trustaff Glossary

Travel Nurse – Travel nursing, and the travel nursing industry, developed in response to the nursing shortage in which nurses are relocated for short-term nursing positions. The current severe shortage of nurses in the United States has increased the need for this type of position and hospitals and recruitment agencies are offering incentives ranging from relocation assistance and furnished housing to stipends and bonuses to qualified registered nurses and LPN / LVNs as well as an assortment of allied health professionals.

Travel Assignment – A trustaff travel assignment is a four to twenty six week assignment where a nurse or allied health professional will travel to a facility and stay within the facility's local area

Extension – After completing an assignment with your current facility, if you take another assignment with that same facility, or another facility contracted by trustaff within 30 days, it is considered an extension and can qualify the nurse for a bonus.

Completion Bonuses – Upon completion of a travel assignment, employees can qualify for a bonus for finishing out their travel assignment. These bonuses vary upon the facility and specialty of the nurse or allied health professional.

Extension and Loyalty Bonuses – trustaff offers extension bonuses for those travel and contract employees who take multiple travel assignments with only minimal time breaks between travel assignments. By extending at an assignment at any facility within 30 days, you will receive $500 for every thirteen week period you extend (prorated for extensions less than 13 weeks).

Longevity Bonus – For travel and contract employees who complete four consecutive thirteen-week travel assignments with trustaff, we offer a bonus tailored to your personal and career goals.

Referral Bonus – trustaff offers a referral bonus to anyone (employees included) who refers a candidate for travel assignments, contract, or permanent placement opportunities. The bonus varies depending upon the specialization of the referred candidate.

Facility Referral Bonus – If you know of an assignment or position at a facility that we do not currently offer, your lead turns into a new working relationship, and we place you at that facility, you will receive an additional $1,000 bonus.

PTO Days – PTO or Paid Time Off days are paid vacation days earnable through working travel assignments with trustaff.

Compensation Package – There are two compensation packages offered by trustaff for its travel nurses and allied health professionals: the Tax Advantage Plan and the All Inclusive Plan. Both plans offer advantages to travel healthcare professionals from which they may determine which package best suits their wants and needs.

Tax Advantage Plan – This is one of the two compensation packages offered by trustaff to its travel nurses and allied health professionals. The Tax Advantage Plan, simply put, taxes only a portion of the hourly wage allowing our travel employees to save on the costs of their amenities by giving them control of their travel stipend and keep the rest tax free. The Tax Advantage Plan includes tax-free housing, travel, meals, and incidentals pay (also called per diem) along with a base pay rate. While the base pay rate is taxed, the money for the per diem is added into the hourly pay, but not taxed. Just as with the All Inclusive Plan, the tax-free rates are paid only for the initial 36 hours per week and the W-2 form you will receive will be calculated solely on the base taxed rate and all tax free monies will be reported as unearned income. Our travel nurses and allied healthcare professionals may opt to have housing and travel arranged by trustaff with deductions taken from their weekly pay. If an employee takes this option, trustaff will schedule private, corporate-style apartments (including appliances, dishes, furniture, etc.) with local phone service and local cable service where available. The travel employee will be responsible for these costs and will receive a payroll deduction agreement to sign authorizing an appropriate weekly deduction. However, if cheaper arrangements can be found by the travel employee, or they can do without certain amenities on the assignment, it is possible to reduce their costs considerably and thereby increasing their net pay each week. The pay rates established with the tax advantage plan take effect upon receipt of your signed payroll deduction agreement and a qualifying, Permanent Tax Residence Notification form (PTRN).

All Inclusive Plan – This is one of the two compensation packages offered by trustaff to its travel nurses and allied health professionals. The All Inclusive Plan is the time-won industry standard to which many travel professionals have become accustomed. With this plan, trustaff gives a travel employee all of the standard amenities (private housing, round trip airfare, etc.), a base pay rate, and schedules the travel and housing arrangements while directly covering the costs to create a worry worry-free travel experience. With the All Inclusive Plan, the base pay rate is taxed according to the traveler's federal W-4 form and respective state withholding request based on the location of their assignment. In most arrangements, overtime is paid at a set rate rather than double the base rate. For thirteen-week assignments, trustaff, provides private corporate-type apartments (appliances, dishes, furniture, etc.) and pays for all utilities, including local phone service (and basic cable where available). At the traveler's request, trustaff can make additional arrangements for a rental car at the cost or the traveler with weekly payroll deductions. In most instances, a traveler can secure a lower rate and chose which rental car agency they use, as well as cut out the cost of insurance by providing proof of their own auto insurance.

