Helpful Resources

Forms, Checklists, and Answers to your Questions
to Ensure you have a Successful Adventure

Health Care Travel FAQs

General Traveler Questions

A traveler is a licensed professional in their field of study who works in numerous short term assignments that require travel (usually 13 weeks in duration). Assignments are often coordinated by a travel healthcare company that match the traveler with the staffing needs of various hospitals, physicians' offices or clinics.

Being a traveler helps you stay current on the latest medical technology. You'll also have a better chance of getting the hands-on training you need to stay ahead in your specialty area.
Changing your working environment every 13 or 26 weeks, the typical length of an assignment, will make adapting to new environments second nature to you. You'll be able to learn and accept new ways of doing routine procedures.
You decide where to go on your assignments, which allow you to work in prestigious healthcare facilities across the U.S. You'll be working alongside top healthcare professionals, learning new skills and gaining confidence in your own abilities.

Once you obtain a nursing degree and pass the NCLEX to become an RN; then, you will need experience in your specialty. Most facilities require 1 year of clinical experience. Working with a Travel Advocate, you can plan for your future in travel nursing and meet those requirements as you are gaining experience.

The quickest way is to apply online. All of the forms you will need are located under the Helpful Resources tab including an application and skills checklists. You can also call toll free 1-877-514-6721 and speak with a Travel Advocate who can walk you thru the process.

Summit Medical Staffing is the leading provider of travel jobs for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, respiratory care practitioners, radiologic technologist / imaging professionals, medical laboratory professionals and other healthcare professionals.

No. You are never obligated to work for or travel with Summit Medical Staffing regardless of whether you have submitted your application or not. Your information is always kept confidential and we must get your permission before submitting your resume to a client. This gives you a chance to explore your options and choose the best assignment.

Our process is simple. All we need to begin is your application or resumé .Once we receive your information we can begin discussing potential assignments that fit your profile. Again, you are under no obligation to travel with Summit Medical Staffing just because you submitted your information to us. Your personal Travel Advocate will provide you a simple checklist outlining the documents you will need to become a traveling nurse or travel allied health professional. Many of these documents and the checklist can be downloaded from our website under Helpful Resources.

Absolutely not. We're paid by the hospital. If you choose to travel with Summit Medical Staffing, you will become our employee and we pay you.

Contact your Travel Advocate (Recruiter) and we can assist you to search through our large database of Travel Healthcare Positions by specialty and location. Our website is also updated on a continuous basis with the latest opportunities!

Summit Medical Staffing has open travel assignments throughout the country for most specialties and shifts. We receive and fill new assignments everyday. You tell us where you want to travel and we'll present open assignments or find one for you. Additionally, you can search our jobs on the Explore Opportunities page.

Once you have interviewed for the position and both you and the hospital/facility decide to move forward, it typically takes between one and six weeks depending on when you are available and the start date of the assignment. New assignments typically begin 2 weeks from the end of your current assignment.

The average length of an assignment is 13 weeks in duration. Once you finish your assignment, however, there is no contract binding you to work more assignments. You control how much time you take off between assignments – either a week or a month or a year! It’s all up to you!

Before your assignment is over, typically 30 days, your personal Travel Advocate will begin discussing new travel assignments with you. However, it is completely your choice to extend your assignment (if an extension is offered), take another assignment, or simply take some time off. If you want to see some of the assignments we have available, search our jobs on the Explore Opportunities page!

Travel & Housing Questions

Yes, Summit Medical Staffing will provide you a travel stipend reimbursement to assist you with any of the costs you incur traveling to and from your assignment. Half of this stipend is provided in your first paycheck while the remainder is provided at the end of your assignment.

All travelers receive a housing stipend unless housing is provided by the facility. Our Travel Advocate are here to provide housing resources for a variety of options including fully furnished apartments, extended stay hotels, RV parks, etc.

Absolutely!

Compensation, Benefits, Insurance, and Bonuses

Your total compensation package, including your hourly pay, is completely customized to fit your needs. Pay rates vary from assignment to assignment depending on location and the hospital.

You will get paid every Friday. We provide direct deposit to your checking or savings account. You can view your payroll information online 24/7 through the Compass App or thru our payroll providers website.

It simply means we have the flexibility to compensate you in a number of different ways. Most traveling nurse and allied health companies have cookie-cutter programs and a take it or leave it attitude. With Summit Medical Staffing, we find out what is most important to you; hourly pay, stipends, bonuses, Per Diem, etc. We'll take the time to understand your needs, put a package together outlining each item, and clearly explain your total compensation.

Per Diem allowances and reimbursements are typically tax-free dollars allotted to you for traveling away from your primary residence. It is designed to cover the expense of your meals, transportation and many costs associated with traveling.

There are some initial rules that need to be followed in order to qualify for the Tax Advantage Program. Some of them are:

You must have a tax home. Generally, your tax home is where you normally reside and pay taxes. If you constantly travel and have no permanent residence, you would not qualify for this program.
Your tax home must be different from your travel assignment location. If you are working in the general proximity of your tax home and return home nightly from your shift, you would not qualify for the program.
Your assignment must be less than one year. You may have multiple travel assignments and extensions of assignments, but each original assignment plus extensions at one location must be less than a year. You must also return to your permanent tax home a minimum of 30 days per year.
All tax questions should be directed to your personal tax adviser. The ideal tax adviser is a licensed professional who has experience working with those who take temporary work assignments away from their homes.
To learn ALL the qualifying details of the TAX ADVANTAGE Program, please consult a licensed Tax Consultant, or visit the IRS at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p463.pdf.

Yes, we offer a 401k plan after 90 days. Contact benefits@summitmedstaff.com OR contact your Travel Advocate for more information.

In addition to your weekly paycheck which will be deposited directly into your savings or checking account which you can view online 24/7, you'll be eligible for medical insurance, optional add-on dental and supplemental benefits, professional certification and license reimbursement, referral bonuses ($750 each!), and company-matching 401(k)! You also get one-on-one relationships with a caring team of professionals - your Career Representative are all eager and ready to help you soar to and on your new job!

Yes, you may add your spouse or children to your insurance for additional fees.

Yes! Summit Medical Staffing offers a generous company-matching 401k program which matches 100% of up to 3% of your gross taxable pay. That means free matching money to you and more money to put toward retirement.

Refer a friend to Summit Medical Staffing and when your referral completes a 13-week assignment, you will receive a check. You'll earn $750 for each traveler! To get on the quick path to your finder's fees, talk to your Travel Advocate today!

Licensing/Certification

Your Travel Consultant will be happy to fill you in on the specific details of getting a license in the state you may want to work in. All state licensure requirements are different. For example, some states (approximately 25 of them), are Compact States which means your licensure is reciprocal within the states that participate. (Current Compact states can be found at https://www.ncsbn.org/nlc.htm). Other states are Walk Through states which allow a nurse to bring all required licensing paperwork to the new state's Board of Nursing which then provides the required license within a few days. Other states require longer waiting periods. Well seasoned travel nurses will plan their assignment areas ahead of time so they can get the proper state licensure ready before they are ready to travel to the new location. And don't forget: Summit Medical Staffing will reimburse you for the required licensure expenses relating to your travel assignment/s with us after your assignment.

Our compliance team will notify you of expiring documents and your career representative will let you know if you are eligible for reimbursement for the renewal of your certification.