Let the Job Search Begin.

Once you have your state nursing license, and sometimes while it's still being processed, you are going to want to start looking for a recruiter. The person/company you choose will impact everything from your overall pay, how well you fit your new role, what benefits you have access to, and your general over-all experience as a travel nurse. 

No pressure 

Recruiters and Agencies

There are 600 billion recruiters and as many different agencies.....these cool cats work on commission, meaning it is in their best interest to get you working, to keep you working, and to ensure you are happy in the process. But with so many fish in the sea, how can you know who to pick???? Who has experience with Canadian applicants? Who can hold my hand (if that's what you want) through the whole travel nursing experience??? There is no way around it, you will have to do your homework!!! This blog is a great start. Just remember,  there are some great recruiters at not so great agencies,  and some not so great recruiters at some pretty big agencies. 

When I first started looking into travel nursing in 2014, I googled "Canadian travel nursing to USA", and out of the several hundred thousand hits, AYA healthcare popped up. AYA healthcare is a large company of recruiters that explicitly state on their website how helpful they are to Canadians in the pursuit of a travel nurse career. PERFECT! I signed up.... well I started a profile...

Then I realized that I needed at least a year nursing experience.......

Then life happened.....

My son started displaying some pretty intense behaviours, that would not be accurately diagnosed as ASD until 4 years later..... travel nursing got tabled.... but I always kept Aya In mind. I so loved that they were making the effort to assist us Canucks, and that there would be people to help me navigate the whole process. Phew!!! Because it can be  overwhelming for us, especially at the beginning.

What is a recruiter anyways? 

A recruiter is an employee of a travel nurse agency, who's purpose is to, from my understanding, act as the middle person between you, and the hospital. They work for you, and they work for the hospital. The good ones are master negotiators, amazing communicators, allies, and even friends. They submit you to appropriate jobs that you are interested in, negotiate your requests for shift preference, pay, time off, and once you start working, they have your back if things get wiley cyote on the unit. They get paid when you get paid, so its in their best interest to help you get work.

The agency that recruiter works for?  THEY will be your employer for the duration of your contract.

So wait? I'm not employed by the hospital??? 

Negative!

If, for example, you take a contract through Aya, you are employed by Aya. They will be the employer on the employment letter that you have to take to the border for your TN Visa. They will be the ones to provide health benefits (or not)......

Something I have learned..... 

Some agencies.... well some recruiters at some agencies, hear "TN VISA" and I'm not sure if they think we are trying to immigrate, if they don't fully understand our process,  but they freak the eff out. I have had recruiters ghost me at this point, and others insist that I need a visa first in order to work for them..........which means they don't really understand how TN Visa's actually work........we need to apply for a new visa each time we switch agencies, which could be as often as every contract.....

I find this both amusing and unfortunate, because really all we need from them that is extra, is a letter.... a letter stating that we have accepted xyz contract, and that they are indeed our employer from date A to date B. I mean, it would be great if they actually did help with the whole visa screen process, but no matter how much they want to help, that part is on you. I am always happy to help however I can, so feel free to hit me up. Until you have your visa screen in hand though, their hands are pretty tied......

So recently I stopped asking recruiters if they help Canadians, and started asking if they would be able to provide me with an employment letter that I could take to the border.....Way less scary for them I think, because none have said no to that. Go figure. 

You don't even need a recruiter to be honest. There are now companies out there (Trusted Health, NOMAD) that are run by nurses, that do not work on commission, that allow you to steer the ship a bit more independently. Did I jump on that train? Of course I did.... kind of.

Trusted

Nomad

Neither site is really Canadian friendly, but the team at Trusted has gone above and beyond to try to get better at that. What you will find while filling out agency profiles, is that almost everything has a drop down menu, from your work history, to your education, even your zip code....which you don't have if you live in Canada. If you don't select an item off the list, you get blocked from moving forward. I initially had to put that my license was in Alabama (not Alberta), as it's super rare to find a drop down menu with any Canadian provinces or cities. I feel like every drop down menu needs an option for "other" and a way to manually enter those details, while they work on adding Canadian options. But I'm not a computer programmer. If you find a recruiter or an agency that you love and you run into this issue, reach out to them. You probably won't be the first Canadian to contact them, and there might be a work around. 

