Negotiating effectively takes practice, but will pay off (literally) if you consistently follow these tips.

<div>
  When it comes to negotiating contracts, nurses love it or hate it. But if
  you&rsquo;re going to earn the pay you deserve and grow within your career,
  you have to become comfortable with all aspects of negotiating, especially for
  travel nursing jobs. And unlike staff nursing positions, travel nursing gives
  you a unique opportunity to choose when and where you&rsquo;d like to work,
  and an opportunity to negotiate your salary to an extent. Negotiating
  effectively takes practice, but will pay off (literally) if you consistently
  follow these tips.
</div>

<h2>Understand How Your Pay is Determined</h2>

<div>
  Before you negotiate your salary, you should understand how you and your
  agency get paid in the first place. Your agency has an established contract
  with each facility that dictates how much each travel nurse can get paid; this
  amount is final and cannot be negotiated directly with the hospital. However,
  your agency takes that amount to determine your hourly rate, benefits and
  non-taxable reimbursements for housing, meals, stipends, travel and the
  agency&rsquo;s cut from the agreement. Many agencies will combine your hourly
  rate with non-taxable items to come up with a &ldquo;blended&rdquo; rate.
</div>

<h2>Do Your Research</h2>

<div>
  Because every agency has a different process when it comes to determining
  their nurses&rsquo;&ldquo;blended&rdquo; rates, do some research and compare
  one agency&rsquo;s rate to another&rsquo;s. However, be sure you understand
  how each agency&rsquo;s blended rate is determined before you make
  comparisons. In addition to doing your own research, it&rsquo;s always helpful
  to network with other travel nurses about salary so you understand the
  different ways pay is broken down before approaching your recruiter with a
  negotiation.
</div>

<h2>Evaluate Your Real Travel Costs</h2>

<div>
  Travel expenses are almost always a negotiable item when it comes to travel
  assignments. In terms of travel reimbursement, most agencies will usually pay
  based on the miles traveled at a maximum of $500. However, if you calculate
  that your travel expenses will exceed $500, it&rsquo;s a good idea to ask the
  agency for a higher reimbursement. If the agency is not willing to increase
  your travel compensation, you may want to consider passing up on the contract,
  especially if you&rsquo;re on a tight budget.
</div>

<h2>Ask About Additional Reimbursements</h2>

<div>
  If you&rsquo;re hesitant to directly ask for more money, take a different
  approach and inquire about unconventional reimbursements that may be offered.
  Asking for compensation for things like subway passes, licensing fees and
  healthcare benefits are all fair game when negotiating your contract.
</div>

<h2>Don&rsquo;t Fear Rejection</h2>

<div>
  Though negotiating can be nerve-wracking, it&rsquo;s important to remember the
  worst that can happen is you are told &ldquo;no.&rdquo; Also, you should
  always follow your gut. If you feel your contract is unfair, you should speak
  up and assert yourself. If a certain contract doesn&rsquo;t work out, there
  are plenty of other travel agencies that will be in your corner.
</div>



<div>
  If you are pursuing travel nursing, negotiation is a critical skill you must
  develop as you review and accept contracts. Despite the role of a travel
  agency, remember your career success is in your own hands, so be proactive
  about securing the contracts you deserve!
</div>

<h2>Are you seeking new travel nursing opportunities to grow your career?</h2>

<div>
  Let the talent acquisition specialists at Cross Country Nurses help you land
  exciting new travel nursing assignments. One of the leading
  <a href="/sites/ccn/why-nurses-choose-ccn">travel nursing companies</a>, Cross
  Country Nurses has the skilled team on hand to help you land your next
  exciting adventure.&nbsp;
</div>


Negotiating 101: How to Negotiate Your Next Travel Nursing Contract