Travel Nursing FAQs
General Questions
Health Carousel Travel Nursing On Demand is a web-based application designed to give you the tools you need to land your next assignment on your terms. With features like precise job searching, real-time job alerts, personalized task management, transparent application tracking, and helpful communications, On Demand aims to deliver a tailored, self-service experience no matter how or where you enter the process.
Register for a free On Demand profile to prepare for your next assignment on your terms.
Your recruiter will be your main point of contact. At times during the process, we will set up conversations with our Support Services team members who are here to ensure your success. This includes our Credentialing, Travel & Housing, and Employee Support Specialist teams. You may also be in touch with our Clinical Team, which is made up of actively licensed RNs that help you with career-focused conversations.
You also may choose to find your next assignment without initial contact from a recruiter, which is why we’ve created a self-service portal in Health Carousel Travel Nursing On Demand. Take yourself through as much of the process as you wish and know that support from a recruiter is just a click away.
We staff contract positions in all 50 states including travel and local assignments. We primarily work with RN and Allied Health providers but occasionally fill LPN/LVN positions as well. Check our job board for openings in your profession and specialty.
Absolutely! We love working with first timers. In fact, we have created some excellent materials in our Travel Nurse Academy to help you learn how to travel. Check these out and get matched with a First-Time Travel Nurse Specialist who will be your go-to resource throughout your journey. We also have filters in our job search tool that show which facilities accept first-time travelers. To use this filter, you must have an On Demand profile.
Health Carousel Travel Nursing offers medical, dental, and vision coverage effective on day one of your assignment. You will have 25 days from the day you start employment to make your new hire elections, and coverage will be retroactive to your start date as well. Failure to enroll will be considered a waiver of benefits, and you will not be able to enroll in benefits until the next Open Enrollment Window or you experience a Qualifying Life Event.
We offer your choice of a PPO Premium, PPO Standard, or High Deductible plan through UnitedHealthcare. Our dental and vision are through MetLife.
Please refer to the below chart for weekly payroll deductions for our UHC plans.
We offer:
- 401(k) retirement plan with company match
- Standard limited liability insurance
- Voluntary Life and AD&D
- Voluntary Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- Accident & Critical Illness Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Corporate discounts via ADP LifeMart®
- Free CEU credits via HealthStream®
You maintain benefits for up to 28 days after your last day worked on your previous assignment, provided that you have a contract signed for an assignment that starts within 28 days of your last day worked of your previous assignment. If you have a break of more than 28 days, or you’ve decided to part ways with us, your benefits will end on the Saturday of your last week worked. If this happens, you will be able to continue your medical, dental, and/or vision through COBRA continuation coverage. COBRA information will be emailed on the Monday following your final paycheck. Enrollment information as well as pricing is available upon request at any time.
Credentialing
Every facility has specific requirements that adds variability to the timeframe, but credentialing typically takes 2-3 weeks. Sometimes, travelers need to expedite the process for a rapidly-approaching start date. In those cases our team is usually able to reduce the time to a week or less.
A BLS is required for all Healthcare Professionals (note: CPR or Heart Saver will not be accepted). We accept the following providers: American Heart Association (preferred), American Red Cross, Canadian Heart & Stroke, American Safety and Health Institute and Military Training Network. While these 5 providers are what we prefer, some facilities may only accept American Heart Association. In any event, we will notify you well ahead of your assignment start date which certifications your facility requires and which ones you’ll need to get.
All the items are important, however, going to the lab and authorizing the background check should be done as soon as possible. Delays in lab results or background checks are often the cause for missed due dates and pushed starts. Testing can be time consuming and it is important to set aside to get any Relias exams and/or orientation modules completed prior to your due date.
We will reimburse for the cost of certifications that are required for your assignment with us.
Typically, most medical documents (titers, vaccines, TB tests, etc.) can be reused from previous assignments depending on the standards of the facility. Competency exams, previous background checks or drug screens cannot be reused and will be reassigned once in a new credentialing cycle.
