NEED INFO!!!!!

helly guys
hello guys,
i am very new to this site and am not too sure what i am doing! Confused

. i am qualifying as a staff nurse next july and am really hoping to work in dubai. i have not done an awful lot of research yet, hense i have kind of started here. i have read a few comments and does anybody know if its true that you cant work in dubai as a newly qualified nurse? does anybody know of anywhere else in the world i can work in order to gain fantastic experience and also have a good time and meet new people? hope to hear from somebody soon.
loobyloo Smile

Hi wwdrn,

I've worked as a traveling nurse for years with Access Nurses. Are you interested in traveling? If so I can answer lots of those kinds of questions. I finished an assignment in Colorado and now I'm in Massachusetts. I've done the interviewing process tons of times, if you need help with what to ask the hospitals. And as far as questions to ask agencies, I can give you the name of my recruiter.

We can also talk more via email if that helps.

Hey wwdrn
Start a notebook with pros and cons from each agency. A very Important thing to watch is their non taxable part of compensation. Tax advantage is the way to go! You definitely make more that way and some agencies do not have the tax advantage or per diem (not to confuse it with hospital per diem) rates. Also, make sure if you go with a housing stipend that the agency does NOT take the full amount unless your housing costs the full amount. A lot of agencies will give you a stipend of say $2000 per month (non taxable), if they find you housing, they will take the entire stipend, even if the housing is only $1000. A few agencies will deduct your housing weekly from your pay (best way to go).
You can find per diem rates on the web -- just do a search for government per diem rates -- that will tell you how much the government allows for each day you travel to every place in the US (they also have a foreign site). Hope this helps -- just be careful -- there are alot of unscrupulous agencies/recruiters that will tell you anything to get you to sign on. Also, ask about weekly direct deposit, health insurance, paid time off, vacation time, 401k and bonuses. Also watch out for OT rates -- that can get tricky with using a per diem rate.

You need to find a recruiter you can trust...that can be tough if you've never talked with a travel nursing company before. It's best to ask around. Talk to nurses that are happy in their assignments and get advice about what to know. Explore your options before rushing into anything. I talked to a lot of recruiters before deciding to travel with Access Nurses. Everyone is different, so find what works for you.

As far as traveling with someone...I've never done it, but an RN I work with is and she loves it. It seems cool because you can be adventurous, while still having the comfort of a friend with you the whole time. A little piece of home.

new to travel
I have been an ICU nurse for about 2 and a half years now, my husband is wanting to take advantage of travel nursing (no, he is not a nurse, just me!) and move the family to Colorado next summer. Has anybody ever traveled with their family? I need to know where to start! He is very serious about moving and I would like to move, too, its just kind of scary. Although I am comfortable at my current hospital, I am still learning more everyday. I just keep wondering, have I learned enough to travel? I have a feeling I will ALWAYS be learning more on the job and there may never be a perfect time to leap into traveling. I just have an incredible amount of questions and would like to hear from somebody who has been there before.

I agree with you 100%. Although I have been a nurse for 2 years ( med/surg), I feel I'm not sure if I know enough to travel. I know I will always be learning, but how will I know if traveling is for me? I know nurses who went with an Agency after only 1 year of medsurg experience, I wouldn't have felt secure in doing that.

Re: NEED INFO!!!!!
I have been a nurse for 7 1/2 yrs and have been traveling for 2 of those yrs. I really like it, but you have to be careful and do your research. The larger, well known travel companies pay less and the customer service is not that great. The smaller travel companies need the nurses and are very quick to find what you need. I am currently in Texas(actually today is the last day of this contract) and I have enjoyed my time here. I came out here from Florida and I am going back there. I am starting a travel position in St Petersburg, Fl in 2 weeks. I have been with one of the larger companies for this contract for the first time and I am going back to my smaller company for the Florida assignment. Florida does not pay as well as some other areas because everyone wants to be there, so if the pay is the most important thing, other areas will pay better than Florida. Feel free to e-mail me if you would like further info and advice. My e-mail address is [email protected]. Hope to hear from you! Smile

wwdrn wrote:

