Reassurance, Protection, and Attraction Are Key
Travel nurses are an exceptional staffing solution to your healthcare facility and team. In exchange for their skills (made available often at short notice) and with no employee benefits, what should you offer in their contract?
Though you are only bound to a contract between you and the agency – not the travel nurse – there are certain conditions or requirements the best travel nurses will expect. The confirmation is a document you will receive from the agency, as an addendum to the contract, with outlined conditions that your new travel nurse requires.
Let’s examine the key factors the best travel nurses desire in their contracts before they agree to relocate.
Items Between the Agency and Travel Nurses
The following items are benefits that may be included or considered in a travel nurse’s contract, that will be supplied by the travel agency:
- 401(K)
- Paid time off
- Paid sick leave
- Clinical record costs (such as MMRS, and PPDs)
- Protection items
- Attractive benefits
- Overtime rate
- Pay for pre-start paperwork
- Orientation pay – to recuperate pay when hospitals schedule fewer hours in the initial week for orientation
Where some agencies offer certain benefits, others will offer something of different value to travel nurses – all of which should be discussed between the agency and the travel nurse.
The Basic Knowledge
Besides basic details such as hospital name etc., the following details must be included in your contract:
- Shift starting time
- Shift ending time
- Number of shifts per week
- Number of contracted hours
- Number of contracted overtime hours (some states require overtime pay after 8 hours’ work, others 12)
- Pay schedule (monthly/bi-weekly/weekly)
- On-call requirements and pay
- Time sheet requirements i.e., deadlines
- Taxable base rates for contracted hours and overtime
The contract is a crucial document to travel nurses to help them budget and schedule, as well as provide tax evidence.
Protective Benefits
Travel nursing can be a daunting prospect for those used to rigid contracts in employment. Therefore, though the following contract clauses may not sound particularly dazzling, they could be crucial to travel nurses looking for clarity:
Missed/Canceled Hours Penalty
Travel nurses understand that if they miss assigned hours, shifts, or contracts, it’s cost you as a facility to recover. Explain the consequences.
Guaranteed Hours Policy
You may have misjudged your need to hire a travel nurse. Ensure they feel protected in this instance.
Non-Compete Clause
This clause provides clarity on whether they can join you through multiple agencies or accept a permanent role with you for a timeframe following an assignment.
The Benefits
Though benefits are provided by and vary from one agency to another, here are some winning considerations:
Housing Stipend
An exceptional yet common benefit to travel nurses, they’ll need to know how this is provided. It may be through lodging reimbursement, an already prepared accommodation used by the agency, or set amount paid to the travel nurse to cover the costs.
Parking Reimbursement
Hospital car parking fees can be a huge financial burden to travel nurses. Having this covered will be a winning advantage for them.
Meals and Incidental Expenditure
Paying for incidental costs such as meals while travel nurses are assigned to you can certainly make a contract with your facility more attractive. Clarify how this is reimbursed (often weekly).
Travel Expenses
Travel nurses are attracted to travel nursing for the experience and change of scenery, especially if they don’t have to pick up the fair. They do, however, need to budget – and will opt for contracts that clearly stipulate how quickly this is reimbursed to them, if it’s provided for them, or if they’re given upfront financial coverage.
Medical Benefits
Traveling around the United States and working on the front line – particularly when a pandemic is still simmering – can leave travel nurses feeling apprehensive. If they feel protected with suitable health insurance cover, they’ll have the reassurance they need that it’s all in hand.
License and Certification Reimbursements
Travel nurses require licenses for each state they work in, and certain certifications. This can become costly. A reimbursement is encouraging and invites the best nurses to bring their skills to you from far and wide.
Sign Up the Best Travel Nurses
At Loyal Source, we source the skills you need for your travel nurse jobs, taking care of the contracts and negotiations that ensure you feel confident and supported as well as our talented candidates.
For more information and to get fast, high-quality staffing cover now, get in touch with Loyal Source.