California Licenses Expiring Soon


If you read my blog regularly, then you should be familiar with my bittersweet experiences working as a locum tenens nurse practitioner in California.

After spending 7 months in California in 2016, I was ready to move on. I told myself I had no reason to ever return to California for work. A few months later, I received a letter in the mail from the California Board of Nursing notifying me that my licenses were going to expire at the end of the year, unless I paid for their renewal.

I immediately thought I would renew my CA licenses since it was such a hassle to obtain them. As the deadline drew closer I realized I would have to pay several hundreds of dollars in renewal fees. This seemed like a lot considering I was not even sure I would use these licenses again.

I do not plan on going back to California in 2017, as there are many other states I have licenses in that I haven’t yet worked in. On the other hand, there are ALWAYS tons of jobs available in California. I contemplated keeping active licenses there as a back up in case I ever needed a locum tenens assignment to start immediately.

After weighing the pros and cons, I decided NOT to renew my California licenses. I worked with 4 different sites while in California, and I hated all of them. Before and after California, I have loved every single job. Thus, I know I have no intention of ever returning to California for work. I am grateful I was able to explore almost every inch of that state while I was there, and had a fabulous time doing so.

Questions from Readers

Each month I will include a blog entry answering some of the most common questions I get from readers about locum tenens as a nurse practitioner. Feel free to comment any questions you have or email me at travelingNP.com@gmail.com.

 

  • Should I apply for state licenses during the search process, or wait until I have accepted an assignment?

I personally apply for state licenses as I go. Most of the time sites will want someone who already has their state license or at least pending (already started the application process). Sometimes agencies will work with you and assist you in obtaining licenses in states that are plentiful with jobs (such as Arizona, Oregon, California etc). I think new locum tenens nurse practitioners think that the process often starts with accepting an assignment and THEN getting the license. However, obtaining a license can often take 1-2 months (since we need both the RN and ARNP license), so sites typically do not want to wait more than 1 month for their provider to start. On the plus side, if you keep all of your receipts then the site/agency will reimburse you for the licensing costs once you start the assignment.

Snow Day

Before I accepted my assignment in Virginia, I asked about snow during the winter. The Medical Director assured me not to worry. She told me that it rarely snowed near Virginia Beach, and if it did, the entire city would shut down.

Coming from Florida, I prefer to be as warm as possible. I have seen snow several times before, but have never been a fan. Perhaps it is because snow is cold, wet, and dangerous to drive in.

When I made it safely into the New Year without snow, I believed I was impervious. The year prior, I had completed my Washington State assignment the day before it snowed!

Shortly after, a winter storm from the west was making its way to the east coast. The city became chaotic as everyone prepared for the storm. It reminded me of Florida during hurricane season.

It had snowed all night that Friday. When I awoke the following morning, I actually enjoyed the snow. The snow was powdery and soft, unlike snow I have seen before. It snowed half of the day, which was pretty neat since I have only seen snow on the ground, not coming from above.

When it finally stopped snowing, my car was completely covered. It took quite a while for me to dig it out of snow. I thought to myself – I do not see myself doing this everyday. I also wondered how people lived in the North East and Midwest where it snowed often.

The following day, the sun came out but it was still quite colder than usual. The snow started to melt, leaving an icy and slippery road. I did not leave my apartment all weekend, as I have never driven in snow, and did not want to get into an accident. Work was cancelled for Monday because the roads were still bad. Since we do not get snow that often, there is no infrastructure in place to clear up the roads when we do.

My co-workers were super sweet, as many of them checked in on me over the weekend to make sure I was okay. Other than a hint of cabin fever, I survived my first time living in snow!

Cool Iceland Trip

For my birthday, my sister and I decided to take a trip to Iceland. In order to see the northern lights, we had to go during the winter. Although it did not snow, it was the coldest I have ever been. My face was constantly numb after being outside for 1 minute. Plus, the sun is only out for 5 hours each day during the winter.

Iceland was definitely worth visiting minus the freezing temperature and cold wind. We felt like we were on a different planet. We were often surrounded by both volcanoes and glaciers at the same time. There were visible fissures due to shifting of tectonic plates.

