travel healthcare

Advice from the other side: What do travel companies look for in a travel healthcare professional?

There are forum websites all over the internet, housing the opinions of travel healthcare professionals across the nation. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all thrown out there for the world to see. Some are true, some are untrue, and some thoughts are just opinions of who to work with, what to do, and how to work through difficult situations.

These forums provide healthcare workers the opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of different travel companies and navigate what is most important to them and what they are looking for in a travel company. This is the exact reason I was inspired to write this blog – to help educate the travel nurse, travel therapist, and all other travelers around the world about the other side: What are 5 things travel companies look for in a travel healthcare professional?

1) Trust & honesty

The most important element in any relationship, is TRUST. Our business is tough. It’s the relationship and consulting business, without the handshake. 95 percent of our business is done over the phone and we do not meet many of our employees in person. Due to this, it is even more important to be up front and honest in every conversation, be transparent, and make our relationship a true partnership built on trust.

2) Consistent communication

Due to our business being primarily over the phone, it is very easy to disappear when it’s convenient. I urge you not to disappear and to communicate effectively with your Recruiters and Account Managers. I am not naive; rarely does someone solely work with one agency. If I was a traveler, I would talk to 2-3 agencies myself, but I would be 100 percent up front and honest with all my contacts. If I took a job with another company, I would notify all the other companies and let them know. Set expectations on your relationship. When I was an Account Manager, I had a same day call back policy, and I communicated that and expected that from all my employees as well.

3) Don’t believe everything you read & hear online

When something bad happens to you, you tell 100 people. When something good happens, you tell 10 people. That is our society in a nutshell; we are a blame society, and gravitate towards the negative. You will read many things online that are positive and find great information on the travel healthcare industry. Problem is, those 1000 great comments can be washed aside by 1-2 bad comments that may, or may not, be true. I would encourage you to have an open mind and realize that anyone can write anything on the internet and there are always two sides to every story.

4) Give us feedback

We care about you and your career. Please give us feedback on how we are doing and what we can do better. If you have certain expectations, please relay that information to your Recruiter and/or Account Manager. Your success is our success, but we can only improve if we know about it. Please let us know how we are doing on a consistent basis.

5) Separate your needs vs wants

We all want a million dollars but we don’t need a million dollars. When talking about jobs, please separate what you actually need to make ends meet financially, shifts, location, etc, from what you want. For example, often times people want $35/hr, Dallas, TX, and day shift, when they would actually consider $33/hr, Austin, TX, and nights. We will always try to get you what you want, but please consider jobs that meet the requirements of what you need as well. Negotiating and playing mind games are songs of the past, and in this market it is most effective for everyone to communicate and consider jobs that may be only part of what they actually want.

Jeff-West

Jeff West has been employed in the travel nurse industry for 11 years. Prior to being a Branch Manager, he was an Account Manager and Recruiter for 7.5 years while working with over 100 hospitals in 17 different states.

9 comments

  1. Why am I not aloud to do travel nursing just because I am only an LPN? I have been a nurse for several years and am very knowledgable at that.

  2. Well written!! I have found all of these things to be true in my travel experience. However, there is one thing that I do consistently…sing the praises of my recruiters and Aureus while on assignments!
    I am so fortunate to have had Kendra, Reggie and Emily and I LOVE them all!!
    Thank you , Aureus for being fair and for caring about your nurses!!

  3. This is my first time doint the travel nurse, and I enjoy it, kinda scary at first, but realy enjoy doing and seeing new things and meeting new poeple.

  4. Hello my name is Terania most people call me Tera. I am a CNA with 7 years experience in long term care and rehab predominantly. I am very excited about starting my journey as a travel CNA but I worried I am only getting my hopes up in vain. I wonder if it is at all typical for CNAs to land travel jobs throughout the country. I am an extremely dedicated and hardworking person and would be an asset to any employer. But I wonder if I am just hopeful for not as this may not be a real opportunity for me. After completing my application, I have yet to speak with a recruiter. Does it typically take a few days to hear back from someone in regards to your application? I know it took very little time for an inquiry specialist to get back to me, I suppose I was expecting the same from a recruiter. I worry if the delay is a sign that the folks at Aureus Medical that I am not or wont be a good fit. Are my concerns legitimate or just unnecessary anxiety?

  5. To Sheila,
    Thank you for your response. We do staff LPN travel positions. Some locations and states may be limited, but we definitely have LPN orders to fill. Please do the Quick Apply on our website, and an Inquiry Team specialist will reach out to you.
    Thank you!

  6. To Bev,
    Thank you so much for your kind words!! That is awesome!! Always remember our referral bonus! I am sure you have taken advantage of that benefit already in the past. Thank you for all your hard work with Aureus!! 15 completed travel contracts with us starting back in 2010. That is great Bev!! Thank you!!

  7. To Lori,
    Thank you for your response! Are you currently working with Aureus? Sorry, your last name isn’t in your response, so I cannot look you up in our system. If so, thank you very much for your hard work, and always remember our $750 Referral Bonus. If you are working with another company, I am glad you are enjoying your experience, and would love to get in touch with you to tell you about what Aureus can offer. You can Quick Apply on our website, and an Inquiry Specialist will reach out to you.
    Thank you!

  8. To Tera,
    Thank you for reaching out to us. I see that you spoke with Sophie, one of our recruiters, on April 25th, so I am glad she was able to connect with you! She will take care of you, and work to find you a good job match.
    Thanks!

  9. Some very good tips from the other side.
    Have been traveling since Jan of 2000.
    I found that it’s best to be flexible .
    I have worked in a number of settings
    from large cities to very rural areas.
    I flew 140 miles on a bush plane into a remote Alaskan village last summer.
    It’s always an adventure.
    You can’t always have a luxury apartment with a spa and a gym.
    Sometimes the needs of the facility will change and you may be asked to work a different shift from the one you signed on for.
    I too sing the praises of Aureus wherever I go.
    Have referred many people who think about traveling.

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