Travel Nursing Contract Start Dates
One of the many issues that can cause friction when searching for a travel nursing job is the contract start date. Sometimes, the contract start-date is set in stone by the hospital and the nurse is unable to meet the requirement. Meanwhile, some circumstances necessitate nurses to maintain, or at least consider, firm start dates of their own. In any case, understanding the issues affecting contract start-dates can help travel nurses achieve greater success during their job searches.
Hospital firm start-dates for travel nursing contracts
Both hospitals and travel nurses have reasons for maintaining firm start-date requirements. Some hospitals like to maintain a schedule for bringing on new travelers. The schedule may even coincide with their schedule for bringing on new permanent employees. Maintaining such a schedule helps the hospital keep things organized and hopefully ensures a smooth onboarding and orientation process.
Hospitals sometimes require firm start-dates for other reasons as well. For example, they may have a new unit opening or be undergoing an EMR conversion. They may also have a scheduled leave of absence they’re planning for. In such cases, hospitals typically have an exact plan for the both the start and end-dates of the contracts they’re hiring for.
Firm start-dates for travel nursing contracts
Meanwhile, there are many reasons that travel nurses may maintain, or consider maintaining, their own firm start-date requirements. For example, any time that a nurse has plans that could potentially keep them away from work for a week or longer, they may want to consider firm start-date requirements in an effort to plan around the absence. Scheduled breaks such as this may include future travel plans, family events, weddings, and more.
It’s true that you maybe able to schedule a week off during a contract, and maybe even 2. However, many hospitals are not willing to make such concessions so it could potentially limit options during your job search. Moreover, if you take company housing, then you maybe on the hook for the cost of the housing during your time off. Remember, even if you add a week or two to the end of the contract, the agency may still be paying for the housing the week that you’re not working.
Some travelers like to maintain continuous employment for financial reasons so they require a start-date within 1-2 weeks of their current contract’s end-date. In this case, it’s always wise to start looking for your next assignment as early as possible.
Many nurses would prefer to be home with family during the holidays so they try to plan their contracts on a schedule that allows them to do so. Accomplishing this can be difficult due to the cyclical nature of contracts. While it’s true that many contracts arise at random, a dominant cycle exists nonetheless. The cycle revolves around January start-dates and October start-dates. And of course, the October start-dates have the nurse working during the holidays.
Travelers may also consider planning contracts around their work schedule back at home in order to maintain their tax home status to qualify for tax-free stipends. In the end, there maybe as many reasons for firm start-date requirements as there are travelers which is understandable because each individual is unique.
How travel nurses can handle the reduced options
Maintaining firm start-date requirements can reduce the options available for both hospitals and travelers. Hospitals will face a reduction in candidates as fewer nurses will be able to make a hospital’s firm start-date. As a result, hospitals may end up relying on less qualified candidates than they had originally desired. Travelers on the other hand will face a reduction in job opportunities. The more flexibility a traveler has, the more job opportunities they’ll have at their disposal. However, there are ways that you can ameliorate job opportunity reductions.
It’s always worth a try to negotiate your desired start-date. Don’t just assume that the advertised start-date is set in stone. In fact, a large percentage of start-dates are not. However, it is advisable to communicate with your recruiters regarding the matter. You don’t want to waste anyone’s time including your own. It’s also important to remember that many hospitals require that start-date availability be posted on the submission profile they receive from the agency. Therefore, be sure to plan accordingly.
You can also attempt to negotiate a shorter or longer contract length in order to help you maintain your desired schedule. While this is a rarer occurrence, it’s worth a shot. Again you should communicate this desire with your recruiters to maximum the potential for success. But remember, negotiating shorter contracts may entail financial shortfalls and logistical problems, especially with housing.
PRN work is another option that can help travelers ameliorate the job opportunity reductions associated with maintaining firm start-date requirements. It’s a great idea for travelers to find a steady option for PRN work no matter what their situation. Often times, the best bet is to sign on as a PRN nurse with one of the hospitals in the vicinity of your tax home. In fact, many travelers sign on as PRN staff with their former permanent employers. This may require that you return home at regularly scheduled intervals to meet your shift requirements, but it can prove to be well worth the effort and cost in the long run.
Finally, the best way to maximize your exposure to the job market is to work with as many agencies as you possibly can. Of course, this is difficult because agencies always want you to fill out their paperwork and the more agencies you work with, the more calls and messages you receive from them.
You can use BluePipes to help your reduce your paperwork and manage your communication with agencies. BluePipes allows you to complete one job application, one resume, and one skills checklist and send them to recruiters at your convenience. This is all the paperwork they need to get you submitted for an open assignment. BluePipes also provides a professional networking platform that you can use to connect with recruiters and centralize your travel nursing career related communication. This all helps you work with more recruiters and maximize your exposure to the job market. And best of all, it’s free and your personal contact information will never be sold to third parties.
Start-dates earlier than the start-date
Finally, no discussion of start-dates would be complete without mention of pre-start-dates. In these cases, the candidate is required to report for an orientation prior to the advertised start-date. For example, the job requisition may have a start-date of Monday June, 1st. However, the traveler may need to be there anywhere from 2 to 5 days earlier to attend a brief onboarding meeting. The Kaiser hospitals in California maintain such a requirement. It’s always best to inquire about this possibility earlier than later so that you aren’t caught off guard.
As always, please share your experiences and questions regarding this top in the comments section below!
