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Some of the most common queries about starting your career as a Healthcare Traveler are as follows. If you don’t find a question here that answers your problem, feel free to Contact us at (855) 335-9924 We will assist you in all your difficulties. “Our focus is on YOU and your Career!”
Getting started as a
The reason so many healthcare professionals choose to work travel healthcare travel assignments, is the flexibility of choosing a traveling healthcare assignment with the schedule and location desired. Additional options at the end of your travel assignment include: returning home, taking a permanent or per diem position, or taking time off from travel healthcare.
Researching assignment opportunities with agencies that you are signed up with.
The benefit of being a HealthCare Traveler is, it is you choice what you would like to do next, and there are a lot of great agency that we'll make it happen for You!
What is the process of becoming a HealthCare Traveler?
Follow these six easy steps to begin or continue your healthcare traveling experience!
1. Complete the HCEN online application & skills checklist for your particular discipline and specialty or specialties.
Partnered with the nation’s top travel healthcare staffing agencies, the HealthCare Employment Network gives you access to the top Healthcare Travel Agencies in the nation. Our online application produces a comprehensive profile that is presented to our clients within hours of completion.
The profile is a very comprehensive “snap shot” of your skills and experience and will take you about 20 minutes to complete.
2. Choose the agencies with which you want to work.
With HCEN you have the opportunity to explore the benefits of each agency that contacts you. It is a competitive field and our client agencies want to work with you! Ultimately, it will come down to which agency has the assignment you want, the compensation, and your time table for starting an assignment.
3. Choose a healthcare staffing agency or multiple agencies that you feel meets your needs.
You will have a variety of opportunities from which to choose. Each agency will have their own perks to offer but you will find that, for the most part, they all offer similar compensation and benefit packages. Again, it usually comes down to the agency that has the right assignment for you.
4. Choose an assignment with the healthcare travel agency that you wish to pursue.
You will be offered different assignments in different locations according to the preferences you indicated on your profile. At this point you will need to make some choices and pursue the assignment(s) that are most attractive to you.
5. Interviews
By this point in the process, you will have interviewed with the healthcare travel agency and narrowed your assignment preferences. Your chosen agency will present you to the healthcare facility and that facility will schedule a phone interview with you. Your agency recruiter will coordinate this for you.
6. Accept the assignment
Accept the assignment! The team at your healthcare staffing agency will work with you regarding licensing, credentialing, and housing.
Some of the benefits of traveling as a healthcare professional include:
- Great Compensation Packages
- Receive a Housing Stipend/ or Accommodations
- Build your skills
- Explore different Regions
- Endless Opportunities and Adventures
- Professional Career Growth
- Freedom and Flexibility
- Meet new People and make new Friends
Note: You may be asked to extend your assignment another 13 weeks. That’s great! It means you have impressed your assigned healthcare facility and they value your skills and experience. Your recruiter will contact you about an extension if it is offered or talk with you about your next assignment.
Housing and Accommodations for Healthcare Travelers
Typically, a Healthcare Traveler has two options for housing while on assignment. You should always talk with your recruiter and the travel agency’s housing department to determine which option is best for you.
- Accept corporate housing coordinated by the housing department with the agency for which you are working. Housing providing by the travel agency will be fully furnished.
- Accept tax free housing “per diem” from the agency for which you are working and arrange for your own housing.
One of the factors to consider when choosing housing options is how far from home you will be traveling for your assignment. Below are some common scenarios:
- Your travel assignment is close enough that you can go home during off days in your schedule. For example: If you are a RN and your schedule is three 12 hour shifts and your assignment is close enough to home to commute on your off days then it might make sense to accept the housing “per diem” and find your own accommodations. Research Extended Stay or Corporate Hotels near your assignment and only pay for the nights you need. Be aware: Ideally your three 12’s will be on consecutive days but that is not always the case and can change during your assignment.
- Your travel assignment is across the country in an area where you want to visit and work but you are unfamiliar with housing opportunities. The safe option is to have the travel agency’s housing department secure corporate housing.
- Your travel assignment is a long way from home and you have accepted corporate housing for your initial 13 week assignment. However, you have worked out well with your assigned healthcare facility and they want to extend you for another 13 weeks. By this time you are more familiar with the area and the housing opportunities and you want to maximize the financial benefits of healthcare traveling so you might choose to accept the “per diem” and arrange for your own housing.
- During your assignment you will meet other healthcare travelers. It is not unusual for healthcare travelers to share accommodations when they have similar assignments and it is a considerable cost savings when choosing the “per diem” option. Many healthcare travelers begin their assignments traveling with a friend or a significant other who also is a healthcare traveler. This option is dependent upon the availability of assignments.
- If you are traveling with family be prepared to pay additional housing costs if you require multiple bedrooms. The travel agencies will work with you to find accommodations but will not pay the additional costs for family members.
- If you travel with a pet, and many healthcare travelers do, the additional deposits are your responsibility and not paid for by the healthcare travel agencies.
Listed below are online resources for housing and general information about the area or city where your assignment is located. The HealthCare Employment Network is not connected with nor do we endorse the following resources. We are providing these online resources strictly for your convenience.
Great resource for everything from local attractions to hotels.
This website is dedicated to housing information for the traveling professional.
Oakwood is a national company that provides fully-furnished apartments, houses, suites for extended stay, temporary, or relocation accommodations as a hotel alternative.
Regardless of the housing options you choose, the HealthCare Employment Network urges you to proceed with caution so that you feel safe in the accommodations you choose or the accommodations chosen for you by your healthcare travel agency. If you choose to have your healthcare travel agency provide housing and it is not what was described or you don’t feel safe in that location, communicate immediately with your agency recruiter.
How to be a Successful Healthcare Traveler
To a large degree, a sense of adventure is required to be a Healthcare Traveler. There are many rewards to healthcare traveling, both professionally and personally.
Be Flexible
Be flexible with your healthcare travel agency and your assigned facility! Be open to locations and willing to travel to a variety of areas. Each assignment is unique and will involve different healthcare facilities, different management styles, and different policies. It is up to you to adapt but the reward is the added professional experience from each assignment.
Maintain Your Health
Take care of yourself! A change in location or environment is a shock to your system. Eat healthy and exercise when you can. Traveling as a healthcare professional is a wonderful opportunity and good health will enhance the experience.
Five Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering a Healthcare Traveler Lifestyle
- What is my motivation for becoming a healthcare traveler?
- Do I have the personality to adapt to a changing environment?
- When can I start?
- Where do I want to go and why?
- Have I gathered the proper paper work to travel as a healthcare professional?
(You will need proper licensure, vaccination records, current PPD, etc…your agency recruiter will go over that with you and most of the needed records can be obtained from the HR department at your current or last workplace.)
Enjoy yourself!
This is an opportunity to learn about a different region of the country. Take the time to visit local attractions such as state and national parks. Sample the local cuisine! Visit or for local restaurant recommendations. Make friends and stay in touch!
It is important to remember that you are a guest!
You will be on assignment for a relatively short time. Always remember that you are a “guest.” Respect and adapt to the policies and procedures of your assigned healthcare facility.