I am planning on traveling in January. Just wondering how you set up the internet and cable when traveling to a new place every 13 or so weeks. Any input would be great
Thank
Erin
If you take housing it is often included, in fact you can insist on it. If you arrange your own housing it can be tricky to be able to have a morning off for installation. Or you can get an air card or hot spot on your phone, or use the hospital wifi, or a cyber cafe.
I do all of the above, I like cable internet better than off my phone for streaming movies, but the smart phone really does everything I need for email. I usually go to an assignment early to get the lay of the land, to find a place to live. I go without cable for a while if I need to. I usually find a good free or almost free trial. Also, since comcast owns most of the cable in the usa, you can simply carry the account with you if you have a contract or break it if you are going somewhere they are not. On a couple assignments I have taken a schedule that gives me a weekday off, they love it if you agree to cover every saturday or sunday, then that gives you a weekday free for normal business. I have worked Tues thru Sat and Sun thru Thurs schedules and found each to be very workable.
Good luck!
If you check with the main office at the housing location, they can usually provide a list of vendors that they use for cable and internet. Most of the time, if you call the cable/internet companies, they can provide the best direction, as the info is often vendor-specific. The office staff for the building may also have some tips specific to their vendors, so it's always a good idea to check with them as well.
I hope this helps!
Jennifer Wackerle
Senior Documentation Specialist / Admin Team Leader
Clinical One
Agree with dianomal....very good suggestions about offering to work a weekend day. You become a "hero" in your facility (at least if you are a P.T. or O.T.) for offering to work a weekend day. As Dianomal states, this gives you a weekday off to take care of things. It also increases the chances that your facility will offer to extend your contract if you are happy there.
Sometimes internet and cable is included in the apt that is provided. I do not watch TV so this is not a problem for me. Have always been able to pick up a hot spot on my computer too. Working in the OR is a little different than the floors, you may not have the option to work a weekend, but will be taking call most likely. If there is a weekend position, be sure you are comfortable with finding what you need, as there is usually a skeleton crew on on the weekends. Pattie
Most places include internet with the cable. That dosen't mean you will get high-speed internet or all the premium channels. It also doesn't mean that you have your own connection. You have to ask about these things. One place I lived had "free wifi" throught the apartment complex. While the free part was nice, during certain hours internet was slow due to all the people using the same wifi. Since it was free, there was not a lot of internet security, and it wasn't password protected. I eventually opted to pay for my own.
On another note I found that T-mobile offers a contract-free/pay-as-you-go service that can be used with a USB or hotspot which can be purchased from them. The USB is about $49 and can be used on 1 computer. The Hotspot (called a mifi) can be used by up to 5 devices at once. Service is $30-$50 per month and can be "re-filled" by phonecard. This may not be for everyone, but I like it because I always have a connection on the road, if my apt internet goes out, or if I'm on vacation or not on contract. (just a tip: don't use the Virgin mifi. The coverage and connection is horrible)
Oh, I say if you are a Nurse, just go to the Travel Nurse Corps with the Veteran's Administration. You will get the best of
housing and probably all the High Speed Internet and Cable you want. Maybe not, because I don't know what the new
TNC from the VA has all to offer, but there isn't a Travel Company out there, that can guarantee that you get the full
Government Housing and Per Diem fees. I am using the AT&T Hotspot Elevate 4G with which I can connect 5 devices.
It's fast. Of course, I am in Birmingham, but I never lose the signal when traveling around this area and 4 hours between
here and Mobile, AL which is a lot of empty space on I65. I pay 64 dollars a month with AT&T, but the rebate on the Elevate
made it free, so I ddin't really pay for the unit itself.
Sorry-
I'm VERY new here and don't know how this site works AT ALL-
ANy advice of where to go to learn would be GREATLY appreciated.
OR nurse; was with delphi forums-seems no ones there now....
That was easy to use and there was an OR Travelers site there, too!
ANy-hoos,
thanx for anything you guys can give me-
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