eJane Help

Helpful hints on being an Independent Contractor

(Be sure to visit eJane's Support Services section by clicking on the Support Services tab when you are logged in for many helpful links.)

What is my employment status with eJane?

All Nurses who negotiate on eJane are Independent Contractors. They are not employees of eJane.

Who is responsible for paying my income taxes?

As an independent contractor, the nurse is responsible for paying all taxes, fees and expenses associated with their engagements.

Do I need an Accountant or a CPA?

More than likely, unless you are personally qualified, you need an accountant or a CPA to assist you with tax preparation and other business associated issues.

My agency has always provided insurance for me, what do I do about that?

As an Independent Contractor, you must provide your own insurance (health, liability, disability, etc). You may contact a local insurance carrier for this purpose or there are carriers listed in the eJane Support Services section.

My agency usually pays me, how do I get paid?

The hospital pays the nurse directly. The payment terms are negotiated, but usually follow the same as the hospital's regular payroll.

Who pays for my, housing, insurance and other expenses?

It is up to the nurse and the hospital to negotiate who is responsible for expenses. Any expenses that are not reimbursed by the Hospital should be considered when negotiating your final rate. Housing, airfare, insurance, auto and all other business expenses should be considered for calculation into an hourly equivalent when negotiating your engagement.

What is meant by an hourly equivalent?

If the nurse is responsible for housing, and housing is $1000/mo; the annual hourly equivalent is $5.77 per hour. If you work 40 hours per week for 52 weeks per year, for example, this can be calculated by the following: $1000/mo. x 12 months / 40 hours per week / 52 weeks per year. In this case, the nurse should consider adding $5.77 to their hourly rate to cover Housing. (Based on a 36-hour week, this amount would be $6.41 per hour.)

My agency has always provided and scheduled my housing and what do I do about that?

As an independent contractor, the nurse is responsible for arranging their own housing and, either by negotiating for the hospital to provide it or reimbursing the nurse either directly or indirectly (through hourly equivalents). For nurses who schedule their own housing, there are many web sites that can assist you. Some of these are listed in eJane's Support Services section.

As an independent contractor, are there any forms that I need to file with government agencies?

As an independent contractor you may need to submit quarterly estimated taxes, you may need to complete a W-9 with each hospital you work for, and you will probably receive a Form 1099 at the end of the year, from hospitals you worked for which report your earnings to the IRS for that period. Contact an accountant or a CPA to determine all of the requirements.

My agency carries liability insurance, will I need this.

As an independent contractor, you will more than likely need to acquire your own liability coverage. Most hospitals will require it. This coverage can be obtained thru several Nursing associations or you can find links to carriers in eJane's Support Services.

Suggested information to keep for each engagement

• Mileage to and from the engagement
• Mileage to and from home and work
• Number of days worked (Suggestion: keep track of this on a pocket calendar)
• Gas, meals, lodging to get to assignment (Suggestion: keep all receipts in 12 envelopes -- one for each month of the year. On the pocket calendar, keep a 'diary' of each time you stop for gas / food / lodging with the time / place / mileage. It will make things much easier at tax preparation time.)
• Rent and utilities paid during the assignment
• Office supplies (postage, computer / laptop, printer / ink, computer paper, etc.)
• Car expenses/repairs/insurance premiums
• Medical/life/dental insurance premiums paid
• Medical/dental expenses paid

Support Services:

Be sure to visit eJane's Support Services section by clicking on the Support Services tab when you are logged in for many helpful links.