Choosing a Travel Company

I recently received an email requesting a few tips on choosing a travel nurse company. This nurse is interested in moving from Boston to San Diego and has already applied with several companies. She no doubt is overwhelmed with the number of calls received and the vast array of choices at her disposal. Hopefully I can help.

I left a hospital which tried to make me feel lucky to have a job, even after my weekend-option schedule was canceled, (resulting in a 30% pay cut). So I immediately resigned and took a local temp agency job in a nearby town with the intention of leaving for long distance travel that summer.

There are several websites which allow you to fill out one generic application and this is forwarded to several and I do mean MANY companies. I remember the day I filled it out; I hit the “Enter” button and told Mary that we might be receiving phone calls from recruiters.

“Ring” went the phone, and it didn’t stop for the next couple of weeks. I must have received a response from at least 50 different companies. In fact, from that one application I am still receiving phone calls seven months past.

At first the process of determining the right company was frustrating, to say the least. I became more confused after wading through forum sights for nurses’ opinions and experiences. I guess what they say is true about opinions; everybody has one.

A travel nurse named Epstein LaRue has done a fantastic job of setting up multiple websites dedicated to travel nursing including an exhaustive compilation of travel companies and their benefits. Here is the link for that site; http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/travel_nursing_companies.htm

As I received calls from companies I checked them on the above linked website and determined how closely they aligned with what I was looking for.

I grouped the companies into a small list; three preferable companies, four or five possible companies and lastly, the remainder. After each conversation with a recruiter I entered it in a notebook including their name, number, and any highlights touched on during our conversation. Trust me; they do the same.

It’s difficult to discuss choosing a travel company without also touching on the recruiter. Criteria for the company are based on size, benefits, pay, and available assignments, but the recruiter adds the face, the personality, and conversation to your experience with the company.

So my experience with the recruiter was just as important as the company they represent. Were they compatible with me, and was he or she someone I would want to work with for the next 13 weeks, but most importantly, were they someone I wanted watching my back while I was halfway across the country?

I remember one recruiter who had absolutely no clue about the medical industry, she couldn’t even pronounce basic medical terminology, and so even though she got me an interview with a hospital, she wasn’t someone I wanted to rely on should something go wrong.

Now on the other hand let me also caution that a recruiter should not be your final authority either. Keep in mind that they are recruiters doing their job to recruit, so that answers to questions outside their scope of authority may be suspect.

When I was at the California license office there was a nurse who was told that the license verification she used was inadequate. “Oh, no that can’t be right.” She told the office worker. “I was told this verification would work,” she continued with authority.

“Well who told you that?” asked the office lady.

“My recruiter.” she exclaimed.

Needless to say several frantic calls ensued with the recruiter all to no avail. This nurse traveled over 900 miles to start a job on the following Monday based on the word of someone who had never themselves obtained a temporary license, and who had little authority to speak on the subject.

Final responsibility rests on yourself, check and double check your information. Keep in mind what someone’s opinion is worth, surround yourself with experienced people, and create a network of resources.

I keep a portfolio of all my travel nurse information, including separately marked folders for licenses, credentials, applications, even passport. It is kept nearby at all times.

So let me mention a few things that determined what I was looking for in a recruiter.

• · Most importantly; did they really listen to me? When I told them what I was looking for in an assignment did they pay attention?

• · Did they ask appropriate questions? At first I needed help, were they able to direct me without me feeling controlled?

• · Did they sound knowledgeable?

• · Were they able to perform? Some recruiters engaged in lots of courteous conversation but didn’t produce any interviews.

• · Did they allow me to feel in control? I mentioned this above, but the last thing I wanted to feel from a recruiter was a lack of control. I wanted to feel recruited not roped. One company in particular lost me even after an interview when they neglected this point.

What I personally was looking for in my first out of state assignment was a good, positive experience in a travel friendly hospital located in or near a large city, so that Mary and I could vacation with Molly during my days off.

Even though I told a recruiter this, it was amazing how often the subject of great pay would be the recruiter’s first topic of discussion. I am sure this is important to many, if not most travelers; yet at this particular time, not to me.

I t was also rare that I was given an interview in a large city, like I had asked for. In fact, I originally intended to move on the East Coast, but assignment start dates conflicted with the time required to get a license.

California is a walk-through license state, and the hospital I am working at is located in a small town just outside of L.A. called Thousand Oaks.

I asked Denise, the recruiter, “Is that where you expect us to live?”

“Oh no,” she answers in her southern accent, “Molly would hate it there.” she continued, “Were gonna find you housing in L.A. like she would want…...how does Santa Monica sound?”

Needless to say that kind of attention worked. Denise recruited a new travel nurse, and I am very satisfied with the company. The check was direct deposited without a hitch and right on time, the benefits were promptly in place and while the paperwork was exhaustive, everything went smoothly at the hospital upon my arrival.

Currently, I enjoy conversations with recruiters and share the general idea of my plans to remain at my current assignment through December. We will then be off to Hawaii for the winter, and the choosing process will begin all over again; with the understanding of course, that recruiters like Denise get my attention first.