Handy Dandy Travel Nurse Tools
You might want to check this website out if you are looking for some basic information about sizing up a recruiter and an assignment. The Travel Nurse Toolbox provides some really helpful resources form the perspective of a travel nurse. Very practical advice.
This is the kind of information that I like to provide while bringing interesting and odd facts, stories and information about travel nursing. Sure, I’d like everyone to go right to my homepage and fill out an application. But the more information that helps nurses make good decisions about traveling, the better I sleep at night.
May 4, 2007
I looked at the website and it provided some valuable information. However, i tend to disagree on the information that is deemed most important. I think in this day and age of travel nursing there is much more important factors to be considered before i even start talking about negotiation on pay rates and housing issues. My first question before i consider the assignment is patient ratio, the equipment being used, and when i do talk to the Charge nurse on the phone i tend to be interviewing her as she is interviewing me.
i have a unique background, since i was a nurse recruiter while i was in school to become a nurse. I have another website i have found http://www.nurserep.com which explains in detail how the nursing industry works from the inside out. How these company offer different packages and how they come up with there pay rates. I have been using this information in negotiating my last contract and it worked great. I would suggest anyone interested in travel nursing to check out this site before they talk to their recruiter about there next assignment. Safe Travels, Frank
August 29, 2007
Hey Thanks for the mention of my site. I just did a major overhaul and converted it to the blog format. Still working out somethings.
Regarding the last reply I definitely agree there are other considerations besides pay rates and such. You are probably talking of the negotiating article but I appreciate you reminding me of those other things. I will update the post to include a link to the other post “Questions to Ask” which includes a comprehensive list of questions to ask the Hiring Manager and Recruiter. I’ve even thought of some more that I will add from reading forums and others feedback. I print the same list out myself to have for the interview as a checklist . RN not Staff to patient ratio is a definite question I’ve always included. Please read my “Questions to Ask” at
http://www.TravelNurseToolbox.com > Articles and comment if you see something that needs adding. Some questions are specialty specific for instance I work in Psych so I may be asking some questions different than what an ER or ICU Nurse would ask. The Interview in Travel Nursing or Allied Traveling definitely includes you interviewing them mostly although I do get a little squirreley when they ask me nothing. It’s a possible red flag that they want any warm body with a license.
One thing to add I’ve made my thourough list of Travel Nurse Allied Companies USA and International where anybody can comment on each one even anonymously. Hard to keep the list updated bit I figure someone should. I’ve included Summer Camps that Need Nurses, Locum Tenens, Hospital that Use Seasonal Travelers (Direct Contracts -Working at building this list) , Companies That Recruit Foreign Nurses, International Companies.
Thanks CJ