Recruiter: it’s the best rates that are being offered.
We’re in a tenuous place in the travel nursing industry. Right now, there are more nurses traveling than there are assignments available. Hospitals know this. They know that no matter what their rates are, there will be multiple nurses who haven’t worked in several months and will be desperate enough to take it because they need to pay their bills. It’s a horrible way to operate, in my opinion. But it is a reality.
I’m actually speaking with a psych nurse I work with right now; she’s being offered to extend, but the facility reduced their bill rate. From her perspective, she’s being asked to handle more at work, and now she’s being offered less money to do it. But from the facility’s perspective, they know if she turns down the extension because it’s less money to her, they could post the open assignment and have it filled, probably at a lower cost to them, in just a few hours or maybe a day or two. So sure they want to keep her, but would benefit more financially if she turned the extension offer down. Would patient care suffer if they brought on a less experienced nurse because the pay is less? Probably. But that’s not their main concern anymore. Their main concerns focus around profiting themselves and the shareholders.
This is for-profit healthcare, folks.
Buckle up, because it will get worse.
I know it’s not your fault, I’m not annoyed with the recruiters. You’re just the middle man.
I’m insulted for every single reason you said.
It’s so frustrating to feel like the complexity of the work isn’t properly compensated. The fact that companies can play us like this is so annoying and infuriating.
Imagine a large company paying someone with a degree and 10+ years of experience in their field with something like business, accounting, architecture, engineering like this. Or treating them like this. Idk, I live in Canada, and the way we are treated vs the other groups I have named in a stark and degrading contrast.
I know it’s fairly similar in the states. I’m just so irritated. I can’t think about it too much or it gets me super riled and discourages me from the field entirely even though I love the job itself.
I appreciate that. I feel like the less knowledgeable travelers out there are quick to blame the recruiting agencies, when we’re just tasked by the hospitals to staff their needs.
And I’ve been in this business for 7 years. I’ve seen the ups and the downs and we’re definitely in some unprecedented downs right now. It MIGHT get better, approaching Fall/Winter…but look at the rest of corporate America. Prices for goods and services are still going up, and being called inflation even though it’s just greed. Capitalism doing what capitalism does. It’s all connected. And we’re all being conditioned to just accept it. That’s the real shame.
Such an accurate comment. I don't understand how some people don't see that is what's happening. So many people talk about 'inflation' when corporate profits are through the roof. Pure greed!
For about a year when my Panama city contract ended Sept of 22' my agency tried removing per diems and just offered only hourly rates to travel pcts. And 18.50/ hour at that. I told them thanks but no thanks and took a break. I'm glad I did. It phased out and they realize ain't nobody going for that. So my honest advice is let it phase out. Sure less experienced rns will take them but that's what you want. When these rns are dropped mid contract or not extended the hospitals and agency will see you get what you pay for. It takes seasoned staff to travel. Traveling is burning these newbies out. Stay in your lane. Cause I remember a time when in order to even apply for travel contracts there was a minimum of years in different departments that were a requirement. Not anymore. It'll bite them in the face. Mark my words.
I would agree except more places are just running understaffed now. I have had previous places I have traveled to begging me to come on full time, yet they won't do travelers.
Yes, most places will always run with bare minimum staffing, that’s why it’s best to work in States with staffing ratios.
Travelers are more expensive than regular staff, so will always be used as a last resort.
Something to keep in mind though, is that YOU have ten+ years experience…. But this same rate is being offered to your colleague with 4 years experience.
I have noticed that at my current travel assignment, most of the travelers are way younger than me and have way less experience. I’m in my early/mid 40s and I’ve been traveling since 2017, been a nurse way longer.
Just a different perspective. They’re actually *not* paying you for your experience. They’re paying for the licensed nurse that’s willing to come work for 13 weeks at the rate they’re offering.
I personally wouldn’t take that rate either, but I’m not offended or upset by it either.
Corporations do just that. Welcome to the real world. I'm guessing you started traveling during Covid. Because rates are still higher than they were pre COVID. But you're right, you should go back to staff so the travelers that enjoy traveling have a better chance at contracts.
Yes they are intentionally withholding salary/job listings banking on the fact that if enough time goes by the nurse will eventually be forced to accept the lower offer. And they don’t care what happens to the patients in the interim.
No offense but I only use foreign recruiters (indians/fillipinos) they take less pay and give us more money. Contract pay is usually based on recruiter greediness. Nursing is hard enough and I want as much as possible idc if my recruiter gets barely anything. We are the ones doing the work. American recruiters steal alot of the money.
Sure, I’ll comment on this.
Most recruiting agencies I’m aware of (in America) have an operating budget, overhead for acquiring new clients/hospitals so they can offer more assignments to travelers, and many types of taxes.
