Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once compared job interviewing to dating—two high-pressure, high-tension situations (except a job interview doesn’t last all night!)  The good news is that interviewing doesn’t have to be as stressful as a date. All it takes is a little preparation and the right mindset. 

As a travel nurse, your interviews will generally be conducted by telephone. This presents its own challenges, but the preparation is just like a face-to-face meeting, except you’ll save a small fortune on hair, make-up, dry-cleaning, and gas.

Prepare like a pro

Have you ever finished a job interview only to realize that you never mentioned your most important skill or relevant experience?  An easy and essential preparation is to make a list of your specialized skills, and attach it to your résumé. Keep these documents in front of you during phone interviews, so you can quickly refer to them.  This way, nerves won’t get the better of you when you’re asked a challenging question. This simple technique will relax you, bolster your confidence, and help you shine.

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Much longer than a vacation and shorter than a relocation, hitting the road with everything you need for a successful 13-week travel assignment requires planning. Make sure to include these on your list of must-haves.

#1 - Go with an open mind.
A flexible attitude will get you through those unexpected and inevitable challenges that come with any adventure.

“I always tell people getting into the travel profession that while they can count on Onward to back them when they need it, they should understand that there will always be something that doesn’t go 100% the way they want it to go. The people who have that flexible mindset often have great travel experiences, despite any hurdles they may encounter,” says Onward Healthcare Corporate Trainer Cassandra Lindquist.
 
#2 - Be comfortable in your own skin.
It takes time to become part of an established nursing team and social network; so, travelers should be prepared for some alone time.

“Travelers need to be able to operate without a lot of assistance, whether it’s on the job or during their off time. Those self-starters do well, versus people who thrive on immediate attention or appreciation,” Lindquist says.

#3 - Find out what’s included and what’s not in your housing, and pack accordingly.
Housing in an extended stay type environment includes household items, such as pots, pans, forks and drinking glasses. But housing in an apartment usually does not. Ask your recruiter whether you need to bring a blender, microwave, garbage can, alarm clock, hair dryer, etc. If you don’t want to bring everything with you, consider purchasing household odds and ends and gadgets at a discount retailer when you arrive. Some travelers purchase these items when they arrive on assignment and donate them before they leave to get the tax-deduction.

(Don’t worry about furniture. Most housing comes with all the furniture you’ll need, as well as a television. But you’ll need to bring bed linens, towels, hangers …. Don’t forget the cell phone, computer and consider bringing a scanner, which allows you to send time sheets to your recruiter without the hassle of finding a local fax machine.)
 
#4 - Keep personal paperwork within reach.
Lindquist tells travelers that they should bring copies of what they’ve submitted to Onward, including medical documentation and licensure, in case a hospital requests it. It’s also good to bring other personal information, such as bank statement documentation.

#5 - Have cash on hand.
You’ll want to bring cash along, just as you would for any long vacation. Lindquist recommends that travelers consider banking with national banks, so that they have better access to their money and ATMs from most travel destinations.

#6 - Be prepared with the essentials.
Ask your recruiter about the weather conditions at your travel destination and pack clothing that will keep you appropriately warm, cool and comfortable. If you’re driving, prepare for the road. Keep up on your vehicle’s maintenance and prepare for changing weather conditions by getting all-season or all-weather tires.

Most of all, pack a good dose of excitement for your upcoming journey!

By Lisette Hilton, Featured Contributor

 Income potential is among the lures of travel nursing. But you may not realize that hourly rate is only a part of the money-making equation. These are some of the many ways travel nurses boost their take-home pay:

Turn unused benefits/perks into cash.
Some travel companies, including Onward Healthcare, offer flexible option benefit packages, allowing travelers to pick and choose those benefits they need, while getting cash credit for those they don’t. Travelers who don’t need the housing, health insurance or travel reimbursement offered by their travel company, can turn these benefits into pay raises. Some travelers find less expensive housing and pocket what’s left of the travel company’s allowable housing expense.

Don’t leave home without your car.
Better yet, have you ever considered a motor home? Despite high gas prices, it’s still usually cheaper to drive your car to your travel destination, rather than relying on public transportation. This is true especially given the amount of site seeing you might want to do. Taking that thought a giant leap further, how about traveling from your very own RV? Many of today’s nurse travelers tow their cars or motorcycles and pocket much of the cost associated with housing.

Consider off-the-beaten path locations.
Travelers find the highest paying locations are generally in places that have difficulty attracting traveling nurses. Destination type places, as well as attractive academic institutions, aren’t as hungry for travelers as those out-of-the-way rural or inner city hospitals, so, it makes sense, that the “hungriest” hospitals are more willing to pay higher hourly rates.

Ask about Onward’s Rapid Response Nursing program.
Rapid Response is Onward’s way of paying extra for those travel nurses who can leave for their assignment on the drop of a dime. Nurses who have their paperwork in order and can leave for their next travel assignment with only two to three weeks notice, command high pay—with the highest hourly pay rates in the industry for assignments across the U.S.

