Frequently Asked Questions

Finding the right Recruiter can be likened to finding a best friend, business partner, job, church, or person you feel absolutely comfortable with. The same emotions that you feel when you have connected with something that feels right or at home, you will get these same feelings when meeting the right Recruiter. They will maintain effective communication with you during the submission and hiring process. A great Recruiter will also be in touch with you while on assignment to ensure everything is going well and address any concerns you may have. You should feel supported by your Recruiter and if you don't, you may not have found the right Recruiter!

If you're assigned a new Recruiter, please allow them the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. If you are not meshing with them and would like to be assigned a new Recruiter, contact the Recruitment Manager, express your concerns and you will be assigned a new Recruiter. Expressing your concerns in the most calm way possible allows the Recruitment Manager to document them and address them in the most effective way possible.

Travelers are offered a position with a hospital or healthcare organization because they need you to fill it on a temporary basis until they hire someone permanently. If this is the case, traveling with a travel partner and expecting to work the same shift is not likely or encouraged. Although you are traveling together, this does not mean you will be working together. There is a great possibility you could work the same unit but most facilities can't guarantee that you will be working the same shift. Sometimes this is possible and should be discussed with your Recruiter before submission and during the interview. Please proceed with caution because if the hiring manager feels that this is a deal breaker, they may make an offer to another candidate that do not have these requirements.

In most cases you will be required to work on holidays. Remember, travelers are hired to supplement the permanent staff and will be scheduled accordingly. However, it is possible to not be scheduled or work all holidays. If you are traveling around Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the healthcare facility may let you have one of the holidays off but not all. Please check with your Recruiter on the holiday requirements.

It's up to you! You can go right into another assignment or you can take time off between assignments. This all depends on if you have any upcoming days you would like off or you just simply need a break. Additionally, you may also have to consider how soon the next assignment wants you to start. If they want you to start immediately, taking time off between assignments may not be doable. If this is the case, request that the start date be pushed back to accomodate the days you may need off. If you are still unsure, reach out to your Recruiter or give us a call here at Travel Nurse 911.

It is best to provide your Requested Time Off (RTO) before you are submitted to an assignment. This way, your Recruiter can present this information to the hiring manager at the time you are submitted. Once your time off is approved, it should be confirmed in writing in your travel agreement. Please also discuss your time off requirements during your interview so that all bases are covered.

This depends on the facility, and the time you last worked at the facility. Some facilities require that you re-orient if you take any break in employment while others may not require you to orient if it has been less than 30 days since you last worked at the facility. Most facilities will require that you re-orient if you have been away for more than 30 days. Please check with your Recruiter to confirm requirements.

Referral bonuses can range from the low end of $500 to $1,500 depending on the type of referral, specialty, profession and many more factors. Each agency is different and we highlighy encourage you to reach out to agency personnel to confirm their referral bonus amounts.

If you decide to travel and accept the company paid housing, your Recruiter or their assistant will most definitely assist you with all of your housing needs. If you decide to find your own housing, this is where the agency’s assistance is limited to referring you to potential housing leads or referring you to a housing website. Since the advent of sites like Airbnb, finding your own housing has never been easier.

If your current agency is just not cutting it for you, not honoring their commitment, or you simply want a change, there is a possibility you can switch your assignment to another agency. This must be done at the end of your current assignment. The hospital wants to retain great travelers and just wants them to be happy and most will do whatever it takes to accommodate such requests. I would avoid agencies that have it written in their agreements that you can’t do this because this is not traveler friendly and encourage you to look for traveler friendly agencies and hospitals to ensure a great experience.

Once you have been offered the assignment and accepted, you will be immediately contacted by your agency's Compliance Specialist via email with onboarding instructions. These instructions will include a list of compliance documents that will be needed for your assignment. The Compliance Specialist will work with your directly to ensure all of your documents are submitted to the facility before the compliance deadline. You can also upload your documents to your Travel Nurse 911 credential safe and share with your Recruiter to expedite the onboarding process.

Generally, your compliance documents are due on the Wednesday before your assignment start date. The quicker your assignment starts, the quicker you will need to complete the compliance process. No worries, because your Compliance Specialist will be there to help you each step of the way.

If you miss the compliance deadline to have all of your documents submitted to your Compliance Specialist, your start date will be pushed back until the next orientation. In most cases, you will be pushed back one week and others up to two weeks.

