Guide to Getting a Travel Nursing Job on Nomad

There are four main steps to getting a travel nursing job through Nomad. We created this guide to explain how every step of the process works and hopefully answer any questions you might have while finding your next assignment on Nomad.

Step 1: Find a Job

Nomad puts you in the driver’s seat in your job search and application process. You can search through our entire inventory of jobs, filtering for those that are most interesting to you. Each job post lists all the relevant details up front, including the pay rates, location, facility and more.

Step 2: Submit an Application

Once you find a job you’re interested in, you can submit an application to indicate that interest. It’s important that each section of the application is filled out appropriately so that we can make sure you’re ready to be submitted to the facility.

Step 3: References and Checklist(s)

After submitting an application, our team will need a few more items in order to share your information with the hospital you are applying to. We’ll send you a Skills Checklist to complete and also will be reaching out to your references. After this is complete we send your information over to the hospital for consideration and if they are interested, they will reach out to you directly to complete an interview. Make sure to check your email and keep your voicemail box empty in case they call!

Step 4: Accept Offer and Begin Assignment

If all goes well, details of an offer will be sent to us, and we will work with you to make sure the information matches what you are looking for. Once accepting, you would become a Nomad Nurse, and as a W-2 employee of Nomad, you would have access to our benefits and be put on our weekly payroll.

Read on for all of the insider tips and tricks to using Nomad to get the best travel nursing job at the best rate.

Step 1: Find A Job

Getting Started

All nurses on Nomad have unlimited access to search through our entire inventory of jobs on our “Find A Job” page. To get started, all you have to do is create a Nomad account. Creating an account is completely free and there is no minimum commitment.

After creating an account, you will be able to start your search. We also recommend setting up your job preferences by clicking the circle in the upper right, then clicking settings. Job preferences are the best way to make sure you receive notifications when roles matching your preferences are posted on Nomad.

Searching for Jobs

There are thousands of jobs on Nomad, and we are posting new jobs every day. To help you isolate opportunities that interest you, you can search and filter our jobs on a variety of criteria. You can search by specialties, states and major cities. Additionally, you can filter by start date and schedule to fit your needs.

When you search and filter, matching jobs will be listed for you to browse through. Basic details about the jobs are listed, and you can click the star in the upper right corner of the job box to save the job to revisit or apply to later. The jobs that you star or apply to will automatically go to the “Saved Jobs” page within your account. To learn more about a specific opportunity, click into it to view the job description.

Job Details

We know that having as much information about a job is crucial in making a decision, so we list as much information as possible. Each of our job descriptions include some photos of the hospital and surrounding area, as well as information about the facility, pay, assignment length, and schedule.

Job Details: Pay

The hourly pay rate that you see on our jobs is a blended rate. The first segment is the non-taxable weekly stipends which includes housing, meal and incidentals. This amount is set by the GSA based on the cost of living in the area the job is located and will be received each week regardless of how many hours you work.

The second segment is your hourly taxable income, which will be taxed. The two segments together reflect total gross weekly pay. You can see an estimated breakdown of the pay for each position in a compensation table beneath the job description.

We know that every person’s taxable situation is different, so we list the taxable and non-taxable portions separately. You can calculate an estimate of your “take home pay” by subtracting any applicable state and personal taxes from the taxable portion of the pay and adding it to the non-taxable portion.

Outside of this pay, we also offer a reimbursement of up to $1000 to get to your assignment based on miles traveled. For the exact mileage reimbursement rates, visit the GSA website here.

Job Details: Schedule and Shifts

The start date that is listed on our jobs is the goal start date from the hospital. Unless “ASAP Start” is listed in the title of the job, there is typically some flexibility of about 1-3 weeks after the start date. Sometimes, the listed start date for a job will pass, but the job will still be up on Nomad. This doesn’t mean the job is no longer available. If a job is closed or filled, we remove it from our website so you can no longer see it. If a job is still listed on Nomad, it is still available.

Beneath the compensation table, there are details about the hours and shifts. We list the contract length (most commonly 13 weeks), the shift times, and the expected hours. In most cases, the expected hours are 36 per week, which is the average amount of hours you will be expected to work while on assignment.

Job Details: Facility

To learn more about the hospital, you can scroll to the bottom of the job description page. The hospital address, website, and overall description is listed here. We also provide a map of the area with nearby shops, restaurants and attractions.

Choosing Jobs To Apply to

With so many great opportunities to choose from, it can be hard to know which one is the best fit for you. Below is a list of things that we have found help make for a good fit:

• 1 or more years recent experience in the listed specialty (within last 2 years)
• All certifications listed on the posting or being willing to obtain them - please be prepared to let us know the status of each certification
• Having the state license required or having already applied for it - please let us know the status
• Can start on date listed or within 1-3 weeks after the date listed
• Meeting any other requirements listed in the description of the job

Being Considered for a Job

In order to be considered for an opportunity on Nomad, you will need to submit an application within your Nomad account. To do this, click into a job and then click the blue “Apply” button on the right side. This will walk you through all the necessary sections and documents that we need.

If you have already started filling out your profile, the information will be automatically transferred over so you will not need to enter it again. We will not send your information to any hospital or position that you do not apply for; you are always in the driver’s seat for which jobs you want to be considered for.

