The Benefits Of Traveling With A Nursing Compact License
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life I was unknowingly blessed as a new travel nurse because I chose to start traveling in my home state. I was testing the waters and wasn’t quite ready to venture out while my husband finished grad school. I did go through the process of applying for my New York and Kansas licenses after a few months. I was still lucky in a sense because I knew that even if these did not come through in time, I would be able to look for jobs in my home state or several surrounding states thanks to my compact license status. I was not constantly worried about if I needed to fork out money for a new license, or if I would be limited by the one or two licenses I had in hand. The enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) was established in 2018 as an expansion of the previous Nurse Licensure Compact and is an agreement for license reciprocity between states that are a member of the compact. If your primary state of residence is listed as a compact state, that means you can practice in any of the listed states without having to apply for a new license in each state. This has been such a huge benefit to my travel nurse journey that I have even advised people living close to compact state lines to consider relocating, especially if they plan on traveling for several years. The benefits of traveling with a nursing compact license are extensive, and many states that are part of the compact have low costs of living. Benefit #1: No fees between nursing compact license states. An individual state license can cost upwards of $350 after basic fees, fingerprinting, and Nursys verifications. If you travel between compact states, all of these fees are irrelevant. You simply prove your primary license is in a compact state and you are safe to practice under that license in a state with reciprocity. Even if you request compensation from your company for these fees, most of the time you will still pay up front and be reimbursed. Very few companies offer direct payment for licensing fees unless there is confirmation of a strike or other critical need. Benefit #2: You can submit ASAP to jobs in other compact states. In some compact states, it can take four or more weeks to get a single-state license. Travel nursing jobs typically open and close within a day or two, so most hiring managers are not willing to wait on a license to come through and will just select another nurse instead. The majority of nursing jobs are listed as “license in hand” which means you have to have proof of an active license to even be submitted. With a nursing compact license, a recruiter can submit you instantly for a job you are interested in, which can put you ahead of the competition. Benefit #3: Less licenses to maintain. Although having multiple state licenses can make you more valuable as a traveler, it can also be costly and time consuming to maintain. Each state has its own set of fees and continuing education required to renew a nursing license. Some states even require yearly renewal, which can add up quickly. By having a nursing compact license, you only have to maintain your primary license. I only have to renew my Missouri license every two years. As an added benefit, Missouri does not require continuing education, so I simply pay the fee and have an active license in 31 states. Benefit #4: As each new state joins, your options for travel are expanded. During my three years as a travel nurse I have seen Florida, Kansas, and Louisiana join the compact. According to the compact map, there is also the potential for Washington, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and New Jersey to join. Assuming all of these states pass legislation to join, in the next year or two I could be able to practice as a nurse in almost 40 states. This opens up so many avenues for travelers and will make holding a compact license an even more powerful tool as more states join the compact. So what if I don’t live in a nursing compact license state? I recommend looking into how feasible it could be for you to maintain residency in a compact state prior to becoming a travel nurse. It may sound a little complicated, but if you travel for several years and plan on going to multiple states it could save you thousands of dollars on state licensing fees alone. This would require a tax home in that state, which you can learn more about here. If you live in border cities like Kansas City or St. Louis this could be as simple as moving 20 minutes down the road. For others people, it could be a little more complicated. If you are interested in specifics on how to legally obtain a compact license if you move, be sure to check out the FAQ page on the NLC’s website. Regardless of your residence or if you choose to travel, this is something to keep an eye on as laws are being made in your home state. Pay attention to local politics and discussions about interstate licensing so if the issue does come to a vote in your area you can make an educated decision. Compact licenses are a valuable tool for nurses and are something we should all know about, even if it doesn’t apply to those of us working permanent jobs. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