You will receive your First Day Instructions (FDI) once you have been cleared to start your assignment. This typically happens once you have submitted all of your required compliance documents. As soon as you are cleared, you will receive a welcome email from your Compliance Specialist along with the FDIs and timesheet.

It can take from 24 hours to 4 plus weeks to get an assignment depending on several factors. Many travelers assume that once they apply for a position that they will be submitted, however, this is almost never the case. Before you can be submitted to an assignment you must have a Submission File ready to be submitted to the facility at the time of submission. These submission files include your resume/work history, skills checklist, references and a license verification in most cases. Once the agency or healthcare facility has obtained these documents, your submission file is then submitted to the facility. Now it's up to your Recruiter to submit you in a timely manner to newly opened positions. If you have a Recruiter that immediately submits you to open positions, you can get a position in as little as 24 hours depending on the availability of positions. If you have a Recruiter that takes a bit more time to get you submitted, then you may experience a delay in getting a position. To ensure a timely submission, make sure you have all of your submissions documents on file and you are working with a Recruiter that is, "On it"!

Yes, this is possible if your desire is discussed with your Recruiter, during your interview and written in your agreement. Working 48 hours per week is not always available as hospitals are watching their budgets and agency usage. However, if there is a need, the hiring manager may agree to this, but please don’t present this as a deal breaker because it may just break the deal. If there is not a 48 hour per week guarantee and OT is available, try to work as much OT as possible.

Yes, if working 48 hours per week was confirmed with your Recruiter and/or during your interview, you can request that this is written into your agreement.

This depends on why you need to end your assignment early, as it may put a great strain on the unit’s ability to have adequate staffing levels. If you need to end your assignment early for personal reasons, please discuss with your Recruiter first. The agency will notify the facility. Please check your agreement for any cancellation fees that may be occurred.

Continue to work with your Recruiter to assess your options and secure another assignment.

The start date depends on your availability and the facility’s orientation schedule. Your required compliance documents can also be a factor. If you are available when the facility has it’s next orientation, the start date should align depending on how quickly you can complete the compliance requirements.

This is rare to almost never happens, but if it does occur you should speak with management at the agency as soon as possible to see why this occurred. If you signed an agreement, the rate that is listed in your agreement should be honored throughout the duration of your assignment.

You should contact your Recruiter as soon as possible or a Clinical Liaison at the agency. Let them know that you are uncomfortable and ask them to address these concerns directly with the hospital on your behalf. Please note that floating to like units are common in this industry and if you are being floated to a like unit, this means your skills meet the requirements of the unit and you will be required to float or risk having your assignment cancelled.

If your patient load exceeds expectations, please discuss directly with the Charge Nurse or Nurse Manager. All units have set expectations on nurse to patient ratios but this can fluctuate depending on the census of the hospital at that particular time. You should not expect to have a certain amount of patients and should be ready to assist when needed if the census goes above expected levels.

You are not required to have travel experience with all assignments, however, some facilities will require that you have travel experience to be considered for their positions. If you do not have the required travel experience, highlight your experience, accomplishments and goals as best you can on your resume so that you can stand out amongst the travelers with travel experience.

Most agencies and facilities with an internal travel program pay their travelers equally and according to their specialty. As long as you meet the minimum requirements most companies will quote the same rate regardless of experience while some companies do reward those travelers with more experience a higher wage. While this is not common, it does exist.

You will need a minimum of 1 year of “on the job experience” as staff to be considered for a travel position as this is a requirement for most companies. Most facilities require a minimum of 2 years of experience but if you have 1 year of experience, make sure you highlight your current experience, accomplishments and goals so that you can stand out amongst the experienced candidates.

Yes, you should receive a job description from your agency Recruiter when you receive the initial details. If you do not receive this information and need a job description to have absolute clarity of the position, please reach out to your Recruiter.

If the facility is offering OT as a 48 hour guarantee then OT is absolutely available. If you are confirmed on 36 hours per week or 40 hours per week and available for OT, please inform your Manager, Charge Nurse or whoever is responsible for making your weekly schedules. In some cases, OT must be approved with Management so please check with them first.

