Most people are conditioned to believe “if something appears too good to be true, it probably is.” People follow this fallacy to illogical conclusions and will often believe misconceptions to validate that opinion. The same is true with ideal jobs. Jobs that have good pay, wonderful benefits and other reimbursements are looked at as potentially fraudulent and people spend time looking for “The catch.” You will find that many of these falsehoods are simply a matter of perception.
Myth 1: “You cannot just choose where you want to go, they tell you where to go.”
This is partly true. Obviously, if a hospital has no openings the agency cannot place you in the hospital. So complete and absolute choice depends on what assignments are available. You do choose between those assignments. Some agencies will not have access to certain hospitals that other agencies do. You have to be selective about the agency you do work for, make sure that they work with hospitals in areas that you are interested in being. The agency does not tell a nurse where to go, they know that there are plenty of people out there to fill the position if it does not appeal to you.
Myth 2: “Accommodations that are provided are low rent, and in dangerous neighborhoods. If you want better, you have to pay for that yourself.”
Some agencies may not pay a great deal of attention to where they provide living arrangements for their customers. If they want to remain in business, then they do provide good accommodations. Nobody wants to stay in an unsafe neighborhood or do not feel comfortable. Agencies know this and often put people in private luxury housing. No roommates, simply an apartment or a home, close to work in a quality neighborhood. Even if you do find yourself renting a place to live, while on contract. The agencies give you a housing allowance to help offset the cost. They do this to attract the best the field has to offer.
Myth 3: “If you are a contract worker at a hospital, you get treated poorly by the regular staff.”
The truth is, hospitals that hire traveling nurses are understaffed. The regular staff is often overworked, tired, and appreciative of any relief. Imagine how grateful you would feel if someone was there to take your place while you took some time off. Hospital staff relies on contract workers as much as they do their own in house staff. If travel nurses are abused, berated, or made to feel unwanted, the hospital knows that it will be harder to get quality nurses brought in when they need them. The traveling nurse is treated with the same respect and value as every other medical professional.
These are just three of the most common misconceptions about traveling nurses. Most of these have no truth, or only minor truth. These myths come about from people not understanding how the traveling nurse field works. Once you look into it, you will find that there are ample opportunities in this growing industry.