New Jersey Compact Nurse License Bill Passes Senate
A New Jersey compact nurse license bill is one step closer to becoming law after state Senate members passed it last Thursday. The bill passed unanimously, 35-0, with five senators abstaining. The bill would allow New Jersey to join the Nursing Licensure Compact. If approved, New Jersey would be the 32nd state to join the new enhanced NLC which was fully implemented in January 2018. Currently, seven other states also have pending legislation to join the NLC. It would also provide access for New Jersey nurses to practice in its neighbor state Deleware, as well as several other compact states in the Northeast region including Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine, Virginia and West Virginia. Some business associations and nursing groups have thrown their support behind compact nurse license bill in recent weeks, including the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. “I want to first thank Senator Singleton for recognizing the nursing shortage in New Jersey and for introducing legislation that would simplify the process for out-of-state nurses to work in New Jersey,” NJBIA vice president Tony Bawidamann said in a press release. “As a result of his great work, nurses will only need to obtain a license from the state they reside in to be permitted to work in New Jersey, instead of having to go through the whole licensing process again.” One of the largest nursing and healthcare labor unions in the state, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), has not endorsed the bill, citing concerns that it could lower the bar for workforce qualifications, according to a report by NJ Spotlight. This is the third time an NLC bill has been introduced since 2015, but the first time that it has made it out of committee and passed through a Senate vote. Senators Troy Singleton, Joseph Vitale and Fred Madden, Jr., sponsored the most recent bill. A companion bill in the New Jersey General Assembly is currently in committee and awaiting a final vote in the Assembly before moving to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. The next full Assembly session is scheduled for March 25, according to the state legislature’s website.
Traveler Tips: Is The PT Compact License Worth It For Travel PT?
By Stephen Stockhausen, PT, DPT, OCS, Contributing Writer, Founder of PT Adventures Having the freedom to take different jobs in various parts of the country is by far the best, and the most obvious, perk of being a travel physical therapist. But it comes at a cost of the occasionally arduous task of obtaining a new state license. There are the jurisprudence exam, state license fee, FSBPT test score verification fee, and license verification letters—with subsequent fees that need to be sent to any state you have ever held a license. Whew! That’s exhausting just to type out let alone piece together and mail off. Oh, and then you have to wait anywhere from two to six months to find out if you’re new license has been granted or not. But fear not—the Physical Therapy Compact license is designed to fix all of that! In case you haven’t heard about the Physical Therapy Compact license here is a quick summary. Enacted in 2017, the Physical Therapy Compact Commission was created to provide a vehicle for improved interstate license accessibility while maintaining the safety of the public consumer as set forth by each state’s practice act, according to their website. The PT Compact Commission has since built up an impressive list of 21 states willing to recognize the validity of physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licenses from other participating states. The first privileges were then officially granted in July of 2018. While all 21 states have passed legislation to be members, not all states are currently issuing compact license privileges at this time and are still resolving internal issues—or just dragging their feet. At the time of this writing, nine states are active participants in the compact license process, with more joining every month! Pros and Cons of the Physical Therapy Compact License for travelers Pros: Therapy privileges can be granted in minutes rather than months Once you take the jurisprudence exam for your new state—often completed online—and pay the necessary fees, you are eligible to begin working in the new state Low Fees The fees involved with the new PT Compact are very minimal