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

Being a travel nurse means you have the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends all over the United States. Making new friends is one of life’s richest pleasures and is a fun and easy way to interact with others while at your workplace or during your free time. Take some time and try out some of these ideas to help you meet new people, whether a new co-worker or a new neighbor.

Why you should meet new people

Because you are a dedicated travel nurse we know it can be difficult for you to find time for yourself, let alone meeting others. However, whether you have one minute or one hour, you should take some time to say hello and introduce yourself to new people. Doing this is the first step towards feeling connected to your new community and co-workers. Meeting new people helps you enjoy activities, can bring positive opportunities into your personal and professional life, gives you the sense of support through difficult times, and contributes to your experience when you have something to celebrate. Meeting new people also helps you get involved, share things with others, and connect with people at work.

How to meet new people

• When you meet someone for the first time it is important to be yourself. Being true to who you are is the most important thing and will show others your true character.
• Have a positive attitude. When you have an attitude that is accepting and you behave like you believe you will find you’ll get a better response from those that are around you.
• Be natural. When you force a smile it looks unnatural, but when you act natural it is more comfortable and inviting to others.

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

2012 will be a big year for us. We have started a web design business and two travel blogs. Additionally, we are considering the purchase of a large motor home so that we can become permanent travelers. That right there lets you know how we feel about travel nursing, but let’s go back to the beginning.

We became full-time travelers in October of 2011 and were recently asked about what led us into this lifestyle.  Was there a firm decision and moment of clarity that set our feet on the road? Sure, but it came after finally acknowledging the existence of, and giving in to, our own gypsy natures.

There is also a depressing aspect of our journey that, in my opinion, follows the decline of American manufacturing. As a maintenance electrician, I have witnessed the fall with my own eyes. I was one of the last to go as I watched Cessna Aircraft cut 10,000 workers in Wichita. Thus, with broken loyalty and fresh wounds, I quit my next job two months before they shut the plant down and absorbed the business into another facility. I couldn’t watch it happen again, but as you can imagine, it did.

Long story short, it was time for a career change. At some point during all of this, I went back to college for Web Design and started taking classes online.

Looking back, I can see that we were already “amateur” road warriors. In our 17 years of marriage, Melissa and I have moved 14 times and have lived in 7 cities. I literally dragged the poor woman all across the Midwest while I went from one manufacturing plant to the next.

What we learned is that dodging lay-offs and continually working for struggling companies places a huge burden on the entire family. The sad truth is that we have only been able to work the same hours for 6 of the last 18 years, and take one vacation per decade. It hurts because, after shopping, sightseeing is her passion in this world.

I can see now that we were damaging her resume while trying to maintain high wages and provide for the family. Because of this, Melissa has worked for seven different hospitals in the last five years prior to taking her first travel assignment.  We can joke about it now and refer to it as “travel training”.

As the situation and our emotions were heating up, here is a picture of where we were at:

• We had sold our last home 2 years earlier.
• Our current lease was coming up.
• Junior had gone off to college recently, so we were empty-nested.
• My “new” job required us to go days without seeing each other.
• Most importantly, Melissa was fed up with our lives and lack of adventure.

For as long as it takes Melissa to make a decision, the world sure moves when she finally does. Maybe she was just waiting for me to throw in the towel. I still don’t know, but here is how it went down.

I came home from work one day and said, “I give up. Manufacturing no longer provides an acceptable future. It’s time to deliver pizzas or something until I graduate.” She must have seen it coming because her reply was several steps ahead of me. She says, “Well, I have been speaking with a nursing recruiter lately, and I want you to be my Sherpa. You can finish college, take care of everything, and drive me to work every day while I make the money.”  Since Cessna took all my manly pride during my first layoff, all I said was, “do you want me to wear an apron?”

We were packed and headed for the mountains two weeks later and have slept in the same bed at the same time every day since leaving. Feels kind of like being married for a change.

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

Because travel nurses get to decide which city they work in, they can often find better deals in another area than they would locally.  For example, a more rural nurse could make about $45,000 a year.  However, if they got travel nurse job in a more metropolitan area, such as San Francisco, the average salary could go up to and past the $70,000 mark.

As with many nursing positions, the more education you have the better.  For example, an average travel nurse makes a salary of $55,000 a year when all 50 states are figured in according to Simply Hired.  However, the same site lists the average salary for travel registered nurse as $61,000.   Because travel nurses go where they are needed rather than wait for demand in their hometowns to increase, there is more potential for better pay.