Sure! You can submit any valid or unexpired documentation you currently have to speed up your credentialing process. If you choose to submit documents early, there is no guarantee that they will be accepted by the facility. You can send in any medical documentation including but not limited to: Hepatitis B, Varicella, MMR, TB, Physical, Tdap, Flu, Fit Test, and any certifications you hold (Front and Back)
You will be compensated at a rate of $20/hr for work on required pre-assignment modules that are completed prior to the start of your assignment.
Our Credentialing team works directly with client facilities to get you compliant with their specific requirements. As a result, if it’s determined that something you’ve provided does not meet their requirements, we will ask for you to provide new documentation. This typically only occurs when switching assignment locations or starting at a new facility.
Of course! If you have access to an internet connection, you can upload items to our On Demand portal (if applicable) or email your documentation to your Credentialing Specialist. You can also authorize your background check. However, you will not be able to go to a lab to complete a drug screen or any required medicals, or access your competency exams. Please ensure we are aware of any international travel plans you may have during the credentialing process.
Standard assigned exams include: Unit Competency exam, Core Mandatory I, II and III. The Core Mandatories are our version of orientation and cover topics such as HIPAA, Patient Rights, Safety Goals, Ethics, Emergency Preparedness, etc. More exams could be assigned depending on facility required testing. Please ensure you have enough time allotted and can work on a computer when taking your exams. The Competency Exam and Core Mandatories are timed, 45 minutes each. We do not accept competency exams taken previously through another agency; we must have the exams branded under our company and be able to verify number of attempts to take the exam. Relias is the vendor we utilize for competency exams.
You will have two attempts to take your exams. If unable to pass after those two attempts, we’ll put you in touch with our Clinical Nursing team for remediation. Study guides and practice courses will be assigned when it’s determined which areas need improvement. Important to note that some facilities will only allow so many attempts and if unable to pass may request a different healthcare provider. If you have concerns about testing or have testing anxiety, this is completely normal, and we are well prepared to help you! Just let us know early in the process prior to taking exams.
No, Relias exams do not count towards CEU credits. However, we do offer courses through HealthStream that can be counted as CEU credits. You’ll receive a HealthStream login on your first day, which provides free, unlimited access to CEUs.
Want an easy way to keep track of your onboarding items?
Create a free On Demand profile to store all of your travel nurse docs in one, secure place.
Travel & Housing
When you accept an assignment, you have the option to take company-paid housing or a housing stipend. In addition, our Travel & Housing department can provide negotiated rates and discounts on accommodations, temporary hotel stays, information on travel restrictions by state, city-specific details (neighborhood safety, schools, grocery stores, points of interest, and more) and overall guidance when selecting your own housing.
Company-paid housing is a service our company offers where we’ll research, book, and pay for your housing on your behalf. You can supply the Travel & Housing department with your lodging preferences, and they will present you customized options to choose from.
Housing stipends are a sum of money added to each paycheck, specifically intended to cover the cost of your travel to and from the assignment and your housing while working. If you choose to take the housing per diem instead of company-paid housing, you will be responsible for researching, booking, and paying for your own travel and housing.
Apartments, vacation rentals, Airbnb, Extended Stay Hotels, traditional hotels, and even RV park rentals if you are bringing your RV!
Yes! Since it’s likely that you won’t bring all your furniture with you on assignment, we compile comprehensive lists of fully-furnished accommodations that are completely customizable to your individual needs. Typical accommodations include:
- Bedroom furniture: bed, nightstand, dresser, lamp.
- Living room furniture: couch, chair or loveseat, end tables, lamps, TV and stand.
- Kitchen: dinette, 4 chairs, microwave.
- Housewares: cookware, cooking utensils, flatware (service for 4), dinnerware (service for 4), glassware (service for 4), coffee pot, toaster, iron and ironing board, alarm clock, shower curtain, towels, sheets, comforter, pillows, vacuum.
