Working several agencies without burning a placement
Multiple agencies is normal and expected. Double submission to the same facility is what damages you: two agencies present you for one job, the client sees a conflict, and the safest resolution for them is to drop you.
Rules that prevent it:
- Never give blanket permission to submit. Approve each facility by name, in writing, one at a time.
- Keep your own log: facility, agency, date approved, outcome.
- When a recruiter will not name the facility before submission, that is a no.
- If a conflict happens, tell both agencies immediately and let the earlier submission stand.
What besides rate is negotiable
- Guaranteed hours, and what happens when the facility sends you home.
- Cancellation terms — notice window and the penalty when they miss it.
- Travel and housing: booked and paid by the agency, not reimbursed later.
- Licensing and credentialing costs, including application and DEA fees.
- Malpractice type and tail coverage in writing.
- Call burden, and whether call is paid separately from clinical hours.
- Scope: patient volume caps, supervision of APPs, procedures expected.
- Time to pay — weekly is achievable; net-30 is a concession you are making.
A workable pipeline
Keep a handful of agencies active, including at least one specialty-focused. Talk to each monthly, even without an open need. Rates move with facility desperation, so being top-of-mind when a contract falls through is worth more than negotiating hard on a job you already have.
Scripts
When asked for your rate first: "I'm comparing several assignments right now. What's the facility's approved range for this one?"
When pressured to accept quickly: "Send me the contract and the malpractice declarations page and I'll respond within 24 hours."
When the rate is fixed: "If the rate is firm, let's talk about guaranteed hours, cancellation notice, and who pays licensing."
Sources
No external source has been supplied for this guide. Figures are described in plain language rather than stated as numbers until a citable source is published here. Verify anything decision-critical against the primary authority named in the text.