The number of weeks offered on an assignment depends on the needs of the facility. Most facilities post their positions for 12 weeks or more. During the pandemic, more assignments were offered for 6 weeks and 8 weeks.

Typically, you can work up to 1 year, but as a traveler you will need to take a break after being on assignment for a 1 year continuously. You will need to do this so you can maintain your permanent tax home residence. After you have taken a break after 1 year, you can return to the same assignment. Your break should be anywhere from 1 month – 3 months, enough time for you to go home to ensure everything is being maintained at your permanent tax home residence.

Time Off is requested during the submission process. Please let your Recruiter know what days you would like to request off prior to being submitted. Also, please mention your time off request during your phone interview. This will ensure it is approved upon offer & acceptance. The facility will chose the candidate based upon experience and availability in most cases and most Requested Time Off is normally approved unless it is excessive. You may be required to make up any time you requested off.

You will be required to work a minimum of 36 - 40 hours per week or according to the number of hours listed in your agreement. Overtime is available at the discretion of the facility and needs of the unit.

You will be required to work either (Days) 6:45 am – 7:15 pm or (Nights) 6:45 pm – 7:15am. You will not be required to work both shifts unless you are confirmed for a FLEX shift in which you may be required to work some DAYS and some NIGHTS planned accordingly with your schedule. FLEX shifts are not common and generally don't happen unless you offer to work FLEX shifts. If you are working the ER, at some facilities there is a MID shift, these shifts are typically 12pm - 12am, 1pm - 1am, 2pm - 2am or 3pm - 3am.

Please check with your Recruiter. Most assignments don't require call while others such as Operating Room, Recovery and other assignment do. If call is required, it should be included in your compensation email, offer email and discussed during your interview.

Yes, you will be paid the call back rate outlined in your agreement. This rate is normally paid at your OT rate. Please check with your Recruiter or review your agreement for these details. (Please see On-Call Rate in the Payroll Section)

With most assignments, your hours are guaranteed each week. You will have 36 or 40 hours guaranteed each week, however this varies facility to facility. Please check with your Recruiter or refer to your travel agreement for all details. Please note that although it is not common, some assignments do not guarantee hours each week so please double check your agreement and confirm with your Recruiter if you are unsure.

The general shift cancellation policy is that travelers can be canceled up to 12 hours (1 shift) during a 2 week period for low census, however, you will be allowed to make up this time at the end of your assignment, if needed. Each facility’s cancellation policy is different so please check with your Recruiter or refer to your agreement for the facility’s cancellation policy.

At most travel agencies, most travelers are paid for orientation. Some agencies may offer you an orientation rate equivalent to your hourly rate while others may offer you a lower classroom orientation rate. Please check your agreement and with your Recruiter if you have any questions regarding your orientation rate. (See Payroll section regarding Orientation Rates)

Some facilities require 8 hours of orientation while other facilities may require up to 24 hours. Smaller facilities may offer fewer hours of orientation while larger facilities may require more. Please check with your Recruiter to confirm your orientation schedule.

Orientation week is the only week you may not get all of your hours. For example, your orientation lasts for 8 hours x 1 day and work the next 2 days x 12 hour shifts. If this was the case you will only be paid for 32 hours during orientation week, however, post pandemic travelers are working 40+ hours during orientation week. After orientation is complete, you will definitely work your minimum or guaranteed hours each week.

This depends on how long it has been before you last worked at the facility. If you worked there within the last 30 days and just took a few weeks off, you will more than likely not need to orient again. If it has been greater than 30 days, the hospitals like to reorient these travelers because of new policies or procedures that may have been introduced. Please check with your Recruiter to find if you are required to reorient due to you having worked at the facility before.

Most facilities that are using travelers expect competence, availability, and for you to exhibit team work by being a team player.

This information will generally be included in the job posting details, when you are quoted and given the details of the job, or during the time of your Recruiter screening. Please check with your Recruiter for this information as it varies from facility to facility. You can also ask during your interview!

This information will be given once you are cleared to start the assignment, however, in most cases Recruiters are able to give you this information as soon as you have been offered and accepted the assignment. Please check with your Recruiter and/or compliance representative for these details. You can also ask during your interview!

Please ask the Manager during your interview and you can also ask your Recruiter when you initially inquire about the position. Some agencies have this information readily available while others may not. This is a great interview question, please be sure to ask this question during your interview.

