I went back upstairs, ate my Whopper, and then called my travel company to tell them to get me the hell out of there. The person on the other end of the phone told me that if I didn’t feel safe, to go to a hotel and they would cover the expense. I declined figuring I didn’t want to unpack all of my stuff into a hotel room and certainly didn’t want to leave it in my truck. I stayed for a week until they found me a better spot, but that took some doing as I will explain later.

OK, now the situation with your company. Unfortunately, you have now learned what type of company with which you are traveling. I have always maintained that you can only take full measure of your travel company when bad things happen. It is in these moments that your company will either champion your cause and help you out, or play indifference (or even worse, hostility). I don’t know if it would make any difference at this point, but here is how I would play it.

First, call your recruiter and let them know that if things are not taken care of, you will not be traveling with them again. Next, send a certified letter (with return receipt confirmation) to the housing department of your travel company telling them you feel unsafe in your surroundings and are requesting other living arrangements. Once they receive this letter, call and speak to whomever’s desk it lands on. Tell them that you have now made a formal request and if they choose to do nothing, and anything bad does happen while you are on assignment, they are liable. Whether this is 100% true or not would be a question for an attorney and probably also depends on the state in which your contract is held. A little bluffing never hurts (and they might actually be liable). Once you have sent them a certified request, I would imagine a good attorney would be able to make a case of it were something bad to happen. However, the object here is NOT to wait to have something bad happen. The object is to make them realize that if something bad DOES happen, you are saying that you are going to come after them legally.

Again, this may or may not work. If not, then you need to assess your situation. If it is just a shady area, you can do things to protect yourself and stay safe. There are also good people living in shady areas that have the same concerns about safety as you. Try to know your neighbor and always be aware of your surroundings. There are countless things you can do to make things safer, but the bottom line is, you shouldn’t have to. These are only suggestions if you decide to stick it out. No one else can accurately know the threat you feel living there. No matter how many times I relate the story of my ordeal, I know that no one can truly feel the unease that I did. You can’t really assess threat unless you are in that situation. THAT is precisely why your travel company should simply offer to move you into a better living situation.

You must always place your safety first and if the area is just too dicey, then tell them that you are going to leave. Tell them it is their option of whether or not they want to find you a new place so that you may continue your assignment, but that you have no choice under the circumstances into which THEY placed you.

It certainly is no easy thing to walk away from a contract. You will need to fully understand the ramifications of doing so (it should be spelled out in your contract). If you cannot find clear indication of any fees or penalties (contract legalese that may allow a company to charge you money for canceling a contract), then you need to remember that in most states, I believe you are legally entitled to be paid for any worked hours. If they start wanting to withhold money, you might have to get an attorney involved.

Most travelers DO allow their travel companies to arrange housing for them. However, proactive travelers will get the name of the complex beforehand and look at the amenities, the location, and the surrounding neighborhood. It’s the only way to know if a place hundreds of miles away is safe. Not all companies spend the same amount of money on housing. I traveled with a company where I typically earned a dollar or two less an hour than travelers with different companies. However, my housing accommodations always seemed to be nicer than the places where other travelers were staying.

Sure, to have total control of the situation, you could easily find a place, or even just a room, on Craigslist or a similar site. But you also still have the headache of making sure you get a furnished place or rent furniture, pay the deposit money, and then find a place that works with your assignment dates. I always felt it was too much to take on at the start of an assignment. But I also worked with a company that often found me terrific housing (however, it was also the same company that struck out on the first try as they were the ones that placed me in the place in the story I mentioned above).

To further add insult in that instance, they were having trouble finding me another apartment. I ended up calling a few places that I wanted to stay and asked if they would entertain a short term lease. When one said they would, I called my housing coordinator and said, “Call this complex. They have a spot for me and will do a short term lease.” When she called me back to tell me that she got me an apartment there, she had the nerve to tell me that it was a good find and they would be using that complex in the future. I should have asked if she was going to give me her week’s pay for doing her job for her.

Since housing is the most important part of MY travel experience, I am very proactive when it comes to seeing where they will place me. If it’s not up to par, I will make them find me somewhere acceptable before I travel to my contract destination. Fortunately, that was never again an issue with that travel company. Since that time they have done a great job. I don’t fault them too much for choosing a bad place, but I would NEVER have traveled with them again if they did not correct their error. That is what your company needs to do or you should never accept another assignment with them. It would also be helpful to many readers if you could post in the comments the name of the agency you were with when this happened.

You might also be able to do some fast maneuvering here if you are on file with more than one travel company. This would take a LOT of coordination, but it could be done. Call the hospital liaison or whomever you dealt with when applying for the assignment. Tell them the situation and tell them you would like to stay, but cannot do that with your present living situation. Ask them if they would be willing to start you on a new contract, with a new company, so that you could continue to work for them.

You would then have to ask what companies the hospital has worked with in the past, hope that you are on file with one of those (or could get on file quickly) and if they would do a contract with the hospital and get you housing that was in a better location. If so, you could see firsthand the housing they would provide (as you are right there in that location now) and make sure it is what you expect. Then you could terminate your contract with company A and start a new one with company B. This will infuriate company A, but if they are not going to take you seriously, then your safety is what comes first. Of course, I do not know any specifics with regard to your contract with company A, so you need to research this to make sure they cannot hit you with any penalties or fees. If you wanted to try this, I might be able to offer some assistance with recruiters I trust to handle the situation with the tact needed.

It’s hard to know exactly how to advise you since I do not know all the specifics. I hope this has helped some and if you need further assistance, feel free to write. Also please post your final results of the situation. Many readers can benefit from knowing the path others have taken.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com