Becoming a Travel Nurse can be one of the best and most rewarding times of your nursing career, especially when you choose a company that becomes your partner every step of the way. Before you get started, here's what you might need to know.

1. How do I know if travel nursing is the right career choice for me?

2. What are the requirements to become a travel nurse?

3. What types of facilities can I work at as a travel nurse?

4. Are there ever any assignments longer that the typical 13 weeks?

5. Why do hourly rates sometimes differ from one assignment to the next?

6. Why is it necessary to have a contract with an agency?

7. At what point am I obligated to honor a contract?

8. What kind of support can I expect from a travel agency, once an assignment has been accepted?

9. Am I allowed to travel with family, friend, or a pet?

10. What banking options are available to me while on assignment as a travel nurse?

11. Do travel nurse agencies provide any type of bonus, once employed as a travel nurse?

12. Is it OK to register to work for more than one travel nurse agency?

13. How do I determine which agency is right for me?

14. Why HealthCare Staffing Network?

1. How do I know if travel nursing is the right career choice for me?

1. If you're the type of person who likes a constant routine, without change and who thrives on familiarity, then perhaps travel nursing is not for you. If you love to see new places, however, and enjoy an exciting new experience, while being able to feel like you're on an 'extended vacation", then a career with HealthCare Staffing Network might be "just what the doctor ordered." Have you ever been on a one or two week vacation and just weren't ready to go home when it was over? How about being able to stay on vacation for two to six months and being able to enjoy a free luxury apartment while earning a great hourly wage at the same time? That's just what can happen when you start a career with HealthCare Staffing Network. We have some of the most sought-after destinations in the industry. We always pay for your private, furnished, luxury apartment, and we have some of the highest hourly rates you'll see. Imagine, being able to sit on a beach three or four days a week during Winter's coldest months, or hiking through the Rocky Mountains on a cool Summer day. These destinations are only some that we can offer you. How about an Alaskan adventure? Perhaps the Caribbean, or maybe an assignment in New England for the Fall? You decide the location&we find the position for you.

Here are some other reasons that a career as a travel nurse might be for you:

- Travel nurses usually receive higher wages in any given market than staff nurses, and HealthCare Staffing Network nurses are some of the best paid nurses in the industry.

- Because you get FREE housing and Free travel reimbursement with HealthCare Staffing Network, you will have a much larger weekly disposable income.

- You can greatly enhance your career while working as a travel nurse with HealthCare Staffing Network. Because we offer a large variety of assignments, HSN can help you build and expand your portfolio, giving you greater and greater worth to the facilities that need your services.

- Most agencies offer travel nurses benefits. HealthCare Staffing Network doesn't give you low-end insurance like most of the other companies do. Our insurance is one of the best in the business and is just one of the many reasons our nurses remain very loyal to our agency.

- HealthCare Staffing Network also offers great loyalty bonuses, referral bonuses, and even a two-week paid vacation if you work for us full time.*

2. What are the requirements to become a travel nurse?

2. First, you must have a current Nursing, Operating-room technician, or allied health professional license. HSN also requires that you have at least one-year of experience in your specialty and that you have at least been working in your area of specialty for the past year, (that if you took time off, you've been back on the job for at least a year). HSN will need to verify all of your certification, education, and experience.

3. What types of facilities can I work at as a travel nurse?
 
3. HealthCare Staffing Network offers assignments in large, metro area hospitals, medium sized facilities in moderately sized cities, and rural hospitals located in small towns. We work with both teaching and non-teaching facilities. Just let us know what your preference is and we'll go to work for you to find that perfect assignment.

4. Are there ever any assignments longer that the typical 13 weeks?
 
4. Most of our assignment last a 13 week period, as is the industry standard. It is very expensive for hospitals to put a new nurse through an orientation class every 4 weeks. Housing choices are also much more limited and usually less desirable if an assignment only lasts a month. We do, on ocasion have assignments shorter than 13 weeks, so ask your recruiter for details. We almost always have opportunities that can last longer than 13 weeks. Many of our current nurses extend for up to as many as 5 additional extensions at one hospital. If you are enjoying the assignment, why go anywhere else? While some facilities have a 2-assignment limit, most are happy to offer you a continuation of your current assignment if both sides are equally happy.

5. Why do hourly rates sometimes differ from one assignment to the next?
 
5. There are many reasons that hourly rates differ. One of the main reasons is cost of living. Usually, the hourly rate of pay fluctuates in accordance with an areas economy. The California Bay Area and many larger East coast cities have a higher rate of pay simply because it is much more expensive to live there. Another attribute often associated with big pay is that some companies need to offer extremely high dollars in order to fill assignments that the nurse to patient ratios are very low, or where the facility has extreme needs. Be careful of these assignments and make sure you know exactly what you're getting into before you accept an assignment with one of these types of agencies.