Nurse / Personal Advocates – A dedicated team of nurse advocates on staff to help with any problems or issues that may arise during a travel assignment and throughout your employment. Most of our advocates are experienced professionals who have worked in the healthcare environment. They partner with your recruiter to ensure that you have a first rate experience travel nurse experience.

Guaranteed Hours – Travel Nurse Assignments through trustaff range in length from four to 26 weeks and will offer you a guarantee of 36, 48, or 60 hours each week.

Permanent Placement – trustaff has recently expanded to include a permanent placement division with Staffing Consultants dedicated to helping Pharmacists, Therapists and RN's of all specialties achieve permanent positions in great facilities nationwide. Our permanent placement consultants are also placing physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, certified occupational therapist assistants, and speech language pathologists.

Hospital Pharmacist – A hospital pharmacist works in a hospital pharmacy service, primarily within the public sector. They are responsible for ensuring the safe, appropriate and cost-effective use of medicines. Hospital pharmacists use their specialist knowledge to dispense drugs and advise patients about the medicines they have been prescribed. They work collaboratively with other health care professionals to devise the most appropriate drug treatment for patients. Some pharmacists will also be involved in the manufacture of the required drug treatments. The role of the hospital pharmacist sometimes extends outside the hospital, with responsibility for medicines in health centers, nursing homes, hospices or general practitioner's surgeries.

Retail Pharmacist – A retail pharmacist works to ensure the correct and safe supply of medical products to the general public. They are involved in maintaining and improving people's health by providing advice and information, and supplying prescription medicines. Retail pharmacists also sell over-the-counter medical products and instruct clients on the use of medicines and medical appliances. Some pharmacists will also offer specialist health check services, such as blood pressure monitoring and diabetes screening. trustaff executives are placing pharmacists in positions with excellent benefits and compensation packages in many small and large chain retail outlets throughout the country.

Nuclear Pharmacist – A nuclear pharmacist duties may include compounding and dispensing of radiopharmaceuticals, quality control, inventory control, supervision and training of personnel, customer technical support, receiving customer orders via telephone, computer data entry, packaging products, delivery dispatch, placement of vendor orders, overseeing radiation safety procedures for customers, and assist with radioactive and biohazard waste disposal.

Long Term Care Pharmacist – This is a pharmacist specializing in long term care works with those who are in need of daily care and close supervision from hospice or hospital personnel.

Home Infusion Pharmacist – Home infusion pharmacists are r esponsible for patient care in the alternate site setting directly related to the dispensing and admixture of medications, fluids, TPN and other I.V. therapy. They provide patient education with relation to medications, provided equipment and processes for administration of the therapy. Home infusion pharmacists also assist physicians with medication selection, formula preparations, dosage calculations as well as maintaining accurate dispensing records and patient records for each patient that is cared for by the pharmacy.

Floating Pharmacist –Typically in a retail setting, a floating pharmacist handles the responsibilities of the primary pharmacist who is absent for vacation or medical reasons. In many instances, the floater pharmacist works closely with the pharmacy district manager to ensure coverage and profitable operations.

Physical Therapist – Physical therapists provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.

Physical Therapy Assistant – Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) perform a variety of tasks under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. Physical therapist aides, under the supervision of a physical therapist or a physical therapist aide, help make therapy sessions productive.

Occupational Therapist – A person trained in or engaged in the practice of occupational therapy . The role of an occupational therapist is to work with a client to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life through the use of "purposeful activity or interventions designed to achieve functional outcomes which promote health, prevent injury or disability and which develop, improve, sustain or restore the highest possible level of independence.” ( The American Journal of Occupational Therapy)

Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant – A person trained in or engaged in assisting an occupational therapist.

Speech Language Pathologist – One in the practice of speech-language pathology including the prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of communication, swallowing, or other upper aero digestive disorders, elective modification of communication behaviors, and enhancement of communication. This includes services that address the dimensions of body structure and function, activity, and/or participation as proposed by the World Health Organization model.