compared to sending out license verification fees for each state you have ever had a license. $45 goes to the PT Compact Commission, and then each state has their own fee. Most range from $45-60, with the exception of Mississippi at $150. (Come on, Mississippi!) One set of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to manage Since you do not have a full state license in every state that you obtain privileges for, you do not have to maintain their Continuing Education Units. The only set of CEUs that you absolutely must follow is that of your home state. Gone are the headache-inducing hours of cross-checking CEU dates with license expiration dates! Renewal This is one of the coolest aspects of the Compact system. 60 days before your home license expires they will email you a reminder. Once you renew your license at home, the Compact will automatically notify you that you are eligible to renew your Compact privileges as well, typically within a week. Responsive Admin Team When I was doing research for this article, I had a few questions that I could not find on their website. Opting to call instead of email, I was quickly connected with the lead administrator who thoroughly answered my questions and was exceedingly friendly. This was a pleasant surprise compared to the typical experience I have come to expect when dealing with licensing staff at the various states I have worked. Telehealth? While not entirely applicable to the traveler, based on the language written into the Compact it appears that Compact privileges can also be used to treat remotely via telehealth. In a burgeoning field, this is super exciting news! Especially for the therapist looking to mix in some patient care in a state where they previously worked as a traveler or will soon work as a traveler. Instead of being limited to one license per job, multiple licenses can be utilized all at once depending on the patient’s location, independent of where the PT is located. Cons: Few states fully participating Obviously, if your home state is not a participant you are fully excluded from the entire process… bummer. For those of you who are fortunate enough to have a home state proactive enough to join up, your options for states to travel to may be slim pickings. Currently, only nine states are fully active. On the positive side they are some pretty cool states. Oregon, Utah, New Hampshire and North Dakota all have some great outdoor experiences. Texas Tennessee, Missouri and Mississippi all have some killer food and Southern hospitality. As for Iowa…well, Field of Dreams is there. That’s something! There are 11 other states on the doorstep to full participation so check the site often to see if your home state or dream location is up and running. When you renew your home license you have to renew ALL of your Compact Privileges This will negatively impact folks living in a home state that requires yearly license renewal. These therapists will now have to pay all of the Compact fees again as well as fees to the state where they are working. Now, compared to paying all of the other fees typically involved in maintaining multiple licenses, this could still end up saving you money, but you will have to do the math on your specific situation to be sure. Overall the PT Compact License is—or is going to be—a huge improvement in the logistics of being a travel therapist, especially if more states get involved. If every state were to join the Compact, it would mean one license to worry about, one set of CEUs, and only paying fees to the states where you are actively working. Stephen Stockhausen is a doctor of physical therapy, a traveler, and a founder of PT Adventures—a blog created with his wife Ellen to help travel PTs take control of
Starting A Travel Job on Aug. 27? Don’t Delay Compliance
Staying on top of compliance due dates should be a top priority for every travel nurse when they book an assignment, but it’s especially important for those who start on Aug. 27. If a travel nurse misses a file due date this week and they have an Aug. 27 start date, there is a high probability their new start date could be pushed two weeks instead of one. Many hospitals are informing recruiters that, because of the Labor Day holiday affecting orientation dates, what would normally be a one week pushed start will actually be at least two weeks. Need some help getting up to speed on travel nurse compliance? We’ve got you covered: Find out why it’s so important to maintain your compliance documents as a traveler, as well as the most common items requested by agencies and healthcare facilities. Managing a growing list of compliance documents can be a pain. Learn about the digital tools you can use to make travel nurse compliance management easier. First-time traveler? Here’s your “cheat sheet” to getting your compliance documents in order ASAP.