6. Why is it necessary to have a contract with an agency?
 
6. As soon as a travel nurse verbally accepts an assignment, the agency must make a commitment to that facility that their chosen nurse will be there on the specified date. The agency must then arrange, commit in writing and pay for an apartment or the agreed upon housing, furniture, utilities, and any other mutually agreed upon arrangements. Verbally accepting an assignment is a verbal contract and should be honored. If a traveler cancels a verbal contract, it creates many problems for the agency and the facility. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, every attempt should be made to both start and complete a verbally accepted assignment. HealthCare Staffing Network has a great reputation in the industry and it is the integrity of its travel professionals that plays an integral role in our reputation amongst our peers and clients.

7. At what point am I obligated to honor a contract?
 
7. As a rule, after the interview with the hospital and after notifying your recruiter verbally that you would like to accept the position, you are contractually obligated to complete the assignment. HealthCare Staffing Network not only provides you with a contract, but an assignment-specific detail about the position you have verbally accepted. Once you receive you agreement, please look it over carefully. Notify your recruiter if you have any questions about the assignment or about your contractual obligations. It is very important to everyone involved that you complete the assignment you have accepted.

8. What kind of support can I expect from a travel agency, once an assignment has been accepted?
 
8. A travel nursing agency should really go to work for you once the assignment has been accepted. An agency should be there every step of the way. They should help you make sure your payroll information is completed properly, that your weekly direct deposit is going to work properly, that all your benefit information has been submitted properly, that all of your travel and accommodations have been arranged and explained effectively. They should also, and many time most importantly, be available for you whenever you need anything! At HealthCare Staffing Network, you will have 24-hour access to your recruiter and to your agency. The biggest complaint we hear from travel nurses is that they can never get a hold of their specific recruiter. That won't happen with HSN. Our customer service is second to none, and we prove it every day.

9. Am I allowed to travel with family, friend, or a pet?
 
9. HealthCare Staffing Network provides furnished, private luxury apartments and we don't frown on guests. We only ask that you let us know who will be living in the accommodations we are providing free to you. With regard to pets, it may sometimes limit your accommodation options, but as long as we know in advance that you travel with a pet, we can make sure that we find a community that allows your pet to enjoy his or her stay as much as you do.

10. What banking options are available to me while on assignment as a travel nurse?
 
10. Many agencies offer direct deposit. HealthCare Staffing Network pays weekly and we offer direct deposit starting with the first check you receive. If you don't like direct deposit, you can have your checks sent to you at the assignment, or we could send them to your permanent address. At HealthCare Staffing Network, we will work with you to make sure that your weekly pay gets to you in the manner you want.

11. Do travel nurse agencies provide any type of bonus, once employed as a travel nurse?
 
11. Most agencies offer some type of bonus. Be careful of the "completion" bonuses that some companies try to temp you with. Many nurses explain that these types of assignments are often either very difficult or may even put your nursing license in jeopardy. Some agencies have been known to "hold back" a portion of your hourly rate so they can offer these "completion bonuses". These bonuses will be taxed at a higher rate because it is a large sum, and can result in a much smaller income for an assignment. We don't do that to our travelers at HealthCare Staffing Network. We offer some of the highest hourly rates of pay in the industry, and we pay it to you in a straight-forward way. We also offer a $500.00 referral bonus with no limits on the number of people you can refer. Our nurses enjoy a loyalty bonus at the start of each and every new assignment, after the first one is completed without limits. We also offer a two-week paid vacation if the required number of hours have been worked for the year.

12. Is it OK to register to work for more than one travel nurse agency?
 
12. Of course. There are, however, many agencies that put restrictions on your ability to work with other agencies. HealthCare Staffing Network doesn't use these restrictions, thereby giving you greater flexibility in with your travel nursing career. Feel free to explore as many agencies as you'd like. We're confident you'll see how much of a difference our superior benefits and customer service make.

13. How do I determine which agency is right for me?

13. When deciding on which agency to use, it is important to consider everything an agency does and doesn't offer. While some nurses emphasize pay as their top priority, many others are looking for an exceptional benefit package, many others find that customer service is the most important attribute an agency needs to have. Realize that you are counting on your agency and your recruiter to be the company that is going to help you achieve both your financial and personal goals. Look at everything an agency offers and make sure you have good rapport with your recruiter.

14. Why HealthCare Staffing Network?
 
14. HealthCare Staffing Network offers you one of the best overall "packages" in the industry. Our rates of pay are usually the highest in any given market, we always provide free, private, luxury, ("A" property) apartments, free utilities, weekly pay, direct deposit, high-end insurance options, great loyalty bonuses, a two-week paid vacation if the requirements are met, and the best customer service in the industry. Explore as many companies as you can, but include HealthCare Staffing Network. You'll see why we are quickly gaining a reputation as "the travel nurses' agency of choice."