The great thing is, you have choices. My recommendation is to put a few eggs in a few different baskets so you can nail down the perfect job for you. What you gain in higher rates through these other companies, you give up in support. Remember, these groups don't get commission, so more money goes in your pocket. If you are very self directed, confident in what you need to do to get your TN Visa and SSN, these companies may be a good fit for you. Since I am currently so in the thick of things, I have submitted with both AYA and TRUSTED. And before actually submitting, I was working with AYA, TRUSTED, AUERUS, and most recently Advantis. Meaning I went online, to each companies webpage and fully submitted a profile, including references, so that if a job came up that I wanted, I would be mostly ready. Remember, as an employee of the agency, you will be required to do onboarding, skills checklists, upload resumes etc. You don't need to do this with every single company that exists, that's too much, but check out several and choose at least 2-3 that you would be thrilled to work with. There are so many recommendations online if you are looking for some direction, but you really ought to do your own homework here....remember we all have different needs and different priorities. If it's the money bags you are after, I suggest perusing these 3 sites.

Wanderly

Vivian

Fusion Marketplace

These sites act as big, live, databases providing you with several package options from several different agencies so that you can compare all the details and THEN decide if you want to pursue a specific agency or recruiter for a certain job. 

You could access these places first, find who has the highest paying contracts in your desired location/specialty and THEN reach out to them/start an online profile. 

There is no best agency, and there is no best recruiter, because we all have different wants/needs, different levels of experience, and we differ in the level of support we require/prefer. On top of that, each recruiter is also a human with different strengths, different communication styles, different levels of experience, and different connections. This is why I suggest you have profiles active with a few different companies. You will find exclusive contracts with one company that no one else has access to, and one recruiter just may not be able to get you the rate you want, based soley on the relationship their company has with a specific hospital. Just like there a bazillion recruiters, there are just as many travel nurses. This relationship is a partnership. It goes two ways. It has to be a good fit. It is not one size fits all, so be intentional. If you are assigned a recruiter, and you don't mesh, but you love the company, benefits etc.....ask for a new recruiter. There is no harm in that. Again, this isn't personal, it's business. You need to trust this person to be your ally. And they need to actually put in the work...respond to questions in a timely way, be transparent with contracts, and support you as needed. 

Some qualities I have personally come to appreciate in potential recruiters include: optimism with double shot of transparency, like be honest with me but don't crush my dreams thank you,  cat like reflex text back skills, a neutral stance on my personal job decisions......it's not personal if a potential contract isnt right for me..... I am the one showing up everyday, so I will never get bullied into taking a position I wont thrive in. I also appreciate follow ups. If someone says they will check back with me in a couple of weeks, then they don't......they dead to me.... simple as that. Harsh, but if you forget about me at this stage, how can I count on you if things get crazy......It is a BIG deal for us, for me anyways....to move to a new country, state, hospital........it's important to feel, and to actually BE  supported. I also love a good sense of humour, patience, and being proactive.

How do they get paid?

We are going to do a deep dive into pay and contracts later, but for now the best explanation I have is this.... 

For each position offered by a hospital, there is a bucket of money. The hospital doesn't care how that bucket is divided after it leaves  but when it leaves the hospital, it goes into the recruiters/companies hands.....This is where it gets more complex, as how each bucket is divided can vary ALOT, but for now, just know, that the recruiter is payed out of that bucket, you are paid out of that bucket, and how much everyone gets is not set in stone. There is some room for movement within this limit. For us though, we never truly know how much is in that bucket..... you can ask.... if you really want to know.... what the bill rate is.... AKA how much is in each  bucket......Personally, I won't accept a contract if it pays less than what I think is fair and if I see the same job posted with someone else for more money, I will be transparent about that and ask about matching. I don't want to get into bill rates and how they are dividing things.....that's their job. At some point I feel like I have trust that my recruiter is not trying to rip me off. If I accept a job, it's because I'm happy with the proposed compensation......besides I want them to get paid too. And it's not black and white like that, that money goes alot of different places sometimes.

