11 Most Well Guarded Secrets About top travel nursing agencies

Travel nursing agencies represent an important role within the health care industry. These agencies have registered nurses that are placed temporarily in various hospitals and medical facilities. Although these agencies like to present themselves as open, honest, and transparent, there are a few secrets that leading agencies would rather not be known. Here are 11 of the most closely held secrets about leading top travel nursing agencies:

Dishonest and Deceptive Pay Package Manipulation

The top agencies would like to use the level of pay package complexity to make an offer appear to be more attractive. They could deflate taxable wages and inflate non-taxable stipends to inflate the hourly rate. In comparison, this might be more complicated, and it would result in tax implications for the nurses.

Relationship with Hospitals

Most agencies have exclusive or preferred relationships with some hospitals. What this means is that nurses working with such agencies may have access to job postings that are not publicly advertised, giving the nurse an inside edge in securing highly desirable positions.

Recruiter Incentives

Many times bonuses are based on placement, number, or profit margin, relying on the contractor. In doing so, recruiters may put other interests ahead of the nurses being placed.

Cancellation Clauses for Contract

Some agencies have clauses in contracts stipulated wherein an assignment will be canceled with short notice. This saves the agency but puts nurses in precarious situations where they may not have a place to stay or a job again shortly.

Accommodation

While many agencies promise to provide housing, they often make money off of the deals they set up. A housing stipend might be provided, but this stipend is oftentimes higher than what the actual housing costs, and the agency takes the remaining amount.

Insurance Coverage Gaps

Travel nursing agencies may have health insurance available, but these plans often include sizeable coverage gaps or high deductibles. Often, nurses might be underinsured or face unexpected out-of-pocket expenses.

Bill Rate Information

Agencies generally do not disclose the bill rate they charge hospitals for a nurse's services. This lack of disclosure can put a nurse at the mercy of the agency, making it hard to strike a fair deal.

Compact Licensing Preferences

The top agencies always prefer nurses to have multi-state compact licenses as it becomes easy to make cross-state placements. Nurses may not get as much opportunity with these agencies if they do not have compact licenses.

Blacklisting Policies

Some agencies maintain unofficial "blacklists" of nurses who have turned down assignments, complained about conditions, or otherwise been labeled a pain in the neck. This can be spread through agency grapevines and can hinder a nurse's chances of gaining employment in the future.

Cutting Corners on Training and Orientation

To maximize billable hours, some agencies may cut corners on orientation and training for new assignments. This can leave a nurse feeling uncomfortable in the role and compromise the care given to patients.

Fine Print about the Loyalty Program

Many agencies offer loyalty programs or bonuses for nurses who complete multiple assignments. However, the terms of these programs often include clauses that make it difficult for nurses to actually claim their rewards.

Once a travel nurse learns these secrets, they can become more conscious with regards to their agency and negotiations of contracts. Moreover, no agency acts on behalf of other agencies; instead most of them strictly follow all the principles of ethics with transparent relations with their registered nurses.

Meanwhile, as exciting as the adventure promised by travel nursing comes with options for exposure to experience in different places, attention must be given to relationships with agencies. Knowing these guarded secrets will make nursing better at advocating for herself and ensuring fair compensation for her specialties and talents.

Staffology health care space is going to keep changing, especially after recent world events, and is likely to heighten the pressure being put on the travel nursing industry, which means that there will be a greater need for transparency in the industry. Nurses aware of these industry secrets will find it relatively easier to navigate this dynamic field and make informed decisions based on professional objectives and personal needs.