So first off, don’t think that it’s solely recruiters who are “taking your money”. Some agencies take 25% of the total bill rate to cover their costs of doing business, while other agencies have less overhead and can go as low as 10% on their contracts, it really just varies.
Obviously it goes without saying that it’s 100% your prerogative to work with any agency you want, whether they be foreign or American. All I’ll say about that is if I were relying on an agency/recruiter for my financial wellbeing, I’d REALLY want to know everything I can about the agency. My recruiter would need be reachable ALL THE TIME and also be able to rectify any issues I run into, whether it be an error in payroll, compliance complication, etc. Maybe I’m too careful, but I believe in stability and reliability. 🤷🏼♂️
At the end of the day, if you’re happy with whatever agency you work with, then stay with them. Not every agency is the enemy though, so don’t paint us all with too broad of a brush. 😉You’ll notice from some of my post and responses that we should all be aware that in a capitalist and for-profit system, we’re all just cogs for the larger machine, rarely do any of us make or influence decision in the “big picture” for any hospital. So do your research, find a reliable recruiter, and really hope for the best. Every agency is AWESOME until they aren’t able to fix a problem that is important to you.
Yes I agree I work with an agency that Is in the top 10. But I've talked to travelers with different recruiters within the company. They have different rates and different rules. For example my recruiter forced me to take a month off after extending for a year but another recruiter from same company didn't mention anything to their traveler about this who's been traveling for 3 years. Some recruiters don't care about the client but some look out for their best interest.
Your recruiter told you take a month off and then extend at the same place after being there a year? Your recruiter is wrong. You can’t stay at one place longer than a year; take a month off and come back. Thats the best way to owe uncle sam. Ask me how i know.
Per the IRS, you cant be in one location over a year and take stipends. After a year everything is taxed. Audits suck. You have to be gone the same amount of time you were there. If you were there for 12 months have to be gone 12 months.
[Rule for VA travel nurses](https://www.va.gov/NURSING/Workforce/ONS-TC_FAQ.asp)
Even the VA doesn’t allow longer than one year. And thats government. Even states cant be longer than 10 months due to tax implications.
Do research outside of your agency. Look at the IRS, talk to an accountant and google Joseph Smith who does travelers taxes and educates about this. You are asking for an audit.
I'm sick of these contracts. They are paying $70 an hour for float pool or resource . They are forcing us to staff again! I'm sick of these hospitals. It's not enough to duplicate living expenses and still win, but as soon as there is another outbreak, they are back to using us again. CROOKS!
That is exactly what the hospitals are doing. And then sure enough, as soon as they get enough travelers to become staff, those pay rates will vanish. “We’re eliminating all float pool and internal contract positions. We will place you on a floor if you’d like, at the usual hourly rate.” Ain’t no way hospitals are going to pay nurses $70/hour a second longer than they have to.
I had an interview last Friday for $67 hr float pool. Basically, take 6 patients and float around. We will use you.. the float pool her on my travel assignment, they make $70 at night.
I traveled on $1300/week in 2019, but rent is 50% higher, groceries cost double what they were, and utilities are higher to name a couple things. My groceries are $400/mo more and my rent is up $500/mo from 2019. So I have an extra $900/mo in just those two things alone. Maybe some people have other financial contributors in their house like a spouse, many of us don’t.
Rent is not 50% higher in the overwhelming majority of the country. Groceries are 20% higher. These are all facts, not made up numbers you're spouting.
Rents are up 30% nationally from 2019 to 2023.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/rent-cost-us-2024-housing-national/
People from LCOL areas rent has easily increased 50% since 2019. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/06/12/metro-areas-with-the-biggest-one-bedroom-rent-increase-since-2019.html
Also the grocery "inflation" number of 25% is based on the average of of all price increases. Take a look at your credit card or bank statements from 2019 to 2024 to determine your actual inflation number.
Idk. From what I’ve observed living in both countries, the States has a lot more expenses than we do in Canada and the cost of living is not technically as expensive but the pay is lower comparatively.
In Canada our most experienced nurses get topped off at 56 per hour and we are all struggling to pay bills here.
Maybe inflation wasn’t as shitty when you did that. Or maybe you had less optional expenses.
This is a pretty speculative comment.
Average rate for a PTA is still 1300/week. It’s a shit rate but people do it. It’s just hard to take seriously someone who is saying 8000/month is a garbage rate. Sure, there’s a lot of variables to that but cmon, if you can’t make 8000/month work you’re doing something wrong
You have to duplicate expenses on the rate they are providing. By the end of duplicating the 7620 (380 less than 8k) you make less than staff. Especially if you have children and animals to support as well.
Haven’t lived full time in the states for a few years - but where I live currently rent is 2500 for an apartment and utilities are easily 250-350 per month. I can’t afford to duplicate that at 7620 while also paying other expenses. Even if no utilities, while also putting away money.