For example, some companies reimburse for travel, others do not, some reimburse for scrubs, others do not..... it all comes out of the same bucket.....In the case of Trusted Health and NOMAD, the recruiter doesn't exist, so no recruiter compensation comes out, which is why they can pay more to the nurse. Again, it is important to consider what you are trading for higher weekly pay. You are certainly not totally all on your own with these companies, your recruiter is now replaced with a care team. A nurse or nurses dedicated to support each individual step along the way. One to help with your profile, one to help with submissions, another for onboarding, and yet another for compliance, they take longer to respond to questions, and keep normal business hours....so I am not sure what happens if you need them on a Saturday....but just remember that your net pay at the end of the week is not the full picture. More on this to come. 

I can't discuss how any of the companies perform once you are actually on assignment because we are not quite there yet. But that will most certainly come as I get working. I will be be providing completely honest, unbiased reviews on the companies I actually use for work, and referring my recruiters if I feel they are awesome. 

Until next time...

xo 

Alana

One step Closer!

5 months in and I am getting SO CLOSE to hitting the road as a travel NICU nurse. I have spent around 2000.00 CAD so far, with the majority of the expenses coming from the whole CGFNS process. 

Yesterday I was approved for my first USA RN license in Minnesota. 🥳 I applied on Oct 12, had all documents sent in (including fingerprint hard card) by Oct 26, and was licensed by Nov 8. Less than 4 weeks from submitting my application and 11 days after receiving all my documents. This is a HUGE difference from NY, where my application is still sitting in some big pile, in some department, waiting for further evaluation almost 3 months later..... So New York will have to wait. 

Arizona is getting closer, as they just reviewed my application. They promise a review within 30 days, and they don't lie. 24 days after applying, I was sent a deficiency notice requesting employment verification, and practice hours. I am not sure if I missed that requirement somehow, but it doesn't show up on my dashboard checklist. I did try to verify that I had sent everything necessary when I first submitted, but the only response I could get was "we will review your app within 30 days and let you know if something is missing".... So, I sent the requested documents yesterday, but they still need to review them now, and my prints, which could take 6 to 8 weeks. MN did this in under one week. So as much as Minnesota is not really calling to my gypsy soul, it is accessible, easy, and the pay looks pretty great right now for my specialty. I don't mind earning those tropical destinations. 

One big lesson I'm learning here is that you really have to go one step at a time. Rushing to get a recruiter, or planning your life around a hopeful start date, is not reccomended. Until you are at the facility, actually working....nothing is certain, and even then, things can change. I really value preparedness, and I always like to be a step ahead....... ready......anticipating what's coming next, I guess because I feel I have way more control that way. But this whole process is so much about waiting......for what seems like forever, then all of a sudden everything happens so quick. Kind of like the film business. I remember in my old acting days, the motto was always "hurry up and wait". Always have to be ready to be ready......

I hate the cold. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, but I am a summer baby, through and through, and a big driving factor in this whole venture, is to escape the harsh Canadian winters..... so going to Minnesota in the dead of winter, (once I get a contract) is not exactly what I had in mind, but the goals of my first contract are just to get my foot in the door, make a bunch of money, get a SSN so the rest of the USA is open to me, and to gain experience as a baby traveller..... if I have to brave Minnesota in the winter to do it, I'm here for it. My long term goals don't change. California is still the dream. 

I have no idea when or where I am going. I have submitted to jobs in Minnesota through my recruiter at Aureus Medical, as well as through Trusted Health. I have a tentative availability date of Dec 6, but each week that passes with no placement, that gets pushed back. It's only been a day since I submitted, so we shall see...... However, I don't think I will agree to start an assignment the week of Christmas, and may end up waiting for Jan, but right now nothing is certain. If I wait for January and Arizona is approved, things may change. One day at a time, let's just see how this plays out. 

When nothing is certain, anything is possible. All I can do now is wait...... stay present in my life, and trust the timing.

Xo 

Alana  

New York: License and Lessons

As you know by now if you have been following along here, I applied for my New York licence on Aug 24 2021. I chose New York for a few reasons, one of which being that I could apply without a social security number. If a state asks for a ssn on the application,  I just can't even apply, so I have very few to pick from, and on that list, New York was my number one choice. 

