Travel polysomnography

[UNISOLGR33]

Has anybody on here tried travel polysomnography? I have been thinking about it, and would like to know your thoughts.

[Gizmo]

I worked as a traveler for three years but that was back in 2008. That was the real boom for traveling RPSGTs although there are still opportunities out there. It's fun as long as you can handle your coworkers hating you LOL

[UNISOLGR33]

I can tolerate the hate as long as I'm getting paid well. Did you make a lot of money as a traveler?

[Sleepy in the South]

We hired a traveler for 6-8 weeks about 8 years ago. He was hired due to staffing shortage and also trained the new staff. He actually trained me and I learned a lot from him.

He was paid over $30/hr (8 years ago) along with fully paid air/room/car and meals. Our lab is in Honolulu so it was a dream assignment for him. The company that hires travelers get paid a lot from the hospital, don't be afraid to get fair compensation.

[Gizmo]

The best that I could negotiate was $21/hr plus on top of that, I received $210/wk tax-free for driving my own vehicle. The company paid for my fully furnished apartment + up to $150 electric/mo.

[somnonaut]

Apt = $800/mos
Car = $210
Elec = $150

Total stipend= $1160 / 160hrs (4 weeks @ 40hrs/wk) = 7.25/hr

[Gizmo]

Apt = $800/mos
Car = $210
Elec = $150

Total stipend= $1160 / 160hrs (4 weeks @ 40hrs/wk) = 7.25/hr

Not quite. The car allowance was very generous at $210/wk. So whatever that equals on top of $21/hr.

Can you imagine what the lab is paying the traveling company for a traveler? I was told $55-60/hr.

[somnonaut]

OH I missed that $210/WK.

Apt = $800/mos
Car = $840
Elec = $150

Total stipend= $1790 / 160hrs (4 weeks @ 40hrs/wk) = 11.18/hr

[Gizmo]

OH I missed that $210/WK.

Apt = $800/mos
Car = $840
Elec = $150

Total stipend= $1790 / 160hrs (4 weeks @ 40hrs/wk) = 11.18/hr

So your point is: that as a traveler (5 years ago) I was making close to $32.18/hr. Not too bad ... it's very hard to find a job in sleep making that anymore.

The medical traveling has shifted to professions like nursing and respiratory therapy. The sleep boom is a thing of the past when it comes to traveling. There's still jobs out there but they're not near as plentiful as they were five years ago.

[labman2]

We hired a traveler for 6-8 weeks about 8 years ago. He was hired due to staffing shortage and also trained the new staff. He actually trained me and I learned a lot from him.

He was paid over $30/hr (8 years ago) along with fully paid air/room/car and meals. Our lab is in Honolulu so it was a dream assignment for him. The company that hires travelers get paid a lot from the hospital, don't be afraid to get fair compensation.

Damn!

Honolulu! I would have taken a 2 week vacaction from here and come there and trained ya!

[somnogator]

Anybody worked in travel RPSGT recently?
I think I may have just got scammed.
BTW, the gig is in California.

[Tech]

Just my two cents, re: "hated," in over 20 years as a sleep tech (RPSGT), I have worked with three travelers. Each was competent enough. Each was a seriously flawed character, bordering on sociopathic. One was hired to manage a sleep lab as lead tech. This person set up his work schedule so that he worked Thursday, Friday, Saturday, S one week, then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday the next. He then left the state to live at a casino until he had to be back, 8 days later to repeat. One feigned pregnancy, took numerous nights off "sick," was found after finishing her assignment to have been wearing a fake tummy. One was a rabid, vocal, and blatant racist, homophobe, xenophobe; and political radical (you can guess which "wing").

Now I wouldn't paint all travelers with the same brush. This was just my experience. I have observed over the years, that sleep techs, as a group (and I include myself) are behaviorally a socially marginal population. This is not surprising really, our being chronically subject to self-imposed circadian rhythm disorder.

That said, I would say that for a young person, who is free of social attachments/obligations, spending some time as a traveling tech seems like it could be fun and exciting (i.e., Hawaii). Had I had the option as a young and unattached man, I certainly would have seriously considered the prospect.