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.
5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Travel Nursing
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Now that the new year is officially in full swing there are a lot of people evaluating their life. Where do I want to be in five years? Am I working in a career that I love? What if now is the best time to take that leap I have been considering for a while? If you have been considering working in travel nursing for any amount of time I want to preface by saying I highly recommend this career path. My experience as a whole has been positive and to anyone considering travel nursing, I would say go for it. However, as with any positive thing, there are the inevitable negative aspects that come along with it. Getting into the travel nursing world can be daunting, and being unprepared is the worst thing you can do if you want to enjoy your work as a traveler. I feel that being upfront and honest about some of the common struggles travelers face is the best way for new travelers to be prepared to manage these stressors as they come along. Here are the top five downsides to traveling that I feel all travel nursing newbies should be prepared for: 1. There is a lot of behind the scenes work to get started in travel nursing. Before you can even submit to jobs, you must have references and an updated resume ready to go. In addition, you have to have licenses on hand, locations in mind and have a baseline idea of housing costs before you actually apply. Once you have secured a position, there is usually at least a few hours of credentialing and paperwork to complete. This includes visiting a walk-in clinic for drug screens, updated labs and submitting proof of all prior vaccinations and licenses. 2. There will be upfront expenses before you get your first travel nursing paycheck. Most travel nursing contracts include a form of travel reimbursement—on the first check, that is. This means if you move in the Sunday before a Monday start day, you will not actually receive your first housing stipend or travel money until about 12 days later. Some costs to consider at the start of each assignment include first month’s rent, pet deposits, and travel expenses on the way there. I have had to pay close to $3,000 before actually starting work, so planning ahead for this is key. 3. Each state has different renewal requirements you have to monitor. To make yourself more valuable as a travel nurse you will want more than one state license. If your home is in a compact state this is great, but a lot of the destination states are not part of the compact (Hawaii and Alaska in particular). After the leg work of getting the license is complete, you then have to maintain said license. Each state has different guidelines and fees for renewals and you will have to check the individual boards to make sure you stay on top of these. 4. Loneliness is a real problem in travel nursing. A more obvious downside to travel nursing is lack of in-person connections in each area you live. You may make friends on assignment but there is always an awkward period at the beginning where you don’t necessarily have people to hang out with outside of work. While there are many ways to combat this loneliness, it is also helpful to be aware of it so you can meet it head-on. This is a normal feeling and it is okay to be lonely, but have some plans in place to deal with these emotions. Call a friend, go to a workout class, or just go for a walk if you are feeling especially down about a lack of personal interactions. 5. If you decide to switch companies, all of that hard work has to be done a second time. Working with multiple companies is almost inevitable in travel nursing, but that doesn’t mean it is easy to coordinate. Each time you decide to submit for a contract with a company you haven’t worked with, you will have to re-submit your resumes, references and paperwork. The best way to handle this is to get organized at the start. Keep a folder of all your personal identification, license copies, and vaccination records. In the event that you have a company pay for a vaccine, TB test or physical, always request copies of these records in case you work with a different company for your next contract. By keeping your files up to date you can simply send all of your paperwork over in a matter of a few clicks each time you need to establish a contract with a new company. This can all be a bit of a downer, but I would not change my choice to work in travel nursing for anything. The people I have met and the experiences that came as a result of this career are without a doubt worth all of the extra work and planning. By being prepared and knowing what to expect you can have a more positive experience as a traveler and minimize the anxiety that comes along with this career. Expect the unexpected, plan for bumps in the road, and just be thankful when you don’t have to make use of those plans when everything goes smoothly. 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. Alex enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
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.
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.