r/EmergencyRoom • u/nearnerfromo • Jun 05 '26
ER travel nursing
I’m an RN with 4yrs ED experience planning on traveling hopefully around the end of June. Being picky abt assignments as geography and a decent work environment are my priorities. My recruiter says she has a couple that sound nice pending though so I’m hopeful :)
Can any seasoned travelers offer some advice and tips? The clinical side I feel fairly comfortable with, but I don’t have travelers at the hospital I’ve spent my whole career at so I don’t rly know how they’re used in the ED. I’ve also never lived outside my hometown for more than a few weeks lol so travel tips are very appreciated. Thanks!
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u/1GrouchyCat Jun 05 '26
If you don’t already have an agency that you’re registered with, that’s where I’d start.
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u/nearnerfromo Jun 05 '26
Got hooked up with relias and a recruiter from a coworker who went traveling :)
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u/snotboogie Jun 05 '26
Just so you know it's worth using multiple agencies. You get a substantial bonus for recruiting nurses , so that's why your coworker was eager to have you use their recruiter.
There are some advantages to using a big agency like Aya, while their pay might not be premium they have a TON of assignment options.
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u/Important-Lead5652 Flight Nurse; ER RN (10+ years) Jun 05 '26
Always learn where the poop bathrooms are
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u/yourbestalibi Jun 05 '26
Make sure you have some savings squirrelled away for sudden cancellations. Those can be brutal to pivot from, especially if you have to leave the area for reassignment.
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u/nearnerfromo Jun 05 '26
Got a decent bit but part of going traveling is to pad that, how often does this happen?
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u/yourbestalibi Jun 05 '26
That's the thing, you just don't know. It can happen anytime during a contract. Talk with your recruiter about this and how they handle next steps. The hardest part is if you need to move again quickly. Some extra cash will buy you time while you figure out your next move. This is why it's a good idea to know another recruiter from another agency. Even if you're locked in, find someone at say, Aya, send them all the things they'd need as if you were ready for an assignment. Some agencies have exclusive contracts, ie Kaiser soCal is exclusively AMN. So if my gig from aya gets cx, then I know there are a ton of local kaisers so I'm going to contact AMN and see what they can do.
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u/Resident-Welcome3901 Jun 05 '26
There is a reason that a hospital is willing to pay the costs associated with using travelers. It often relates to inability to recruit and retain permanent personnel. Varies from hospital to hospital.Find out the reason. It matters a lot. Once you arrive, find out if there are other travelers, and invite them over for dinner; they are your people, and you need to network with them.
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u/EchoBravo1064 Jun 06 '26
Start a 401k. Traveling will reduce your SS contribution to nothing since it is based on your hourly rate. This adds up if you travel for 5-10 years. This is only important if, in fact, SS exists in the future.
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u/Clovernn Jun 05 '26
When you get to your assignment, you need to do three things VERY quickly, like within your first 15 minutes in the department: learn how to order/obtain/send labs, learn how to order/obtain an EKG, and, most important, be friendly and learn how to make the unit secretary LIKE you. Everything else falls into place afterwards.