Know BEFORE you GO!! Here are a few things to take into consideration when looking for your next contract.
PAY is clearly very important and one of the main reasons we become #travel nurses right? So make sure you are getting the #contract you want. Make sure it is worth your time. Do your research and see what the housing costs are. Will you be renting a car? How far is the commute from your #housing to the hospital? What will you pay for gas and groceries? The more you can pinpoint your #expenses versus your weekly pay, the better idea you will have of what your actual take-home pay will be. If the cost of living is high for example, in Los Angeles or San Francisco, you can expect gas and other expenses will be high as well. Don’t forget to read my blog about #calculating pay and resources to use for #negotiating income with your recruiter.
2. Patient #ratios are JUST as important as pay. For those who like excitement in their life maybe ratios do not matter to them. But for me, I want to get an idea of what I can expect prior to showing up. What ratios will I receive and what are the acuities? If I have critical patients will my ratio drop from 4 to 2? Some hospitals do not have ratios. Yes, I said it, no ratios! Learn about the state you are #traveling to and see what the laws are for expected patient ratios.
3. Are breaks important? In #California when I worked at #Kaiser Hospitals I received an hour lunch break and two 15 min breaks. At California community hospitals, you get a 30 min break. The luxury of having an hour lunch break can make or break your day or your entire experience, especially if you find yourself working at a very busy hospital. If I’m headed to the West Coast and hour lunches are an option, then yes, please! It gives me the opportunity to facetime loved ones, and take more time for myself (because #mentalhealth is important) and that extra 30 minutes can really make your #contract so much better. If you work at a California facility that states they allow you a 30 min lunch, you can request a 1-hour lunch. Just something to consider.
4. What EMR will you use? I personally LOVE Epic. In my opinion, it is the most user-friendly especially since you can save smart phrases to make charting quick and easy. Will knowing you will be using an EMR you are familiar with make your 1st or 10th contract just that much less stressful? When you show up on your assigned floor for #orientation it is the staff’s job to show you where to get supplies and ensure you have access to meds, etc. Then of course show you the ways of their charting expectations. It’s easy to hop into the flow of things when you have an #advantage up your sleeve.
5. What have other nurses’ experiences been at the facility you're projecting to work at? Take #advantage of the lovely world of social media! There are travel nurse/gypsy nurse #Facebook groups you can join to ask all the questions. How were the travelers treated by #staff? Were the patient ratios what the #hospital said they would be? Did they get breaks in a timely fashion? Did travel nurses extend their contracts? Were they even offered extensions? How was #management? Did they have an overall good #experience?
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