Finding the Right Travel Nursing Placement Agency
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.
MORE RESOURCES:
careers & employment - Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Background on Background Checks In one of my past lives I held a Top Secret clearance as a Civil Service employee working for the Air Force. So I am familiar with background checks. Do More than Expected to Get Ahead One of the best things you can do to increase your career advancement opportunities where you work is to do more than expected.It's often not enough to just do a fine job and expect promotions now and then based on longevity. Travel Light to Work As a frequent traveler, my goal for each trip is to travel light. Despite thoughtful planning, sometimes that goal is shattered when I go to close the suitcase and realize I need a larger, or even second one. Day Trading - The Ultimate Work-From-Home Job? Ever dreamt of giving up the daily grind? Want to strike out on your own and work from home, but don't know what you could possibly do to make a living? Full time Nasdaq trader Harvey Walsh wondered just that, and now he asks "Is day trading the ultimate work from home job"?We've probably all had the same thought at some time or another, as we trudge off towards another day at work - the same work we've been doing day in day out for years - "surely there has to be a better way?" Slaving away to make somebody else rich just doesn't seem right somehow, but what alternative? Setting up a new business, or buying an established one, are both expensive and risky prospects. So how can the disenchanted employee ever hope to make the switch from wage-slave to total independence?Those are thoughts I had almost every day, before I quit the safety of full time employment and decided to strike out on my own. Leave Your Dead End Job?For Good! So here you are?stuck in a dead end job. Are you hitting the glass ceiling in a job you once loved, but now can't stand? Maybe the hours are long. How To Find A Job As A Copy Editor Jobs for copy editors may seem like they are hard to find, but really you can find them and you can do so with many of the qualifications you already have. But, if you do not have any qualifications, this may be the first step in finding the copyediting job that you have been looking for. So You Want A Promotion - What Do You Need To Do To Get the Champagne Corks Popping? The champagne corks have been popping to celebrate your promotion.You have a well paid job you love - its really interesting. Do You Have What it Takes to be a Successful Petite Model? Want to break into the petite modeling industry but wondering if you have what it takes to succeed? There are lots of magazine and commercial modeling opportunities for good modeling jobs. Take this quiz to find out if you qualify to be the next top face in the petite modeling industry. Updating Your Plum Job Now That Youre a Parent It's startling to discover how having kids changes the way you see the world. Just compare your "before kids" vs. Medical Billing And Coding Profession Medical billers and coders are in high demand among the allied health occupations. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), health information technicians are one of the 10 fastest-growing allied health occupations. Why Do You Want This Job? Why Do You Want This Job? Is it because any job will do, or is it because this is the job of your dreams? What do you do - you send your winning resume, you carefully dress for the interview, you prepare to answer all of the questions about why you are the best candidate for the job. All of the literature tells you to do this. How To Write A Job Winning Resume That Puts Yours On Top Many people would love to get a better job. And most of these same people have the proper training and skills to achieve this goal. Seriously Impress at Your Interview With These 7 Hot Tips So you've managed to secure a job interview for a position thatfits you PERFECTLY. Now comes the moment of truth: Are youREALLY ready for the interview? If you've rehearsed what you'regoing to say and know the perfect answer to every potentialquestion, you're half way there. How To Deal With A Difficult Boss Most people at some point in their lives have to deal with a difficult boss. Difficult supervisors vary in personality from being a little pushy or rude, all the way to being downright abusive. Handling the Dreaded Why Did You Leave? Question If you left your last job under less-than-ideal circumstances, you probably dread the "Why did you leave?" question that almost always comes up at job interviews. Here's how to handle it. Can You Compete? Are you looking to hire the best talent? Are you thinking about adding a new employee who will significantly impact millions of dollars in YOUR business? Do you want to hire the best? Then you need to show and convince your next hire that you are serious about him joining your team.In March, we received the following candidate's response to two high level interviews. How To Write A Resume Cover Letter That Will Get Your Resume Read A Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose - to stimulate the recipient of your resume to review your resume. This free resume cover letter tutorial assumes that you will be sending your resume and resume cover letter by email. Do I Have to Provide a Salary History? Often you see job postings with a request such as "Send resume with salary history to?" I don't know about you but the first thing that pops into my mind is what do they expect to pay? The next question I ponder is whether or not it's legal to request this information. Who will see my salary history when my resume and accompanying documents are received? Will it be the hiring manager, someone in the human resources department, or will it be a notoriously nosy employee whose job it is to open the mail? Will that individual broadcast my confidential information to other employees?Some employers use this tactic to save themselves time and weed out applicants that expect more than they are willing to pay or, based on their view of your past compensation, don't appear to have the skills or experience necessary. Online Resume Tips and Secrets I manage a website for corporate flight attendants that features resumes prominently listed on the first page of the site. Unlike some careers, corporate flight attendants must promote themselves overtly in order to find work especially if they are contractors. Ask the Recruiter We all have career goals, big or small. Here are some questions I have recieved over the last month from those actively seeking new employment.
|
|
home | site map
MaineBannerExchange |
| © 2006 Careers & Employment |