And these are just the measurable benefits of salary increase.  There are also tons of other benefits to becoming a travel nurse.  Employers who really need nurses can also pay for living expenses, moving, sign up bonuses, and more which can literally add thousands to base salary.  Other benefits of becoming a travel nurse can include a tax advantage called Per Diem.  This is when the traveling nurse maintains a home but is not able to live there because of work duties.  Because travel nurses can often have expenses outside of what an employer pays, these expenses often come with tax breaks.

The downside to becoming a travel nurse is that there is loads of traveling, which can be hard on families.  There are also limitations when a nursing license is earned in one state but the nurse wants to work in another.  However, each of the 50 states has their own rules for accepting nurses from the other 49 states and there is also the Nurse Licensure Compact which enables multistate licensure for nurses, so be sure and speak to a travel nurse expert before embarking on a new career.

1. Confidentiality

There is an old navy saying that goes, “Loose lips sink ships.” The same basic principle applies to your reputation. Keep your salary to yourself; do not share personal information you might have learned about another nurse in a roommate situation; be extremely cautious with facebook and other social media. As you travel you will see that the world of traveling nurses is actually smaller than you might think. Every year traveling nurse websites publish a list of the top facilities for the travel nurse like this list of 25. You are certain to see some of the same nurses in different locations so you want to be sure you do not share sensitive information about each other, patients, doctors, and client families with anyone. With the ubiquitous presence of social media in all areas of our life, one small slip of the tongue on your part can ruin your reputation for years.

2. Appearance

Supervisors assume that you will know how to dress for success when it comes to your nursing profession. Keeping nails short, with hair well groomed and out of the way, abstaining from perfume use, and displaying modest attire are all the norms of professional appearance for a healthcare provider, especially a nurse. Jewelry should be kept to a minimum, as well. If you do not choose to follow preferred dress protocol, you may find that your recommendations suffer. Travel nurses are in competition for the best placements so make sure that every part of your appearance is the best it can be. While excellent clinical skills are essential to secure the job, professionalism is essential to advancement over the length of your career.

3. Behavior and Attitude

A positive outlook and even keel temperament puts patients and co-workers at ease. Be sure that you schedule in your breaks so that you can keep you energy levels up and your disposition sunny. Refrain from cell phone use except at acceptable times and locations. If you need to use your phone at another time, communicate that with your supervisor. The travel nurse might have a family emergency several states away that might require some flexibility. Supervisors want to retain good talent, so the main thing is to always communicate when unforeseen situations arise.

4. Bring the Whole Package

Keeping current on all your credentials, seeking additional training, attending conferences, and other professional development is just as important as working on your personal interactions and appearance with clients, patients, supervisors, doctors, and other colleagues. Consider the following quote : “Put forward more simply, professionalism in nursing are sets of rules, work ethics, ideologies, work principles and dedication towards the service of a community, that holistically gives a class and identity to this profession” . When working as a travel nurse, you are representing an entire field of professionals, not just you own individual self. Many people have worked and advocated tirelessly on your behalf to move the profession forward so you owe it to yourself and others to uphold the highest standards of professionalism wherever you are.

The world of the travel nurse can be exciting and adventurous. For those professionals with the clinical acumen, personal resilience, and impressive stamina to rotate locations every one to six months, the rewards are great. Overseas travel nurses may have longer stays of up to a few years with housing and other travel perks. Despite the variation in locations one thing will follow you on assignment after assignment – your reputation. It is never too soon to actively build your professional reputation and to polish the professional skills that will help build your career one assignment at a time.

Patient safety and quality care often hinges on the strength of the team’s communication abilities. In fact, The Joint Commission states that “communication breakdowns, whether between care providers or between providers and their patients, is the primary root cause of the nearly 3,000 sentinel events – unexpected deaths and catastrophic injuries – that have been reported to The Joint Commission.”

As a traveling healthcare professional, your ability to communicate effectively is critical to your success.

As a traveler you don’t have the benefit of working your shifts with familiar people who understand your communication style and you may not understand them easily at first either. You’ll need to take the extra step to listen closely and speak clearly to ensure you’re communicating effectively with your colleagues as well as patients. After a few weeks, you’ll begin to gain familiarity with your new environment and those strong communication skills will serve you well on the job as well as building relationships with your co-workers.

Of course at the end of your assignment you may be moving on to a new location and will start the process over again. Obviously your ability to communicate will play an important role in your success and enjoyment of your travel nursing or travel allied health assignments.

With so much emphasis on communication, it’s always a good idea to be aware of how you can improve your skills. So how does one go about improving their communication skills? Here is a list of links and tips to help you become a better communicator.

