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Best Travel Nursing Agencies
Are you ready to start travel nursing and have reached the point of “which travel agency should I work with” stage? It can be very overwhelming at first. In this article I will talk about what to look for when picking the perfect agency, let you in on which agencies are my favorite, and show you a site that compiles all agencies into one while looking for a contract.
What To Look For
My first contract looked something like doing a google search and clicking the first agency that came up. I, like most of you, put my information in and crossed my fingers as I waited for the agency to get in contact with me. Less than an hour later I received a call and had an interview with the recruiter. This interview was more along the lines of figuring out what I was looking for. Location? Experience? Etc. Less than 24 hours later, he matched me to a facility that fit my time frame. Less than 48 hours later, I accepted the contract. Two weeks later, I started. Though grateful for the opportunity, that contract opened my eyes to many things I wish I checked for earlier.
Moving forward in my travel journey, I realized that some things that were important to me that I didn’t receive through that contract are having a max of 3 shifts a week, smaller hospitals, although I had higher level experience, I preferred not to travel at a trauma center or teaching hospital.
What Matters to YOU?
To help you decide which agency is best for you includes deciding what is the most important factors to you. I am a single female in my late 20s. I like smaller community hospitals, short term assignments, and agencies that service close to my home.What about you? Are you traveling strictly for the money? Do you need to be in a specific location? Do you want to travel far or locally? Are there specific units you’d prefer to be on? Is floating okay with you? Do you care about whether overtime will be mandatory? Are you traveling with family? Do you need insurance? Do you need travel reimbursements?
These are all things you need to be asking yourself when researching companies or asking the recruiter if you’ve been recommended an agency already.I must also add that not all agencies are created equally. Different agencies have different pros and cons. Some agencies specialize in high pay, however the working conditions aren’t the greatest. Some agencies specialize in covering hospital strikes. Some agencies are popular only in bigger cities but not country wide. Some agencies have a wide range of contract lengths from 4 weeks – 6 months. Some agencies specialize in roles outside of the hospital like clinics, and some agencies offer more of a “travel per diem” role.Bonus: I recently discovered that you can be hired by a hospital as an internal traveler. In this role you’d be working on one type of unit, but you’d be sent to different sister locations within the hospital system.
Whatever you can think of, it’s out the re.MY Favorites
PAY: KrucialDURATION: FastaffLOCATION: American Mobile ( AMN )For pay, it is no surprise that Krucial comes in first place. Krucial is known as the highest paying agency,but they pay well due to the nature of the work. They are known as more of a “crisis” agency. You sign up to be on their list of reserve nurses and when there is a crisis or emergency, they send numerous nurses to the location where they are needed. Typically, you must arrive to the location in 24-48 hours from the first call and you must commit to a minimum of required weeks, however there is usually the option to extend. I’ve seen people remain for the minimum 5 weeks and I’ve seen someone remain for 6 months.
For duration, Fastaff takes the cake. Sometimes you can’t commit to the usual 12-14 weeks, or if you’re new to traveling, you may just want to get your feet wet first. Fastaff offers contracts as little as 4 weeks in duration. They’re not incredibly common, but I’ve seen a good amount during my time traveling.
For location, AMN has amazing options. I’ve had friends, roommates, and coworkers work with AMN for long periods of time and across many state lines. On one of my contracts, I met a girl who belonged to a different agency, but had to work through AMN because the hospital that her agency picked was contracted to AMN only.
How To Find The Perfect Agency/Contract
Vivian is a site and app that allows you to look up contracts and cross-reference different agencies through filters like pay, location, and duration. I love Vivian because you don’t have to sign up or sift through each agency’s site to find the best contract for you. I also love Vivian because they service nurses outside of just bedside, like school nurses, case managers, and clinic nurses. The possibilities are truly endless on this site.Hopefully this article gave you a little more clarity on which travel nurse agency could be the best for you. Leave me a comment below and let me know what’s important to you when traveling.
Happy Travel Nurse Agency Hunting!
XOXO, Ki
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Accelerated Nursing Programs in NY
Have you been considering becoming a nurse? Have you heard of this specialized program called Accelerated nursing and now you’re wondering what it is and where to go. Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog I will go more into what it entails,place a list of Accelerated Bachelor Programs in NY, and tell you where I would go if I had to do it all over again in NY.
What is an Accelerated Nursing Program?
An Accelerated Nursing Program is, as it sounds, a nursing program done faster than the amount of time it would take to finish a traditional nursing program. While a traditional BSN takes 4 years to conclude, Accel programs can take anywhere from 12-24 months. This is possible because you are only eligible for the program if you already have a bachelors degree. Half of your ABSN will “borrow” gen ed credits from your first degree to take the place of the “missing 2 years” in your Accelerated BSN degree. The degree is also so short because most programs typically go throughout the program without breaks. For example, A 12-month Accel program can consist of 4 semesters Spring, Summer, Winter, Spring. While, in a traditional program, 4 semesters would take 2 years to finish because you are typically off in the Summer and Winter. Once you finish the program, you will be given your Bachelor of Science of Nursing and be eligible to sit for you NCLEX. Once you pass, you will be given your license ans deemed a Registered Nurse.
How Does Accel Programs Differ From Traditional?
As previously stated, the biggest difference Is how short the program is and how the degree is compiled. On a practical basis, you can expect the course to be vigorous. In my experience, it felt like I was ALWAYS in school, clinical, or lab. Some semesters it was Monday-Friday and some semesters it was 4 weekdays and one weekend. We were in class all day, 9a-5pm. On days when we had clinical we were at the hospital from 7a-7pm like a true nursing shift. Expect to be busy.
Wondering if you can work while in an Accelerated nursing program? Truth? I wouldn’t recommend It. I wasn’t able to work until I truly got the hang of the program. This wasn’t until my last semester, and even then, I only worked part-time (8-16 hours a week) as a CNA just to grow comfortable with patient care.
Also, nursing student life hack, once you’re finished with half of nursing school, you can work as a CNA or sit for your CNA certification if the state/job requires that. This is because you would’ve received the education value consistent with a CNA’s by the midway point of nursing school.
Now, in reality, I know that some people truly just can’t afford to not work, and I’m happy to say, I had some classmates who always had a job throughout the program, all part-time or per diem. Most of them worked as waitresses, sales associates, or aides in the hospital.
List of Accelerated Bachelor Programs in NY
The moment you have all been waiting for, a list of all the ABSN Programs in NY. Some programs are in NYC and some programs are in updtate NY.
Wagner College, Utica University, University of Rochester, University of Buffalo, SUNY Downstate, Stony Brook, Mt. Sinai School of Nursing, Pace University, Niagara University, NYU, Molloy College, LIU Brooklyn, Lehman College, Hunter College, Hartwick College, Dominican College, College of New Rochelle, College of Mount Saint Vincent, Binghamton College, Adelphi University.
Best Accelerated Bachelor Program in NY
Although everyone finds themselves wanting to attend an ABSN program for different reasons and need to focus on certain personal reasons to go to one school or another, I think we all can agree that when deciding on a school, three things make the top of the priority list for all of us. This includes how much it costs, how long will it take, and what do I need to get in. Considering all of this, I believe Stony Brook University houses the best option for anyone looking to attend an ABSN in NY. Stony Brook’s program is 12 moths, which is the shortest amount of time possible to receive your BSN. It also is on the cheaper end of ABSN tuition, coming in around $18,000 for the year. Stony Brook also will impress you due to its short pre requisite list including only 7 classes. Lastly, they only require a 2.8 GPA to be eligible to attend the program. I would say the only con about Stony Brook is that it isn’t located directly in NYC, and most people come to NY to be in the city. *Gets on soapbox* Your focus should be on studying and assuring that you get good grades. *Gets off soapbox* . But if you’re feeling spontaneous, NYC is only a train ride away.
Conclusion
ABSN Programs are a great option for anyone with a previous Bachelor degree looking for a second career. It is a great option for those looking to acquire a BSN in a short amount of time. For those coming to or living in NY, I hope the list above will be helpful to you. There are many things to consider like tuition, pre-reqs, and overall school-life balance, so be sure to ask as many questions as possible and even call the school if you need to. Some schools offer tuition help as well. No matter what stage of life you’re in, there are always options. Just ask:)
Leave me a comment down below letting me know if you’re considering an ABSN program and what your first degree was in. I’ll go first. Psychology! I thought I wanted to be a School Psychologist.
If you have any other personal nurse questions or topics you want me to speak on please feel free to send me an email at Kironii@nomadicnicunurse.com.I look forward to connecting with you.
Happy ABSN Program Hunting!
XOXO, Ki
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Remote Nursing Jobs – Where to Apply and Salary Ranges
Are you looking to get into a remote nursing position? Remote nursing jobs have been a hot topic as of late. Post pandemic fatigue has left us all burnt out and looking for a change of pace, scenery, and low job stress. On the other hand, maybe you’re a new nurse who knew that bedside was never going to be your cup of tea. In this article, I will go through the best remote jobs out on the market. All of these positions are highly sought after and companies are hiring right now. I will also be listing a few examples of companies that hire nurses for these remote positions.
