Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about being a travel nurse or allied health professional.

Assignments

As a registered nurse or allied health professional with at least one year of hospital experience in your specialty, you are eligible to become a traveler. Occasionally, hospitals require two years of experience or previous experience as a traveler. Although previous experience is a plus, we work with first-time travelers often and can guide you through the process no matter how long you have been traveling.

Generally, assignments last 13 weeks. However, assignment-based healthcare is all about flexibility (both for the clinician and the hospital).  Assignment length varies accordingly, ranging from one or two weeks to as long as six months or more.

Smarter Healthcare Partners works with all specialties. Most consistently, facilities need ICU, OR, ER, Med/Surg, and Telemetry clinicians. Regardless of your specialty, one of our staffing specialists is always available to discuss current job openings. We will work with you to find you the perfect assignment.

Absolutely! The team at Smarter Healthcare Partners believes that family comes first. We work with clinicians who travel with their significant others, best friends, and even the whole family (including pets!). We will help you find the assignment and accommodations that fit your needs.

While there is no rule for when you need to apply for a travel nurse or allied health assignment, the typical timeframe is about 30 days before you want to begin working. If you are interested in travel assignments, then we recommend contacting us as soon as possible. We will discuss the type of assignment you are looking for and begin our search for a perfect match.

Pay

We pay weekly. Smarter Healthcare Partners mails or deposits your check the Friday following a work week. Generally, the work week is Saturday through Sunday, though some facilities have different pay weeks. The welcome email that you receive before your first day of a travel nurse or allied health assignment will tell you if the pay week is non-standard.

Reach out to your payroll coordinator. They will assign you a new form to fill out.

Your payroll coordinator will assign you a new form to fill out. If you are adding a new account to the existing account, please include both accounts on the new form.

We allow up to three accounts. First, select either a set amount or a percentage of your check to be deposited into the first two accounts. Then we deposit the remainder of your check into the third account.

Many factors contribute to your total compensation package. These include the assignment location, your specialty, and your choice of benefits. Our team of experts can help you find the assignment that best meets your financial goals.

We follow standard GSA recommendations for calculating stipend amounts.

Benefits

We offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package. You can find specific information on the Benefits page.

If you enroll in health, dental, and/or vision insurance, then your coverage begins on your first day of employment. All insurances (health/dental/vision) terminate on the Saturday of the final week of your assignment (e.g. if your last day is a Wednesday, then your insurance will continue through the Saturday of that week).

Breaks of 4 weeks or less: your health and other insurance(s) will continue through your break. Following your return, Smarter Healthcare Partners will deduct from your first paycheck any employee premiums accrued during the break.

Breaks longer than 4 weeks (30 days): your health insurance will end on the Saturday of your final week before the break. Then you will be offered COBRA insurance starting the Sunday after your last week with us.

Compliance

Your compliance coordinator will provide you with the information you need for your upcoming assignment. They can answer any specific questions you might have. For an overview of requirements by state, please review our State Licensing Info page.

If you are discussing a job with your staffing specialist in a state where you are not yet licensed, then you can apply for the license in that state so that you can be submitted to the job. After you get the assignment, Smarter Healthcare Partners subsequently reimburses you for the licensing costs.

Still have questions about being a travel nurse or allied health professional?
Fill out our easy online application to get in touch with one of our staffing specialists. 

Above: Tara Kenney – RN, ICU

Smarter Healthcare Partners Application