Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I was wondering if you think liability insurance is a must for Travel Nurses? And, if so, do you have some recommendations? Thank you!

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:  

I’m sorry to say that I cannot recommend a good liability coverage company as I am a nurse who does not believe in carrying such coverage. Although I know that in our litigious society the possibility of a suit is now greater, I guess I take comfort in the fact that either a physician or hospital’s deep pockets would likely be the target of any litigation.

That does not mean that you cannot be named in a suit, but again, the likely target would probably often be the hospital or physician.

I also believe that should an attorney see a party to an incident who carried malpractice insurance, would have an even greater chance at being named in the suit (possibly even if there was not any fault on the part of the named nurse). If there are any actual lawyers reading this, please post in the comments section if this is an actual possibility.

If this is a concern of yours, there are travel companies that do offer liability insurance for their nurses and I believe if they have such an offering, it is usually free. I recall signing a contract within the past few years where they needed info for such coverage and I told them I did not want it; however, they stated that they required it of their travelers.

The best place to shop this type of coverage would be to first get recommendations from one of the online forums, and then check out which company meets your needs. Some good travel nurse forums can be found at ultimatenurse.com, allnurses.com, and the Delphi forum for traveling professionals (go to delphiforums.com, look for the box on the right that says “Explore existing forums”, type in “travel nursing” and the top result is a group called Travel Nurses and Therapists).

Pan Travelers is also another good site with a forum. They have a free section and also a portion where there is a charge to access that information. They may even have a particular section on this.

You can also join Healthcare Travelbook (healthcaretravelbook.com), which is a sort of Facebook style place for travelers, which also has a forum.

So while coverage is not mandatory for travel nurses, you should also check out the forums and see if there are any “pros vs. cons” postings on liability coverage, and then make your own informed decision on whether or not it is something you’d like to carry.

Hope this helps.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

Will there be a “Scrubbing In” Season 2?

The fate of MTV’s travel nurse reality show “Scrubbing In” appears to be up in the air. Rumors of cancellation swirled towards the end of the show’s run, but all 10 episodes were aired.

“I’ve traveled before, many times, and this was like no other assignment,” said Fernando in the season one finale, which aired in late December 2013.

And apparently, the show’s depiction was like no other assignment the majority of nurses had ever witnessed either!

Facing a massive outcry from nurses and nursing organizations, MTV eventually responded by agreeing to move the show’s air time to a less prominent slot, re-edit several episodes, and create features that better showcased nurses as professionals, among other efforts.

The network also ran this disclaimer at the start of each episode:

“MTV has the utmost respect for the life-saving work nurses do every day. Scrubbing In follows the lives of nine traveling nurses and is not meant to be representative of all nurses or their experiences.”

Travel Nursing Blogs contacted MTV regarding the future of the show, but MTV did not return Travel Nursing Blogs’ request for comment on the show’s status.

On Twitter, fans of the shows have been bombarding the network with hashtags like #savescrubbingin and #scrubbinginseason2. On December 30 the Save Scrubbing In Twitter account tweeted, “They said they were filming but planning to cancel and they said to keep tweeting if you want it to stay.” The account appears to have been created that same day, and, along with the fan page MTV Scrubbing In (not run by MTV), is encouraging fans to voice their desire for a second season via social media.

On January 5, Scrubbing In cast member Fernando Rodriguez posted a photo to Instagram of himself and fellow cast member Heather Ambrose with the hashtags #scrubbingin and #scrubbin2. Rodriguez did not directly address comments asking if that meant the show was on for a second season.

Cast member Nikki Cirrincione’s exchange with a Twitter follower was perhaps the most definitive answer available at the time of this posting — though not the most satisfying for those wanting to hear a yes or a no. When asked “So is Scrubbing In coming back for another assignment or what?” she answered, on January 8th: “Still waiting to hear!”

Travel Nursing Blogs will stay on the case and keep you posted when we hear a definitive answer to the question: Will there be a “Scrubbing In” Season 2?

Do you want to see “Scrubbing In” back for a second season? Let us know what you think the show’s fate should be in the comments.

What expenses are tax-deductible when travel nursing?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I traveled with an agency for six months this past year. I worked for an hourly wage and did not get extra for mileage, meals, or housing. I do have a tax home and traveled 90 miles to the job and had an apartment there where I stayed three nights a week. I still had to pay by the month. Are the above mentioned deductible?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:  

I can tell you a little about what I understand to be deductible, but I am NOT a tax professional and would strongly suggest that if you are uncertain about any tax situation, you consult an expert. In fact, although I will write a small blurb on your situation, I would like you also to forward your question to Joseph Smith over at TravelTax.com (http://traveltax.com/html/EmailUs.html).

Joseph Smith is sort of a tax guru regarding traveling professionals, so much so, that I asked him to look over the tax section in my book before I published, just to make sure everything I was writing was correct.

