Hi everyone! I am beginning to travel nurse hopefully around end of feb/march timeframe. I was looking to hear from other travel nurses/chicago peeps how you typically rent your housing? I’d like to begin traveling in Chicago and when I look on furnished finder in the neighborhoods I like - there’s options but the ones i really like are super expensive.. do you just bite the bullet and splurge? I feel like my comfortable budget based off contracts I’ve seen listed now, would be to pay around 3200-3600/month. I think that is generous for 1 b 1 b? I just want to know if you have other recommendations for sites or ways you’ve found housing that has been helpful? Also like when you travel - you aren’t renting a U-Haul and moving your stuff every time you go someplace new - right? The neighborhoods I like are gold coast, lincoln park, old town area, maybe even streeterville? I don’t know much about Chicago I’m just a single girl trying to find her way and my friends who live around there recommended those spots because they are safer and nicely located. If you have other recs - pls send my way w descriptions of neighborhoods ◡̈

Thanks in advance!

Sincerely a stressed newb traveler 😅

Hey all, I’m finally taking my first travel assignment and I leave in two weeks. Anybody have a good to do list or any good advice I should follow when leaving my home for 3 months? Things I should bring/pack, things I should do in my home to prep it, literally anything you guys can think of or necessities you take with you when traveling! Thank you guys!!

Hi! Does anyone have any Amergis recruiter that they can recommend to me?

Please and thank you 🫶🏼

I accepted a travel assignment at a Kaiser in Northern California yesterday through one agency. Before accepting, I had previously expressed interest in an assignment at a Kaiser in Southern California through a different recruiter (over a week and a half ago), but he had stopped responding.

He followed up with me today and explained that the Southern California position had been on hold but is now open again. He asked if I would like to be submitted. I initially told him I had already accepted another position, but honestly, Southern California was the one I wanted more.

I’m still in the onboarding phase for the Northern California assignment. I’ve submitted my background check but haven’t completed my drug screen yet. I was also told my start date might need to be pushed back because of onboarding.

The Southern California recruiter asked his account manager about my situation and said canceling the Northern California assignment wouldn’t result in a DNR. I’m still nervous about potentially affecting my eligibility at Kaiser, especially since the assignments are through different agencies.

Has anyone accepted a Kaiser assignment, canceled before starting, and then taken one at a different Kaiser location? Did you have any issues with a DNR or with either agency? I’d appreciate hearing about your experience!

Hi everyone!
I had just signed a 13 week contract with Aya in SF. However within the same day, I just got a higher pay package from a different agency (Trusted) for the same hospital and position. I explained to the Trusted recruiter about having signed with Aya just earlier today and she has suggested that if I wanted to take on this position with them instead, I would need to sign a “right to represent” under Trusted.

For context:
I am a first time traveller. I was initially leaning more towards Aya despite the lower pay because I hear they provide better guidance for one’s first assignment. However I really appreciated the higher pay for Trusted.
Aya had more positions available for SF and I am hoping to eventually transition as staff down the line.

I wanted to know:
-What are the implications of this with Aya and the hospital since I’m technically jumping ship after signing? Even if my assignment hasn’t started yet
-Any tips or comments on experiences you’ve had with either agency?
-Which one has better support for first time travellers?

Thanks!

My GF is a nurse, ED and med surge. I'm a Nurse (was a Paramedic for 15 years) ED, Peds, home infusion. She's done 1 travel assignment, I'm on my second. We're trying to stack up the last bit of cash to move to Spain on a non-lucrative visa since I fall in a special immigration category and only need 2 years of residency to apply for dual citizenship.

Have any travlers traveled together? Is it feasible or is finding assignments at the same hospital nearly impossible?

Is it something some of you have managed to pull off? Are some agencies better at it than others?

Let me know your experiences with traveling as a couple.

Are there any hospitals that allow Friday through Friday assignment?

And if I only work 24 hrs one week but 48 the next am I getting my stipend cut ?

These rates on some of these listings are atrocious. Currently looking at a per diem position at a local hospital that I know their internal registry had at $71 per diem. They no longer have any positions available via their registry so I guess they outsourced to AMN. AMN’s rate is $48-$52 for per diem, mind you their new grads start at $54 at this facility. I know because I used to work there lol. I really want to work at this facility again but absolutely not at this rate. I’ve also heard mixed reviews with this company. Might be a long shot but has anyone been able to negotiate the rate with AMN?

I use thc for sleep and anxiety. In a LEGAL state, and also going to be working in a state where recreational use is legal but they still test for THC. I have about a month before i need to test and am thinking of either just forgoing my usage like i have done in the past or using quick fix lol

What do you need to have with you in your carry-on? What do you put in your checked bag that can only be height + width + depth (62 inches total) for that extra charge of $45 that has to weigh less than 50lbs? If I was going anywhere remote I would put my drill in my checked luggage, and a wire saw.

I apologize beforehand for writing in a nurse forum. Im a histotechnologist and I recently got licensed. I’ve been considering traveling for a while now, but they offer us around 2.3k per week without paid accommodation. I was wondering before you embark on a travel work how much savings do you need? And how much do you spend on stays every week. Thanks!

There are 2 sister units on the 12th and 11th floors, and I want to give anyone considering the 11100 floor a fair warning: the work environment is extremely toxic, and the level of cattiness is unreal.

i was concerned on day one when they don’t tell you which will be your unit until your very first day of orientation.

The unit is presented as a Tele/PCU floor, but in practice, it operates more like a full-fledged step-down unit. Nurses can be assigned up to five patients, many of whom have high-acuity needs. On most days, there is little to no PCT coverage due to frequent no-call/no-shows.