Rentals in this area are on the cheaper side which is good news. About 1400 if you want a place to just yourself. But still, if I make 7620 per month and then duplicate expenses in that way - it’s really not that much left over.
Groceries alone where I live are about 800 per month and that’s without any sort of special diet either. I’m talking Walmart and Costco.
Maybe I just think this way because I live in a very expensive area that I am unable to move from (partner is military) and the cost of living has jumped drastically (houses around us are renting and or selling for nearly 35% more than they were a year ago).
But either way - I still don’t agree that this is a great price.
Especially when I live in Florida and my bills for two people with rent are $1583/month. I don’t understand how people can not live on $8200 a month? The 1583 covers a 2/2/2 on a corner lot too.
Wait are you saying with or without groceries too? Because I did not include groceries. I just included car payment, car insurance, home insurance, mortgage, phone bills.
Groceries we budget 200 per week ish. 800 per month. 400 to savings isn’t enough for the instability. It would be if I was going to go somewhere I loved being. But right now, as staff, I make about 90k a year. This contract, hypothetically if I did it all year, would be about 92k.
Canada is fucked right now. Maybe my perspective would be different if I didn’t live here and had a more reasonable cost of living. But to pay two separate grocery bills with this too isn’t helpful.
And you’re totally right, that 400 would be enough for some people. But it’s just not enough for me. Power to them. It’s just really wild that 48h nights is paying this.
Again the principle of it all is my main shock.
You have, however, planted a seed in my brain telling my partner to drop the military and moving us to Florida 😂
lol with groceries we are at about 1983 a month for two people. Keep in mind we are two hours from any beach to the east, west and south of us! We are two hours from Tampa and Orlando and 2.5-3 hours from Miami. We are in the middle of nowhere. Now granted there’s about 21,000 people who live here year round. In the winter it gets to 40-50k
still more money than staff nursing. I work full time and with all the deductions and taxes coming off my cheques, my biweekly cheques are close to that.
Maybe so, but it is still much less than needed to duplicate expenses and housing, especially in this market. Most are taking home less pay than a staff position once bills in 2 locations are paid. Not worth the hassle anymore.
Honestly yes these assignments suck and they can be insult to some. But there are literally nurses taking them all the time lol.
Just skip it ignore the text and wait for something that is up your ally regarding compensation.
Pre Covid average was 1.5k/week. Some assignments paid as much as 2k/week in high COL areas, but they were not the norm. Not sure how many travel RN’s actually remember pre-Covid rates.
The same could be said for hospitals and agencies. I’ve been traveling for 9 years. The gravy train of cheap labor is about to end, thanks to a recession the government refuses to acknowledge and a housing market crisis.
Yes, and the rates now about what they were before COVID adjusted for inflation. They are definitely higher now then they were in 2019 and before - and not by a trivial amount.
😂 sure buddy. Just because you don’t make that on contract doesn’t mean some of us don’t make decent money.
Look up what nurses in Cali make. They make way more than I do.
1900 a week is more than decent money. You aren't making 8k a month at your staff job. Go tell that lie to some newbie recruiter that just started. Nobody with any experience in this industry buys that load of trash.
My per diem rate was $2412wk and my contract in the same city is $3312. That's $67hr staff and $92 blended on contract.
Full staff with benefits starts at $1980wk for a new grad.
But ok lol. Might want to start looking outside of whatever bubble you've been limiting yourself to.
And so staff/per diem I will be and leave at the drop of a hat...no way will I accept those rates. I certainly never want to hear these hospitals crying about lack of nurses to work. Goes with the whole "nobody wants to work" everywhere. Not working for horrible management for horrible wages is what people won't do. Better off pet/house sitting than lousy wages
No. I’m in a southern area, I make that as staff 40hr rate. There came an equilibrium point to go back to staff because after duplicating expenses, I came out ahead with the new staff rates to be home. Do I miss traveling, yes, but I missed my family and stability more. Too many gen z fresh out of school nurses graduating and wanting “that big money”, they graduate, and facilities scoop them up gullible and all. I lost a great extension to a cheaper young nurse, and one that lied about her abilities. Did the hospital care at the time, nope. Was it one of the straws for one surgeon to do way less cases at that facility, yup.
I have no idea how to edit a post y’all so I’m just adding this in as a comment instead:
I am not currently traveling, nor do I have the intention to. I have specifically taken my name off of everywhere I can and have asked multiple times to have my contact info removed from or to not be contacted by multiple organizations. It seems like even organizations I have never heard of have gotten my info and message me.
So I see the rates, I have for like a year and a half now, nearly every second day. This is the lowest one I had seen in a long time so I went back and looked at some of the messages I had been sent and noticed they had been steadily and quickly dropping.
It shocked me that this was put out there, yet, it was also not super shocking because of how we get treated like we are disposable.
