Founded in 1989 and based in Colorado, Fastaff Travel Nursing agency has become the leading name in “Rapid Response” healthcare staffing.
Fastaff specializes in staffing major facilities and busy departments in times of high need. These scenarios are often a result of things like:
- Environmental disasters
- Urban healthcare crises
- Debilitating local staffing shortages
Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has earned them a long list of mentions in the media.
Their Rapid Response ability makes them a leader in staffing hospitals that are in desperate need of travel nurses.
Fastaff is well-established, widely recognized, and seems to function quite well. They have a no-nonsense approach to filling critical staffing needs with skilled nurses who like to make good money.
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Why Choose Travel Nursing with Fastaff?
Compared to other, more modern agencies, Fastaff’s internet presence is less fun and less flashy.
This may be unappealing to some, but it seems to be an accurate representation of how they operate. They are effective and efficient with no fluff.
A quick look around their website can tell anyone what they need to know about the travel nursing company, without the typical focus on adventure and excitement.
With that being said, Fastaff has no trouble finding nurses. They have loads of great reviews from past and present employees, and plenty of job opportunities available.
Anyone wanting to check out available assignments with Fastaff Travel Nursing can simply visit their home page. Current opportunities are listed along with approximate pay for the assignment.
Fastaff Travel Nursing Benefits
The Fastaff Travel Nursing experience is pretty standard in most regards. They offer full benefits including:
- Health
- Dental
- Vision
- 401k
They also offer:
- Continuing education opportunities and licensure reimbursement
- Paid travel to and from assignments
- Basic housing in addition to weekly pay rates
Fastaff Rapid Response
The standout feature of Fastaff Travel Nursing is their Rapid Response ability.
Fastaff is known for providing quality staff quickly, and nurses can be placed in an assignment in as little as 48 hours (or less).
Contracts may be as short as two weeks or as long as 13 weeks. If demand remains high, some assignments can be extended up to a year or beyond.
Nurses working in critical positions with urgent staffing needs must be highly skilled and ready for a challenge.
The good news is that they’re paid well. Very well. In fact, Fastaff Travel Nursing has some of the highest rates of anywhere else we found online.
Fastaff Travel Nursing Reviews
Reports from across the web are largely positive, though a common complaint seems to be disinterested recruiters:
“The pay rates are good. The people who are supposed to take care of travelers are awful.” -RN Staff Nurse, Indeed review
“I work for several agencies, but Fastaff is the best one out of all. Best pay, no blending, the most professional, no games. You get what you’re told, very thorough & things done by the book. My recruiter is Maren & she is very nice & fair…” -Debbie Simpson, Facebook review
“I love working for Fastaff. My recruiter is decent but not as good as other recruiters. I think recruiters should be your backbone and mine is not. Nevertheless, I would not trade Fastaff for any other company just because of my recruiter. Thank you Fastaff for providing me with work, housing, and travel.” -Erika Cepeda, Google review
It’s clear that a certain type of nurse is Fastaff’s ideal candidate. They’re looking for skilled, experienced, independent, and industrious nurses who like to make a lot of money.
Pros and Cons Fastaff Travel Nursing Agency
There are lots of upsides to working with Fastaff Travel Nursing agency. Some of them include:
- Top pay
- Premier facilities
- Paid travel and housing
- Comprehensive benefits
- Referral program
Like any travel nursing agency, you’ll also want to consider the drawbacks. For example, Fastaff:
- Is looking for experienced, specialized nurses
- Develops more professional, less friendly working relationships
5 Pros of Working With Fastaff
1. Top Pay
Many nurses get into travel nursing for the money and other perks.
While it’s not everything, pay is a big piece of the puzzle. Fastaff Travel Nursing just about leads the pack when it comes to pay rates.
In fact, the weekly pay offered for some of their available positions is quite shocking.
Their top pay rates are a direct result of their staffing specialty: Rapid Response. Rapid Response staffing brings top talent into the most difficult and understaffed positions. This is often on very short notice.
In order to keep filling such positions, the pay needs to be incredibly attractive.
2. Premier Facilities
Fastaff sends nurses to some of the most prestigious facilities in the country. This is because those are typically the ones with the infrastructure to manage times of crisis.
Even with critical staffing shortages, these facilities have resources, departments, and medical talent that many nurses dream of working with.
Such places offer incredible opportunities for gaining experience and skills that nurses may not have access to elsewhere.
3. Paid Travel and Housing
With Fastaff, the goal is simple: get to work.
By offering paid travel and housing, the company makes it easy for nurses to accept their assignments and show up to work without much fuss in between.
It also means that the advertised rate for an assignment is the actual amount of the paycheck. There are no hidden details like a housing stipend or travel costs.
Housing may be in a hotel, an inn, or an apartment, and nurses will be placed wherever space is available.
If a nurse prefers not to accept a housing placement, Fastaff may offer the option of a housing stipend instead.
4. Comprehensive Benefits
Fastaff offers a full range of benefits including:
- Healthcare
- Vision
- Dental
- 401k
Travel nurses can choose from a variety of coverage levels, from individual to families and dependents. This allows you to use only the coverage you need.
On top of standard benefits, Fastaff Travel Nursing employees are also eligible to add things like pet insurance and discounted fitness memberships.
The company also prioritizes mental health, offering mental health assistance and services to all employees.
Fastaff offers all the benefits and options of standard full-time positions, while providing challenging travel opportunities and unmatched pay rates.
5. Referral Program
Good nurses tend to know (and want to work with) other good nurses.
Fastaff values employee referrals. They even offer up to $1000 for every registered nurse referral that completes an assignment.
2 Downsides of Working With Fastaff
1. Best For Experienced, Specialized Nurses
Fastaff requires prospective nurses to have two years of experience in nursing and one year of nursing experience in their specialty.
Fastaff places nurses in several types of departments, inlcuding:
- NICU
- ICU
- CVICU
- OR
This means acute care experience in these areas is essential.
It’s also important to note that a critical need for staffing in these departments likely means a high volume of patients and high-stress situations.
There may be some newer nurses who can thrive in such positions. However, those difficulties are made extra tough when you’re in an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar resources and few connections.
These types of travel assignments are generally best for nurses who know a bit about what they’re getting into. They’re also best for nurses that are comfortable under pressure in unfamiliar circumstances.
2. More Professional, Less Friendly Working Relationships
By reading reviews from current and former Fastaff nurses, you can see pretty quickly that the agency’s priority isn’t making friends.
Other companies pride themselves on their personal approach, but Fastaff Travel Nursing agency is about the work.
From their responses to reviews to the wording on their website, they make no attempt to look or sound anything but professional.
Nurses who need to feel cared for and require frequent check-ins will likely feel left behind with Fastaff. However, nurses who love to be left alone to do their job and collect their paycheck are an excellent fit.
Conclusion
Fastaff Travel Nursing is a well-established agency that pioneered the Rapid Response model for healthcare staffing.
They offer top pay for urgent staffing needs and provide appealing benefits.
Fastaff absolutely caters to a more experienced crowd, so there is certainly no shortage of experience in travel nursing.
Their business model and travel assignments are ideal for specialized nurses looking to work hard. It’s also perfect for nurses looking to make excellent money in some of the most prestigious but challenging departments.
Ready to begin your travel nursing adventure? Then start traveling today!
