Contracts & Travel Assignments - Nursing & Allied Health
If you are interested in a full time agency assignment for an extended period of time, a local contract or travel assignment is likely the best option. You can see a comprehensive list of available assignments here. These assignments are typically 13 weeks in length (though for local requests they can be shorter) and are usually 36-40 hours per week. Somewhat similar to a short-term staff position, local contracts and travel assignments will have a weekend and holiday requirement, in addition to requiring scheduling flexibility from the clinician. Before the contract begins, we will inform the facility of any dates you are NOT available to work for the entire duration of the assignment, and they will make you a schedule around those restrictions. While you generally cannot be canceled for a contract shift, and your schedule does not usually vary once it is made, you MUST be flexible in when you can work so that you can be scheduled on the days when they most need you.
Tips For Building Your Profile / Expediting the Hiring Process
Once we identify you as a viable candidate for a request we have received, the next step is to submit your profile to the facility so that the manager can review and hopefully, conduct a phone interview. Profiles consist of an updated resume, two recent supervisory references, and an updated skills checklist. The more attractive your profile looks to a potential employer, the more opportunities you will receive. We have over 10 years of experience in placing clinical professionals in a variety of hospitals and outpatient settings, so trust us, and take a moment to read through this list of helpful tips we have compiled:
Resume
Please make sure your resume is current, and includes both your employment as well as educational history (including specific dates). Under your employment history, your most recent and/or current position should be listed first. All other items should be listed in chronological order afterward. If you have worked through any agencies, please list all hospitals and units in which you have worked (not just the name of the agency). Highlight prior experience in units related to the units where you are seeking employment. Be as specific as possible, including information such as number of beds, any charge duties you assumed, etc. Always remember, YOUR RESUME IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS WE SUBMIT - if you are serious about receiving an interview, spend some time to make sure your resume really sets you apart from other candidates. You want the manager of that unit to review your resume and immediately know that you'll be a great fit for their team. If you email us a version of your resume in word format, we will keep it on file and update it for you after each assignment you complete.
Skills Checklist
Once you have completed your application on-line (it is just a few simple steps), we can assign you a skills checklist that you can complete electronically. Complete it like you are grading yourself on a report card - 4=A, 3=B, and so forth. DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT - as an experienced nurse you may be more qualified than you think! While you don't want to mis-represent your set of skills, you again want the manager to immediately know that you are proficient in the sets of skill that they will need the most.
Two Supervisory References
Our reference form is available on our Documents page. We encourage any clinician interested in readily available assignments to disperse this form to as many people as possible so that we can quickly get your references back. This is one item that takes some time to get back since you cannot complete it yourself and you have to rely on someone else. We can send them out for you, but if you are hoping for a quick turn-around, it is best to request them yourself due to the down-time we typically experience. References must be completed by a charge nurse or nurse manager that has supervised you in the clinical setting. It is best to have these completed by someone that has worked with you for a long time - a reference from someone that has worked with you five years will impress a manager (that is considering whether or not to call you for an interview) much more so than an reference from someone that has only worked with you a few months.
Phone Interview
Keep your phone handy! Once your profile is submitted, the unit manager will call you directly to conduct a phone interview. This could be later that day, or it could be a week later; it all depends on how busy the manager is. If all goes well, it is likely for a formal offer to be made by the facility within 24 hours of the interview. Please be prompt in replying to any offers, as they will often have a 24 hour deadline as to whether or not you accept. Once an offer is formally made and formally accepted, we will then relay orientation, credentialing, and pertinent contract information to you so that the assignment can begin on time. Just as important as replying to any offers is replying to any requests we make for updated credentials. Many facilities now require drug screens, background checks, physicals, and various other documents to be updated regularly. Failure to complete the communicated requirements will result in the facility either delaying or canceling the assignment. Again, we have done this for a while, so trust us when we tell you that you need to complete something for the facility where you will be working, and try to meet all requests as soon as possible to secure your assignment.
And FYI . . .
Please note that we have the same premium pay rates for contract / travel assignments as we do for our local per diem assignments. While many agencies will pay less for contracts (since the hours are guaranteed), we do not. Likewise, you can always work up to 48 hours each week to earn overtime pay.
Please contact us for details as to what is required to be considered a traveler and how the traveler compensation packages are broken down. Housing is readily available in any areas where we have positions available.