Licensing decides the start date
- Compact to compact: if you hold a multistate license and the job is in another compact state, you can usually start on privilege — see working in another state.
- Into a non-compact state: you need that state’s license, normally by endorsement. Ask the employer whether they will wait, and check whether a temporary license exists.
- Moving your home: a permanent job that means relocating changes your primary state of residence, which has its own deadlines — see moving to a compact state.
The employer verifies your license with the board or Nursys before you start; nothing a recruiter or website says replaces that.
Permanent, travel or per diem
- Permanent (direct hire): the facility employs you. Benefits, retirement, tuition support and seniority build over time. Sign-on bonuses often come with a repayment clause if you leave early — read it.
- Travel contract: an agency employs you and places you for a set term, usually around 13 weeks. Pay is often split into taxable wages and stipends; ask how the split is calculated and what happens if the contract is cancelled.
- Per diem / shift apps: flexible, usually higher hourly pay, rarely benefits, and hours are not guaranteed.
How recruiters are paid
Knowing who pays whom explains a lot about the conversation you are having. In direct-hire recruiting the employer pays a fee when a candidate is hired, and the nurse pays nothing. Travel agencies earn the difference between what the facility pays them and what they pay you. Either way, a legitimate recruiter should not ask you for money.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- What is the base rate, the shift differentials, and the guaranteed hours?
- How long is orientation, and is it paid?
- What are the nurse-to-patient ratios on the unit you would work on?
- Is there a sign-on bonus, and what triggers repayment?
- What is the cancellation policy (for contracts), or the probation period (for permanent roles)?
- Who will verify my license, and by when do you need it?
Red flags
- Being asked for a fee, or to pay for “placement”.
- Being asked for your Social Security number, date of birth or bank details before there is a written offer.
- A promise that someone else can “get you licensed” in a state faster than its board.
- Pressure to accept before you have seen the terms in writing.
- Your resume being sent to employers you never agreed to.