Yes, I said it! They may not be what you’re used to, but they are high.
Listen to someone who’s been a travel nurse since 2016, the pay rates are absolutely still high. Pre-covid I was barely making $2100/week in #California and in #Hawaii $1100/week. YES, believe the facts. We will not be seeing covid crisis pay rates again (unless another #pandemic occurs that is). So let’s start looking at the upside, pay rates are still higher than they were.
The current highest-paying ED contracts I see for 36 hours in Cali is $3494/week and in New Jersey $3820/week. This is still over $1300+/week than I made for 36 hours prior to covid.
If the #pay quote is still not to your liking, #negotiate with the facility to work 48+ hours. I know many hospitals are becoming strict on 36-hour contracts in order to provide #overtime hours/pay for their staff (I believe they say that to keep the money). Another way to boost your pay is to use the #resources I discussed in my previous blog post, “Top 2 Resources For Negotiating Pay!” Use the GSA.gov site to negotiate your #tax-free stipends. Ensure that your housing, meals, and incidentals are maxed out, especially housing. The cost of living is on the rise, make sure your stipend matches the local housing costs.
If you are willing to #travel anywhere, look at all of your contract options. Before agreeing to a #contract your recruiter may be pressuring you into, do not be fooled, many of the facilities that recruiters urge you to work at may be horrendous, hence them insisting you work there. Listen, no offense to travel recruiters, but their paycheck is based on us signing on the dotted line, especially for facilities that have very high turnover. So be careful, that higher-paying contract isn’t always worth the #unsafe work environment that you’ll find yourself in. I have for sure worked my #fair share of s#!% show contracts and immediately knew why the pay was so high… because the contract was absolutely awful!
The reason I’ve been a travel nurse is to 1. Make money and 2. Enjoy new destinations, NOT start a contract, and fear I’ll lose my license. We’ve all worked very hard for our licenses, and we should not have to risk our #careers at #hospitals that choose to pay higher-ups big money versus investing in #retention for the staff slaving away at the bedside.
What do I think we should do about this? #BYOB… Be Your Own Boss
#Normalize travel nurses interviewing department management. We should be speaking directly with the manager we will be working with to see if the contract will be a good fit for us. We have options and we are our own #boss right… so let them tell us why we should work there to help them out and also let our #expectations be known.
What EMR will I be using?
What are the ratios?
What will my first day and orientation look like?
How does scheduling occur (if you are a night shifter that prefers to work 3 in a row, this is your opportunity to make it known)?
Can I expect to get my breaks every shift?
How long is my break?
How’s the #culture, is the staff welcoming to travelers?
Have any travelers taken staff positions, extended, or returned?
Based on this interview, you can take key points from the conversation and have them written into your contract. I HIGHLY #recommend you include your recruiter in this conversation so that everyone is on the same page. Discuss what needs to be on that contract (#ratios, #breaks, or #scheduling) so that if for any reason, management does not hold up their part of the bargain, you are free to pack your things and keep moving!
Thank you again for your continued love and support! If you have any questions or need advice, please join a forum and let's chat! -Travel Nurse Missa
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