Travel Nurse Contracts: Apply Early!

You don’t like to feel rushed—I get it, no one does! So why when working with a travel nurse agency does your recruiter seem to need things “right now” in order to land your top assignment? If you apply early for travel nurse contracts, you’ll have a head start to get your profile submitted right away when your dream travel nurse job becomes available. In this blog, I’ll go over the different situations where it pays to be proactive.

But, Why the Urgency?

Travel nurse contracts are opening and closing every single day. It’s normal to have a brand new order open and already have 20+ profiles submitted within the first few minutes! One of our top vendors stated that “60% of jobs get an offer within 4 days of being posted, and an offer is typically made to one of the first 4 submissions for the spot”. We know no one wants to be blindly submitted to a position. This is why it is SO important to have a plan with your recruiter on how to proceed if your “perfect spot” becomes available. For example, some nurses I work with will tell me if the location, shift and pay all meet their requirements to submit them immediately and let them know after.

Don’t Wait for the “Right” Position to Start the Process

Some travelers feel as if they’ve fallen victim to the “bait and switch” when they see multiple posts from recruiters and agencies for a travel nurse contract that “doesn’t exist”. Though this may be the case sometimes, more often than not, the position fills that fast! (A general rule of thumb – nurses getting offers for these positions probably already have their profiles updated and ready to go). If you wait until a job is posted to get started on your application, it will be gone before your profile is complete…

Getting your Profile Together

First off, it’s important to realize what we need before we can even submit you to a spot. We will need a complete profile to send over to the hospital which includes:

• Your application (certifications, licensure, employment history and education history)
• Skills checklist(s) for your specialty
• 2 references (preferably from your two most recent positions)

Once your recruiter has all of this information, they will add the “finishing touches” to your profile. We’ll include specific details on each facility such as bed size, trauma level and/or teaching status, EMR experience and if it was a travel contract or permanent position.

(Pro tip: We know working with multiple agencies and having to fill out multiple applications can be a drag. To make the process easier, keep your resume up-to-date so you can whiz through the process even faster!)

Keep in mind, there may be some extra items that the VMS (vendor management system) or facility requires in order for your recruiter to submit your profile. An active RN license, certifications, social security card and driver’s license are some examples of extra things they could ask for.

Planning Ahead Could be your Competitive Advantage!

It’s important to let your recruiter know a few dates and times that you’d be available for a phone interview from the facility if they want to move forward! We understand that you are a busy person, and we respect your time, so planning ahead with your recruiter helps prevent a game of phone tag between you and the facility’s hiring manager. If you miss a call from the facility, it’s SUPER important to call back as soon as possible. Remember – urgency is the theme here!

If you are interested in travel nurse contracts, apply early! This could be the difference between landing your next assignment and continuing the waiting game. Having a great working relationship with your recruiter is critical in the travel nurse world. It’s important to be open and honest with us about your timeline and expectations. After all, there’s no better ally to have on this journey than your recruiter!

“Oh, the places you’ll go!” –Dr. Seuss