On my first entry I gave information about what factors medical travelers should look for in a staffing company. But since that was a while back I decided to update them and run them again.
Therefore, if you are a health care professional, doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist, including COTAs and PTAs, and you want to see this country on someone else's dime, then there are a few precautions you need to take before signing up with a staffing company.
- How long has the staffing company you are considering joining been in business?
This can be important in getting you the location of the assignment you want. Some states, like North Carolina, seem to have joined in one massive plan to bar travelers from getting sent to any health care facility located there, nevermind trying to get prime jobs at locations like the beach or mountains. I'm not saying it can't be done. One of our first assignments was in Fayetteville, NC. But since then we have been unable to get an assignment back there, not with the company we are with now, nor with others we have checked into. A company that has been around longer may have better contacts with employers and know exactly where the location of the best housing. - How are you paid? Do you get per diem payments as well as hourly? How much do they allow for housing and does the company have a housing division or does your recruiter do double duty as the housing department? Hourly pay rates run all over the board, so check with at least three staffing companies. Do the math. Some staffing companies have a complicated pay system. They may pay you hourly wages at one rate, say $18 per hour, plus an additional $3 or $4 an hour untaxed rate. They will try to tell you this untaxed rate is equal to a higher pay than if they just paid you $21 an hour. Moreover, if you take the insurance they offer, your pay will be at a lower rate even though you may be contributing to the medical plan costs. Not all companies do this, but many do. So be careful and do the math. Have the recruiter give you a concrete example you can understand.
- Where is the staffing company's main office located and do they have any satellite offices in other states? Once again, this will tell you their sphere of influence as to their ability to get you a staffing job.
- Do they reimburse for travel from one assignment to the next?
Some medical staffing companies pay for the entire move. Others pay only a set amount regardless of how much it costs you. - Does the medical staffing company pay for continuing education courses?
Throughout the year you will need to earn a certain number of continuing education points. The amount depends on the state licensing requirements for the state you are in or for the states in which you are licensed. Some companies do not specifically pay for continuing education but may give a stipend each month that you can use for that purpose. It can get expensive going to seminars. You have to figure in not just the cost of the course, which can run to several hundred dollars, but also travel costs, meals and possibly hotel expenses. - Do they offer a medical plan? Believe me, you will need to have good medical coverage while you are traveling. In my other entries I chronicled our debacle with my wife's injuries. And recently, my wife was coming out of a patient's room and slipped on a wet floor and reinjured the same ankle she broke back in December and injured her shoulder. The medical plans offered by the various staffing agencies are all different. Some will pay the entire amount for the traveler and if there is a spouse or other family member, the traveler will have to cough up some money for the addition. Remember, nearly all of them reduce your pay if you take the insurance.
- Does the medical staffing company offer any earned paid time off in addition to paid vacation time? You will want to take some time off aside from vacations. Some staffing agencies let the traveler earn a paid day off for X amount of weeks worked. This allows you to take sick days and still get paid. Also, find out how their vacation plan works.
- You will want to retire one day. Most experts say the way to wealth is to start early and don't touch your money. Does the medical staffing company offer an investment or retirement plan?
If a 401K plan is offered this can be one of the best ways to start building you nest egg. As a suggestion, while you are on this working vacation try to read up on how to invest your money. If nothing else, when a financial expert talks to you, you will be less likely to be taken for a bad financial ride. - During the interview with the potential health facility find out what their patient load per medical professional is per day. Prior to taking an assignment you will interview with the department manager, among others, usually by phone. One of the most important questions to ask is how many clients they see per day. Generally, 8 to 10 clients for an occupational therapist, for example, is considered a full day. If the interviewer says they see 10 to 16 per day, drop the phone like a hot potato. You don't want to work in a sweat mill where the financial bottom line is more important that people.