5 Signs You Are Ready To Start A Travel Healthcare Career
It can be difficult to know when to start a travel healthcare career. Many would-be travelers can suffer from “analysis paralysis” thinking about all of the criteria they should meet before traveling. Should I wait until I have more experience? What if I end up somewhere I hate? Will I be able to support myself sufficiently? Do I have to become a wizard at finding a new place to live every few months? While those are all important questions, they are better left for after you decide to commit to a travel healthcare career. We’ve narrowed down five signs to look for when deciding to pursue a travel healthcare career. Signs You Are Ready To Start Your Travel Healthcare Career 1. You want to see new sights One of the most obvious benefits of being a healthcare traveler is right in the name. There are more than 30,000 active job posts on the StaffDNA boards at any given time that span the U.S. and cover a massive variety of locations. Looking to hit the ski slopes in the winter? Some facilities recruit for the winter as early as August. Want to find a nice small town with pretty trees for the fall? Take your pick of northeast states right off the Atlantic coast. One of the main factors stopping travelers from working where they want is having current state licenses, but even that is made easier because most agencies will pay your licensing fees. Additionally, nurses and physical therapists can get compact licenses which allows them to work in multiple states with only one license. Other healthcare professions are working towards implementing licensure compacts as well. 2. You want more control over your pay A traveler’s job flexibility also applies to their earning potential, not just location. The keyword to focus on here is “control,” because while it’s true travelers earn more on average than permanent staff, that doesn’t mean they always will. That’s why it’s important to think about your salary in terms of control—you can control what agencies you work with, the recruiters you work with and the jobs you pursue. Since the traveler job market is fast-moving and highly competitive, travel staffing agencies are constantly fighting tooth-and-nail to offer you the best pay package and solid benefits. 3. You want to build up your professional skillset quickly It’s easy to get stuck in a routine while working at the same facility every year. If you plan on traveling for more than a year, chances are you will work in a variety of different environments with unique challenges. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this constant job hopping can actually help you in the long run because it will show potential employers you are highly adaptable and can face unexpected problems with confidence. Traveling also means getting experience in multiple electronic medical (healthcare) record software platforms, as different hospitals will have their own systems. In a Black Book Research survey, 98 percent of travel nurses said fluency in multiple EMR platforms is a highly valued skill. Since facilities are constantly updating or implementing new EMR platforms, travelers with experience in multiple platforms can apply for EMR conversion contracts, which typically offer much higher pay rates than standard travel assignments. 4. You are sick of healthcare workplace “politics” Bad hospital management, interpersonal drama, pointless gossip, local union disputes—traveling gives you a chance to avoid almost all of the workplace “politics” that permanent staff have to deal with. Since you have the option to avoid toxic workplace relationships as a temporary staff member, that means you can focus more time on patient care and improving your skills. 5. You are ready for a challenge We’ve explained a lot of the benefits to traveling, but that doesn’t mean travelers get to just kick back and rake in money. Healthcare travelers have to be ready to face almost all of these challenges at any given time: Managing and frequently updating compliance documents Maintaining a tax home Managing relationships with multiple recruiters and agencies Applying for state licenses Multiple job interviews every year Calculating travel expenses Frequently looking for (and moving to) temporary housing Adjusting quickly to new work environments with limited orientation Planning on how to travel with friends, family or pets Loneliness or homesickness Constant on-the-job learning High expectations for job performance Avoiding workplace drama If this list of challenges seems daunting, that’s perfectly natural. Traveling has plenty of positive aspects, but it may not be for everyone. Some travelers find they love the challenge as it motivates them to work harder and improve their skills. The most important thing you can do after noticing the signs that you’re interested in traveling is to educate yourself. There are a variety of online resources—including this website—where you can find answers to any lingering questions you may have about being a healthcare traveler.