Nurses are also expected to travel w/ patients to procedures and tests, sometimes spending up to three hours off the floor. During that time, their remaining high-acuity patients patients with defibrillator pads ON are left in the care of an already stretched-thin team, raising serious concerns about patient safety.

Charge nurse support is another major issue. they give no support and will retaliate if you raise concerns. Meanwhile, the nurse manager tends to become defensive when concerns are raised instead of addressing them constructively. The lack of leadership makes the work environment so challenging to work in.

The overall culture feels like a divide between bedside nurses and the charge nurses/ANMs, with little teamwork, accountability, or professional integrity among some core staff. The result is an unnecessarily hostile and stressful work environment.

I have heard that other units may offer a better experience, so I cannot speak for the entire hospital. However, based on my horrible experience , I would strongly encourage anyone considering this particular unit to look for a different one! beware

Hi all,

I’m currently traveling and working at an inpatient facility, I applied and accepted staff position at an outpatient facility. This might be confusing so I will try my best to explain but this hospital network is pretty big and they cover several areas within the state. The one I’m working for right now covers another area and the role I accepted as staff covers another area but technically both still same hospital network. My new job starts 3 weeks after my contract ends but my issue is this travel job has been horrible, we are severely understaff and the travel nurses have been getting treated pretty badly and basically forced to work extra shifts, float between shifts (emergency due to their poor planning with staff). I want to end my contract but afraid that the manager here will somehow find my new offer with my new manager and talk badly about me. They don’t cover the same area but I’m still a little paranoid about it.

Also, I only have 4 and a half weeks left of the contract and I’m trying hard to just stick it through and finish out but today manager basically bullied and guilt tripped me into doing something I said I was unable to do.

My question is can managers reach out to other facilities and have offers revoked?

Hey everyone. I’m going to be starting travel nursing next year and I plan on starting my first assignment in California. Currently I live in Connecticut. I have a car but idk what to do. Do you guys travel to your different assignments with your vehicle? Or do you rent instead? What’s a smart way to do this?

Does anyone know some of the safer areas for housing in Baltimore near John Hopkins Hospital? I tried to ask this question in the Baltimore subreddit but it’s against their rules.

Hey y’all! My next assignment is in Colorado and I’m in Indiana, I’m on the hunt currently for a good car shipping company. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

Im considering driving an RV while towing a car behind. Any RNs do that sort of thing here? Are there any benefits vs tradicional furnished finder housing etc?

What do you do when you’re disrespected by staff on assignment? I was cussed at be med tech last week and had trouble sleeping last night bc I really don’t want to go back to an environment where that’s ok.

Hi, I am a new nurse with 2 years in the ED in the Bronx, NY. I wanted to explore travel nursing and took a contract at Bridgeport Hospital. I was wondering if any one has any experience with that hospital's ED and the culture.

Hello! I switched from Aya to AMN and my PPO BCBS plan with spouse is way higher than my first agency. 12k deductible and $17k out of pocket max. We pay around $1200 a month for this insurance when we use to pay a few hundred less for a better plan. Curious to see if anyone has a similar plan. I almost want to just pay out of pocket for regular appts and hope I don't need surgery every 😥

Hello,

Has anyone traveled with Cross Country or are currently traveling with them? If so, would you consider them a reputable company to work with? I have not encountered any individuals who have worked with them or received any reviews. I have primarily heard about AMN or Aya.

So I’m a medsurge psych nurse I worked 3 years in a floor that they called Medsurge but it was primarily psych patients. And the floor was on lockdown . They just don’t call it behavioral health so we don’t get the pay raise . Can I still pick up psych travel assignments

I emailed my recruiter 2nd week of my contract. Told her some issues I've observed. She then asked me follow up questions including if I spoke with a charge nurse or manager about said concerns.

I told her I didn't bring it up to anyone at work and that may just need more time to assess the unit but not really sure it's going to change anything. I think that's just how this unit is. She never replied.... is she upset I'm not liking this contract and potentially wanting out? Or perhaps this is just how it works when someone wants to quit?

Are recruiters suppose to try to remedy the situation first depending on the issue rather than just say okay let's cancel 2nd week in.

Idk what I expected her response to be but she just asked questions then never responded to me. Is she waiting for me to talk to management or something? I can't just put in my 2 weeks?

I've been doing this for some time and never decided to quit a contract.

Is this normal recruiter behavior when someone is considering leaving a contract they don't feel is good fit?

My initial email message didn't say I want to leave immediately it just brought up a list of concerns and that this contract may not be right but I'm basically open to giving it little more time. I'm not 100% sure I want to quit but definitely considering.

If within the next 2 weeks I decide I want out perhaps I'll talk to management (though idt that'll do much) then firmly tell my recruiter I want to resign rather than just consider the possibility. Maybe I just need to be more firm. I'm not sure how to go about this.

Hey everyone! I’m a Canadian RN interested in travel nursing in the US and would love to hear from Canadians who have made the move.

I’m trying to decide whether to travel nurse in Canada first or go straight to the US. I’m particularly interested in hearing about people’s experiences with the licensing process, work authorization, finding contracts, and whether the financial benefits are worth it.

I’m also trying to figure out which cities would be best for a first assignment. Boston really interests me, but I know it’s expensive. Also Minneapolis seems good too, Ohio. I don’t want a big city that everyone goes to like Houston, New York, or California. I’m open to other recommendations for cities that offer a good balance of lifestyle, affordability and decent pay.

A few questions:
How was the process of getting licensed and authorized to work in the US?

Which agencies are best for Canadian nurses?
Which states or cities would you recommend for a first assignment?

Is Boston worth the cost of living, or are there better options?

How much are you realistically able to save after taxes, housing and other expenses?

Would you recommend travelling within Canada first or going straight to the US?

Is there anything you wish you’d known before making the move?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, advice and any tips for getting started. Thank you!