Additionally, I was taken aback that these companies have the audacity to keep pelting me with messages like these and offer so low on top of it 😂 like, guys, the persistence didn’t get me, so the low offer sure won’t.
Anyway! Not sure if this changes anyone’s opinion on the post. I also don’t really care. I was stunned by the principle of it all more so than the rate alone. Though it is a shitty rate.
After traveling for the past year I am officially interviewing for staff positions because it’s just not worth it to miss my friends and family when I barely make enough to save after I cover both of my rents and expenses and bills. Had fun traveling while it lasted! ✌🏽
The problem is that nursing as a whole is not organized, and nurses have no backbone to stand up. If we all sat out, we could make these organizations pay us what we deserve. But, like teaching l, it's a profession of people that just go along with whatever.
Rates are definitely lower than before. The location and the area make it vary even more. I’ve seen rates increase a little bit more by me compared to two months ago when I was looking.
It's been like this for travel cnas. When they put thst cap on travel rns in Florida I was on a contract out there. I said welp time to transition into something else. Cause this ain't it. It was only a matter of time before this bullshit affected rns as well. The summer is usually lower pay months. But that there is just disgusting. I got offered 100 less than that as a lab tech in state! I turned it down due to my back treatment. I'm not trying to upset it just yet. But dammmmmn. I would block your recruiter. Or just make sure they know to not bring you anything less than. I have thst relationship with my recruiters. My 15 years experience says so. They would send me in sometimes having to raise the rate, cause they knew i could handle it but wouldnt without more money.... So we are all on the same page. I'm sure if you just discuss it with them they will have no problem accommodating that. And you won't have to deal with being insulted.
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.oregonrn.org/resource/resmgr/contracts/ohsu_contract_2023-2026.pdf
Just saying. I have been here a bit and just a few years out of retirement, state pension, I rode a decade of ED traveling in the mid 90’s til 2005, was “comparable” to Covid money, I stacked completion bonus’s minimum’s I would look at were $10,000 for 13 weeks back then. I was younger, now married, very stable future, all good going forward.
So staff pay is out there, I live 45 minutes away to minimize the COL issues, there is always sacrifice of some sort for what you want. Good luck out there, enjoy the ride, but there may be a home for you out there.
I’m in a different industry in which I’ve traveled my question is when a nurse travels does the hospital pay for your travel expenses? My company pays everything while I’m on the road
For the last 50 yrs hospitals have purposely slammed floor nurses, for what reason? Not a nursing shortage. Not quality pt care.. It's always about money. Whatever happens, protect your license & your patients.
Make sure you check the living expenses first. I was offered a ridiculous contract, 40 hrs a week (management) but per night anywhere near the city (tourist season) would cost over $450. The company wouldn't budge, so I turned it down.
As for foreign recruiters, at least you're contacted by a human (& I've had great contracts during Covid with one, several others non foreign were also good)
Now I'm getting texts from AI's, last one named Arthur. I find that extremely offensive. If you want a nurse to work, don't get a robot to do your bidding
Recruiter: it’s the best rates that are being offered. We’re in a tenuous place in the travel nursing industry. Right now, there are more nurses traveling than there are assignments available. Hospitals know this. They know that no matter what their rates are, there will be multiple nurses who haven’t worked in several months and will be desperate enough to take it because they need to pay their bills. It’s a horrible way to operate, in my opinion. But it is a reality. I’m actually speaking with a psych nurse I work with right now; she’s being offered to extend, but the facility reduced their bill rate. From her perspective, she’s being asked to handle more at work, and now she’s being offered less money to do it. But from the facility’s perspective, they know if she turns down the extension because it’s less money to her, they could post the open assignment and have it filled, probably at a lower cost to them, in just a few hours or maybe a day or two. So sure they want to keep her, but would benefit more financially if she turned the extension offer down. Would patient care suffer if they brought on a less experienced nurse because the pay is less? Probably. But that’s not their main concern anymore. Their main concerns focus around profiting themselves and the shareholders. This is for-profit healthcare, folks. Buckle up, because it will get worse.
I know it’s not your fault, I’m not annoyed with the recruiters. You’re just the middle man. I’m insulted for every single reason you said. It’s so frustrating to feel like the complexity of the work isn’t properly compensated. The fact that companies can play us like this is so annoying and infuriating. Imagine a large company paying someone with a degree and 10+ years of experience in their field with something like business, accounting, architecture, engineering like this. Or treating them like this. Idk, I live in Canada, and the way we are treated vs the other groups I have named in a stark and degrading contrast. I know it’s fairly similar in the states. I’m just so irritated. I can’t think about it too much or it gets me super riled and discourages me from the field entirely even though I love the job itself.