Agency Advice: Why It’s So Important To Keep Up With Compliance
By Ryann Adoum, benefits manager for LiquidAgents Healthcare What is the first thing running through your mind after you get the exciting news from your recruiter that you have been offered a travel contract? Maybe it’s how you’re going to get there or how soon they need you to start, or where you’re going to live. These are all things you’re probably thinking of as you begin to tune out your recruiter’s onboarding rant. “I am going to need a copy of your most recent TB, Mask Fit Test, Hep B, MMR, Varicella, TDaP, Flu Vaccine, BLS…” your recruiter continues as you suddenly snap back to reality. Do you really need all of these things she is listing off? You should already have most of these documents ready to go, and here’s why. Importance of compliance documents The world of travel nursing is extremely fast-paced, and the room for error is slim. Once you have been extended a job offer, you are expected to get the ball rolling on compliance as soon as possible. You will need to be compliant with your agency first, and then your future facility. If you are not organized or committed to the process, onboarding might be much more of a headache than it needs to be. Compliance can be a hassle, and it means a lot of running around on your part, but there are certainly benefits to getting it done quickly. Not only does it build a great rapport with your agency, but it also means that your start date could be pushed up by the facility. Orientations for travelers are typically held every 2 weeks, so if you are quick enough on compliance to make it at least 2 weeks ahead of schedule, you could start working sooner than expected. There are several ways you can manage your compliance documents digitally so that they are easy to access when you need them, like using an online file dropbox or signing up for free compliance managing tools. Compliance items you should always have ready Along with signing your contract and human resources paperwork, a compliance department will always ask for these industry standard items. These requirements are directly from the Joint Commission, and any agency or facility who is JCAHO certified will require these. RN License Certifications Physical TB MMR, varicella, hep B TDaP vaccine Flu vaccine Mask fit test Ensure that you always have copies at your disposal, ready to send over to your agency immediately after an offer has been extended. Remember, these are just the base requirements, and you will more than likely be subject to additional documentation and testing before becoming totally compliant. Keeping compliance items current Along with keeping copies of your compliance documents, you should also ensure that certain items do not expire. Health documents such as the TB skin test, physical, vaccines, and certifications all expire and can set your potential start date back if you need to get new ones. Titer results take a few days to come in, TB skin tests require a 48-72 hour window for results, and certification classes take time to coordinate on top of the actual class time. The last thing you want is to push back your start date further– or even worse, have your contract canceled because of non-compliance. Once you are working with an agency, your compliance manager should keep track of the expiration dates for you so that you can focus on doing what you do best- working on the hospital floor! If you ever have a question about your documents, or you need to know the expiration date of something, get in touch with your compliance manager. They are happy to help, and being proactive in the compliance process will help both of you stay on track.
Managing Travel Healthcare Compliance Documents Digitally
The healthcare industry has more than its fair share of paperwork, and compliance documentation relating to healthcare professionals is a large part of that. The number of credentialing documents required increases annually, thanks in large part to the increased usage of vendor management systems by many hospitals. This volume of documentation is critical to your employment and not having the right paperwork can be impactful. If documents are missing or have expired, you may not be able to start an assignment. If already on assignment, you could be removed from the schedule until the document has been updated. Gathering, securely sending, and storing all these clinical documents and skills checklists can be a challenge for both facilities and individuals. Healthcare providers spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on software to manage these compliance files; individuals, thankfully, can do so for free. And, yes, you need to be storing your own documents. When you rely on an agency to do it for you, you could wind up scrambling if there are certain documents they won’t release to you, like the documents they paid to have completed. Manage Travel Nurse Compliance, Allied Health Compliance Digitally While a flash drive is a handy tool to keep documents, it can be lost or damaged. As an alternative (or, better, as a back up), there are several web-based tools for nurses to use. Many of these are likely familiar. Dropbox: Free for up to 2GB of storage, more than enough for all of your compliance documentation. If, however, more space is needed, it’s just $10 a month for up to 1,000 GB of storage. Google: Google provides 15GB of free storage across all of its online programs, including Gmail, Drive, and Photos. Additional storage is inexpensive: 100GB of space for just $1.99 a month and $9.99 for a massive 1TB. Microsoft OneDrive: Microsoft keeps making tweaks to its OneDrive online storage plans, but for now, the company is offering 5GB of storage for free. For 50GB of space, it’s going to cost you $1.99 a month. Online compliance document management services The only problem with these online tools is that the person you are sending documents to may have trouble opening or accessing them without login credentials. Luckily, there are other tools, like those from StaffDNA, that are free and allow individuals to securely store career documents and paperwork in one central location. Documents can then be shared from the site with a single click, passing a complete file to whoever needs it in a format that’s accessible without the need to log in anywhere. Where these sites differ from other online storage options, though, is that in addition to being easily shareable with prospective employers, nurses are notified of expiring documents, so everything is kept up to date. These tools are very helpful when working with a new employment recruiter or prospective employer, making it easy to complete much of the credentialing work required at the start of a relationship.