2020: Year of the Nurse. We make sacrifices everyday to save our patients, the least we deserve to receive in return is the appropriate compensation.

12+ hour shifts. Missed breaks. Heavy patient assignments. Charting. Back pain. Don PPE. Sanitize. Assessments. Notify MD. Morning medications. Demanding families. Code blue. Discharge patient. “NURRRRSE?” IV pump alarm. No CNA’s. New MD orders. Vital signs. New admission. Wash hands. Charting. No time to pee. Stroke alert. Change linen. PRN pain medication. Vent alarm. EKG. Walk patient. Notify MD. Doff PPE. Bed baths. Short staffing. Isolation precautions. “NURRRRSE!” Non-stop phone calls. Insert IV. Critical labs. Update family. Discharge patient. New admission. Blood transfusion. Bladder scan. Sanitize again. Code. Vent alarm. More meds. Total cares. Charting. 24/7 telemetry monitoring. “Can you stay overtime?” Insert foley. New MD orders. Cardiac drips. Tube feeds. Wash hands again. Constant bed alarms. Wound care. IV pump alarm. Exhaustion.

Do it all over again, tomorrow!

NURSES,

It is time we stop settling, put ourselves first, & take back what we not only deserve, but work so incredibly hard for every single day. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system & now, more than ever, are at a critical need all over the world. We need to change the culture of how nurses are respected, appreciated, & rewarded. Thankfully, we have a career that always put us in the drivers seat & allows us the freedom to choose where we invest our time, knowledge, & skill sets.

Below I am sharing my go-to places to search for high paying travel nursing contracts. You can thank me, later!

5 Best Places to Find a High Paying Travel Nursing Job

1. A Trusted Recruiter & Agency

If you’re new to travel nursing, I highly recommend choosing a reliable travel nursing recruiter and agency to guide you through the beginning of this new, exciting journey! With over 300+ travel nurse agencies and growing, choosing an agency and recruiter to trust can seem very overwhelming. For this reason, I encourage new travel nurses to choose an agency that values and treats you like a customer, not just another traveler. Many agencies are simply looking to fill positions A.S.A.P. to ensure their financial benefit, regardless of whether the position may be a good fit for that individual nurse. Once you find an agency & recruiter you like & build a strong rapport with, you can start making requests and negotiations for travel nursing contracts. Since starting travel nursing two years ago, I have worked with multiple agencies, but of them all, I have enjoyed working with Atlas Medstaff, an agency based out of Omaha, NE the most. My recruiter, Sydney Lamberty, is not only extremely personable, but genuinely cares about the success & wellbeing of her travel nurses. Sydney is always accepting new travel nurses on her team & it is never too early to begin setting up a travel nursing profile, even if you aren’t planning to start traveling in the immediate future. Reach out to Sydney & start planning your future travels!

Sydney Lamberty’s Contact Information:

Email slamberty@atlasmedstaff.com Instagram @sydlambb

2. Facebook

At this point in my nursing career, I feel confident in my skill set & ability to quickly & efficiently adapt to new environments & organizations, having worked at 9 hospitals thus far. No longer do I feel I need a recruiter at my beckoning call 24/7 as I am much more familiar with the travel nursing process of finding, negotiating, & starting new contacts. My current goal is to secure high paying travel nursing contracts. Depending on location, pay may vary based on cost of living, but with patience & perseverance, I believe it is possible to find what you are looking for, if not, close to.

Below are my go-to Facebook Travel Nursing Job Boards & methods for job searching within!

Steps for searching for jobs within groups:

1. Join Group
2. Click on the search magnifying glass in the top right corner
3. Type in the city or state you are searching for
4. Tab “Most Recent” on left hand side
5. Comment on posts and/or PM recruiters stating interest & email address
6. Click 3 dots on top right corner of the original job post & click “Save post” to easily organize & follow up regarding positions you’re interested in
7. To view saved posts, go to your home page & scroll to the “Saved” tab on the left side toolbar

Steps for posting about jobs within groups:

What to include: Desired location, start date, contract length, specialty, hours per week, desired pay package (always overestimate), certifications, EMR experience

Example: Hi there! Looking for PCU/tele/med-surg in Los Angeles, CA. 6-13 week contract, 36 hr/week, $2800/week gross. ACLS, BLS, NIHSS certified. EPIC/Cerner experience. Can start ASAP.

