Triage Staffing Travel Nursing Agency Review

With the rise of travel nursing, health care workers aren't limited to working in a traditional role. Instead, you can choose from dozens of travel healthcare agencies, like Triage Staffing, that will place you in assignments all over the country.

Founded in 2006, Triage Staffing was designed to "do medical staffing differently." Our Triage Staffing travel nursing agency review details how the company has sought to achieve that goal in a competitive industry, growing to a staff of more than 500 corporate employees and roughly 4,000 traveling health care professionals placed across the United States.

What Is Triage Staffing?

Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Triage Staffing offers short-term travel assignments to registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and other allied health professionals. It holds contracts with hospitals, clinics, and various other healthcare facilities.

John Maaske, CEO and co-founder, tells Verywell Health that Triage has contracts with hundreds of facilities in all 50 states. “Although nursing is our largest division, we also staff health care providers in lab, radiology, rehab therapy, and cardiopulmonary," he said.

Triage, named one of the best travel nursing agencies in recent years, commits to supporting clinicians throughout the entire staffing process. Whether choosing an assignment or getting settled in a new location, company staff who’ve worked in the field are there to help traveling health care professionals.

Our Take

Triage will likely appeal to nursing and allied health professionals looking for a reliable staffing agency with numerous contract opportunities throughout all 50 states. Many placements require two years' experience in a specialty. The agency serves a range of professionals, including nurses, healthcare administration workers, x-ray technicians, physical therapists, and most other allied health roles.

There were 80+ types of jobs listed on the site and more than 10,000 open positions at the time of this review. There are great benefits, including day-one insurance and the option to receive vacation pay after working 2,080 hours, but the agency don't offer short-term disability, sick pay, or wellness programs. Some nurses like Natasha Wynn, BSN, RN, a traveler who’s been with Triage for around five years, caution that Triage isn't always the direct holder of the contract, which can be a drawback.

The Triage Website

Triage's website is clean, user-friendly, and informative, with clear navigation tabs for About Us, How It Works, Facilities, Resources, and a Blog. In the upper right-hand corner, you can select "Find Jobs" to browse open positions or "Quick Apply" to start the application process.

A search bar lets you find your next assignment by selecting your credentials from the dropdown menu, then picking your preferred contract location. Scrolling down, you'll find pictures of prime positions around the country, which you can click on to learn more about each. The homepage also features a video about the company's mission and values and a link to schedule an introductory call.

“I use the website mostly when looking for potential next contracts, and then I have a discussion with my recruiter about the facility,” says Wynn.

Links for pay, housing, and benefits provide more detailed information about each. I found these pages clear. There was just enough information to pique my interest as a nurse without making me feel overwhelmed or causing the site to seem sales-y or pushy. I appreciated its straightforward approach and claim of contract transparency.

Sign-Up, Onboarding, and Job Search Process

There are a few options if you want to apply to Triage. You can choose to:

• Fill out an easy online form
• Schedule a call
• Create an account through Kamana (a secure document-sharing software)
• Reach out to a recruiter directly 

I first opted to create an online account. After clicking on "Traveler Login'' located on the bottom navigation footer, I was directed to an account creation page. I entered my name, contact information, credentials, years of experience, and specialty into the form. The start date and location preferences fields were optional. 

Within minutes, I had access to my online portal, which has left-side navigation tabs for Dashboard, Jobs, Profile Sharing, Communication Center, and Alert Center. I could now begin reviewing personalized job recommendations and the internal job board. The search function lets you filter by profession, specialties, and state.

Basic information in the results included:

• Location
• Gross weekly pay
• Start/end dates
• Shift times and other contract requirements
• Pay package and benefit details, like stipends and travel reimbursement

The level of detail was valuable, as it allowed me to compare different positions side by side and make an informed decision about which job was right for me without having to contact a recruiter.

I noticed the site doesn't have an advanced filter option, which can be frustrating if you're looking for something specific. Another drawback is that it lacks a search function to narrow down listings by keyword. A sorting feature would also come in handy.

After exploring the online portal, I walked through the scheduling process using the link on the homepage. After clicking on my profession and entering my email address, I scheduled a 30-minute call with a nursing recruiter two hours later. The entire process was straightforward, and appointment options were available during business hours. If you create a traveler profile on the website, a recruiter will reach out to you via email. For me, this occurred about 30 minutes after signing up for an account.

