What other benefits should I look for in a travel nursing agency?

Picking a travel nurse agency can be difficult with so many to choose from. Besides the basics like medical insurance and competitive pay rates, what else should you be looking for?

Mental Health Services

When you think of benefits, you think of insurance and retirement savings. But did you know that most travel nursing agencies also offer many non-traditional benefits? With increasing physical and mental demands in nursing, many travel nurses are experiencing burnout at increasing rates. As a travel nurse, you’re more prone to burnout. You’re constantly moving to new cities, meeting new people, and adapting to new work environments.

This is why prioritizing mental health is important to travel nurses. A travel nurse agency that offers mental health support understands travel nursing can be tiring and want to help you.

Services can be through either your insurance provider, a virtual mental health partner, or a free app subscription covered by your agency.

Full Circle of Support

Don’t forget about your physical health, too! Look for agencies that offer other health and well-being resources. Health Carousel provides a Full Circle of Support and is committed to improving your overall health. We offer many free tips and tricks to improve your physical and mental well-being as a traveler. We focus on the travel nurse lifestyle and how to improve your quality of life.

Top ranked travel nurse agency

When searching for a travel nurse agency, be sure to research their ratings. First, are they ranking in the top 10 lists consistently? If they are, there’s more than one reason why they are ranked so high. Look at their reviews, because most travel nurses are willing to share their experiences, good and bad.

Joint Commission Certified

Next, find out if the agency you're interested in has a Joint Commission certification. If they do, this means they meet the standards and guidelines of healthcare staffing agencies. When you can trust they follow industry standards, It makes finding an agency that much easier.

Clinical Leadership

Another important aspect to consider is whether a travel nursing agency is clinically led. Meaning, do they have clinical healthcare leaders and former nurses working there.

This is important because they understand the aspects of healthcare and stressors of travel assignments. They’ve lived it and have similar experiences to draw from. And another added perk, they'll also be your advocate while on assignment. They understand the ins and outs of travel nursing, which can be invaluable.

Support Teams

You’ll also want to research what other resources the travel nurse agency has to offer, such as recruiter support. Look for an agency that has recruiters available and are willing to answer all of your questions. Or point you in the right direction. Having 24/7 support can sometimes be the biggest factor when landing an assignment.

Additionally, look for an agency that offers housing support. It can be hard to find housing in some assignment locations. Most agencies offer housing discounts or corporate fully-furnished housing. Travel nursing agencies have many benefits and resources—you just have to ask.