David Morrison

I must admit it. I've bought into the whole sensationalistic nature of media with teasers like the one above. In case you aren't familiar, "teasers" are those little one-line snippets you usually hear from the local news stations: "Tonight at 5, why the carpet in your house may be killing you!" The goal is to get you to tune in, but the story never seems to live up to the hype.

I cannot tell you how many people contact me pleading, "Please, just tell me the best company to travel with." I wish I could tell you that I will answer differently, but alas, those of you expecting to finally find out which staffing company is best will probably wind up disappointed at my declaration. That declaration? There simply is no "best" staffing company. But there is a staffing company that might be best for you.

If you have spent any time shopping the staffing companies, you will know they mostly offer great pay, fabulous benefits, and wonderful locations. Closer inspection, however, reveals that not all companies are created equal. The differences start to appear when you take a look at how they allocate their resources in the services and salary they provide to their travelers.

Many hospitals will sign a "blanket agreement" with the staffing agencies with which they work. The hospital contract might stipulate that the hospital will pay the agency $25,000 per traveler for a three-month contract (not necessarily how it is done or an accurate figure, just illustrating a point). The staffing company will then figure out how it will allocate those funds to the traveler.

From the money the staffing company is paid for a contract, it must provide the traveler's salary, medical and dental insurance, license reimbursement, housing, travel expenses, and any other outlay that will allow a traveler to work in that location. The rest would be profit for the staffing company.

Set your priorities

As you can probably imagine, rarely do any two companies divide this money the same. If you travel with company A, you might earn a few dollars more per hour than with company B, but company B will put you in nicer housing. Company B might have nicer housing, but perhaps company C offers better healthcare coverage. How the funds are divided is dependent on each specific company. For you to find the "best" company, you simply need to find the one that allocates the most money to the benefits you find most important.

In shopping a staffing company, you must first decide what benefits are important to you. Do you want a company that pays the highest hourly rate? Do you want a company that secures great housing accommodations? Do you want a company that has a free PPO healthcare plan? Whatever your priorities, decide their rank and then seek out a travel company that fits the bill.

I always encourage new travelers, or any traveler for that matter, to sign up with at least a few different staffing agencies. That way you will have more options for employment and can also choose an assignment with the company that best suits your needs at any given time.

Let's say you want to take an assignment that will be more like a vacation. In that case, you might call up company A, which you know often works with hospitals in Hawaii. Or maybe you need to catch up on bills, so you call company B, which has assignments that offer 48- and 60-hour workweeks. As you complete more travel assignments and research more staffing companies, you will learn which companies can meet your needs.

While there might not be any company out there that merits the overall title "the best staffing company," as you continue your career as a travel nurse, you will find companies that certainly wear that hat for you and your situation at any given time.

As always, feel free to write with your questions, and enjoy your travels.

Finding a partner

Selecting a staffing company can be a daunting task for the new traveler. With hundreds of different travel companies, how do you ever choose the right one? I can't make that decision for you, nor can I tell you which company will suit your particular needs. I can, however, give you some insight that might help you narrow your decision.

As far as benefits go, I believe any travel company should offer the following:

• Competitive pay rate.
• Free private housing or subsidy.
• Free medical and dental insurance.
• Direct deposit.
• Travel reimbursement.
• Free continuing education.
• License reimbursement.
• 401(k) with match.
• Professional liability insurance.
• A bonus or loyalty program.