Omaha, NE (October 1, 2015) - Your nursing or physical therapy degree can take you anywhere in the U.S. when working as a traveling healthcare professional. Aureus Medical Group, a nationwide leader in healthcare staffing, handles all the travel details to get you to your assignment!

From California to Massachusetts and all the states in between, there is a known healthcare staffing shortage, creating a high demand for nurses and physical therapists. 

With a travel healthcare career comes travel to your assignment location and for someone who may go from one assignment to the next, it can make for substantial coordination. Fortunately, there are healthcare staffing companies that not only cover the cost of airfare (or other means of travel) but also assist with the arrangements. Aureus Medical is a healthcare staffing company that relieves all of the stress and time-crunching related to coordinating your travel assignments with its in-house travel agency AurTravel. We recently talked with Sharon Kuzela, an assistant manager at AurTravel, about the ins and outs of traveling as a healthcare professional.

Scheduling your travelTo make travel arrangements for an upcoming assignment, an Aureus Medical account manager will work directly with AurTravel to coordinate the dates and specific destination. The traveler relays any special travel requests to the account manager who is the point of contact with the travel agent.

Kuzela says it is best if AurTravel knows about a trip as soon as possible to make sure accommodations are made according to the traveler's preferences.

"Travelers should be aware that when booking last minutes flights, it can be very difficult to get their preferred seat assignment. The airlines will hold back a certain percentage of their seats for airport control and also for their preferred frequent flyer members," she explained.

She specifically suggested a seven- to 21-day advance notice prior to the assignment.

"The more advance we have the better," Kuzela said. "With the merging of the airlines and the airlines operating more regional jets, there are less seats to book and availability fills up quicker than it used to."

Depending on the timing of the hospital's request for contract staff, the booking window may be less than the 21-day window and require a tighter turnaround. Regardless, communication with the account manager is important when it comes to travel and securing reservations.

At Aureus Medical the cost of airfare is covered. However, travelers are in charge of the travel fees for baggage, pets, upgraded seats and guests. Any charges for a flight change unrelated to business will also be the responsibility of the traveler. AurTravel can also book train, bus or ferry tickets as an alternative to flying.

Read the full article for information on preparing for your travel healthcare assignment.

About Aureus Medical Group:

Aureus Medical Group is a national leader in healthcare staffing specializing in the successful placement of Nursing, Advanced Practice, Cardiopulmonary, Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Laboratory, Neurodiagnostics, Radiation Oncology, and Rehabilitation Therapy professionals, as well as Physicians, in hospitals and medical facilities nationwide.  With more than 30 years of experience, Aureus Medical offers a full range of staffing options, including national contract (travel), local contract, and direct hire.  Aureus Medical is the largest affiliate of Omaha-based C&A Industries, a leading provider of human capital management solutions for more than 45 years.