Travel Tax does a great service in answering tax questions, and will also do your returns if you like, for just about what you’d pay any other tax professional. They don’t charge a lot for the peace of mind it may give you as a travel nurse to have your returns done by someone VERY familiar with the tax intricacies involving the traveling healthcare professional.

With that said, as I understand it, many company’s tax advantage programs do allow you more take-home pay. But even if you do not work with a company providing a tax program, that is a deduction that you would still qualify for if you truly qualify for a tax advantage program through your travel company.

The idea of the deduction is that you are allowed to deduct expenses you would have while working away from your home area (or “tax home”). A “tax home” is not a dwelling (although that does help establish a tax home), but rather, an area in which you normally do business. Other things that help establish this “area” are a place where you register your car, register to vote, or have earned an income.

I hate to expand on this too much and would rather direct you to the page on Joseph Smith’s website that is in my mind, REQUIRED reading for ANY traveling professional, which can be found here:

http://traveltax.com/html/TaxEdTravelling.html

So, you should be able to deduct your living expenses while on the road, your meals and incidentals, and your mileage (a detailed logbook of the actual odometer readings is a good idea). You will have to look up the going rates for meals and incidentals for the area in which you worked and how to claim this on your taxes. More info on that can be found here:

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/101518?utm_source=OGP&utm_medium=print-radio&utm_term=mie&utm_campaign=shortcuts

Just remember that you can only deduct M&I on the days where you were away from home. On any days where you returned home, you would not have that deduction for M&I or likely even the housing (even though you pay on a monthly, rather than daily basis).

I hope this helps, but please use it only as a guide and research and understand all the tax implications with your specific situation.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:  

Would accepting a travel nursing assignment be different for someone with two small children? Are accommodations provided for people traveling with a family?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:  

While travel nursing is certainly easier when you are single or unencumbered, there are many nurses who travel with a loved one or their families.

Travel companies can make certain accommodations, but this is mostly in regard to housing (like if you require a two or three bedroom apartment rather than a single).

You will likely have to pay extra for this, but there are some travelers who do require more space than a one-bedroom apartment can provide.

If you are speaking of child care, then it becomes trickier. I do not know of any company that assists with finding child care (however, I’ve also never been in this position, so I’ve never asked).

It would be a great benefit to tout, but I have never heard of a company assisting with this aspect of travel (if there are any recruiters reading this and are with a company that provides this, please let us know in the comment section and please email me personally so that I may be aware of your company).

What you seek to do would certainly not be impossible, but would require much more work than the average travel nurse encounters when seeking an assignment.

However, I’ve known quite a few moms that seem to be able to pull off anything when it comes to providing wonderful experiences for their kids.

Here is a post from Travel Nursing Blogs on traveling with young children that gets into some more detail. You may also want to ask around on some Traveler forums to get some insight through others’ experiences.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

There may be a new contender for the UK’s Christmas number one single … The fine folks at London’s Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals have put together this darling takeoff of Mariah Carey’s modern Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Check out the video below.

Their version, titled “I Don’t Want a Christmas with Flu,” is an encouragement for anyone still questioning whether or not to get a flu shot and a funny little in-joke for nurses and other hospital staff.

BCF Hospitals’ version begins:

I don’t want the flu for Christmas

There is just one jab I need.

It will help combat the presence

Of the seasonal disease.

The YouTube entry advises, “Protect your patients, your colleagues and yourself by getting vaccinated against flu…with a little musical encouragement from the staff and patients at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals!”

Cheers to the nurses, staff, and patients at BCF Hospitals for this funny Christmas carol!

Please share any of your favorite Holiday and nurse-related videos or memes in the comments.

After James Costello was injured in the tragic Boston Marathon bombings, he wondered what good could come from such a senseless tragedy. But for Costello, being in the wrong place at the wrong time ended up putting him in the right place at the right time.

Continue reading →

A big thumbs up to 2013′s Travelers and Recruiters of the Year!

Healthcare Traveler magazine has announced the winners for its annual listing of Travelers and Recruiters of the Year. The publication recognizes outstanding recruiters in the field of healthcare travel as well as outstanding Travelers — including quite a few Travel Nurses!

For 2013, 48 Travelers were chosen as winners. According to the magazine, these individuals exhibit great characteristics for healthcare Travelers such as “flexibility, dependability, loyalty, professionalism, and an adventurous spirit … especially when an assignment isn’t ideal, or workplace circumstances call for a level head.” As any Travel Nurse knows, adaptability is crucial when traveling.

Winning Travelers were majority RNs, but also represented quite a few Allied Health Professionals, among others. Some Travelers are fairly new to the game and giving standout performances right out of the gate, such as Medical Solutions Travelers Quinn Anthony and Marla Preader who each have one year traveling. Quite a few winning Travelers have been at for 2-10 years. Then there are the real vets, such as Labor and Delivery RN Patricia Pitts with CRU48 who has 22 years of travel under her belt.

