Travel nurse agencies are meant to smoothly facilitate your travel nursing experience. They can help you with housing, health insurance, and customer service, and so much more. Agencies are supposed to put you, the travel nurse, first. They will help connect you with the right people and companies to make sure your travel nursing assignment is the best it can be! Even after your travel nursing assignment has begun, your travel nurse agency should be there for you if you have any problems. As travel nursing has become a sought-after profession, there are more travel nurse agencies than ever. All of the different agencies can be very overwhelming. However, we have compiled a list of tips to use when choosing the right travel nurse agency!
1) Research Travel Nurse Agencies
Make sure you are doing a lot of research when choosing a travel nurse agency. You should conduct this research both online and through word-of-mouth. If you have any travel nurse friends or even nurse friends, make sure to ask, then if they have heard of the agency you are considering. You can find out a lot about an agency just by googling them. Whether it’s their website, testimonials on the site, or other nursing forums, these online resources are very helpful. You should also make sure to talk to key people at the agency. Call the agency and ask any questions you might have. If the person you are speaking with is knowledgeable and polite, then that is a good sign. If the person you are speaking with is rude or unhelpful, then you should expect that response from the agency going forward.
One of the biggest issues during the COVID-19 pandemic is the lack of information and dangerous work environments that travel nurses are subject to. in fact, some nurses are even suing travel nurse agency after placing them in hospitals with incredibly poor conditions. This Business Insider article details how some nurses were forced to work in incredibly unsafe conditions after taking on an assignment with a recruiting agency. This is just one very important reason why nurses should be doing their research when it comes to recruiters, especially during a tumultuous time like this.
2) Find a Personable Recruiter
Arguably, the most important aspect of your potential travel nurse agency is your recruiter. Your travel nurse recruiter is meant to make your life easier. Your recruiter should be easy to communicate with. Whether this means talking in person, on the phone, or over email, your recruiter should respond promptly and professionally. This means that the recruiter has the information you want and gives it to you in a timely manner. You also want to have a high level of trust with your recruiter. This trust goes both ways, so make sure to be upfront and honest with your recruiter. If you are looking for a job in a certain salary range, be honest about that range, so your recruiter can perform his/her job correctly. You can browse and contact recruiters from different agencies without committing to them first. This way, you can get a feel for a recruiter and base your decision about the agency on more than just the agency itself. Check out our video about the do’s and don’ts of recruiter relationships to learn more!
3) Prioritize Good Pay Rates and Housing Options
Finding a good pay rate and housing option are essential to finding a good travel nurse agency. Be sure to compare the pay rates of agencies against each other, and also compare the number of assignments listed. Ask about net pay and full compensation packages. You should be asking questions about your overall pay to get a good idea of what your financial situation will be. A great agency will have people who are equipped to answer any and all questions about pay and housing. If you are interested in agencies that provide free housing or give you a housing stipend, be sure to ask the agency about their housing policy. People at the agency should also be equipped to handle questions about housing and make your housing search seamless.
Use these tips to browse our list of travel nurse agencies and find the perfect agency for you! You’ll be on your dream assignment in no time.