It's a WAY bigger place than where I am living now, and there is so much there I want to explore, and experience. Central Park, Hawks nest Highway on my motorbike, The Brooklyn Bridge.....I am definitely still planning to do an assignment here, just not likely my first assignment unfortunately. There are a few things I wish I knew before applying, so I'm going to share them here with you in case you are considering New York as a first assignment coming from Canada.

NYSED 

http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nursingrn.htm

New York State Education Department is the govt body responsible for reviewing your application, CVS documents, education and work history. This one department processes and issues licenses for over 50 professions, so don't expect speedy service.......in fact any  response at all via email seems pretty hard to come by. Out of the 5 emails I have sent, I have received 2 replies. This is the first stop for your application. This is where you will find instructions and fill out the appropriate application. From here it is forwarded to the nursing department where they claim it can take 6 to 8 weeks to review. They also explicitly state on the website that you are not to contact them prior to 6 weeks from submitting everything, and doing so may delay your application process. So I waited.... and waited. And at the 6 week mark, I sent the contact us form requesting an update, I have still not received a reply and its week 10!!!

A week after not hearing anything, I called customer service. Waited on hold for an hour only to be told that CGFNS had not sent my CVS (see my CGFNS post for that story), and I was only able to contact the nursing department on Tues and Thurs. It took a week and about 4 phone calls to sort that, and then once the CVS got to the nursing department, I was told my application had been sent to comparative education for further evaluation.....

BUT WHY???? 

I graduated December 2014, wrote my NCLEX in Canada as my graduation exam, paid for the credential verification specific to new york from CGFNS, and met all other requirements. 

Apparently, It's policy

So after being informed by the nursing department that my application needed further review, and that they couldn't really do anything to help, it was suggested that I call the  processing department if I had questions. So I did. 

Another team you can only talk to on Tues and Thurs......So I emailed, knowing I may never hear back. I asked if it was really necessary to go through the extra 3 month evaluation given everything I already mentioned here..... the response stated "if you graduated before Jan 2015, the policy is for us to send the application to comparative education". I replied,  asking if the reason for that was not due to the implementation of the nclex in Jan 2015??? And since that was my exam, which I wrote in Jan 2015, doesn't that meet the graduation recency requirement??...... 

Crickets. 

So I tried comparative education. I emailed all of the same questions and asked if it was necessary my application go through this very extensive review, and the response from them was "we are currently processing applications from May, you can contact us in 6 to 8 weeks if you have a question about your application"....so 6 to 8 weeks to have a question answered??!!! Wow. 

That's where I started looking at my other options. Being potentially 5 more months away from a license in NY. 

According to NYSED if you graduated from a Canadian based nursing program after Jan 2015, you may be eligible for a quicker application process, and may not need to buy the CVS from CGFNS. Even WITH the CVS, this was not my experience. 

The Application 

The fee to apply by Endorsement is $143.00

You are required to provide the typical info : personal info, work history, education history, and background/security questions. This part was very straight forward. 

You are also required to take 2 extra courses for this application. The courses are easy to find online and take very little time to complete. I paid 55 USD for both. 

My thoughts 

Nowhere online does it say that an international application will take 6 months or more, I wish I knew this. I definitely would have picked somewhere else. However  if you know this going in, and you are prepared to wait, I still think it would be an awesome place to work. 

The communication online is super slow if you get a response at all. There is no online platform to see your application updates like some other states have. That's why I went 6 weeks oblivious to the error made by CGFNS. Talking to the nursing department was always pleasant and informative. The wait time on the phone was atrocious though and added over 100 bucks in long distance charges to my phone bill. 

The cost to apply is reasonable however,  WAY CHEAPER than my Alberta license. The application process is easy to navigate. Your license is yours for life, and your registration is good for 3 years. 

So all in all, this is a good place to apply for a first assignment IF you graduated after January 2015 AND/OR you are prepared to wait up to 6 months for your license. If that doesn't sound like you, stay tuned for my updates on the licensing process in Minnesota and Arizona, coming soon. 

For now, New York will stay on my bucket list, and when the timing is right, I will be so happy to share that adventure with you guys. 

Xo

Alana