While the rest of the American economy is recovering slowly, travel nursing jobs appear to be in high demand, which is good news for nurses and other healthcare professionals. According to the Huffington Post, the healthcare field has been adding jobs at a rapid rate in the last few years.
"Health care is adding several hundred thousand jobs a year regardless of what's going on in the broader economy, but when the broader economy hits a tailspin, then that healthcare jobs growth stands out that much more," Dan Diamond, managing editor of the Advisory Board's Daily Briefing, told the source.
As a result, many travel nurses are receiving multiple job offers, which is great news, but too many choices can also make it difficult for them to decide which offer is the best for their particular situation.
Here are two tips for evaluating a nursing job offer.
Benefits
Although comparing salaries is a very straightforward way of distinguishing between offers, looking at the various benefits offered by different travel nursing agencies may provide even more insight. If you are receiving job offers from more than one agency, they may come with considerably different benefit packages, so exploring them carefully can help you save money in both the short- and long-term. It is important that you look at who will be providing your health care, but also which plan you will be on, what your deductibles will be and what secondary problems – vision, dental and so on – will be included.
If you have any questions, it is important that you seek guidance before making any decisions. You can always enlist the help of someone you trust, but you may also want to contact your recruiter at the travel nursing agency directly, as they should be able to provide you with the most details.
Cost of living
It is also important to consider the location of a potential new job. Cities across the country have wildly different costs of living, so simply comparing salaries may not give you the fullest picture of your financial situation. Larger cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are typically more expensive to live in than smaller cities and more rural areas.
There are many resources that provide information about the relative costliness of American cities, so take advantage of them and make the most informed decision you can.