If maximizing your pay as a traveler is one of your top goals, speak up and ask your recruiter about these and other money-making options.

By Lisette Hilton, Featured Contributor

A Message to all Onward Healthcare Working Professionals

In order to receive your weekly paycheck on time during the upcoming holiday week, a completed timesheet must be submitted via fax to 800-970-5001 no later than Sunday, June 29th at 10:00am EST.

Hours reported after the deadline or timesheets with errors will not be processed until the following week’s payroll.  Our offices will be closed on Friday, July 4.  As always, we thank you for your cooperation! If you have any questions, please contact:

Adele Calbick | Director of Payroll
1-800-278-0332 x3149 | acalbick@onwardhealthcare.com

Take a snapshot of nurse travelers and you’ll find they represent a range of ages; inspired and motivated by many factors, from the desire to see the country to making as much money as possible.

“While it’s difficult to typecast a nurse traveler according to age, there are some motivating factors that seem to consistently strike travelers in the different generations,” says Onward Healthcare Corporate Trainer and Recruiter Cassandra Lindquist. 

“The newer nurse travelers, in their 20s or early 30s, are often more location driven. They might start off with an assignment that’s close to home and get their feet wet, or they might be enticed by traveling to far-away dream destinations. Some newer travelers may also be looking for that ‘resume builder’ location at a teaching or specialty hospital,” Lindquist adds. “The more experienced nurse traveler, who might be in her or his 40s, 50s and older, often has the experience, but might be looking to build up the retirement fund or pay for the kids’ college. We have lots of travelers who have left jobs they’ve had for decades because they’ve hit financial walls and want to finally earn a higher salary.”

But money isn’t always the motivator. Like their younger counterparts, baby boomers and their elders (known at the veteran, silent or traditionalist generation) get an insatiable desire to hit the road. Especially seasoned nurses who have been at the same jobs and places for too long have a tendency to want to get out and see how the rest of the country lives.

Hearing the tick of the clock motivated Tammy R., RN, BSN, Onward Traveler, to become a career nurse traveler with Onward Healthcare three years ago. At 41, this Mississippi Gulf Coast native has crossed the U.S. in her RV to travel assignments from the Northeast to California.

“The main reason that I got into travel, was not for money. I got into it because I don’t want to wait until I’m my mother’s age to retire and see the country,” Tammi says.

There is no one age or age group in which nurses are most likely to travel; rather, travelers represent an incredible mix of ages, according to Lindquist.

“Nurses, in general, are lured by the potential for adventure and money making that travel offers,” Lindquist says. “Even retired nurses are getting into travel. It helps them stay professionally stimulated. Many travel with their mates and visit friends and family members. It’s a great way to stay connected at any age.”

By Lisette Hilton, Featured Contributor

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. "
-Helen Keller, The Open Door (1957)

Helen Keller, American author, activist and lecturer, spent the majority of her life campaigning for women's suffrage, workers' rights and socialism; however her above quote has stood the test of time and may be more relevant to today's worker than it was 50 years ago. In today's world, a career as a healthcare professional can open almost any door for you.  Nurses and allied healthcare professionals are in extremely high demand, so much so that agencies like ours focus on travel and local per diem staffing to help fill the ever growing nationwide shortage.

The result is the opportunity for nurses and allied healthcare professionals to experience a career like no other.  A career that offers a daring adventure.  A career that allows you to visit new and exciting places, while taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities.  A career that offers you the freedom to work where you want, how long you want, and to earn how much money you want.  Moreover, a career that offers all the security that would come from any permanent job. 

At Onward Healthcare, we value the work of each of our nurse and allied professionals and have created this blog as a means to display many of your daring adventures.  We hope to create a median in which we can recognize those truly inspiring tales we receive from so many of our professionals, whether it be how they conquered their dream of moving to the big city or how they took part in a procedure they never thought they would have the chance to.

My name is Steve Dobrowski and I am the marketing director for Onward Healthcare.  I will be one of the main voices who talks to you on this blog and helps bring the stories of our professionals to life.  I'll also let you know of any industry news that may interest you or impact your career, as well as what's going on with Onward Healthcare from a corporate standpoint, including news about our recruitment teams, special promotions that may benefit you, or company events where you may visit us.  What we will NOT do is use this space to try to sell you on assignments or market open positions.

The mission of the Onward Blog is to act as a resource for healthcare professionals and allow you to feel more connected to our company, as well as your fellow colleagues. We hope that you will subscribe to this feed, share it with friends, and check back weekly to see what's new in the world of nursing and therapy.  In addition, we hope that you will take the time to share your daring adventure or simply offer your feedback, as our best source of news and input is you... the professional!  Please feel free to email me your stories and suggestions at sdobrowski@onwardhealthcare.com.