Top 5 Great Qualities To Look For In A Travel Nurse Recruiter
Before I became a travel nurse, I was a full-time staff nurse at various hospitals for four years. I worked on different units, e.g., the Medical/Surgical Unit, Mother/Baby Unit, and eventually Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). One day while at work, a former NICU colleague asked if I was interested in becoming a travel nurse with her, and after thinking and praying, I agreed. We began researching many travel-healthcare agencies until we found the best fit for us.
From the moment I became a travel nurse, I was fortunate to have great recruiters from the different travel-healthcare agencies that I worked under. The recruiters made sure everything was in perfect order throughout the entire assignment. During the past four years as travel nurse, I sought out different qualities in recruiters that were beneficial to me and would be for any healthcare worker who wants to start traveling in the near future.
Below are the great qualities I look for in travel nurse recruiters:
1. Great Rapport
In my opinion, you need to build a great relationship with your recruiter early on, and work as a team to create an awesome travel nurse experience. As stated above, I have had amazing recruiters who made sure that everything was squared away throughout my entire assignment. If any difficulties came along, the recruiters were there to help handle any situation, rather it was big or small.
2. Active Listener
A recruiter must be an active, attentive listener. For example, one recruiter recommended an assignment that paid quite well; however, I was reluctant to accept it mainly because of its location. I’d also heard horrible things from other travel nurses regarding their experiences while working at that particular hospital. Therefore, I expressed my concerns to my recruiter, who completely understood my feelings. I liked the fact that my recruiter did not pressure me into accepting the assignment because it paid well, but listened to my concerns and attended to my needs.
3. Great Communicator
As you know, communication is KEY to any relationship, including professional work relationships! Travel nurses communicate with many process agents when preparing for each assignment, e.g., recruiters, payroll specialists, credential specialists, etc. If you ever have questions/concerns about your assignment, do not hesitate to ASK them anything that you need assistance with!
4. Prompt/Takes Action
I understand most things cannot happen at the snap of a finger, but my mind is eased when my application is promptly submitted to a hospital by a recruiter (per my request) and my questions/concerns given immediate attention. For example, one of my assignments was canceled, and I had already signed a 3-month/short-term rental lease. My recruiter sent a letter to the landlord regarding the cancellation issue and was able to reimburse me for the expenses I paid when preparing for the canceled assignment. The entire process was scary, but finalized within a few days.
5. Years of Experience
Having an experienced recruiter is beneficial because they would know the ends and outs of finding quality travel assignments and are more knowledgeable of the travel nurse process. I tend to gravitate towards recruiters with more experience and take on the knowledge that they convey. Moreover, they are experts at negotiating contract salaries, discussing benefits, knowledgeable of state license requirements, and more! Experienced recruiters are dedicated to ensure travel nurse assignments are successful.
So, are you ready to start a travel nurse career? Remember, a great career in travel nursing starts with a great recruiter. You got this…good luck!
Did this help? Make sure you check out the Freebies to find helpful checklists you could use as a travel nurse! 😃
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