- Utilities: water, gas, electric, sewer, trash.
- Need something different? Just let us know! We’ll be happy to find options for anything you need!
Of course! Just ask and we’ll provide as many as we can.
The Travel & Housing department can help you set-up temporary accommodations. Just let us know how much time you need, and we can arrange everything for you.
You are not eligible for company-paid housing while taking a stipend. However, we can pay for temporary accommodations while you are waiting for your first stipend payment. We would simply deduct the cost over your first three paychecks.
The Travel & Housing department will help you search housing options, even if you take per diem. Just let us know what you are looking for and we will research, vet, and verify all the options before sending them to you.
Rewards
To view details about the program, visit https://www.hctravelnursing.com/rewards
This is also where you can view Terms & Conditions to understand more of the nuances of the program.
You can also log into your On Demand account to view your points balance and redemption details.
No. Once you start your first assignment, you are automatically enrolled and will begin earning points with your first eligible hour worked. Your On Demand profile has a Rewards dashboard where you can view your points and progress.
Direct link to On Demand: https://ondemand.hctravelnursing.com/rewards
Any healthcare provider that is employed by HCTN is automatically enrolled in our Rewards program and your points begin accruing with the first hour worked on your assignment.
Simply work your contracted assignment hours and you’ll see the points start rolling in for every eligible hour worked. Eligible hours and how points are calculated are defined in our Terms & Conditions at the bottom of this page. The more you work, the more points you earn.
Visit the Rewards dashboard in your On Demand profile to see an update of your earned points at any time throughout your assignment. Your dashboard may not always display the most up-to-date points calculation, however. This may be due to hours worked still needing to be processed by our timekeepers.
One (1) hour worked is roughly equal to ten (10) points.
To Calculate Total Earned Points:
Total # of Eligible Hours x 10.683761 = Total Earned Points
To Calculate Monetary Value of Earned Points:
Total Earned Points x $.20 = Monetary Value
Points are calculated on your behalf and are displayed in a dashboard in your On Demand profile.
The points you've earned can be redeemed once you have a.) successfully completed an assignment and b.) are actively working on an extension or rebooked assignment within 12 months of the previous assignment.
More details can be found in our Terms & Conditions at the bottom of this page.
For now, points earned from our Rewards program can be redeemed via Tango Card, our online e-gift card partner which offers a variety of gift card options that have cash value, including Visa and MasterCard prepaid debit cards. For a full list of gift cards provided by Tango Card, visit their website here https://www.tangocard.com/reward-catalog/.
We are always thinking of exciting ways to reward you, so check back often to see what other ways you can redeem points.
Points that are redeemed for a cash-value gift card are considered taxable wages per IRS definitions and will be reported as such in accordance with Health Carousel’s financial practices. See Terms & Conditions (Section X) for details. Only points redeemed for cash are taxable, though. Your banked points that have not been redeemed in Tango Card are not considered taxable wages. As with all tax-related questions, Health Carousel cannot provide tax advice so please consult your preferred tax expert for more info.
Not at all, consider this an incentive on top of your contracted pay. Just another perk of working with Health Carousel.
Your earned points will become “banked points” and will be retained with your account for up to 12 months until you start a new assignment. After 12 months without starting a new assignment, your "banked points" expire and your points balance will return to 0.
You’ve earned it – treat yourself! Earned points are not transferrable, however what you do with your Tango Card gift cards is up to you. Redeemed gift cards can be used as gifts for friends & family if you choose to.
The redemption button is only selectable when you have points to redeem. If there are not any points eligible to redeem then the redemption option will not be selectable. Points you've earned are redeemable once you have a.) completed an assignment and b.) are actively working on an extension or rebooked assignment within 12 months of the previous assignment.
Reach out to your recruiter for any questions about this program or find the full details of our Terms & Conditions here.
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