Frequently
Asked
Questions
Here are my answers to some of your FAQs!!!
1. What company/agency do you travel with? How did you decide on the company you’re with?
I did a lot of research on the web and through therapy Facebook pages before I chose one agency I felt was right for me. It can become very overwhelming when trying to find a credible agency to work with. In my search, I found one of the most important things and maybe the FIRST thing to consider is finding a good recruiter that you like and feel like has your best interest. A traveling therapist referred me to Laura at Nomadicare who is known as a recruiter matchmaker who paired me with two reputable recruiters from different agencies. I chose Mikayla from Aureus Medical Group! Her personality and transparency of how the traveling world works helped me become more at ease with the process. It felt right! It is best to have a recruiter who you have good rapport with. Your recruiter pitches jobs to you and should be someone who listens to your needs and wants and helps you get the best jobs on the market. GREAT communication is key, so that you get what you want out of YOUR travel experience. Secondly, benefits of the company was important to me. Comparing benefit packages across agencies and finding what is best for you. It was important to me to have health insurance, 401k, and PTO. Some agencies also offer PTO after you work a certain amount of hours. Some companies offer CEU reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, paid vacations from the company. I would weigh the pros and cons of the company and see what benefits are meaningful to you. Ask yourself, what do I want? Also, a bigger, well-known, credible company that has been around for a while and that is well-known will open more doors for you. Sometimes the bigger the travel agency the more connected they are with facilities around the country, so there may be more job opportunities available. Some facilities only hire contract therapists through certain agencies as well. Pay packages are important as well, you want fair pay! Doing research to see which states offer higher pay packages. Pay packages are also dependent on settings as well home health is known to pay more than school systems, etc. As you enter the travel therapy world you want to be clear as to what you want to get out of the travel experience. For me, I wanted to see different parts of the country. So locations were important to me. Also, working in settings that were desirable to me, like physical rehab and working with the geriatric population. If you know you are not a pediatric therapist and that is not the career path you want to go into, do not get pressured into that setting. You want to grow and excel on your travel journey, so know your limitations! Nothing is worse than living in a new city, and working in a setting that is not best suited for you.
2. Permanent position v.s travel therapy?
I started off in the travel therapy world as a new grad! So I do not have much insight into working as a full-time permanent employee. Based on the experiences of my peers who are working at a perm position these are the pros.
- More mentorship: You are more likely to have more coworkers around you, who are more experienced and seasoned in the field to help guide you and support you in your setting.
- Team atmosphere: More often than not, you have team support. More therapists on staff either from your discipline or a bigger interdisciplinary team to work with. For individuals who thrive more in a team setting would appreciate and benefit from having other staff around you to collaborate with.
- Gaining clinical skills in one setting: When working in one setting you are able to hone in on your skills within that specific population and setting. You are able to build more of your clinical judgement and confidence.
- More stability within the job: There is definitely more job security when working at a perm position. You do not have to worry about a job cancelling your assignment (which does happen!).
- Opportunities for advancement: You are able to grow into more managerial positions, which is a goal for some.
Listed below are some pros to travel therapy!
- Work in various settings: You have the ability to work with different populations. Learn more about various diagnosis and you gain a lot of knowledge from working in different treatment settings. You can go from a SNF to home health to inpatient rehab or even acute care. This may be desirable for those who are trying to figure out what setting is best for them. How would you really know, until you are able to work in that environment right?
- See different places: You are able to do more as well. You get to see many parts of the country. Experience different adventures, pick up on new hobbies, and meet new people!
- Increase pay: The pay is better! Gives you more opportunity to pay off those student loans, travel more and save.
- Personal and professional development: I have learned a lot about myself as a traveler. You experience different lessons along the way. You learn how to adapt to living in various environments. Make your travel experience unique to you and enjoy the process!
3. What are some personality traits and/or skills to have as a travel therapist?
- Great self-advocacy: Be your own best advocate!
- Confidence
- Independence
- Ability to acclimate to your environment
- Be Flexible! (this is pretty much a skill to have across all therapy practices)
- Good communication skills: As a traveler you meet a ton of people along the way. You supervise different COTA’s. You are managed by different rehab directors/supervisors. So you begin to learn how to communicate with people different based on how they prefer to be communicated with. Emails, phone calls, texts, in person etc.
- Organization: (you have to keep track on when your licenses expire, the continuing education unit requirements needed based on different state regulatory boards)
- Good clinical judgment and reasoning skills: I personally have built this up during each assignment
- Knowledgeable about ethics: more often than you may like you will face some ethical dilemmas from various settings. When going from different settings you have to learn medicare regulations which is state specific. Doing your research and keeping up with each regulatory board will help you keep up to date.
4. What states are you licensed in?
I currently have four active licenses. Texas, Missouri, New York, and South Carolina. My first license was in Vermont, which is now inactive. I worked there for 13 weeks. My second license was in Texas, where I worked for 6 months. I spent 13 weeks working in Missouri. I also have a license in my home state of New York, where I have not yet worked. Lastly, I am licensed in South Carolina where I am currently on assignment and have worked for almost 6 months. My goal is to see more of the country and hope to obtain 3-4 more licenses! 🙂 Getting licensed in many states can be expensive being that each regulatory board has different fees and even when you have inactive licenses with each application for working in a different state you have to verify ALL past licenses. Yes! It can be a hassle, but being able to see more of the country and help people from different corners of the country is truly rewarding and a lot of FUN!
Antie's Travels 