I appreciate that. I feel like the less knowledgeable travelers out there are quick to blame the recruiting agencies, when we’re just tasked by the hospitals to staff their needs. And I’ve been in this business for 7 years. I’ve seen the ups and the downs and we’re definitely in some unprecedented downs right now. It MIGHT get better, approaching Fall/Winter…but look at the rest of corporate America. Prices for goods and services are still going up, and being called inflation even though it’s just greed. Capitalism doing what capitalism does. It’s all connected. And we’re all being conditioned to just accept it. That’s the real shame.
Such an accurate comment. I don't understand how some people don't see that is what's happening. So many people talk about 'inflation' when corporate profits are through the roof. Pure greed!
For about a year when my Panama city contract ended Sept of 22' my agency tried removing per diems and just offered only hourly rates to travel pcts. And 18.50/ hour at that. I told them thanks but no thanks and took a break. I'm glad I did. It phased out and they realize ain't nobody going for that. So my honest advice is let it phase out. Sure less experienced rns will take them but that's what you want. When these rns are dropped mid contract or not extended the hospitals and agency will see you get what you pay for. It takes seasoned staff to travel. Traveling is burning these newbies out. Stay in your lane. Cause I remember a time when in order to even apply for travel contracts there was a minimum of years in different departments that were a requirement. Not anymore. It'll bite them in the face. Mark my words.
It’s called supply and demand, right now supply far exceeds demand!
I would agree except more places are just running understaffed now. I have had previous places I have traveled to begging me to come on full time, yet they won't do travelers.
Yes, most places will always run with bare minimum staffing, that’s why it’s best to work in States with staffing ratios. Travelers are more expensive than regular staff, so will always be used as a last resort.
I mean I get it in red states, but states with unions it wasn't as big of a trend until recently
Something to keep in mind though, is that YOU have ten+ years experience…. But this same rate is being offered to your colleague with 4 years experience. I have noticed that at my current travel assignment, most of the travelers are way younger than me and have way less experience. I’m in my early/mid 40s and I’ve been traveling since 2017, been a nurse way longer. Just a different perspective. They’re actually *not* paying you for your experience. They’re paying for the licensed nurse that’s willing to come work for 13 weeks at the rate they’re offering. I personally wouldn’t take that rate either, but I’m not offended or upset by it either.
I don’t have 10 years. I have 5. But I see what you’re saying.
Corporations do just that. Welcome to the real world. I'm guessing you started traveling during Covid. Because rates are still higher than they were pre COVID. But you're right, you should go back to staff so the travelers that enjoy traveling have a better chance at contracts.
Started post covid. I am staff. Thanks.
Yes they are intentionally withholding salary/job listings banking on the fact that if enough time goes by the nurse will eventually be forced to accept the lower offer. And they don’t care what happens to the patients in the interim.
Yup. Facilities are paying staff more, and boxing out travelers. Be happy to clear 70$ hr. Average now is 60-65$.
No offense but I only use foreign recruiters (indians/fillipinos) they take less pay and give us more money. Contract pay is usually based on recruiter greediness. Nursing is hard enough and I want as much as possible idc if my recruiter gets barely anything. We are the ones doing the work. American recruiters steal alot of the money.
Sure, I’ll comment on this. Most recruiting agencies I’m aware of (in America) have an operating budget, overhead for acquiring new clients/hospitals so they can offer more assignments to travelers, and many types of taxes. So first off, don’t think that it’s solely recruiters who are “taking your money”. Some agencies take 25% of the total bill rate to cover their costs of doing business, while other agencies have less overhead and can go as low as 10% on their contracts, it really just varies. Obviously it goes without saying that it’s 100% your prerogative to work with any agency you want, whether they be foreign or American. All I’ll say about that is if I were relying on an agency/recruiter for my financial wellbeing, I’d REALLY want to know everything I can about the agency. My recruiter would need be reachable ALL THE TIME and also be able to rectify any issues I run into, whether it be an error in payroll, compliance complication, etc. Maybe I’m too careful, but I believe in stability and reliability. 🤷🏼♂️ At the end of the day, if you’re happy with whatever agency you work with, then stay with them. Not every agency is the enemy though, so don’t paint us all with too broad of a brush. 😉You’ll notice from some of my post and responses that we should all be aware that in a capitalist and for-profit system, we’re all just cogs for the larger machine, rarely do any of us make or influence decision in the “big picture” for any hospital. So do your research, find a reliable recruiter, and really hope for the best. Every agency is AWESOME until they aren’t able to fix a problem that is important to you.
Yes I agree I work with an agency that Is in the top 10. But I've talked to travelers with different recruiters within the company. They have different rates and different rules. For example my recruiter forced me to take a month off after extending for a year but another recruiter from same company didn't mention anything to their traveler about this who's been traveling for 3 years. Some recruiters don't care about the client but some look out for their best interest.