• How To Learn Assertive Communication In Five Simple Steps – This article offers 5 simple steps to improve your assertive communication skills. Practicing these steps can improve your abilities as well as help to reduce stress resulting from conflicts.
• How to Improve Communication Skills and Your Personal Style – This article will help you become aware of your communication style and the styles of others. You can use this knowledge to adjust your style and match other’s styles for more effective communication.
• How to Improve Communication Skills – Good eye contact and active listening are 2 steps of this article’s 6 step process to improve your communication skills.
• You can also look for books on the subject that can help you improve your skills. There are many titles to choose from and most of them will be able to give you some useful tips.

Where is the best place for me to look for travel jobs? The job boards seem to be a bit dried up. What other resources are out there? Bob

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

I suppose my first question is where exactly are you looking for jobs and why are you doing it? Please don’t take offense at that question, I’m just not certain about how you are looking for travel positions and it sounds as if you might be doing it in a very uncommon way.

For most travelers, they join a company and a recruiter then looks for a job for them. I always tell people to join at least a few companies (join ten if you want); the more companies you join, the more people you have looking for a job for you (I am currently on file with about six or seven companies).

Again, I’m not certain if I understand the way you go about this because you mention “you” looking for jobs rather than your “recruiter” looking for jobs. If you do not have recruiters looking for you, then feel free to email me at david@travelnursesbible.com and I can give you the names of several recruiters I use to help people locate assignments.

This is the way that is familiar to me and the way that has worked for me for over fifteen years. Please let me know if I am not understanding you correctly.

Thanks Bob.

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

At first, signing up for these various programs seems like a great deal but later down the road, most don’t know how they work or what these loyalty programs are actually offering. In many cases, Travel Nurse loyalty programs are the same way. Each agency has their own version of such programs, some that are fairly simple and easy to follow, while others have many stipulations in place that make it nearly impossible to actually redeem any sort of bonus.

The paradox, says Mark Johnson, president and CEO of loyalty marketing think tank Loyalty 360, is that consumers are more engaged with and more 
demanding of brands than ever. “Loyalty is no longer about points for a purchase,” he explains. “Consumers are looking for ways to engage with brands who listen to them. Loyalty is about timeliness and relevancy. You have to understand each individual and how often they want to be engaged. Your offer must be unique and tailored to each person and delivered through the channel they want it delivered through.”

As a Travel Nurse, it is highly important to find that one agency that fits to your ideals and values, while offering you the best in customer service… However, if you’re just in it for the money, you may not have a chance to experience what it’s like to be a valued “customer.” In it’s most basic form, a loyalty program is designed to thank Travel Nurses for their devotion to the agency, and if you’ve found one that lives up to your expectations and offers a loyalty program, well that’s just icing on the cake!

Before signing any contracts with an agency, it’s very important to inquire about the various benefits offered, from paid time off to Completion and Loyalty bonuses. Read the fine print associated with the bonus programs, make sure that the goals set out are attainable and that your hours or points don’t expire within a certain amount of time. Many programs make it difficult for the traveler to redeem such bonuses let alone keep track of. Below we’ve listed a number of Loyalty Programs being offered to the Travel Nurse community. If you know of any others, please add them to our comment section.

Travel Nurse Across America – Complete 1300 hours of work (approximately 3 assignments) with Travel Nurse across America and enjoy your choice of cash bonuses, paid vacation, housing perks, or other rewards.

CoreMedica Group - CoreMedical Group rewards their travel nurse, travel allied health, and permanent placement staff by offering them the ability to qualify for the company’s all-inclusive, annual trip to the Caribbean.

Fastaff – The 3 level bonus program will apply to all assignments beginning or ending between 7/31/11 and 1/15/12. Bonuses will only be paid upon COMPLETION of an assignment.

Advantage RN – Advantage RN offers its travel nurses Loyalty Bonuses of $250 — $500 on every 13-week extension you accept with us. (Please note: nurses have the choice to continue their FREE single insurance OR receive a Loyalty Bonus with each extension.)

HGI Healthcare – We’re also with you every step of the way with rewards and other perks that demonstrate our commitment to RNs by rewarding you for your dedication to your patients, and your loyalty to us.

Onward Healthcare – Onward Healthcare offers one of the most comprehensive travel nursing bonus plans in the industry, including up to $5,000 completion bonuses for select travel assignments. These bonuses are paid upon the completion of your assignment and are detailed in your travel contract. We also offer renewal bonuses on select assignments of thirteen weeks or longer.

Aureus – Other bonuses, including sign-on and completion bonuses, vary from travel assignment to assignment but are often available.

Procel Nurses – All Travelers earn a Loyalty Bonus throughout the year. The bonus is earned upon each 1000 hours worked in one year. Your recruiter will tell you all about it.

