How we chose where to go first as a Travel Nurse

More than 15 years in the making, it has been my husband's dream to begin travel nursing.  My dream (we met three years ago) was to travel around the country as a self-employed consultant. With a brand new marriage under our belt, we have decided that now is the time to abandon the snow-belt and head for warmer climates, 13 weeks at a time.

Our first strategy was to start the search for an assignment in our own state. We live in Wisconsin, a Nursing Compact state. We have a house to sell so thought living close would buy us four additional days a week for 13 weeks to prepare the house before market. It didn't quite work that way!

My husband (I will refer to him from here on out as Ted) signed up with nine different companies. Each company requires a lengthy application process online, each one about 45-60 minutes long.  Next comes filling out the skills checklists, simple but also lengthy.  Then, brace yourself for the onslaught of phone calls, six days a week.  Always remember, recruiters are salesmen. They are in business to make money so they can paint a lovely picture for prospects....at first.

Ted has 17 years of experiences as a Critical Care nurse.  Each recruiter, at first, told him to expect 15-30% MORE than what he was currently earning as a staff nurse.  This was exciting!  

As the search for assignments continued, each subsequent call from recruiters that came in explained how he wasn't going to earn that amount initially because he didn't have the travel experience.  What??!!!  Bait and switch!!  Instead, each and every recruiter's first offer, regardless of the which state, city, and hospital only offered $800 per week. That is an amount that is less than what he makes now!  The pay is even less if we accept the provided housing option.  I understand if this is how it is... however, none of the recruiters told him this upfront, but rather broke it to him in small soundbites as each assignment presented himself. Additionally, it appears that every assignment initially offered were jobs they had left over because the positions were hard to fill, located in the tiny villages of 5,000 or less population with unacceptable terms built in, such as a low-census requirement.   Again.... WHAT!???  If we are giving up both of our jobs to travel, we DO NOT find idle time due to low census a fair thing! 

So, after trying repeatedly to be clear of what kind of work we would accept, we had no other option than to look outside of the state.  After several more weeks of guilt-trips and pressuring from various recruiters, Ted interviewed and was offered an assignment. This one was on the East Coast, really far from our home base with a start date 12 days out.  Now it is crunch time!!  The pay was not awesome as they advertised, and the benefits were not either, however, it was in a larger city and it was work.  We found it acceptable for a first assignment.

In order to make up for the income loss we chose to take the stipend on our very first assignment. Stressful!  Fortunately for us, I had been an apartment property manager before so I knew what questions to ask, what to avoid, and new the tricks of the trade to avoid pitfalls. We are "hoping" that experience helps us break even on our first assignment.

Here are just a few of the things that swing into warp speed for us:

• Ted printed off 29 pages of forms, tests, and requirements he has about four days to comply with to be eligible for hire.
• A physical (that we pay for ourselves)
• A TB skin test (that we pay for ourselves)
• A drugscreen (that they pay for ourselves)
• A colorblindness test (online)
• Fax all the forms and completion certificates in
• Empty the house - can you say ESTATE SALE?!
• Choose the few items that will fit in our car to take with us
• Find a realtor and list the house
• Paint the house interior in it's entirety
• Mulch the entire yard
• Adjust all mail to online-only

We are now believers of what we previously heard was true.  Larger Travel Nurse companies have high overhead and lower pay.  If you are a first time traveler then perhaps a larger company is easier as they have more assignments nationwide.  As an experienced traveler then perhaps a smaller company will serve us better in the future. They pay higher and there is less smooth-talking happening during the search for assignments.

Either way, despite how different the bill of goods is that we were sold on embarking on this adventure, we still remain optimistic and excited about what lies ahead. We can't WAIT to leave Wisconsin and the sour political climate in the state with low job prospects. We can't WAIT to meet new people in the new city.  We can't WAIT to get four days a week off together on the same schedule!  In our current life Ted works six days a week 2-10p and I work 8-5p, completely opposite. While this is going to be a challenge it will also be a great adventure!

In days ahead I will share what I find about where to locate housing and expose the resources we're using to choose where to live, work, read reviews, discover the cost of living, what I find for work on the road to keep busy, etc.  

We're hoping that sharing our experience with you will help make your foray into Travel Nursing just a little easier.   I welcome your feedback and any tips you have found to be helpful along the way by commenting below.

Bon Voyage for now... I have to PAINT!