Medical staffing agencies are full of fantastic opportunities. They can provide good hospitals, safe travel benefits, and reliable paychecks. They also offer pre-screened and trained travel nurses for hospitals that require temporary nursing staff. For aspiring, they can help them on how to become a travel nurse and guide them with steps to becoming a travel nurse.
But there’s still the question of what to expect from a travel staffing agency? By looking at reviews voluntarily given by other medical professionals, you can better understand what this company is like in practice.
What Exactly is a Travel Staffing Agency?
A travel staffing agency is a company that helps to fill the gap of personnel who are not available to work. For example, the travel medical staffing agency specializes in staffing medical professionals to medical institutions, facilities, and businesses.
The expert team members work with hospitals; there are some reputable allied health travel agencies, mostly based out of California, that specialize in medical staffing services by providing travel nurses, psychiatrists, mental health professionals, physiotherapists, and other professionals to some of the leading hospitals and critical units across the 50 odd states.
The Job Search Process
The best-med travel staffing agency has an extensive network of hospitals and medical facilities throughout the country. When you call or visit a staffing agency, a staffing consultant will provide you with job opportunities that meet your needs in terms of location and type of job.
You can generally expect your recruiter to contact you within 24 hours to discuss your qualifications and goals and go over any questions that you may have.
What’s Next?
Once you have decided on a job opportunity, your staffing consultant will send your resume directly to the hiring manager at the hospital or medical facility where you will be working. The recruiter will also help you prepare for interviews with hiring managers so that you can make the best impression possible. Once the hospital has approved your application, the recruiter will assist you in completing all necessary paperwork for the job and answer any questions you may have before beginning work.
Insurance and Benefits
The travel medical staffing agency will provide you with insurance benefits and other perks during your assignment. These benefits may include:
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Life insurance
- Legal assistance
- Paid housing
- An allowance for housing expenses
You will also receive paid travel expenses and a guaranteed hourly wage based on your skills and experience. Some agencies offer sign-on bonuses and referral bonuses and match 401(k) plans to those employees who qualify.
Providing Training
A travel staffing agency can help you find the right job for you by providing training, advice, and assistance. If you choose to join one of these agencies, you should expect to receive expert advice from highly trained professionals in their field of expertise.
You can expect to receive recommendations about which destination areas will best suit your interests and needs. Additionally, you will have access to experts who can help you determine what employment opportunities are available based on your experience and education level.
You will only work on assignments that fit your skills and qualifications, as well as your lifestyle.
Quality Service
A great agency will always put in the extra effort to ensure that you are satisfied with their service and meet your needs. They will follow up with you to ensure that everything is going well and ask if there is anything else they can do for you. They will also go above and beyond to ensure that the hospital where you are working is fully staffed with the best healthcare professionals available.
Money and Flexibility
Travel medical staffing agencies offer medical professionals high pay rates for temporary placements, usually higher than you would make working for a hospital or clinic directly. The agencies can attract the best talent, good for them and good for you, by paying you more.
Working with travel staffing agencies allows you to choose what assignments you want to take on and when you want to work on them.
Communication
Your recruiter must frequently communicate with you. Whether by email, phone, or instant message, you should be kept informed about changes to your schedule or new opportunities that become available. Good communication also means asking questions when they arise and getting honest answers back quickly.
The Bottom Line
Travel medical staffing agencies can be viable for travel nurses looking to work outside of their home state. However, no single company can guarantee you an assignment and all the perks that come along with it. Remember, deciding which staffing agency to work with is entirely up to you.
