The AMS Blog

Things to consider when becoming a Travel Nurse

American Medical Staffing, women in scubs with stethoscope and clipboard

Thinking of becoming a Travel Nurse? Are you looking for additional resources? We look at how joining American Medical Staffing can make it a simple, and enjoyable process. RNs, LPNs, and allied health professionals love working for AMS because we understand what it’s like to work in healthcare today. We’re here to make your job easier. To support your emotional well-being. To help you focus on what you really want to do…provide care.

Great jobs. Even better recruiting support.

Our healthcare recruiters can be your career partner. We’ll connect you with fulfilling jobs. Simplify onboarding and credentialing. And provide you with an exceptional work experience.

The Resources You Need

It can be a challenge to find everything you need online especially when it comes to authentic nursing information, so we’ve compiled some helpful travel nurse FAQs

Concerns about the consistency of work (When the contract ends will there be another one for me?)

American Medical Staffing has an industry-leading retention rate of 87% of our Healthcare Professionals. Our goal is to be the employer of choice for our clinicians and to provide options for your next contract well before your contract end date. You can expect to start talking with your Recruiting Manager about opportunities when you are about halfway through your contract.

Did you know… we have benefits!

Yes, we have a full suite of best-in-class benefits! Benefits are effective on the first day of employment. The plans are very diverse (4 different health insurance plans, 3 different dental plans) and affordable. We also offer supplemental benefits such as short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, and much more. See them here.

How do Travel Pay Packages “actually” work?

To be eligible for any travel compensation, you must be duplicating living expenses – maintaining two households, during your assignment with AMS.

Based on government guidelines, we calculate your MLA by determining the number of days per week you duplicate living expenses and the location of your temporary work assignment. Here is a link to the government website that outlines these rates: www.gsa.gov

Does AMS provide housing?

Although we can certainly recommend and advise you on housing options on your behalf, most travelers find the best fit for housing when they secure it directly, including deciding personal trade-offs that enable them to maximize their take home pay. We can also offer assistance for travel relocation or other arrangements – just ask your recruiting manager.

Want to read more about Housing Options and Resources? See our other blog.

Working as an agency nurse – when to contact AMS and when the contact the facility

As your employer and career partner, we always recommend that you touch base with your recruiting manager first and then formulate the next steps from there. This puts us in the best position to be able to support you.

We have an Employee Resources sheet that consolidates our department information and useful contacts.

Other examples include:

  • When requesting time off, your Recruiting Manager will collect all the details before the start of your contract. Moving forward, as things come up, you would arrange time off with your direct supervisor/scheduler with as much notice as possible. Come back to us to inform.
  • Call outs – reach out to your direct supervisor first, and then follow up with your AMS Recruiting Manager or our off-hours team.
  • Questions about your paycheck
  • Questions about your benefits
Will clinicians be trained prior to their expected start date?

American Medical Staffing takes care to place healthcare professionals in the setting, unit, or specialty where they have clinical experience. That means AMS HCPs can start their position with confidence knowing they are skilled to treat patients/clients in the setting they will be working. Most of our client facilities require contract healthcare professionals to have at least 2 years of experience in their specialty.

Our client facilities and school districts offer orientation and training to AMS staff for policies and procedures, EMR (electronic health record), and unit-specific preferences. The time allotted for training varies by client and can range from 1 day to 1 week; your Recruiting Manager will discuss these details with you for your specific contract options!

Advice for nurses thinking they can try out a new specialty with an agency.

As a Joint Commission accredited staffing firm, American Medical Staffing is committed to patient safety and our team member’s successful contract placements. As such, we place healthcare professionals in the setting, unit, or specialty that aligns with their clinical experience. Most of our client facilities require contract healthcare professionals to have at least 2 years of experience in their specialty.

Cross training as an agency nurse is not applicable with most specialties. However, are there circumstances where one specialty compliments another? Yes! For example, positions in a Correctional Healthcare setting often accept clinicians with ER, ICU, or Psych experience. This of course is client-dependent, and our Recruiting Managers act as your career advocates and will work tirelessly alongside you to ensure you have a good match, and all expectations are aligned.

 

Trust American Medical Staffing, a leading agency for healthcare jobs nationwide, for your job search in nursing, allied health, and other healthcare fields.
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