Medical Solutions is also launching a new Loyalty Program for travel nurses at the start of 2012. It’s one of the easiest explained traveling nurse loyalty programs in the industry. Simply work 600 hours and they’ll pay you $600. Work another 600 hours and earn another $600… All throughout the new year.

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

How can I estimate the taxes that will be taken out of my paycheck for the housing that the travel company provides for me (if I do not have a residence to claim)? How do I compare that to having a residence, tax wise?

Ask a Travel Nursing Housing Expert Answer:

Thank you for your question.  First, I must say that I am not able to give you specific tax advice. Please ask your personal tax professional. But I can explain how this works:

1. If you take travel nursing company provided housing, there are no taxes taken out of your paycheck for this, whether you have a permanent tax home or not.
2. If you do not have a permanent tax home, companies are not able to give you tax-free monies as a housing stipend. The reason for this is because of your classification as a “traveler” according to the IRS. A traveler is someone who takes a work assignment away from their home base for a specific, limited amount of time. Because you are away from your homebase for a work assignment, there are costs that you would incur that you would not have if you stayed home. Housing is one of those costs. If you do not have a permanent tax home, then you are never away from that home.
3. If you have a permanent tax home, then one of the options companies have is to reimburse you for your housing costs in a tax free manner.

In the end, it all comes down to what you are most comfortable with. Some will want to take the control of finding their own place to stay while on assignment, while others would rather have their company do the work.

When was PanTravelers founded?

It had its beginnings as a discussion by a group of healthcare travelers in July of 2005. Our official opening date was rather appropriately on May Day 2007, the international worker’s day.  In August 2008 the IRS granted us the designation of a tax-exempt non-profit organization.

What is your role in the organization?

I am the current president and one of the founding directors.

Why was it started?

Before we started the association, travelers did not have a dedicated organization committed to representing their interests, nor a unified voice within the industry. PanTravelers was founded to fill that void. There was and is still an immense amount of myth and misinformation circulating among both travelers and agencies. We recognized a need for an authoritative source of accurate information available to all travelers.

What is the mission of PanTravelers?

Our one and only agenda is to help travelers succeed and enjoy this career path.  The Association website, PanTravelers.org (for Professional Association of Nurse Travelers), was established with the central role of keeping members well informed regarding current issues and to serve as a comprehensive educational resource. Our larger vision is to improve the conditions for the entire industry; healthcare travelers, agencies, hospitals and patients. The association identifies key issues of concern to travelers, researches solutions, and defines standards that foster safe, healthy, and humane work environments for travelers.

How many members are there?

We are approaching 6,000 members.

Who can be a member?

Anyone can become a member. Although most of our members by far are nurse travelers, a significant number are allied health practitioners who travel for employment. Even agencies and individual recruiters join PanTravelers. As the most authoritative source of information about our industry anywhere, some agencies send their recruiters to PanTravelers to learn. Some recruiters, just like travelers, find our resources useful and definitive, such as our state nursing board information.

How do they become a member?

Simply by visiting our website – www.pantravelers.org. Becoming a Basic Member is free and allows access to a wide range of information and resources. Contributing Members paying a small annual due can access additional resources and content, including legal services.

What tools are provided to travelers who are member?

We think information is by far the most potent tool.  Our deep website contains more useful information for travelers than anywhere else. We present professional insights from experienced travelers, i.e. “Tricks of the Trade”, many in-depth articles about issues specific to travelers, a powerful Traveler’s Calculator to compare agency offers and to assist in negotiating and structuring offers, legal advice and legal services from our own legal counsel – one of the top employment attorneys in the country, tax tips and advice from our in-house tax expert – one of the nation’s best known tax professionals for travelers, unbiased education about choosing an agency or an assignment, and a growing library of superior travel documents designed specifically for healthcare travelers.

What are two of your organizations biggest accomplishments?

Foremost I would say establishing and expanding PanTravelers.org, the most substantial and up to date traveler knowledge-base anywhere, with extensive expert and unbiased articles covering nearly every aspect of healthcare travel, many having unique information not available anywhere else on the internet.

Another milestone was establishing legal services available to full members of the Association. Through education we try to give travelers the knowledge they need to avoid legal pitfalls, as we concurrently work to educate agencies about best practices and encourage their use in conducting business.  When prevention fails, the Association retains one of the top employment attorneys in the country who can intervene on behalf of our members to help resolve contract disputes between travelers and agencies.

If I could sneak in one more accomplishment… it is that we are very proud of some of our unique content. Two that come quickly to mind are a very well researched history of the travel industry (the only one available in fact), and the article on how to negotiate a travel contract. Negotiating is like public speaking, and is very stressful for most Americans. The article walks the traveler through every step required, and it’s over before they even know they were negotiating!