Please ask the Manager during your interview and you can also ask your Recruiter when you initially inquire about the position. Some agencies have this information readily available, while others may not. This is a great interview question, please be sure to ask this question during your interview.

Most agencies work around the clock to ensure you are interviewed as soon as possible. Once submitted, you will be interviewed within 24 – 48 hours of submission if the Manager is interested. If you have not received a call within the first 24 – 48 hours please don’t panic, the Managers are very busy. If this is the case, The agency Account Manager will reach out for an update and push them to call you as soon as possible. Please reach out to your Recruiter if you have not been contacted by the hiring Manager within 24 – 48 hours.

The Hiring Manager will call you for the interview. Please look out for the area code of the region you are looking to travel. This will probably be the Unit Manager or hiring Manager calling to interview. Good Luck!

After your interview you should receive an offer if the interview went well. The hiring Manager will extend an offer after your interview OR will notify HR to send your agency an offer for you. After your interview please notify your Recruiter immediately so that they can follow up to get your official offer.

You are encouraged to provide any potential RTO prior to submission. This way the hiring Manager will know if your RTO can be honored prior to making you an offer. If you provide RTO after the offer, the hiring manager reserves the right to offer to another candidate due to this not being disclosed prior to submission.

Most companies have links they can send to their travelers with access to their payroll portal. Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator for this information.

Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator to confirm these details.

Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator to confirm these details.

Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator to confirm these details.

Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator to confirm these details.

Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator to confirm these details.

Some facilities require that you complete a weekly paper timesheet while others require that you use thier electronic timekeeping system. If you are required to complete a weekly timesheet, please do your best to get it signed each week. Example of acceptable signatures are from Charge Nurses, Managers, or Supervisors. Please check with your Manager on the appropriate person to sign your weekly timesheets. If you are working at a facility that is using an electronic clocking in and out system you may not be required to get your timesheets signed each week. Your time will automatically be submitted to your agency by the facility. Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll Coordinator to confirm these details.

The on-call rate is the rate that you are given to take call for positions such as Operating Room, Recovery Room, Endoscopy and similar positions. Taking call requires you to leave the facility and if you are called in during your call hours, this will be considered call back and you should be entitled to call back pay. The on-call rate varies from agency to agency and from assignment to assignment. Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll coordinator to confirm these details.

The call back rate is the rate that you are given if you are called back in from working an on-call shift. This rate is normally paid at time and a half of your regular rate. Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll coordinator to confirm these details.

Your orientation rate is the rate some agencies provide while being oriented. This orientation normally consists of classroom orientation (non-patient care). For classroom orientation, some agencies pay a lower rate. However, since COVID, many agencies did away with the orientation rate and paid regular rates no matter what. Please check with your Recruiter or Payroll coordinator to confirm these details.

If a facility requires a specific color that you do not have, it is your responsibility as a traveler to obtain the appropriate uniform to meet the requirements. However, some agencies offer reimbursements on scrubs. Please check with your agency to confirm if you will or can be reimbursed for purchasing scrubs for the assignment.

Yes! Please check with your Recruiter or agency Payroll Coordinator.

These are normally sent at the beginning of each calendar year, usually by the end of January. Please check with your Recruiter or agency Payroll Coordinator.

These will more than likely be mailed to your permanent address on file as this signifies your permanent address. Please check with your Recruiter or agency Payroll Coordinator to confirm and see if you can use your temporary address.

Please check with your Recruiter or agency Payroll Coordinator.

Yes, you can extend your assignment for 1 – 13 weeks depending on your availability and what the facility is willing to approve. Just let your Manager and Recruiter know and they will work it out and keep you posted on all the details.

Some agencies offer bonuses for completing your compliance. This is the hiring process, and like any other job, it is the traveler's responsibility to complete all compliance requirements whether a bonus is offered or not. Please check with your Compliance Specialist to see if your agency offers a compliance bonus.

Referral bonuses can range from $100 - $2,000 plus depending on the agency that is offering the bonus.

A referral bonus is a bonus provided by the agency for referring a traveler to the agency.

Referral bonuses are paid once the traveler you referred satisfies a certain number of hours worked or completes a certain number of weeks on assignment. Some agencies pay after 30 days of being on assignment, while others may pay these referral bonuses at the end of the assignment.