Travel Nurses: The $1800+ Gross/Week, $50/Hour, Travel Nursing Job Board

$2400 or above Short Term Travel RN Assignments

Travel Nursing The $3000 and up club

Elite Travel Nursing Job Board

Short Term/Per Diem Travel Nurse Assignments Nationwide

3. NurseFly

Compare multiple agencies & travel nursing contracts across the country all from the ease of an app on your phone! NurseFly is actually the platform that connected me with my favorite nursing recruiter, Sydney. With an updated profile, click “I’m interested,” next to any job & get connected with a recruiter for more information, fast. You may even notice travel companies offering different pay packages for the same exact position, which you could use to try & negotiate a better pay package. Remember, travel nursing agencies are competing for your business, don’t sell yourself too easily- you’re the one doing all the hard work!

4. A Travel Nurse Agency… Minus the Recruiter = More Money For You!

Join TrustedHealth, the agency without nursing recruiters, that lists their pay packages upfront. Easily manage your travel nursing profile & have jobs automatically matched to you based on your certifications and preferences. When the perfect job pops up, request an interview with the facility in seconds. Talk about being in total control!

5. Linkedin

A free & reputable platform for networking, job searching, & self advertisement, LinkedIn is an absolute must have! As a nurse, I receive several messages weekly from recruiters & organizations with prospective jobs or opportunities that I qualify for based upon their review of my LinkedIn profile, which is essentially an open resumé. Perhaps you’re at a crossroads in life & are unsure of what your future holds; keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date is important because you may never know what new & refreshing job proposals could slide into your DM’s! Add me on LinkedIn, I’d love to connect.

BONUS!

6. Job Engine’s (Indeed, Ziprecruiter, Glassdoor, SimplyHired, etc.)

When using popular job engine’s to search for jobs, it is important to be persistent & use specific search criteria.

Step 1. Create a job profile & add a resumé for easy 1 click applying

Step 2. Type in your location, can be broad (United States) or specific (Los Angeles, CA)

Step 3. In the search bar, conduct separate searches using different keywords related to your job specialty

Examples: “nurse,” “registered nurse,” “travel nurse,” “per diem nurse,” “crisis pay,” “travel contract,” “clinic nurse,” “covid nurse,” “tele nurse,” “step-down nurse,” “ICU nurse,” “OB nurse,” “pediatric nurse,” “psychiatric nurse,” “OR nurse,” etc.

Step 3. Filter “Date Posted” to Last 14 Days or less

Many jobs are posted from months ago & could be from positions that are already filled (often seen as: job posted 30+ days ago), but have not been updated by the employer

Step 4. Apply with a resumé & “save job” for easy organization

Step 5. Follow up!!!

Haven’t heard back yet? Newsflash: our economy is in a depression right now & several other unemployed, motivated, candidates are applying for the same exact job as you! Many job sites even display with their postings, “74 other applicants have applied for this job.” What is going to set you apart from the rest? If possible, directly reach out to the employer & express your continued interest in the position & describe the incredible opportunity you believe it would be- really sell yourself! Provide your contact information to further discuss the position & offer your willingness to comply with any other credentials or steps they may require.

Do not let large job engine sites hinder your confidence in applying for jobs, especially if you don’t hear back from employers as quickly as you’d expect. The current job I just accepted a few days ago, I applied for not once… not twice… but three times! Knowing that I was more than qualified for the posted position, I stayed tenacious in my efforts. Within hours of directly reaching out & submitting yet another application, I was hired! Applications get easily lost & overlooked in the mix, but those who are determined & focused are capable of achieving any job they desire.

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