What are the future plans for PanTravelers?

We are growing rapidly, and with our growth we are better able to influence industry practices through a number of initiatives. We plan to collaborate with agencies more closely in the future to identify best practices and the agencies that follow best practices. We are continuing to develop resources for travelers and agencies, for example better skills checklists. We have significantly outgrown our current website and are currently in the process of revamping the underlying technology to offer better services for our members.

What role does the organization play in dealing with travel nursing companies?

Through many paths, the Association works with agencies to encourage these best practices and eliminate poor policies, this being in the best interests of not only our members, but of agencies as well. Travelers cannot prosper without healthy agencies.

Anything else you want readers to know about PanTravelers?

Only that professionals considering healthcare travel owe it to themselves to join. Healthcare travel is a great career choice, but travelers face some unique challenges.  As an association member, you are allied with a broader group of experienced professionals lending you the tools and knowledge you need to maximize a career as a traveler, or even a limited stint as a traveler while looking for a place to settle down.

Can you provide a quick bio of yourself?

Following 12 years in the back of an ambulance with EMS, I attended Western Kentucky University, and was one of the very first males to complete that school’s nursing degree program. I’ve been working in hospitals at the bedside since 1988.  After more than a decade working in local Emergency Departments, I got the travel bug myself – attracted by the relatively higher pay, a desire to expand my professional skills, and by the promise of working in exotic (to me) locations.

It soon became evident to me that travelers can be somewhat isolated while on assignment, cut off from friends and family, and with no central support network. I found that a fine source of camaraderie while on the road was online nursing forums. On one such forum I began discussions with like-minded travelers, and together we decided to take on the task of forming the first national association for travelers.

I am a currently working Registered Nurse traveler, and President of the Professional Association of Nurse Travelers (PanTravelers).

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

Here are a few other things to help you while navigating your career as a Travel Nurse… Check out these useful Travel Nurse tools, everything to help you start, from a cost of living calculator to a packing list to help you prepare for your next journey.

Also be sure to check out all her other great videos and her blog:

Nursing Adventures
Nursing Experiences

Why you should meet new people

Because you are a dedicated travel nurse we know it can be difficult for you to find time for yourself, let alone meeting others. However, whether you have one minute or one hour, you should take some time to say hello and introduce yourself to new people. Doing this is the first step towards feeling connected to your new community and co-workers. Meeting new people helps you enjoy activities, can bring positive opportunities into your personal and professional life, gives you the sense of support through difficult times, and contributes to your experience when you have something to celebrate. Meeting new people also helps you get involved, share things with others, and connect with people at work.

How to meet new people

Whether you have one minute or one hour, you should take some time to say hello and introduce yourself to new people.

Everyone has different personalities with different strengths and weaknesses, and you may feel comfortable or uncomfortable taking the initiative towards meeting new people. Keep in mind that the other person probably feels the same way you do. While at work it may be a challenge to converse with co-workers while taking on an important role attending to others and fulfilling your role as a nurse, but asking others for their opinion or letting them know you are new to the workplace is a great way to break the ice. During your lunch break, try having lunch with a group of people; this will help increase your opportunity to meet people through others and connect with your co-workers in a non-working environment. It may be tough at first meeting a group of new people, but half the battle is having enough confidence. It will help to just be you. By taking the first step you could be beginning a new lifelong friendship. Here are some sites giving you more ideas on how to meet new people:

Five Friends Every Woman Should Have
SoYouWanna meet people in your neighborhood?
Making And Keeping Friends: A Self-Help Guide

Where to meet new people

When you have time to spare outside of work, try attending a variety of events such as: sporting events, concerts, art shows, theatrical productions, special interest groups, or joining a book club. Letting your new neighbors know that you are new to the area is a good way to strike up a conversation with the people in your neighborhood. Other ways to meet new people include: going to a coffee shop where the environment is relaxing and friendly; going to a bookstore where you can meet new people with the same interests; and shopping where you can interact with others with similar hobbies. Here are some sites that will give you more ideas on where to meet new people:

Friends wanted
No plans? Meet New People via Activities
6 Tips for Meeting New People When You Move

A few last tips to help you meet new people

• When you meet someone for the first time it is important to be yourself. Being true to who you are is the most important thing and will show others your true character.
• Have a positive attitude. When you have an attitude that is accepting and you behave like you believe you will find you’ll get a better response from those that are around you.
• Be natural. When you force a smile it looks unnatural, but when you act natural it is more comfortable and inviting to others.

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