- How do contract & travel assignments work?
- Contract & travel assignments are typically 3 months, full time, and can be extended in 3-month increments. Each assignment has its own pay package based on the terms of the assignment. You can request time off in advance of your assignment starting. There is typically a formal interview process for any contract or travel assignment, where we present your information to the facility and they interview you if interested (we present your resume and other documents they require). If all goes well, a formal offer will be presented. If you accept, we begin your employee file and finalize your start date (based on when orientation is available, when you are available to start, and when your employee file will be finished). Once the facility approves your employee file, your first-day reporting instructions and orientation schedule will be given to you, and you are all set to start. We check in with you regularly to ensure you’re having a successful assignment, and about halfway through, we can start to secure an extension for you if you want to stay. If not, we will start to line up your next assignment, with plenty of time to do so, ensuring you don’t have any downtime in between assignments. Of course, if you do want to take some time off, doing so in between assignments is always an option.
- How do PRN / per diem assignments work?
- We have a variety of per diem assignments available and will review these with you prior to you joining the team. As long as we have available needs you are interested in and eligible to help with, we will welcome you to our team and begin the credentialing process. Once you are cleared by our team and at least one facility where you want to work, you’ll be added to our active per diem roster and can begin to schedule shifts. You do have to be cleared at each facility where you want to work, and we will continue to work on getting you cleared with as many places as you would like so you have plenty of options. You have total flexibility in where you work, though some facilities require a minimum commitment for how often you pick up time to clear you. Orientation and pay vary by facility, and we will review all of that information in advance with you.
- How are pay packages determined?
- Pay packages vary by assignment and are based on your individual needs. We will customize your package based on what is most important to you: hourly pay, bonus, reimbursements, meal & lodging allowance, etc. Rates can vary based on the severity of the need, and we regularly receive critical need rates. You will be able to work with your recruiter to make sure we’re finding the right assignment for you, including the pay package that you need. Before we present you as a candidate for an interview, you’ll be able to review the pay package for that assignment and ask any questions you may have about the assignment details.
- How does travel pay work?
- The federal government outlines the criteria you must meet to be compensated as a “traveler,” i.e., receive a daily meal and lodging allowance. In order to be eligible, you must duplicate living expenses during your assignment with AMS. Based on government guidelines, we calculate your meal & lodging allowance by determining the number of days per week you duplicate living expenses and the location of your temporary work assignment. Here is a link to the government website that outlines these rates: www.gsa.gov. Learn more here at our comprehensive travel pay breakdown and myth busters page.
- How do I get paid and confirm my hours?
- LMS will pay you weekly. Every facility has its own way of tracking your time and you will have that information in detail before you start. We also provide you with ample reminders to ensure accurate payroll. Once you receive your schedule from your facility, send it to your recruiter so that we know when you are working and can make sure you are always paid accurately and on time. Please help us help you: tell us your schedule and send in your time statements in accordance with that facility’s policies. If we have your schedule but don’t receive your time statement, we’ll give you a courtesy call to remind you to send it in.
- How soon can I start an assignment?
- That depends on the type of assignment and the facility of interest. In order to line up an interview or an offer for a contract or block booking, different facilities require various items including a resume. Once an offer is in place, a fully credentialed and cleared file will be required before you can start. For a PRN/per diem assignment, you will need the fully credentialed file to get started. This typically can take a week or two depending on how quickly we can clear your paperwork, and when the next available orientation or precepting can be scheduled.
- What happens we get close to the end date of my contract assignment?
- We check in with you regularly during your assignments to make sure everything is going well and discuss if you want to stay at the facility beyond your current assignment or if you’d prefer to try another facility. About 4-6 weeks from your end date, if you want to stay, we will work with the facility to confirm an extension to the current assignment. If you don’t want to stay, or if the facility can’t offer an extension (typically because of budget, census, or a staff member returning), we’ll have over a month to arrange your next assignment and can start reviewing options with you immediately.
- Can I convert my current contract assignment to Lifeline?
- Yes! Agency clinicians are empowered to take their assignment through the agency of their choice. If you are unhappy with your agency for any reason or would rather be a Lifeline employee, we can inform the hospital or client and facilitate your extension to go through Lifeline.
- Can I pursue PRN opportunities while under contract?
- Absolutely, and remember we pay overtime at 1.5x your standard rates for anything over 40 hours.
- Will Lifeline reimburse for certifications, CEUs, etc.?
- If you would like to have certification or education training reimbursed, we are happy to include this in your pay package. Just let your recruiter know in advance if you will need any items coming up, and we can make sure they are included in your package.
- How long do I have to be on a contract before taking a staff job at the facility?
- As Lifeline works to create an extraordinary experience for each health care provider, it is our goal to be your preferred employer, and we hope that you will want to stay with us forever. That said, we 100% respect your decision and support your conversion to staff anywhere we place you. Please keep us informed if you wish to convert to staff somewhere that you are working through Lifeline so we can coordinate with the facility. It is important to understand that our staffing agreements with our clients do include language about hiring our staff. By keeping us in the loop, we are able to help coordinate your transition. We will confirm that all client requirements are satisfied and partner with you and our client for a smooth transition to client staff.
