What to Look For in Selecting Travel Nurse Companies

A quick internet search turns up literally hundreds of travel nurse companies. Some are perfectly transparent about their contracts and recruitment processes, others look pretty good but don’t put a lot of information out there, while some others give you the impression that you have landed on a site selling used cars. Sorting through all these options can be a real headache, especially when you start reaching out only to find that some agencies don’t even return your calls and emails.

Rather than going around in circles with travel nurse companies that aren’t upfront about their services, narrow the field by looking for companies that have these qualities, and this list is not inclusive:

· A well-designed website: In this day and age, every reputable company needs to have a good website to promote their services, and while it’s not the most important thing, website design can say a lot about a company. When looking for travel nurse agencies, stay away from companies whose websites don’t look professionally designed.

· Understanding of the nursing profession: It’s important to work with a company that understands what it’s like to be you. Companies run and staffed by former nurses-or at least people who have a good sense of what the career is like-are generally the most nurse-friendly, and they are better equipped to negotiate with hospitals and to handle any situations that may arise.

· Good salary and benefits: As a nurse, you are in high demand, which puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating your contract. If a certain company refuses to offer the wages and benefits that you think you deserve, keep in mind that there are many other travel nurse companies out there, and you can probably find one that will meet your needs, just don’t go too far.

· Good perks: Good travel nursing agencies know how to bring in nurses by offering special perks that the other companies don’t have. For example, maybe you can find a company that offers nice bonuses at the end of your assignments, and maybe you can find one willing to put you in luxury housing.

· Good listening skills: In addition to having great communication skills that put you at ease, the best travel nurse recruiters should be willing to listen to your concerns and work with you to give you the best situation possible. You deserve the best, so try to stay away from travel nurse companies that treat their nurses like products to be bought and sold.

Having said all of this, we still recommend that you contact any friends or associates that have used the services of a travel nurse agency, and get their recommendations.