While contracts rarely exceed 26 weeks, some positions are open to extensions. “Triage supports helping our facilities get the staff they need and travelers finding the right spot to grow their career. A facility is welcome to make a permanent offer of employment to a traveler following the end of a contract,” says Maaske.

States and Countries Where You Can Travel

Triage has open assignments in all 50 states. After clicking the "Find Jobs" tab from the homepage, you can browse open positions by credential and state without creating an account. From there, you're directed to a more detailed search, where you can filter by state, city, pay rate, facility type, and more. There were thousands of contracts available in various locations, which should give most travelers plenty of options.

Overall, the public job board has more advanced filter options than the one in the online portal, which only lets you search by profession and state. However, the public board doesn't show the actual pay breakdown, which is crucial information for most travelers. For that, you must create an account and log in to the internal portal.

Benefits for Prospective Employees

Triage offers several benefits to its travelers. Health insurance, including medical, dental, and vision, is available on the first day of your assignment—a unique perk. It also offers a matching 401(k) program, but matching contributions are subject to a waiting period.

“Our travelers have access to day-one insurance that includes a health savings account,” explains Maaske. He says that travelers can also enroll in a vision plan and have their pick of two different dental plans. They can start contributing to a 401k right after receiving their first paycheck. “And we offer a Safe Harbor match after a specific amount of time worked,” he says.

Pay packages are customizable, and Triage offers weekly direct deposits. Most packages include an hourly wage, a housing stipend (unless you opt for the company-provided housing option), and a meals and incidentals stipend. The company also offers travel reimbursement, but you'll have to work with your recruiter to leverage this benefit.

You can receive a $750 bonus for each referral you give that takes a nursing or allied assignment. You can also take advantage of reimbursement for any professional license for your contract. Continuing education reimbursement is available annually. After working 2,080 hours with Triage, travelers are eligible to receive 40 hours of pay at a predetermined hourly rate to use for vacation.

Additional Features

Triage offers a few additional features and services that may be appealing. The blog has up-to-date planning resources and articles about the travel nursing lifestyle. Text alerts are available to notify you of new job openings that match your preferences.

A "Swag Store" is accessible from the website, where you can purchase Triage-branded merchandise, such as coffee cups, clothing, and hats. The company often hosts photo contests on social media, with chances to win free swag and gift cards to the company store.

The resources section of the website displays valuable information for current and future travelers. Here, you'll find links to guides, traveler documents, licensing details, FAQs, and more. Lastly, the blog features recent articles, from "Questions to Ask About Your Allied or Travel Nurse Pay Package" to "Pros and Cons of Being a Healthcare Traveler"—though it’s unclear whether staff or travelers write these.

Triage also has somewhat of a presence on social media, with over 13,000 followers on Facebook, almost 3,500 on Instagram, and nearly 8,000 LinkedIn connections. The company frequently posts updates, photos, articles, inspirational quotes, and other information that would be valuable to a traveler. Each channel was up to date and active, with posts from the last few days or weeks.

Triage seeks to "establish and support a culture in which personal and cultural backgrounds are leveraged effectively," the company says. It's a cornerstone of providing culturally competent care.

Final Verdict

Triage Staffing is dedicated to transparency in an industry with a reputation for being misleading. It's a terrific option for new and seasoned travelers who want full disclosure about their contracts before committing. But even the best companies have room for improvement—in this case, more wellness benefits and mental health support for employees would be a welcomed addition. Sick pay would also be beneficial.

With thousands of open positions across the United States, overall positive reviews from travelers, and a host of agency awards, Triage is a well-rounded choice for anyone in the nursing or allied health field looking for a temporary travel assignment, whether in their home state or miles away.

Methodology

Our methodology for the Triage Staffing travel nursing agency review is data-driven and based on many factors, including website usability, the onboarding process, states served, benefits offered, compensation, and reviews from travelers who have worked with the agency. We use publicly available data to assess ratings, as well as data provided by the companies themselves. 

Awards received, reviews from third-party websites, transparency of the application process, and company history were all considered. We contacted customer service representatives to ask about the application process and the types of support available to travelers. We also interviewed nurses who have worked with the company to get their first-hand experiences. Finally, we spoke with representatives of the company to learn more about their mission, values, and what sets them apart from other agencies in the industry.