No matter how long they’ve been on the road, a big congrats to all of the 2013 Travelers of the Year! See the full list here.

As for the Recruiters of the Year, these are individuals who foster close, trusting relationships with their Travelers; working to understand and cater to the Travelers’ personal needs along with his or her career goals. Healthcare Traveler says that some great qualities of a recruiter are “willingness to listen, the capacity to empathize, and the desire to help when things get sticky.”

The magazine chose 51 recruiters from across many agencies as their 2013 Recruiters of the Year. As any Travel Nurse knows, a good Recruiter relationship is absolutely essential to success in the industry. The folks on this list are legit and might be a good place to start if you’re looking for a recruiter you click with. Click here for the full list of 2013 Recruiters of the Year.

Have you or your recruiter ever been recognized in this annual best of honor? Share with us in the comments if so!

As a travel nurse, getting and maintaining health insurance can be a bit trickier than it is for perm staff. But maintaining coverage for you and your family is super important!

With the upcoming implementation of the Affordable Care Act there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding health insurance for everybody. Let’s take a look at what one company is doing regarding travel nurse insurance. Medical Solutions decided in 2013 to take matters into their own hands on behalf of their Travelers, and introduced these new, significantly lower health insurance rates.

At many agencies, the insurance you elect to take will often have an effect on your overall pay package. But with Medical Solutions’ new rates, a nurse’s pay package is not affected by the lowered rates. Under the new rates, a single, basic policy is just $10 per week.

Medical Solutions Travelers who were already covered and on contracts spanning into January 2014 when this change took affect saw their rates plummet immediately (and their paychecks go up as a result!). The new health insurance rates are available to all Medical Solutions Travelers beginning January 2014.

Click here to see some FAQs on the new insurance rates as well as the full breakdown in rates per month.

What are your biggest concerns when it comes to travel nurse insurance? Let us know in the comments.

Ask a Travel Nurse Housing Expert Question:  

Where is the best place to start to secure housing for myself when taking an assignment? I did not “take housing” from my agency and have no clue where I will stay. Sharing housing is much more affordable, but how do you find a short-term roommate?

Ask a Travel Nurse Housing Expert Answer:  

The hospital’s HR usually has some information on rooms for rent and possibly shared housing. They can be a great resource if you want to connect with another Travel Nurse for shared housing. You could also check out Healthcare Travelbook, which is sort of like a Facebook for Travelers; a place where you can connect with others, maybe find a roommate, and crowdsource info.

Another option could be Extended Stay America. They are very affordable and have everything you need without having to share with someone.  Might be something to check in to. The longer you stay the deeper discount you get on the room. Remember these are usually studio sized rooms, so definitely smaller than what you would get in an apartment. Laundry is always onsite, which is nice, and you have a fully equipped kitchen.  But it just really depends on what you are looking for when you travel. There are also personal factors that will affect your needs like if you have pets, location to the hospital, pools, and amenities. Hope that helps.  If you have any more questions please let me know. Otherwise, I would totally check with the hospital and see if they have any leads.

Good luck and enjoy your travel experience!

Want to hear a heartwarming story? I thought you might.

This post on The Meta Picture shared some photos that tell the story of an amazingly sweet exchange between a nurse and a nursing student.

The poster wrote, “My girlfriend is studying for her nursing license exam and found this envelope tucked in a book at B&N.” What followed were images of an envelope and letter that began “Words From a Nurse” and continued with the author guessing that if the reader was thumbing through an NCLEX book she was probably closing in on the end of nursing school. Advice and kind encouragement followed. Here are some highlights from the letter:

“I want to start by saying that you should be so proud of yourself! You’ve worked so hard to get here, and I promise you, it’s so worth it. I’ve been a nurse for 12 years and can’t imagine doing anything else.”

“I want to let you know that the first year or two out of school is the hardest. But don’t give up & remember why you decided to become a nurse in the first place.”

“Be patient, and don’t beat yourself up. Don’t take things personally and when you’ve had a difficult situation, try to leave work at work.”

“Two more very important things to remember are 1, be proud to be a nurse, and 2, believe in yourself. Also trust your instincts—they’re usually right!”

And then, just when you thought it couldn’t get any sweeter, you see that there is a $10 Starbucks gift card enclosed and the letter reads, “So grab some coffee & study for NCLEX. I’m certain you’ll do fine. But if you don’t pass, it’s not the end of the world although it might feel like it. You simply take it again, and that’s OK.”

In closing the letter reads: “You’re going to be a great nurse! Remember, be proud & believe in yourself! You can do it! XOXOXO, Another Nurse.”

What an awesome pep talk! Kudos, anonymous kindness ninja nurse. Thank you so much for spreading joy in the world and helping inspire another future nurse!

Have you ever experienced such an awesome act of random kindness? Tell us all about it in the comments.

Here are the images of the letter from the original post; click to enlarge: