When you’re looking for a travel nursing agency, there are many things to look at and consider. But sometimes, you leap of faith and start working with a new agency based on what you researched. Luckily, you can recognize some things that will help you realize if you picked a good travel nursing agency rather quickly. Let’s explore the top things to consider when choosing an excellent travel nursing agency from the many aspects.
1. They Have Variety in Travel Nursing Jobs
The more contracts a travel nursing agency has, the more chances you’ll have to get the best job placements. As a travel nurse, you want to know your agency can offer contracts in different assignments, ranging from four weeks to more long-term assignments.
A good travel nursing agency should offer various assignments at leading facilities across a variety of specialties. Even if you have a not-so-popular thing, a good agency should provide you with opportunities.
2. Offer High Compensation Packages
When you’re working with a travel nursing agency, you’d want to find the one that offers the highest-paying positions. Understanding how they operate is particularly important for doing your travel nurses’ taxes, especially if you have and maintain a tax home. Take a look at our complete guide to travel nurse taxes for more information.
Compensation also has to deal with reimbursements. Sometimes salaries might appear low, but a travel agency will cover lodging, meals, and incidentals while on assignment. These can make up a large portion of your salary and your take-home pay as a travel nurse. A good agency will not try to hide this information from you. Remember to ask questions about how they structure the compensation packages to understand better what to expect while on assignment.
3. Offer Comprehensive Benefits
The best travel nursing agencies offer comprehensive benefits packages and perks. The most common benefits are insurance and lodging, but good agencies will go the extra mile. Some travel nursing agencies will offer company-sponsored housing or will offer a stipend to purchase housing with.
Beyond those benefits, a great agency will also have perks like continuing education courses. Some agencies will partner with continuing education providers to secure classes or workshops at little to no cost.
And, another benefit that so many times people forget is: remaining non-exclusive. If you’re able to work with multiple travel nursing agencies, you can widen your reach when it comes to finding and getting more assignments.
4. They Offer a Streamlined Onboarding Experience
The application process to work with a travel nursing agency shouldn’t feel like a hassle. Instead, it should be an easy onboarding experience. The application and onboarding process is the best way to analyze whether a travel agency is worth your time and investment.
Here’s where you can also tell how much support you’ll receive from this agency. The more comfortable you feel throughout this process, the more likely you’re to have a successful experience in the future.
5. Count With a Friendly and Helpful Recruiters
While you’re looking at the agency as a whole, you’ll be working with recruiters most of the time. Good agencies hire helpful recruiters that will answer questions, guide you through getting your first assignment, and more. A good travel nurse recruiter is responsive and always makes sure you don’t have any setbacks during the time-sensitive application process.
Of course, they also listen to your needs and expectations to help you find the right type of assignment. They’re knowledgeable about the different requirements, conditions, and processes to maintain your travel nursing license to date.
And finally, they really have your best interest at heart. You should feel as if your recruiter is really going the extra mile to find the right assignment for you.
6. They Offer On-the-Job Support
A good travel nursing agency will want you to grow in your assignments. They should be available to answer questions and offer support during assignments. More than just helping you land an assignment, will they offer you support on the job as you start to get the hang of working in another state.
On-the-job support also means they’ll have around-the-clock support to assist you with emergencies or questions no matter the time. This is particularly important to remember when you’re on location. Time zone differences can sometimes leave you waiting forever for assistance.
If you’re already working with a travel nursing agency and something doesn’t feel right, odds are you should look for a different agency. A good travel nursing agency and its recruitment team should make you feel confident, comfortable, excited, and prepared to take your travel nursing career to the next level.