Your recruiter told you take a month off and then extend at the same place after being there a year? Your recruiter is wrong. You can’t stay at one place longer than a year; take a month off and come back. Thats the best way to owe uncle sam. Ask me how i know.
Why can't you. There is no rule.
Per the IRS, you cant be in one location over a year and take stipends. After a year everything is taxed. Audits suck. You have to be gone the same amount of time you were there. If you were there for 12 months have to be gone 12 months.
There's no law it's a recommendation. You can take it up to the Supreme Court with the finest lawyers of America before a dime goes back to uncle sam
I was audited, but you do you.
They make you pay back your shit. What exactly happened
[Rule for VA travel nurses](https://www.va.gov/NURSING/Workforce/ONS-TC_FAQ.asp) Even the VA doesn’t allow longer than one year. And thats government. Even states cant be longer than 10 months due to tax implications.
You said you were audited but won't even explain your circumstance and how much you had to pay. I think you are full of shit
Do research outside of your agency. Look at the IRS, talk to an accountant and google Joseph Smith who does travelers taxes and educates about this. You are asking for an audit.
Those offers are meant for people that already live in Twin Falls, ID.
Landlords are also charging insane rates for travel nurses. They are exploiting y’all as well
I'm sick of these contracts. They are paying $70 an hour for float pool or resource . They are forcing us to staff again! I'm sick of these hospitals. It's not enough to duplicate living expenses and still win, but as soon as there is another outbreak, they are back to using us again. CROOKS!
That is exactly what the hospitals are doing. And then sure enough, as soon as they get enough travelers to become staff, those pay rates will vanish. “We’re eliminating all float pool and internal contract positions. We will place you on a floor if you’d like, at the usual hourly rate.” Ain’t no way hospitals are going to pay nurses $70/hour a second longer than they have to.
I had an interview last Friday for $67 hr float pool. Basically, take 6 patients and float around. We will use you.. the float pool her on my travel assignment, they make $70 at night.
As a PTA I traveled on 1300/week. Many still do. Maybe you need to reevaluate your lifestyle .
I traveled on $1300/week in 2019, but rent is 50% higher, groceries cost double what they were, and utilities are higher to name a couple things. My groceries are $400/mo more and my rent is up $500/mo from 2019. So I have an extra $900/mo in just those two things alone. Maybe some people have other financial contributors in their house like a spouse, many of us don’t.
Rent is not 50% higher in the overwhelming majority of the country. Groceries are 20% higher. These are all facts, not made up numbers you're spouting.
Rents are up 30% nationally from 2019 to 2023. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/rent-cost-us-2024-housing-national/ People from LCOL areas rent has easily increased 50% since 2019. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/06/12/metro-areas-with-the-biggest-one-bedroom-rent-increase-since-2019.html Also the grocery "inflation" number of 25% is based on the average of of all price increases. Take a look at your credit card or bank statements from 2019 to 2024 to determine your actual inflation number.
Idk. From what I’ve observed living in both countries, the States has a lot more expenses than we do in Canada and the cost of living is not technically as expensive but the pay is lower comparatively. In Canada our most experienced nurses get topped off at 56 per hour and we are all struggling to pay bills here. Maybe inflation wasn’t as shitty when you did that. Or maybe you had less optional expenses. This is a pretty speculative comment.
Average rate for a PTA is still 1300/week. It’s a shit rate but people do it. It’s just hard to take seriously someone who is saying 8000/month is a garbage rate. Sure, there’s a lot of variables to that but cmon, if you can’t make 8000/month work you’re doing something wrong
You have to duplicate expenses on the rate they are providing. By the end of duplicating the 7620 (380 less than 8k) you make less than staff. Especially if you have children and animals to support as well. Haven’t lived full time in the states for a few years - but where I live currently rent is 2500 for an apartment and utilities are easily 250-350 per month. I can’t afford to duplicate that at 7620 while also paying other expenses. Even if no utilities, while also putting away money. Rentals in this area are on the cheaper side which is good news. About 1400 if you want a place to just yourself. But still, if I make 7620 per month and then duplicate expenses in that way - it’s really not that much left over. Groceries alone where I live are about 800 per month and that’s without any sort of special diet either. I’m talking Walmart and Costco. Maybe I just think this way because I live in a very expensive area that I am unable to move from (partner is military) and the cost of living has jumped drastically (houses around us are renting and or selling for nearly 35% more than they were a year ago). But either way - I still don’t agree that this is a great price.
Especially when I live in Florida and my bills for two people with rent are $1583/month. I don’t understand how people can not live on $8200 a month? The 1583 covers a 2/2/2 on a corner lot too.
My bills for two people with rent where I live are 3400. It’s fucking insane. We have cut back everything we can. Inflation is a bitch lol.
