When you accept a healthcare travel assignment, you see the destination, the facility and the start date. What you may not see is all the travel healthcare staffing support happening behind the scenes to help get you there and keep your assignment moving once you arrive. At DTN, that support doesn’t come from just one person. Staffing managers, compliance, payroll, HR and other members of the DTN team work together throughout your assignment.
We recently asked our team what they wish travelers knew about their work, the questions they hear most often and the advice they would give someone heading into a new assignment.
One theme came through loud and clear: You have a lot more people in your corner than you may realize.
Before Your Assignment Even Begins
A successful assignment starts long before your first shift. Our team is already working behind the scenes on compliance, travel coordination, scheduling, housing and facility needs. Team members described their role as helping travelers navigate the process, preparing them for the area and facility, and making sure the logistics are in place before they arrive. That preparation matters, especially when you’re traveling somewhere completely new.
One team member explained that preparing a traveler can include discussing the weather, living accommodations, the facility setup and even practical details like how far away the nearest Walmart may be. It’s part of making sure you’re not simply placed in an assignment. We want you to feel prepared for it.
Compliance: Helping You Get to Day One
Compliance isn’t always the most exciting part of a new assignment, but it’s one of the most important. Our compliance team helps travelers navigate the requirements needed before starting. One of the biggest misconceptions they hear is simply how long the process can take. There can be multiple requirements involving credentials, documentation and facility specific items. Completing requests promptly helps everyone keep your start date moving in the right direction. Behind the scenes, compliance is coordinating those pieces so you can arrive ready for your first day.
Payroll: Making Sure Your Hours Turn Into a Paycheck
Once you’re working, payroll becomes another important part of your DTN support team.
Some of the most common questions payroll receives involve paychecks and updating banking information. The team also wants every traveler to remember one particularly important responsibility: Turn in your hours on time. Something doesn’t look right? Ask. Getting a question answered early can save a lot of stress later.
Your Staffing Manager Stays With You
Accepting the assignment isn’t the end of the relationship with your staffing manager. In many ways, it’s just the beginning. Our staffing managers described their priorities after placement as staying connected, keeping communication open, helping with compliance and logistics, and making sure travelers know they have someone to call when they need help. Many check in weekly or throughout the beginning, middle and end of an assignment.
That relationship also becomes important when you’re thinking about what comes next. Whether you have a question, need help during your current contract or are starting to think about an extension or your next opportunity, your staffing manager is there to help you navigate it.
Advice From the People Behind Your Assignment
We asked our team what they would tell someone getting ready to start a new assignment. Their answers were simple, but they say a lot. Be prepared. Be on time. Communicate. Ask questions. Follow the facility’s protocols. Stay professional.
And perhaps one of the most realistic pieces of advice we received: Take it one day at a time. The first week can be messy.
Every facility is different. There are new people, new routines and new expectations to learn. Give yourself time to adjust, observe what’s happening around you and don’t be afraid to reach out when you need help.
Support You May Never See
Some of the most important work at DTN happens where travelers never see it. Team members talked about answering calls and texts after hours and on weekends, communicating with facilities, helping travelers reach the right department, coordinating housing and travel needs, solving unexpected issues and checking in simply to see how an assignment is going. Sometimes that means helping with a paycheck. Sometimes it’s solving a housing or travel issue. Other times, it’s simply answering the phone when someone needs help.
That behind-the-scenes travel healthcare staffing support is a major part of what we want the DTN experience to be.
The People Make the Difference
When we asked our staff what they enjoy most about their work, many of their answers came back to connection. They talked about meeting people from across the country, staying connected with field staff, hearing about the relationships travelers build with residents and seeing the impact those healthcare professionals make in the facilities they serve. They also recognized one another.
Team members specifically called out coworkers who stepped in to help with compliance, supported one another through challenging situations and helped keep things moving when extra hands were needed.
That’s important because supporting travelers isn’t the responsibility of a single department. It takes a team.
Travel Healthcare Staffing Support: The DTN Difference
So, what does The DTN Difference actually mean? One response from our team summed it up in three words: Go the extra mile. That’s what we’re working toward every day.
From preparing for an assignment and completing compliance to payroll, housing, communication and planning your next opportunity, there are people behind the scenes working to help.
We’re proud of the travelers who represent DTN in facilities and communities across the country. We’re equally proud of the team behind them—the people answering the calls, solving the problems, checking the details and making sure our travelers know they’re supported.
Because behind every assignment is a team.
And that’s The DTN Difference.
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Support Contact Information:
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