{"id":3395,"date":"2023-01-09T23:16:26","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T23:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nursefly.com\/?p=3395"},"modified":"2024-11-05T22:14:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T22:14:04","slug":"travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Nurse Contracts vs. Staff Nurse Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6 id=\"back-to-top\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">When comparing travel nursing to staff nursing, the roles have the same job duties, but many other aspects have distinct differences. Whether you\u2019re a staff nurse considering traveling or a traveler thinking about settling into a permanent position, this informative guide gives you an overview of the differences to expect. Delve into the distinctions between<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/nursing\/travel\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">travel nurse contracts<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/nursing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">staff nurse jobs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">, including key variations in the hiring process, benefits, scheduling, paid time off, salary and other issues that could impact your career decisions.<\/span><\/h6>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #3c3b3d;color:#3c3b3d\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #3c3b3d;color:#3c3b3d\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#prerequisites_of_employment\" >Prerequisites of Employment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#overview_of_the_hiring_process\" >Overview of the Hiring Process<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#orientation_processes_vary\" >Orientation Processes Vary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#staff_benefits_vs_travel_packages\" >Staff Benefits vs. Travel Packages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#paid_time_off_pto_and_vacations\" >Paid Time Off (PTO) and Vacations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#expectations_of_staff_vs_travel_nurses\" >Expectations of Staff vs. Travel Nurses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#length_of_employment\" >Length of Employment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#schedule_flexibility_varies\" >Schedule Flexibility Varies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#wages_income_taxes\" >Wages &amp; Income Taxes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/travel-nurse-contracts-vs-permanent-nurse-jobs\/#finding_and_paying_for_housing\" >Finding and Paying for Housing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"prerequisites_of_employment\"><\/span><strong>Prerequisites of Employment<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To work as a staff nurse, you must graduate from an accredited nursing program, earning an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/certifications\/asn\/\">Associate Degree in Nursing<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/certifications\/bsn\/\">Bachelor of Science in Nursing<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/healthcare-education\/nclex-tips-to-help-you-pass\/\">passing the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX)<\/a>, you can obtain your nursing license and be hired for various staff positions as a new graduate nurse. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some specialties like ICU and ED may require some clinical experience, depending on the facility. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nurses must satisfy all licensure requirements only for the state in which they&#8217;re going to be employed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses must also earn their degree and pass the NCLEX but need at least 1-2 years of experience, depending on the specialty, before traveling.\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/why-do-travel-nurses-need-one-year-of-experience\/\">New graduates<\/a> aren&#8217;t eligible for travel nurse positions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having advanced certifications is recommended to be a prime candidate for a travel nurse position.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses must have a<a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/nurse-licensure-compact-states\/\"> compact license<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0or <\/span><a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/travel-nursing\/travel-nursing-and-single-state-licenses\/\">current single-state license in each state<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where they plan to practice as a nurse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"overview_of_the_hiring_process\"><\/span><strong>Overview of the Hiring Process<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nurses looking for permanent positions can use Vivian to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/nursing\/\">search for staff jobs<\/a> across the country and talk directly with recruiters and hiring managers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After finding a position, staff nurses must interview with the hiring manager and possibly a panel of peers.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/how-to-evaluate-a-new-healthcare-staff-job\/\">unsure about a healthcare position<\/a>, it&#8217;s possible to ask for a shadow shift to gauge if the unit is a good fit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the interview, there&#8217;s usually a 2-3 week wait for an official offer from Human Resources. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vivian helps facilitate quicker hiring by maintaining communications between the facilities and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/vivian-updates\/introducing-nursefly-concierge\/\">Clinician Advocate team<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the start date, the nurse completes their pre-employment screening at the facility&#8217;s employee health and security locations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When all pre-employment requirements are fulfilled, there&#8217;s a formal facility and hospital orientation for the nurse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nurses can view thousands of positions when they use Vivian to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/nursing\/travel\/\">search for travel jobs<\/a> from hundreds of agencies and start chats with recruiters to get submitted to top-paying positions.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a complete profile on Vivian makes your applications stand out. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you find a job that meets your requirements, fill out the agency<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">application<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, complete the skills checklists and submit all essential <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/travel-nursing\/organization-for-travel-nursing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">professional documentation <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">via the agency.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the agency submits your application to the hospital, the travel nurse usually has a<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/tips-for-passing-nursing-interviews\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nursing interview<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the telephone with someone at the hospital (not always the unit manager).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The agency requires that travel nurses sign a contract outlining the specifics of the job after being hired.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After signing the contract (electronically), you complete your pre-employment screening at a lab\/clinic near your current location.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last step is traveling to the job site and getting prepared for your first day of work.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5461\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/09\/Nurse-organization-scaled-e1687973673538.jpg\" alt=\"Nurse organizations boost your career \/ nurses in class\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"orientation_processes_vary\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Orientation Processes Vary<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your first week as a staff nurse is usually a general hospital orientation and facility\/unit-specific education.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The unit orientation can be between 2 weeks and 6 months, depending on the unit and the RN&#8217;s experience.<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher acuity specialties may have a longer orientation period.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff nurses can expect to fill out orientation binders or online checklists for skills specific to their specialty and unit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unit educators hold serial meetings with new staff to check on the orientation process and their transition to their new roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be prepared to complete 4-15 hours of online pre-work, including clinical knowledge testing, human resources required paperwork and parts of general hospital orientation prior to starting.<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses are typically paid around $15 per hour for their time spent doing pre-work.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Day 1 of a travel nurse assignment is usually a non-clinical day and includes basic paperwork, Joint Commission-required education for National Patient Safety Standards and skills like restraints and glucose monitoring that are checked off before the travel nurse begins working on their assigned unit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clinical orientation can be between 4 hours and 2 days, depending on the facility, with time mostly spent locating items and making sure all system sign-ons work. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to this very short clinical orientation, new graduates aren&#8217;t good candidates for travel nursing positions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Documentation of travel nurses&#8217; orientation is short and sweet, including a quick online checklist or a few pieces of paper that need to be signed off for the travel nurse to be able to work on the unit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"staff_benefits_vs_travel_packages\"><\/span><strong>Staff Benefits vs. Travel Packages<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full-time employees are eligible for health, dental and vision benefits. Part-time and per diem nurses may also be eligible for prorated benefits, depending on the facility.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most healthcare institutions offer some form of tuition reimbursement for their staff to use for advancing their degree in healthcare.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some health systems offer reimbursement for advanced certifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full-time nurses can save for retirement with 401K or 403b options.<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a certain period of time, the nurse may become &#8220;vested&#8221; and can take their retirement with them if they choose to change jobs.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many facilities have a program designed to help nurses advance their careers and &#8220;climb the clinical ladder,&#8221; with advancement often achieved through specialty certification, engagement in the unit and hospital-based quality improvement committees, and taking on roles such as charge nurse or preceptor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff nurses can earn merit raises and further their careers in the nursing profession.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most agencies provide some form of insurance during the assignment. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s important to ask if these benefits start on Day 1 or if there&#8217;s a delay.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some travel nursing benefits may be more expensive than what you would pay as a staff nurse, especially for coverage of more than just an individual.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you change agencies between assignments you must change benefits each time or enroll in state-provided marketplace insurance to provide consistent coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nurses may need to supplement their insurance with additional carriers during time off between jobs, with various options available for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/travel-nursing\/travel-nursing-and-health-insurance\/\">travel nurse health insurance<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Few agencies offer tuition reimbursement, and it usually only applies to nurses that stay with that agency for a prolonged period of time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"473\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-555x370.jpg 555w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-1110x740.jpg 1110w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-591x394.jpg 591w, https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/10\/sai-kiran-anagani-83zRhEhFMfo-unsplash-e1687973796561-1182x788.