We really enjoyed the blue lagoon, which is a geothermal spa naturally heated by the magma underneath. It was so warm in the water that you forget how cold it is outside. There is also a bar in the lagoon so you can enjoy some drinks during your stay.

Waiting 2 hours in the middle of the night in the freezing cold was worth seeing the aurora borealis. Side note: if you ever go, make sure to bring a camera to capture the lights (iphone doesn’t work as well).

After my trip, tons of my friends have since visited Iceland or planned an upcoming trip after seeing my pictures. They have all enjoyed it too, and I highly recommended spending at least a few days there sometime in your life. It is a very unique place!

 

Why Virginia?

When I told my family and friends I was accepting my next assignment in Virginia, many of them looked surprised and asked me “why Virginia?” Having done my first assignments in Florida, Washington state, and California, they expected my next assignment to be somewhere “exciting”.

The reason I decided to go to Virginia is because I have tons of friends that live in the D.C. area from college. I didn’t bother trying to get a locums job in D.C. because it is so small that the probability of obtaining an assignment during the time frame I needed within my specialty, was slim.

Virginia is close enough that I can easily go to D.C. for any weekend of my choosing. It is only a 2 hour drive from where I live, or I can take the train or bus as alternative options. One of the most important factors of being near D.C., was that I needed to be in a place near New England that does not really snow much. I was guaranteed during my interview that it only snows near Virginia Beach once or twice per winter, and the entire city shuts down as a result.

Virginia is more interesting than people are aware of. There are tons of historical landmarks and museums including: Thomas Jefferson’s home, Mount Vernon (home of George Washington), Civil War Museums, American History museums, Naval museums etc.

I went to the Edgar Allan Poe museum in Richmond, VA one weekend. It was actually pretty creepy, with black cats running around and creaking floors. I shouldn’t have been surprised considering the main focus of the museum. Apparently, Edgar Allan Poe had lived in Richmond, VA with foster parents after his birth parents passed away.

In addition, I live fairly close to Williamsburg and Jamestown, which are pretty neat to visit because they still act like we are in colonial times. It is interesting to visit some of the first settlements of out forefathers.

There are also several underground caverns throughout Virginia, which I hope to visit when it warms up a bit. These come highly recommended by my co-workers. Lastly, I do not live too far from Virginia Beach. Although it is no south beach, I love to be near water!

So far, Virginia has been a great state to do locum tenens. It is close to many other states, which makes it easy to visit new places. I honestly think any state we choose to do locums in will be worthwhile, because there is always something new to learn!

5 Fascinating Truths About Traveling Nurse Practitioners

I was recently interviewed along with fellow locum tenens nurse practitioner, Katherine Padilla, about my experiences working in locum tenens by Clinician Today.

“When most people graduate from a nurse practitioner program, they look for a permanent position in their area. However, there’s another option that offers its own benefits, especially for NPs who crave freedom and flexibility. Locum tenens, or becoming a traveling NP, is an attractive option for many.

But what’s it really like to be a traveling NP, and why do some make the choice to forgo a traditional position for a traveling one? To answer this question, we talked to Sophia Khawly and Katherine Padilla, two NPs who are currently working in locum tenens positions.

Today, we’re sharing five fascinating truths about traveling nurse practitioners, straight from the source.”

Click below to read the remainder of the article:

http://cliniciantoday.com/5-fascinating-truths-about-traveling-nurse-practitioners/

CAQH Profile

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Every provider should have a “CAQH profile” that allows insurance companies to enroll you as a provider with their plans.

As a locum tenens nurse practitioner, I am frequently asked for my CAQH number and login information during the credentialing process. In order to enroll you as a participating provider with the insurance plans the sites accept, they need supporting information that the CAQH profile provides.

I recommend that you keep your profile up to date to help facilitate the credentialing process. Each time I obtain a new license or liability insurance, I make sure to update my CAQH profile. This way, when I accept a new assignment, my CAQH profile is already ready for review.

In your CAQH profile you will need to keep updated records of your:

-RN and ARNP licenses (numbers and expiration dates)

-Malpractice insurance names and dates (with each assignment)

-Education and certifications

-All work history (including contacts and addresses)

-State Medicare and Medicaid numbers

-Professional references

 

If you do not already have a profile, I recommend you create one by clicking the link below:

CAQH Profile

Questions from Readers

Each month I will include a blog entry answering some of the most common questions I get from readers about locum tenens as a nurse practitioner. Feel free to comment any questions you have or email me at travelingNP.com@gmail.com.

Do locum tenens nurse practitioners get paid more than full-time employees?

Yes. You should expect to be paid at least $10/h more than you made as a full-time employee. I personally wouldn’t take less than $70/h for a locum tenens assignment. Keep in mind that government sites often pay less than that.

In addition, technically we get paid more than our salary co-workers because we are able to accumulate overtime hours when we work more than 40 hours per week. If I have to work during my lunch break, or stay an extra hour to see a walk-in patient or catch up on my documentation, I am paid time and a half.

If an assignment offers you an extension, do not be afraid to negotiate a higher hourly rate. They need you and enjoy having you work with them, so they will often be willing to increase your hourly rate by another $5/h.

My Apartment in Virginia

For the first 2 weeks of my assignment, I lived at the Towneplace Suites Marriott hotel. My stay was enjoyable because I had a full kitchen, free breakfast, and was able to accumulate more Marriott Rewards points.

In the mean time I was provided with a couple of apartment options and visited the apartments before narrowing them down to one. The apartment I selected was a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom furnished apartment. It was nice because the agency had the entire apartment filled with everyday items such as dishes, towels, bed linen, pillows, a television, etc. Since I often stay at Airbnbs or hotels, I do not typically travel with these items, so it was great that I didn’t have to worry about obtaining them. Once you start jotting down all of the household items you need to travel with, it starts to accumulate.

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I am usually pretty open to housing options when working locum tenens. I think the most important thing to me is having a kitchen, especially for longer assignments. Be sure to ask about your housing options BEFORE you accept an assignment. Believe it or not, some agencies do not offer apartments as housing alternatives. Other times, the town you will be working in does not have anything better to live out of than a motel 8.

Rarely, you may be able to negotiate a housing stipend but be aware of low-ball offers. For example, a fellow traveling Nurse Practitioner was offered $2000/mo housing stipend for the San Francisco Bay Area! In somewhere like Texas, that goes a long way. However, the average agency spends $4000/mo on housing for locum tenens nurse practitioners in the Bay area, since housing is extremely expensive there! Luckily, I was able to provide her with that insight and she re-negotiated her housing stipend.

 

 

What We Wish Recruiters Knew

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Working as a locum tenens nurse practitioner, I have developed many great relationships with agency recruiters. Speaking with other traveling nurse practitioners, we can agree that there are some things we wish our recruiters knew.

 

  • Do not call us more than once per day: It is YOUR job as a recruiter to be on the phone and talk to potential locum tenens providers. It is OUR job to be working in a medical facility taking care of patients. So if we do not answer your first call, we are likely working and will be unable to reach you until after hours or during our lunch break. When we check our phones at the end of the day and have 5 missed calls from you, it will only enable us to avoid you more.

 

  • Do not plan on talking to us for more than 5 minutes: I do not know how many times I have returned a call to find out if there are any new job opportunities, and ended up on the phone for 30 minutes. Often it was because the recruiter was reading a list of jobs that do not even match my interests or specialty. If you are lucky that we called you back, please keep the phone calls concise.

 

  • We love communicating via email: The most successful recruiters are the ones that email us job opportunities. That way we have several options to review and all of the details of the assignments are on one page. This prevents us from having to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour on the phone with you. Also, if I want to recommend someone for that job, I can easily forward that email with details to my peers.

 

  • We are educated: Clearly we went to school for many years to be able to take care of our patients. This means you will not be able to convince us to take a job that does not meet any of our interests or specialties. When you act like you know what is better for us than ourselves, it will only make us want to work with you even less.

 

  • Please put us first: Although the agency makes their income from the sites they place providers with; we want to feel like we are your priority. Put our needs first and if an issue arises with the site, be on our side. We will continue to work with you when you make us feel like the most important aspect of locum tenens.

 

  • Be available and responsive: The most frustrating aspect of locum tenens is when you are unable to reach your recruiter. We know life happens, but it shouldn’t take long to respond to an email or phone call. Especially when a potential job opportunity falls through, it is better to keep us updated than to become unreachable. This will only make us want to move on.

 

Is there anything else you wish your recruiters knew?