How to find a travel nurse staffing agency
6 min read
There are hundreds of travel nurse agencies and they are not interchangeable. The agency controls your pay package, your benefits, and who answers the phone when a manager tries to float you somewhere unsafe. Here is how to choose one — and how to tell quickly when you have chosen wrong.
Work with more than one
Most experienced travelers keep two or three agencies. No single agency holds contracts at every facility, and having a second option is the only real leverage you have on pay.
One rule makes this work: never let two agencies submit you to the same facility. Duplicate submissions get candidates disqualified. Track which agency submitted you where, and say no clearly when a recruiter pushes to submit without asking first.
Questions to ask before you sign with a recruiter
A good recruiter answers all of these without hedging. Ask them on the first call.
- Can you break the package into taxable hourly, housing stipend, and meals stipend?
- Are hours guaranteed in writing, and what happens if the facility cancels a shift?
- When does health insurance start, and is there a gap between contracts?
- Do you reimburse licensure, certifications, physicals and travel — and how fast?
- What is the cancellation penalty if I have to end a contract early?
- Who do I call at 2am on a Saturday if there is a problem on the unit?
- Do you have a direct contract at this facility, or are you going through a vendor management system?
What separates a good agency from a bad one
Size matters less than transparency. Large agencies have more contracts and better benefits; smaller regional agencies often pay more per contract and give you a recruiter who actually knows the facility.
- Good: itemized pay breakdown before you commit, day-one benefits, a named recruiter you keep, honest answers about a unit's reputation.
- Bad: pressure to sign today, refusal to itemize, benefits that start after 30 days, a new recruiter every month, silence once you are on assignment.
Read these clauses before signing
The contract, not the phone call, is what binds. Read all of it, and get every promise added in writing.
- Guaranteed hours and how missed hours are made up.
- Float policy — which units, and can you refuse an unsafe assignment?
- Cancellation penalty on both sides, and notice periods.
- Housing terms if the agency provides it, including what happens if the contract ends early.
- Non-compete or exclusivity language limiting who else can submit you to that facility.
Check the facility, not just the agency
A great recruiter cannot fix a unit with unsafe ratios. Before you accept, read what other travelers said about the facility — ratios, float practices, whether orientation is real, and whether they would go back. That is exactly what the StaffUpStat facility directory and nurse reviews are for: look up the hospital and the agency side by side before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
How many travel nurse agencies should I sign up with?
Two or three is typical. It gives you access to more contracts and leverage on pay, as long as you never let two agencies submit you to the same facility.
Do travel nurses pay agency fees?
No. Agencies are paid by the facility through the bill rate. A recruiter or agency asking you for a fee is a serious red flag.
Is a big agency better than a small one?
Not necessarily. Large agencies offer more contracts and stronger benefits; smaller regional agencies often pay more per contract and know the local facilities better.
Put it to work: open assignments, housing by city, or the facility & agency directory.