Welcome to Travel Nurse Guide
Rn Travel Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Rn Travel. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
from:
Finding the Right Travel Nursing Placement Agency
By Janet Fikany
Travel nursing is becoming one of our nation’s fastest growing professions, and it’s no surprise. If you love seeing new places and enjoy exciting new experiences that evoke the feeling of taking an extended vacation, then the career of a traveling nurse might be just what the doctor ordered! Travel nursing enables many people to stay on vacation for two to six months in free luxury accommodations while earning high hourly wages at the same time.
Yet despite all these advantages, many nurses describe to me that they’ve shied away from the traveling profession. Why? Because bad experiences with placement agencies have left them with nothing but a negative impression. They’ve been underpaid or lacked benefits, and I can’t tell you how many nurses have complained to me about inadequate housing or recruiters who were unkind, uncaring, and just plain unavailable. The sad result is that nurses end up jumping from one agency to the next, always in search of the perfect package that’s never there.
In this light, choosing the right staffing agency requires a nurse to consider everything that is offered. Some nurses emphasize pay as their top priority. Others require an excellent benefits package. Many travel RNs are location-specific and want to experience the lifestyle in the country’s hot spots. Career flexibility is often a pivotal factor, along with customer service. The bottom line is, your agency choice depends largely upon one of the four following criteria.
SALARY
No question about it, there are some agencies that offer more money than others. So the first thing to remember is that agencies may base salaries upon things like location availability, need-to-fill assignments, and cost of living.
Some agencies must offer noticeably higher rates if they expect to fill certain assignments where nurse-to-patient ratios are very low, or where a facility has extreme patient needs. If you’re a nurse who is attracted by very high dollars, be alert for a potentially desperate situation you might be entering, and the workload it could bring. You may make more money, but you’ll earn every dollar and more.
Location also factors into salary. The California bay area and many larger east coast cities definitely offer more lucrative pay rates. It’s also much more expensive to live in those places, so recognize the relationship that exists between salary dollars and cost of living. I’ve seen nurses return from Hawaii saying they had a great vacation and made a lot of friends—but their purses were lighter, not heavier from the experience. You might get less money in an exotic location and come back with more money from a not-so-exotic location. My point is, your criteria will determine your priorities.
BENEFITS
What some companies may lack in salary, they make up for with benefits. Many agencies offer benefits programs that revolve around monetary bonuses or discounted luxury housing; and I have even observed a trend with several newer companies that offer entirely free housing to all their nurses. Take note, however, that those agencies may not ante up the really high salaries. It’s a trade-off, so they compensate you with benefits to save you daily, monthly, and annual expenses. Every nurse should be aware of what benefits they need the most, and then ask their recruiters to assist in developing a package that is tailored to their individual needs.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
To many traveling nurses, customer service and aid are the most important attributes a placement agency possesses. If you called ten agencies and only talked with one live recruiter, it’s probably best to narrow it down to the agency where individual placement specialists were easily available. After all, if you’re ready to proceed with a new assignment you’ll want an agency that can make it happen fast and has recruiters available who already understand your criteria. In fact, your criteria may change from one assignment to another, so customer service is paramount. Determine what you want and then find out which agencies can make it happen.
FEATURED LOCATIONS AND HOT SPOTS
While for some nurses, salary, benefits, and career flexibility might be the number-one interest, many others just want the obvious—to travel and see the world. If you’re an adventurer who cares more about the travel experience than the money, then you’ll need an agency that can offer you the locations you want.
Not every agency can send you just anywhere. Figure out where you want to go, and then call around to discover who can send you there.
A travel nursing career is absolutely one of the best, most rewarding choices any nurse can make, but it’s important to select a company who will partner with you every step of the way. Before you jump in, do your homework and research all the best placement agencies. Finding the agency that fits your unique wants and needs will drastically increase your chances of success and happiness in your career.
Janet Fikany is a "Placement Diva" for HealthCare Staffing Network. For travel nursing advice, please visit HSN online at http://www.hcstaffingnetwork.com, or call Janet toll free at 1-877-385-3097.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Fikany
http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-the-Right-Travel-Nursing-Placement-Agency&id=22231
Rn Travel Specific links
New Rap Music
- Search Emerging Artists & Help Vote Them Into Stardom. Join Today
-- http://www.ourstage.com/
TidalTV
- Today's Hit Shows. Classic TV. Plus the Best Shows You've Never Seen. Watch it all Now for Free on TidalTV.
-- http://www.tidaltv.com/
Rn Travel News
BIZBUZZ - Latest news from local businesses - Holland Sentinel
Michigan Medical P.C. has hired two nurse practitioners in the Holland area, Elaine Leigh, NP, and Joanne Coates, RN, MSN. Leigh will work for MMPC’s Holland Gastroenterology practice. Coates will be working at the Holland Home Health Care. Allegan ...
Read more...Family of the Week - Gridley Herald
This is the second of three articles recognizing a Gridley family in honor of the upcoming National Family Week held November 23rd – 29th. Youth First encourages Gridley families to plan and participate in their own family night on Monday ...
Read more...Medical Staffing Network Receives Joint Commission Corporate ... - PR Inside
www.msnhealth.com/ - Medical Staffing Network Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MRN) today announced the Company (MSN) has been awarded Health Care Staffing Services (HCSS) Certification from The Joint Commission. This is the third consecutive corporate-wide ...
Read more...Refer to a friend - PR Inside
www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5837937 - Language Line® University announced today the establishment of the "Certified Medical Interpreter" (CMI) professional designation to identify medical interpreters who have demonstrated the ...
Read more...11-15 Business briefs - Edmond Sun
Tinker Federal Credit Union (TFCU) recently selected David G. Willis to be the new executive vice president and chief operations officer. Willis came on board the TFCU senior management staff this week and will fill the new position to oversee the ...
Read more...Help Wanted - Mount Vernon News
CENTRAL OHIO GROUP HOMES located in Centerburg has openings for those who are interested in assisting people with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Part-time & full-time, earn up to $8.50/hour. Many excellent benefits! Apply in ...
Read more...Souring economy leading some to higher education - Naples Daily News
Anne Bessette, 55, center, shows her classmate a pen light that they will use when working Wednesday at Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology. "I had a life changing experience," said Bessette, who used to be a real estate agent and investor but ...
Read more...Medfinders, Inc. and MedStar Health Sign Three-Year, $80 Million ... - Earthtimes
ARLINGTON, Texas & COLUMBIA, Md. - (Business Wire) Medfinders, Inc. (parent company of Nursefinders), one of the nation’s leading healthcare staffing providers, and MedStar Health, the largest hospital and healthcare provider in Maryland and the ...
Read more...Iraqi soldier watches birth of daughter via Webcam - Plainsman
CONTRIBUTED Melissa, Clara and Kevin (via Webcam) pose for a photo in a birthing suite at Huron Regional Medical Center. Technology allowed Kevin, a Marine serving in Iraq, to experience the delivery of his firstborn child across the miles. When ...
Read more...Edgar Holloway - Daily Telegraph
Holloway, who has died aged 94, was a central figure of the Etching Revival of the 1920s and 1930s and the last surviving artist of a unique period in the history of British printmaking. Eighty years ago he printed his first copper plate, a small ...
Read more...