Hi all, I'm very new to this field as a matter of fact have yet to sign on or take an assignment. I'm currently in VA and looking at maybe TX or Fl. Anyone with advice to offer me regarding ??? to ask, staffing agencies, hidden fees, travel buddies, etc.. Would really like to chat with someone with some experience in this area.

campov28 wrote:

I agree with you 100%. Although I have been a nurse for 2 years ( med/surg), I feel I'm not sure if I know enough to travel. I know I will always be learning, but how will I know if traveling is for me? I know nurses who went with an Agency after only 1 year of medsurg experience, I wouldn't have felt secure in doing that.

hi campov28,

Don't worry about your level of experience when it comes to traveling. You'll learn so much and get tons of experience in just a short amount of time...especially if you seek advice from veteran nurses on assignment. That's what I do whenever I travel to a new city. I work with Access Nurses, and after just two years working OR in a hospital, I was qualified to travel to Tennessee (where I still am living and working). It's so much fun. I recommend traveling just for the adventure of it. You won't regret it! Let me know if you decide to travel and have questions about agencies. I've been around for awhile so I can help you out. GOOD LUCK!!!!!! Very Happy

Re: new to travel

pinupc4 wrote:

I have been an ICU nurse for about 2 and a half years now, my husband is wanting to take advantage of travel nursing (no, he is not a nurse, just me!) and move the family to Colorado next summer. Has anybody ever traveled with their family? I need to know where to start! He is very serious about moving and I would like to move, too, its just kind of scary. Although I am comfortable at my current hospital, I am still learning more everyday. I just keep wondering, have I learned enough to travel? I have a feeling I will ALWAYS be learning more on the job and there may never be a perfect time to leap into traveling. I just have an incredible amount of questions and would like to hear from somebody who has been there before.

I travel with my husband (who is also a nurse), child (now graduated from homeschooling) and 3 dogs. My daughter (who doesn't travel with us) comes down for summer and vacations. I do have a sister-in-law that travels with her husband (my brother) and he IS NOT a nurse but no family yet.

You need to take advantage of this unique opportunity, especially for your family. Yes...there are headaches of traveling...packing/unpacking is never fun but you carry extra help so everything should go more quickly.

We have been traveling for 3 years now, several times cross-country...drive the whole way...did I say with 3 dogs!!! You will always be learning cause every place does it just a little differently. You know nursing (you really do) it's just the policies & procedures and paperwork to learn.

Have fun, explore the US, and learn something new everyday!!

Hi, new to the forum.
I am very interested in listening to your experience with traveling. I am coming up on a year in the ER and am fighting the urge to travel without 2 years of experience. Any thoughts, questions to ask about future assignments and advice would be greatly appreciated.

joeRN wrote:

Hi wwdrn,

I've worked as a traveling nurse for years with Access Nurses. Are you interested in traveling? If so I can answer lots of those kinds of questions. I finished an assignment in Colorado and now I'm in Massachusetts. I've done the interviewing process tons of times, if you need help with what to ask the hospitals. And as far as questions to ask agencies, I can give you the name of my recruiter.

We can also talk more via email if that helps.

joeRN wrote:

Hi wwdrn,

I've worked as a traveling nurse for years with Access Nurses. Are you interested in traveling? If so I can answer lots of those kinds of questions. I finished an assignment in Colorado and now I'm in Massachusetts. I've done the interviewing process tons of times, if you need help with what to ask the hospitals. And as far as questions to ask agencies, I can give you the name of my recruiter.

We can also talk more via email if that helps.

Hi joe forgive me if I'm doing this all wrong but im a little behind the times. Ne way what I really want to know is are there some travel agencies to avoid? R there specific questions I should ask and should I make sure any promises are also in writting? etc. I have 10yrs of hospital experiance, ready to branch out but really dont want to regret it.