Step 2: Submit An Application

Submitting a complete application is a crucial step in getting a job on Nomad. There are multiple sections in the application, and it is best to take the time to complete each of them fully so you don’t have to go back and add or change anything. You will only need to fill out an application once, and then you will be able to one-click apply for all other jobs on Nomad.

Details

This section asks for details like your address, phone number, and resume. For your resume, make sure to upload the actual resume file (PDF, Word Document, etc.), not a picture of your resume.

This is also where you will enter when you are available to start an assignment and put in any requested time off. It is important to have these details available up front, as these are crucial details in a hospital’s consideration of your application. Your requested time off will need to be approved while your application is being considered as that information will be included down the line in the offer and contract stage.

The hospitals that we work with also require entering a photo of yourself along with your SSN. This information is encrypted and secure, and is only used as a form of identity verification.

Credentials

You will be able to enter your state licenses and certifications here. If you have a compact license, you will not need to indicate this anywhere. We pull a license report from Nursys to accompany your applications, and this contains the status of your licenses and indicates whether they are multi-state or single state.

For your certifications, you may have one that is not an option listed in the selection tab. If you would like to have it included in your file, simply send it to support@nomadhealth.com and we can have it included with your applications.

Disciplinary Questions

We ask a series of questions about your clinical experience and licenses along with any actions taken against them. It is important that you answer these questions truthfully, as any discrepancies can result in the suspension of your Nomad account.

Work Experience

For the education portion, please enter all levels of education you have received. If you have achieved an MSN, make sure to list your ASN and BSN as well.

The work history section of your application is one of the most important sections. The hospitals we work with require a full seven-year work history to be listed. Each individual travel assignment at each hospital must be listed as its own entry, not the agency you worked with. We understand that this can be time-consuming, especially for seasoned travelers, but unfortunately the hospitals require this information to be entered in this section in order to be considered.

For any gaps over 30 days between jobs or after finishing school, a Work History Gap explanation is also required. The explanation does not have to be detailed - it can be as simple as “personal time off for the holidays” - but it is required. If any of these gaps exist, make sure to send an email to support@nomadhealth.com with the dates and explanations.

References

In order for us to be able to pass along your information to the hospital for consideration, we need to get responses from at least two managers within the past 1-2 years who oversaw your clinical skills. This can be a charge nurse, nurse manager, director of nursing, or other type of supervisor. When entering their title and the years you worked with them, make sure that they correspond to a particular job or assignment you have entered in your work history.

Please provide an accurate phone number and email address for your references and give them a heads up that we will be reaching out to them. The form they need to fill out takes less than 2 minutes and it will only need to be completed once.

Step 3: References and Checklist(s)

Skills Checklist

After you successfully submit your application, we will send you a Skills Checklist for the specialty listed on the job. You will need to fill a separate checklist for each specialty of job you apply to, but you will only need to fill out the checklist once. Each checklist is valid for 1 year.

You will be able to access skills checklists on the page that comes up after submitting your application. We also send you an email with a link to get there.

Note: The skills checklists are hosted on a separate web page and unfortunately is not optimized on mobile devices. The checklist will need to be completed on a computer.

References

In addition to sending you a checklist to complete, we will also send an email to your references once your application is submitted. We need responses from at least 2 references in order to share your information with the hospital. If we haven’t heard from your references via email, we will also trying giving them a call to complete the reference over the phone.

Once your skills checklist(s) is complete and we have two reference forms completed, we will send all of your information over to the hospital to be considered.

Follow-up and Interview

After your information has been shared with the hospital, the next step in the process would be an interview. Some hospitals will give you a call to conduct a phone interview, while others will send you a virtual interview to complete via email. Make sure your voicemail box is not full and you are monitoring your email for any interview request or update. We actively follow up with our hospital contacts to make sure you are aware of any updates, including if the job has been filled or to be expecting a phone or email interview.

After a phone or email interview, reach out to a Nomad Navigator to let them know that it occurred and how it went. This will allow us to check-in with our contact and help move things to the next step in the process: the offer.

Step 4: Accept Offer and Begin Assignment

If all goes well and schedules line up, the hospital will send us the details of an offer to share with you. A Nomad Navigator will reach out to you directly and work through the details of the offer with you. We make sure everything aligns with what you are looking for so you ultimately accept. It is important to be very responsive and communicative in this stage, as the details of your contract and offer will not be modifiable once you accept and sign.

Becoming a Nomad Nurse

If you accept an offer with Nomad, you become a Nomad Nurse! Nomad Nurses are W-2 employees of Nomad Nurses Inc. In addition to industry-best pay scale, Nomad offers our nurses a highly attractive benefits package.

Nomad Nurses’ benefit package includes: medical, dental, and vision plans; handling all compliance and credentialing; licensing reimbursement for Nomad jobs; and various other perks! While on assignment, you will submit your hours to us each week and you will be paid every Friday.

While we leverage technology to make the process faster, easier, and more efficient, you will always have a member of our Nomad Navigator team to speak with and ask any questions. From applying to working, we are here for you every step of the way.

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We hope this guide was helpful! If you have any additional questions, you can visit our FAQ page here or reach out to us directly. You can email us at support@nomadhealth.com, chat with us live on our website, or give us a call at (866) 656-6623 from 9:30am - 6:00pm EST.

Thanks,

The Nomad Navigator Team
nomadhealth.com

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