Category: Travel Nurse

Fidelity on Call is a quality travel nursing team.

Back to Basics for Travelers

With Fidelity On Call, all of our travel nurses receive a contract that spells out everything that will happen during their assignment – rate of pay, days off, facility assignment, floor assignment and so much more.

Here are some of the basics you agree to:

1) Attendance

Travel nurses are the back up team. Facilities are already short staffed and when travelers are utilized, our attendance is paramount to the success of patient care at that facility.

-If you accept a travel contract, you are held accountable for the verbal and written agreement of working the shift and hours agreed to. Any personal time off must have been preapproved and in writing in the contract. Should something arise during the course of the contract, traveler should be communicating with their recruiter on the best course of action to take.

-If you have an emergency or illness that prohibits you from being able to work a scheduled shift, you would contact your recruiter. You would also alert the hospital that you are unable to make it.

-Any shifts you call off for must be made up as quickly as possible. That make up shift will not be paid as overtime. Make up shifts are paid at the contracted rate as regular hours.

2) Schedules

As a travel nurse, we ask you to send in your schedule to your recruiter once you receive it from the facility. Any changes that happen throughout the schedule provided us also need to be reported. This tracking is to help check and balance payroll and to help ensure we do not make errors on your payroll. Having your schedule also helps us figure out when to contact you if we need to reach you – helps to NOT Wake you up if you are a night shift worker.

3) Communication

They say communication is half the battle. Never truer words spoken. Communication in travel healthcare is paramount to ensure success for you as a traveler and also our success with you. If someone from the office team reaches out to you, please ensure you communicate back with that person as quickly as you are able to do so. Perhaps the calls are inquiries regarding payroll, schedule, compliance etc. All communication is important. Not responding leads to more work on both of our parts.

We appreciate our nurses who are dedicated to fulfilling every commitment of their contract. If you have questions on anything stated above, please contact your recruiter.

Health and Fitness for Busy Nurses – Healthcare Burnout Prevention

When working 12-hour shifts, many nurses say they do not have the time to work out. The fact of the matter is we all have the same number of hours in our days. The difference is how we break up our days and make time for all the important things. It can be done and should be done because our health and overall physical well-being are critically important.

One of the greatest suggestions for nurses working 12-hour night shifts is to try exercising right before work on the first day. Then, take the second and third days as rest. Sleep after your last shift and then workout on your days off.

Meal prep! Everyone takes the tip of meal prep differently. The best and most effective way is to make it simple. When you go to the grocery store, make a list of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Just what you want for the week! Prep the lean and low-fat proteins, clean up the fruits and veggies and you can grab as you go each day and shake up the sides or how you eat the meal that you have mostly prepped. Same with snacks! Choose quick, healthy, satisfying options.

Sleep. Ensure you are setting an alarm and being consistent. Routine sleep habits help create a great sleep schedule.

I Love Nursing

For Valentine’s Day, we asked some of our elite team members what they love about being a travel nurse. Here are their responses…

What I love is my career affords me to do what I love and love what I do. Healthcare is complicated and complex. Travel healthcare gives me flexibility to change up the location, the type of units I work which, in turn, allows me to be a happier version of me and my family reaps in that happiness. – Jessica B

Travel nursing has improved my work/life balance by allowing me to have input on my schedule and when I need time off. I was able to take 8 weeks off over the summer to spend time with baby girl and I wouldn’t have had that chance if it wasn’t for Fidelity On Call. – Emma S

What I love most about my job is being able to provide excellent patient care during a patient’s most vulnerable moments! – Nichole C

Before I was a nurse I was employed in the travel industry for almost 20 years. I worked for a hotel chain, an airline and finally as a travel agent. Fast forward to now and I get to do the 2 things I love the most in the world (besides my son) – travel and nursing. I’m hoping to venture out of Central Illinois in a few years and travel to fun places where I can work and adventure. And because of Fidelity On Call, I can do this!!! – Angela H

I love being a nurse because I get to work with a great team who are as passionate and caring about their patients as I am. I get to meet people from diverse backgrounds, and I am always learning something new. I love that I get to be a part of my patients’ journey to recovery and that I can have a positive impact on their lives. – Kevin T

Simply put: I love being a nurse. I love helping patients during their time of need. I love educating families about the healing process. I love forming life-long bonds with my co-workers . . . even if I only work with them for 13 weeks. I love advocating for patient safety. I love teaching the next generation of nurses. P.S. I also love being paid what I’m worth, which seems to be only obtained through travel nursing. – Heather W

My number one goal is to provide outstanding care and to build trust from my patients and their loved ones. I truly appreciate that Carla is always there for me anytime I call. – Kennetria H

I love LOVE! I love my family and friends and LOVE taking care of people. I love my recruiters. I love my employer Fidelity On Call, I just love LOVE TO LOVE! – Mary L

How Travelers Can Fight Inflation

We know everyone is feeling the effects of higher prices everywhere we turn – at the grocery store, at the pump, utility rates, housing rates etc. It is very frustrating for sure but there is GOOD news. There are many ways to save money.

Sometimes we forget that our budgets can still be very much in our control. When things are doing well, we tend to throw caution to the wind and forget the small changes we can make to save money. Therefore, we allow higher prices and convenience to dictate the way we spend our money.

We wanted to pull some quick tips together to share with you to help ease not only the financial burden but also the emotional toll inflation can take on you and your family.

1.       One of the easiest ways to control what you are spending is to TRACK it!

  •  MINT
  • Good Budget App
  • Expensify

These are three apps that you can download right to your phone that are highly recommended by financial experts! There are other apps as well.

 

2.       Fuel prices really hit the people who TRAVEL FOR A LIVING! We are thankful for the ability to reimburse our team for their mileage. We have had several travelers asking for higher stipends due to the increased fuel costs and, we would love to see the Federal Government raise the cents per mile to match what has happened with insanely high fuel prices but until that happens, we are unable to do more than we are. Until then, check out the following as options to save in fuel costs.

  • Gas Buddy App
  • Gas Guru
  • AAA Trip Tik Travel Planner

Again, there are other apps but these three are proven winners we have heard about from our team and also recommended by financial experts.

 

3.       Everyone has to eat! Grocery costs going up affect not just what you buy at the store but the costs for the mom-and-pop diners that are just trying to get by. Those dinner tickets at your local watering holes and eating establishments are going up and that leaves many people wondering if they can even afford to patronize those establishments. Here are some great ways to save money and continue to enjoy eating out.

  • Plan your meals! Make a grocery list and menu!
  • Choose the days you want to eat out and maybe opt for the special deal on those days.
  • If you eat lunch out every day, try packing your lunch a few days and eat out others.

These are just a few ways to get control over your expenses and fight inflation. We hope you will share these and any others you may know with others who are worried. We can all help each other!

The History of Travel Nursing

Travel nursing has certainly become “trendy” with a larger percentage of the nursing population in the past couple of years.  Many nurses have left their staff jobs to become a part of this industry. Some because of the increased pay that has happened since 2020. This put the spotlight on a career path that has been around for the last 40 years.
Continue reading The History of Travel Nursing