Hi roadtripII,
I know what it's like to get antsy at a job and I think it's great you want to try traveling. It's up to you if you think you're ready to travel without the two years experience, but I know that most agencies require at least a year or two experience. I know people who've been accepted for assignments after only one year though. Give it a shot. Talk to a couple recruiters and different agencies. The best advice I can give you is to be picky when it comes to choosing an agency. I talked to several recruiters before deciding to work with Access. If you want to talk with my recruiter, just let me know and I'll give you her name. She's always straightforward with me and I've been very happy in my assignments so far. Ask about housing, pay rate, and benefits. Don't sign anything without reading it thoroughly and asking questions. You don't want to get stuck in a situation where you were promised something and then it's not stated in your contract so you get screwed (has happened to plenty of my traveler friends). I've been lucky though. Let me know if you have other questions. The best way to find an agency though, is to take a day and call a couple of them and just talk to a recruiter. Good luck!

Hey Dolly,

Even though I've only worked with Access Nurses, I spoke with recruiters at several agencies before deciding on Access. I did not like OnAssignment or AMN. They were just too big and impersonal. The money is sometimes better, but shift, housing and location are really important to me too and they couldn't offer me what I wanted. That's awesome that you're ready to branch out and try traveling (I've never regretted my career choice). You've got to look around though. Call multiple agencies and see which one works with you and what you want as a traveler. What's most important for you...housing, benefits, pay, shift, location...? You're allowed to be picky and take time finding the perfect assignment. ALL PROMISES NEED TO BE IN WRITING! Make sure to ask questions about your contract before signing if you're confused. One piece of advice I'd say is to try a city or state that you've never been to. My favorite part about traveling is that it gives me the opportunity to see places I've never been. Good luck!

Ok, one more question,... everytime I go on line to get information, I am asked to fill out an application when really all I want to do is talk to someone. Is this how they track people? Maybe just the way its done on line? Not all my questions get answered on a web page. thanks so much for the response I really appreciate it.

Even though I've only worked with Access Nurses, I spoke with recruiters at several agencies before deciding on Access. I did not like OnAssignment or AMN. They were just too big and impersonal. The money is sometimes better, but shift, housing and location are really important to me too and they couldn't offer me what I wanted. That's awesome that you're ready to branch out and try traveling (I've never regretted my career choice). You've got to look around though. Call multiple agencies and see which one works with you and what you want as a traveler. What's most important for you...housing, benefits, pay, shift, location...? You're allowed to be picky and take time finding the perfect assignment. ALL PROMISES NEED TO BE IN WRITING! Make sure to ask questions about your contract before signing if you're confused. One piece of advice I'd say is to try a city or state that you've never been to. My favorite part about traveling is that it gives me the opportunity to see places I've never been. Good luck![/quote]

hi again Dolly,

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. HOpefully by now you've called the agencies you're looking at and asked to talk to someone. I agree..sometimes the online information is lacking, with is why i always like just calling recruiters and talking. It's the best way to get all of your questions answered. After talking to someone, you can fill out an online application. I'm pretty sure that's how they track their number of nurses.

Good luck. Let me know how your search is going.

hey joe what is your email? maybe we can chat about travelling?

[email protected]. email me anytime.

joeRN wrote:

Hi wwdrn,

I've worked as a traveling nurse for years with Access Nurses. Are you interested in traveling? If so I can answer lots of those kinds of questions. I finished an assignment in Colorado and now I'm in Massachusetts. I've done the interviewing process tons of times, if you need help with what to ask the hospitals. And as far as questions to ask agencies, I can give you the name of my recruiter.

We can also talk more via email if that helps.

i heard alot about access, but i have not been impressed with my recruiter thus far. Any advice

I think you should tell your recruiter that you're unhappy...explain what you need and want. Don't get mad and yell (never helps anything). but you should tell them what's on your mind. If that doesn't work or you're not comfortable doing that, I'd ask if you can switch recruiters. I hope this helps.

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