Because of COVID-19 and the incredibly high pay packages being offered, more people are leaving their staff positions to travel. Here are tips to navigate the new and ever-changing COVID-19 travel nursing and allied space.
Be timely, organized and up to date.
Healthcare jobs are moving even faster during COVID-19, which means nurses and allied professionals actively seeking new opportunities need to be ready to submit to jobs right when they open. StaffDNA’s job board is updated in real-time as facilities open and close their needs so with the mobile app, you’ll never have to guess if a job you apply to is still open or not. If you’re submitted to a job that closes, StaffDNA automatically notifies you to stay informed.
More hospitals are also interviewing within 24-48 hours of job submittals and in some cases, auto-offering without scheduling an interview, so all compliance requirements need to be up-to-date so you can be ready to start sooner than before.
Be familiar with the hospital setting before submitting.
When applying to new positions, it’s important to know what to expect from the facility beforehand, such as the charting system used, trauma level, number of beds and unique certification requirements. StaffDNA lets you easily see all the facility details upfront so you only submit to jobs that you will feel comfortable and capable. StaffDNA even includes the facility’s floating and cancellation policies.
Know COVID-19 licensure requirements and emergency orders.
As the pandemic continues, nursing licensure processes continue to vary by state, city and even facility. Understand what the licensure requirements and processes are for jobs you’re submitting to out of your state. For example, facilities in California can choose whether to accept any state licenses or not, since obtaining a California license can typically take up to 3 months. Other states are continuing to issue emergency temporary licenses with just a couple days, such as Arizona, New Hampshire, Virginia and Pennsylvania—among many others.
Click here for a state-by-state Nursing Licensure Guide for COVID-19.
Reminder, Indian Health Services facilities located on Native American Reservations accept any state license.
Be prepared for day-one.
Once you’ve accepted a new assignment and completed the onboarding and compliance requirements, make sure you have all the information you need to get started. Since healthcare facilities are seeing an influx of travelers, they’re even busier than usual and may not be able to email reporting instructions until a few days before. Keep following up with your agency or the nurse manager until you receive them. StaffDNA sends first-day reporting instructions through their mobile app, so you’ll get them in real-time from the facility and you can easily access it anytime on-the-go.
Don’t take it from us, experience StaffDNA for yourself. Come see why more than 20,000 healthcare professionals are downloading our StaffDNA app every month. Free download available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
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