Ok but you could literally pay double that and still have 1200 in savings a month lol with this contract 😂😂
Wait are you saying with or without groceries too? Because I did not include groceries. I just included car payment, car insurance, home insurance, mortgage, phone bills. Groceries we budget 200 per week ish. 800 per month. 400 to savings isn’t enough for the instability. It would be if I was going to go somewhere I loved being. But right now, as staff, I make about 90k a year. This contract, hypothetically if I did it all year, would be about 92k. Canada is fucked right now. Maybe my perspective would be different if I didn’t live here and had a more reasonable cost of living. But to pay two separate grocery bills with this too isn’t helpful. And you’re totally right, that 400 would be enough for some people. But it’s just not enough for me. Power to them. It’s just really wild that 48h nights is paying this. Again the principle of it all is my main shock. You have, however, planted a seed in my brain telling my partner to drop the military and moving us to Florida 😂
lol with groceries we are at about 1983 a month for two people. Keep in mind we are two hours from any beach to the east, west and south of us! We are two hours from Tampa and Orlando and 2.5-3 hours from Miami. We are in the middle of nowhere. Now granted there’s about 21,000 people who live here year round. In the winter it gets to 40-50k
🤢
Get a PRN and don’t accept anything you don’t like. Work the PRN as needed!!!!
still more money than staff nursing. I work full time and with all the deductions and taxes coming off my cheques, my biweekly cheques are close to that.
Maybe so, but it is still much less than needed to duplicate expenses and housing, especially in this market. Most are taking home less pay than a staff position once bills in 2 locations are paid. Not worth the hassle anymore.
True, almost worth renting out some rooms or something at the home location but that can be a lot of work as well.
Yep. We are looking into alternatives for income like this right now.
Honestly yes these assignments suck and they can be insult to some. But there are literally nurses taking them all the time lol. Just skip it ignore the text and wait for something that is up your ally regarding compensation.
Yup. Pre COVID rates. And yes, cost of living has increased. It is what it is.
Pre Covid average was 1.5k/week. Some assignments paid as much as 2k/week in high COL areas, but they were not the norm. Not sure how many travel RN’s actually remember pre-Covid rates.
But pre covid cost of living is a thing of the past. That was like 5 years ago. You can’t compare the two
Yes, well, all RN’s are feeling the pinch from inflation, staff included. Traveling didn’t suddenly become much less lucrative comparatively speaking.
Yes it did! Are you a traveler? Rates have dropped like crazy this past year but yes inflation is huge too
No, it didn’t. Inflation is affecting everyone, that’s why I said *comparatively*
No, it did not. I was traveling with pre-COVID rates in large cities with rents well north of $2000. I still made way more than I did as a staff.
Exactly. I think it's a bunch of newbies that thought the gravy train would last
The same could be said for hospitals and agencies. I’ve been traveling for 9 years. The gravy train of cheap labor is about to end, thanks to a recession the government refuses to acknowledge and a housing market crisis.
Idk but we all remember pre-Covid grocery and rent rates. Times have changed. Also the patient population has changed.
Yes, and the rates now about what they were before COVID adjusted for inflation. They are definitely higher now then they were in 2019 and before - and not by a trivial amount.
Patient population is exactly the same.
Naw I made that on the regular. Traveled for 13 years.
I make way more at my staff job 😑
No, you don't.
😂 sure buddy. Just because you don’t make that on contract doesn’t mean some of us don’t make decent money. Look up what nurses in Cali make. They make way more than I do.
What a weird response from that person lmao. I literally just got an offer for more than 8k a month.
California also has the highest taxes and cost of living. So take home is much less than you see posted. But ok.
You sound so bitter about your rate
1900 a week is more than decent money. You aren't making 8k a month at your staff job. Go tell that lie to some newbie recruiter that just started. Nobody with any experience in this industry buys that load of trash.
My per diem rate was $2412wk and my contract in the same city is $3312. That's $67hr staff and $92 blended on contract. Full staff with benefits starts at $1980wk for a new grad. But ok lol. Might want to start looking outside of whatever bubble you've been limiting yourself to.
Dude I’m a new grad making more than that in Cali.
Dude, I make $170k per year. That’s in addition to amazing benefits. Sorry you seem jelly, but travel rates suck right now.
St. Luke’s’ bill rates are notoriously low
Agreed. Worked travel and staff for these leeches.
And so staff/per diem I will be and leave at the drop of a hat...no way will I accept those rates. I certainly never want to hear these hospitals crying about lack of nurses to work. Goes with the whole "nobody wants to work" everywhere. Not working for horrible management for horrible wages is what people won't do. Better off pet/house sitting than lousy wages
They’re for the new grads that don’t know any better, or for the southern nurses that think this is “high dollar” pay… 🤷🏽♂️
No. I’m in a southern area, I make that as staff 40hr rate. There came an equilibrium point to go back to staff because after duplicating expenses, I came out ahead with the new staff rates to be home. Do I miss traveling, yes, but I missed my family and stability more. Too many gen z fresh out of school nurses graduating and wanting “that big money”, they graduate, and facilities scoop them up gullible and all. I lost a great extension to a cheaper young nurse, and one that lied about her abilities. Did the hospital care at the time, nope. Was it one of the straws for one surgeon to do way less cases at that facility, yup.