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"paid_time_off_pto_and_vacations\"><\/span><strong>Paid Time Off (PTO) and Vacations<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PTO is offered for full-time and part-time employees, but per diem or PRN staff usually aren&#8217;t eligible to be paid for any missed shifts or vacation time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The paid leave time may accrue with hourly deposits in each paycheck or some staff may be front-loaded at the beginning of each year with all their hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Covers sick days and vacation time<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very few agencies offer some version of PTO, and most won&#8217;t cover sick days. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, nurses may only be eligible if they work with the same agency for multiple assignments.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vacation time during an assignment may need to be made up at the end of the contract as days\/weeks added on to ensure you work the total amount of hours you were contracted for.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses aren&#8217;t paid for time off in between assignments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"expectations_of_staff_vs_travel_nurses\"><\/span><strong>Expectations of Staff vs. Travel Nurses<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As staff nurses, the leadership expects you to be dedicated to and engaged in actions for your unit goals and quality improvement initiatives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most staff don&#8217;t float often if they&#8217;re not in a float pool position. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PRN staff and travelers are usually the first to float to other units if needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, staff nurses are encouraged to engage in the roles of preceptor and\/or charge nurse to help staff nurses advance through clinical ladder programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many facilities want their staff to become involved in unit-based and hospital-based committees to improve the quality of care and patient safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most nurses have yearly reviews by a member of their leadership team that may or may not include a performance-based merit raise, depending on the facility.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers are expected to be highly skilled and active team players hired for their experience and ability to start a job with minimal training.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses often float first, so flexibility and adaptability are essential as you may have to float to equal or lesser acuity floors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unit managers prefer minimal complaining about scheduling or patient assignments (within reason!).<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses are there to help an already strapped unit and shouldn&#8217;t be causing additional stress on the unit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a travel nurse, you can&#8217;t gain &#8220;seniority&#8221; on a unit due to the short length of employment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers must be excellent communicators to constantly work with staff unfamiliar with their skillset and prior experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers don&#8217;t get annual reviews by managers, but if you&#8217;re not performing well on a job, you will most likely be contacted by your agency.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6233\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/Photo-Shoot-Nurses-Resized2-scaled-e1687973909749.jpg\" alt=\"RN Salary Guide\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"length_of_employment\"><\/span><strong>Length of Employment<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employment as a permanent staff nurse can be indefinite. It&#8217;s up to the nurse to decide when they&#8217;re done working for a healthcare system.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some hospitals have sign-on bonuses that require a contracted time commitment, usually a year or two, but otherwise, there&#8217;s no signed commitment to the facility.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A normal full-time hourly commitment is 36-40 hours per week, depending on the position and workflow of the unit.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff nurses have the option of using PTO for any shifts that are canceled due to low census.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some nurses may work multiple positions in the same facility over the course of time through lateral or vertical movement in the healthcare hierarchy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/career-resources\/how-to-evaluate-a-new-healthcare-travel-contract\/\">Traditional travel nurse contracts<\/a> are 36-48 hours per week for 13 weeks. Nurses can often extend beyond that in shorter increments or for an additional 13 weeks.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the coronavirus pandemic, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">crisis contracts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offered 2-8 week assignments but often required 48-plus hours per week.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers can&#8217;t stay in one location for more than 12 months out of rolling 24 months based on a general IRS rule.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses aren&#8217;t paid for canceled shifts unless they have a guaranteed hours clause in their contract.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s always the risk of contract cancellation due to a low census or various other reasons. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only a few agencies have a clause in their contracts that requires advance notice to the traveler, and it&#8217;s usually 2 weeks or less.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/money-taxes\/understanding-travel-nursing-tax-rules\/\">Understanding 2022 Travel Nursing Tax Rules<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"schedule_flexibility_varies\"><\/span><strong>Schedule Flexibility Varies<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full-time staff either self-schedule or work with the unit scheduler, and they usually have their schedules at least 4-6 weeks ahead of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff nurses must request any vacation time off in advance and get it approved by leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time off can be limited to available PTO hours and can&#8217;t conflict with other requests, causing short staffing on the unit.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full-time staff nurses aren&#8217;t usually allowed to have prolonged time off unless it&#8217;s due to injury\/illness\/disability\/pregnancy. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many units limit vacation time to two consecutive weeks or less due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/industry-trends\/nursing-shortage-by-state\/\">staff nursing shortages<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses usually don&#8217;t receive their schedule very far in advance and are scheduled by the unit scheduler or a central staffing team. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers should request any necessary time off during assignment in their initial contract for manager approval and mention it in the interview to make sure it isn&#8217;t a deal-breaker for the facility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the huge benefits of travel nursing is being able to take unlimited amounts of<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> time off between assignments<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to explore\/spend time at home (just remember it\u2019s not paid!).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses can also arrange to take time off between the end of an assignment and an extension.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Earn-more-money1-Resized-scaled-e1687974028830.jpg\" alt=\"Earn more money in per diem nursing\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"wages_income_taxes\"><\/span><strong>Wages &amp; Income Taxes<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pay for staff nurses typically fall within norms for the region where the facility is located. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Base pay is usually based on experience or calculated via a tiered system determined by the facility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wages are fully taxed in your paycheck<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff nurses can be eligible for hospital bonus pay programs if the facility offers permanent staff incentives to work extra shifts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full-time nurses are paid at least 1.5x their hourly rate for holidays and overtime shifts.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paychecks are usually bi-weekly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pay packages for travel nurses are often significantly more than average regional and facility wages.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers have the <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">opportunity to have portions of their pay untaxed if they can claim a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/travel-nursing\/what-is-a-travel-nursing-tax-home\/\">permanent tax home<\/a>, resulting in higher net pay or &#8220;<\/span>take home&#8221; pay each paycheck.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses are eligible for any bonus programs if the facility offers incentives for staff to work extra.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holiday and OT rates are 1.5x the taxable hourly wage<\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These rates may appear low if the traveler has a large portion of pay in untaxed stipends, but they can negotiate with agencies for an appropriate OT rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paychecks are usually weekly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Check out our section on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/money-taxes\/\">Money and Taxes<\/a> for more insights on everything from student loan forgiveness to salary transparency.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"finding_and_paying_for_housing\"><\/span><strong>Finding and Paying for Housing<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Staff Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on size and amenities, housing for staff nurses is usually on par with the local cost of living.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff nurses usually rent or own a home in an area near their facility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They provide their own furnishing for their home and don&#8217;t have to search for short-term housing unless something unexpected happens.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Travel Nurse<\/h5>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be legally eligible for<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tax-free housing and per diem stipends<\/span>, a travel nurse must duplicate expenses, including paying for the cost of living in their &#8220;home&#8221; state.\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you aren&#8217;t eligible to claim a permanent tax home, you can opt to decline stipends and take wages fully taxed and you&#8217;ll still earn more than the staff nurses.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelers can opt to use agency-provided housing, but that often means a huge pay cut and loss of the housing stipend. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s usually more financially prudent to arrange your own housing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/travel-nursing\/travel-nurse-housing-sites\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">find temporary housing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the form of an extended-stay hotel or a furnished room\/apartment\/home.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some travel nurses opt to stay in their RV and explore between assignments. <\/span>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s a great way to see the country and can be a money-saver if you can find an affordable site to park.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/travel-nursing\/travel-nurse-housing-tips-and-tricks\/\">Travel Nurse Housing: Tips and Tricks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whether you choose to work as a travel nurse or a staff nurse, Vivian wants to help you make the most of your career. Start by filling out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/vivian-updates\/introducing-universal-profile-your-passport\/\">Universal Profile<\/a> today, so you can easily apply to multiple jobs from a single application today.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"background-color: #124e3b; color: #fdfeff; font-size: 20px; border-radius: 10px; padding: 15px; min-height: 30px; min-width: 120px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/browse-jobs\/landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Browse Jobs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before you take the leap, read this comparison between travel and staff nurse jobs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[290,294,303,75,90],"class_list":["post-3395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-resources","category-travel-nursing","tag-discipline","tag-employment","tag-permanent","tag-rn","tag-travel"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/12\/BlogPostTemplate.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}