Great reasons to consider working a remote position
– Time freedom and flexibility
– Creating your own schedule
– Being able to travel nurse – whether because the job is fully remote allowing you to wok from whereever or because some of these jobs offer travel positions and travel nurse pay even though it may not be a traditional bedside position.
– more time with family
– More pay : salary, bonuses, and annual raises
– Less stress/ controlled working environment/ consistent working environment
– being able to focus on one patient at a time and ACTUALLY help them and form a relationship with them
The list goes on 🙂 . . Read on to find out my reasons for switching to a remote position, despite loving my field, and making great money travel nursing.
1. Telehealth Nurse: 66k-90k
A telehealth nurse is a wide range term that stands for nurses who work virtually.
These kinds of nurses work from home or in call centers. The form of communications with patients can either be through telephone or it can be online via chat. They are typically given a set of guidelines and protocols and asked to answer calls and “triage” patients to urgent care, ER, facilities, or their PCP in an effort to streamline care and not overcrowd facilities with healthcare issues that can be handled at a different facility or at home. You will also be responsible for communicating with community services, facilities, or physicians on an as needed basis.
Companies that hire telehealth nurses include : Optum, Fonemed,
2. Telephonic Case/Care Manager: 65k-85k
Nurse Case/Care Managers are given a caseload and assigned to be the patient’s “resource support” post discharge. This can be from hospital to facility, hospital to home, or facility to home. Resources can include anything the client will need to reduce the chances of being readmitted to the hospital or facility. Resources can include diet support, physical therapy, home health nurse or aid, help with acquiring medications, and the list goes on. Care mangers can work in as many specialties as a staff nurse would. Some specialties include pediatrics, women’s health, workers comp, managed long term services, and behavioral health. It is kind of nice because as a bedside nurse , you stabilize, treat, and nurse the patient back to health enough to leave the hospital. You don’t really know what happens to them or how they manage once being discharged by you. The Care Manager role allows you to support them once they’re outside the doors of the hospital and back to real life.
Companies that hire Case Managers: Centene, Elevance Health
BONUS: Care Managers can also be travel nurses.
3. Assessment Nurse: 85k-110k
Assessment nurses do just as their title says, assess. Not in the physical sense however. These nurses will work for a program alongside Care Managers to give the clients the best possible support they need. You will virtually evaluate the patients based on the questionnaire provided by the company and send the results to Care/Case Managers so they can acquire whatever resources the patient needs based on your assessment.
Companies that hire assessment nurses include : Maximus, Healthfirst, Pro-med Staffing
4. Nurse Educator/ Nurse Coach/ Clinical Educator: 75k-100k
Nurse Coaches virtually educate patients to ensure a full understanding of their medical conditions as well as how to properly care for themselves. For example, a Diabetic patient will need an extensive amount of education on how to care for themselves at home and how to treat symptoms that come with being a Diabetic.
Nurse educators may also work to educate other nurses on certain jobs that offer remote training . For example, being a unit specific nurse educator and having virtual new hire training.
Companies that hire Nurse Educators : UnitedHealth Group, Dignity Health
5. Utilization Review Nurse: 70k-150k
The goal of a UR nurse is to examine the need for healthcare treatments in an effort to evaluate the appropriateness of care. UR nurses can work for hospitals, as well as insurance companies. The job entails looking through patient charts, speaking to patients, and sometimes healthcare practitioners, to and put together the clinical picture and conclude if care given was care needed.
Companies that higher UR Nurses: Humana, Evry Health
BONUS: UR Nurses can also be travel nurses.
Conclusion
Do not believe the lie that you’re only a “real” nurse if you’re at the bedside in the middle of chaos and trauma for 12 hours. Every type of nurse has so much to contribute to the life of their patients, just in different ways. What’s important is that you feel healthy, joy, and satisfaction in the work that you do. You deserve fulfillment from your work, not anxiety and the urge to quit everyday.
Plus, bedside will always be there to return to if working from home isn’t for you, hospitals will always need help.
P.s if you’re having the itch or a little separation anxiety from the bedside, per diem or PRN is always a great option to have in your back pocket until you’re in the swing of things with your work from home job. I have a per diem job now and it is the perfect dose of chaos sprinkled into a now consistent and low stress schedule.
Leave a comment down below letting me know what your reason is for wanting to work from home? I’ll start! Schedule flexibility and being able to spend more time with the one I love while in a long distance relationship. YOUR TURN!
Happy Job Hunting!
XOXO, Ki