I have no idea how to edit a post y’all so I’m just adding this in as a comment instead: I am not currently traveling, nor do I have the intention to. I have specifically taken my name off of everywhere I can and have asked multiple times to have my contact info removed from or to not be contacted by multiple organizations. It seems like even organizations I have never heard of have gotten my info and message me. So I see the rates, I have for like a year and a half now, nearly every second day. This is the lowest one I had seen in a long time so I went back and looked at some of the messages I had been sent and noticed they had been steadily and quickly dropping. It shocked me that this was put out there, yet, it was also not super shocking because of how we get treated like we are disposable. Additionally, I was taken aback that these companies have the audacity to keep pelting me with messages like these and offer so low on top of it 😂 like, guys, the persistence didn’t get me, so the low offer sure won’t. Anyway! Not sure if this changes anyone’s opinion on the post. I also don’t really care. I was stunned by the principle of it all more so than the rate alone. Though it is a shitty rate.
After traveling for the past year I am officially interviewing for staff positions because it’s just not worth it to miss my friends and family when I barely make enough to save after I cover both of my rents and expenses and bills. Had fun traveling while it lasted! ✌🏽
The problem is that nursing as a whole is not organized, and nurses have no backbone to stand up. If we all sat out, we could make these organizations pay us what we deserve. But, like teaching l, it's a profession of people that just go along with whatever.
Rates are definitely lower than before. The location and the area make it vary even more. I’ve seen rates increase a little bit more by me compared to two months ago when I was looking.
That's diabolical. They were better off punching you in the boobs
It's been like this for travel cnas. When they put thst cap on travel rns in Florida I was on a contract out there. I said welp time to transition into something else. Cause this ain't it. It was only a matter of time before this bullshit affected rns as well. The summer is usually lower pay months. But that there is just disgusting. I got offered 100 less than that as a lab tech in state! I turned it down due to my back treatment. I'm not trying to upset it just yet. But dammmmmn. I would block your recruiter. Or just make sure they know to not bring you anything less than. I have thst relationship with my recruiters. My 15 years experience says so. They would send me in sometimes having to raise the rate, cause they knew i could handle it but wouldnt without more money.... So we are all on the same page. I'm sure if you just discuss it with them they will have no problem accommodating that. And you won't have to deal with being insulted.
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.oregonrn.org/resource/resmgr/contracts/ohsu_contract_2023-2026.pdf Just saying. I have been here a bit and just a few years out of retirement, state pension, I rode a decade of ED traveling in the mid 90’s til 2005, was “comparable” to Covid money, I stacked completion bonus’s minimum’s I would look at were $10,000 for 13 weeks back then. I was younger, now married, very stable future, all good going forward. So staff pay is out there, I live 45 minutes away to minimize the COL issues, there is always sacrifice of some sort for what you want. Good luck out there, enjoy the ride, but there may be a home for you out there.
Yup. Which is why I’m currently working toward leaving nursing in general
This isn’t a terrible rate. Personally, I don’t look at anything under 2/week, but there’s way worse out there.
Lol that's staff money you can live just fine. The days of Big money are over unless some other crazy shit happens.
I’m in a different industry in which I’ve traveled my question is when a nurse travels does the hospital pay for your travel expenses? My company pays everything while I’m on the road
You get stipends weekly that are not taxable for living and eating. This price includes the stipends
Golly I remember a while ago yous all made rly good money traveling smh companies are just getting more and more cheap. Sorry
Yall keep taking them so get used to it
Are there really travellers out there still expecting peak Covid rates?
Did you know that you could just say no and move on? You could even be classy and say 'No thank you' if you are feeling up to it.
No thank you
Is there still a nurse shortage? Doesn’t seem like it according to these post!! I start NS in the fall and my goal is to travel.
There has never been more nurses than jobs. Some travel assignments are up to 4k a wk. The lowest I've seen is around 1800.
For the last 50 yrs hospitals have purposely slammed floor nurses, for what reason? Not a nursing shortage. Not quality pt care.. It's always about money. Whatever happens, protect your license & your patients. Make sure you check the living expenses first. I was offered a ridiculous contract, 40 hrs a week (management) but per night anywhere near the city (tourist season) would cost over $450. The company wouldn't budge, so I turned it down. As for foreign recruiters, at least you're contacted by a human (& I've had great contracts during Covid with one, several others non foreign were also good) Now I'm getting texts from AI's, last one named Arthur. I find that extremely offensive. If you want a nurse to work, don't get a robot to do your bidding