What insurance adjusters need to know is that HeyStay provides Travel Nurse Housing with 30+ day stay options, flexible terms, and housing suited for policyholder displacement needs. HeyStay supports fast placement solutions across multiple properties. Call 918-992-0533 for assistance.
A travel nurse contract packages compensation in two components: a base hourly rate that is taxable income, and a housing stipend that is paid separately and is tax-free under IRS rules when certain conditions are met. The housing stipend is designed to cover the cost of temporary housing at the assignment location. Unlike the taxable base rate, the stipend does not go through withholding — it is paid gross.
The financial significance of tax-free income is substantial and is often underappreciated by nurses new to travel nursing. A $2,500 monthly housing stipend paid tax-free is worth significantly more than $2,500 in taxable wages. For a nurse in the 22% federal bracket and a 5% Oklahoma state income tax bracket, $2,500 in taxable wages nets approximately $1,825 after taxes. The $2,500 stipend nets $2,500. The tax advantage on housing stipends is worth $675 per month in this example — $2,025 over a 13-week assignment.
The IRS requires two conditions for housing stipend tax-free status: you must be working away from your tax home, and you must have a genuine tax home to return to. Your tax home is generally the area where your principal place of business is located — typically where you live and work permanently.
A nurse who lives in Texas, pays rent or a mortgage there, and takes a 13-week assignment in Tulsa meets both conditions. A nurse who has given up their permanent residence and travels continuously may not have a tax home, in which case the stipend is taxable. The IRS rules in this area are nuanced. Before your first travel nursing contract, consult a tax professional who specializes in travel healthcare worker taxation. Getting this wrong has significant financial consequences.
Many staffing agencies offer two options: take the housing stipend and find your own housing, or accept the agency’s housing arrangement (typically an extended stay hotel or agency-managed apartment). Nurses who take the stipend and find their own housing well below the stipend amount keep the difference as additional tax-free income. Nurses who take agency housing typically lose the financial upside because the agency manages the accommodation at its own cost.
The math strongly favors taking the stipend and finding your own housing — if you are willing to do the search. This guide is designed to make that search in Tulsa straightforward.
Housing stipend amounts vary by agency, assignment, specialty, and current market demand. The ranges below reflect typical Tulsa-area packages as of 2026 for 13-week assignments at standard Tulsa hospital systems. Ranges are approximate and your specific package depends on your agency, your negotiation, current facility need, and your experience level.
Specialty / Role | Typical Monthly Housing Stipend | Notes on Demand |
ICU / Critical Care RN | $2,300 to $2,900 | High demand at Saint Francis and Ascension St. John — strongest packages |
Emergency Department RN | $2,100 to $2,700 | Consistent demand across all three major Tulsa health systems |
Labor & Delivery RN | $2,100 to $2,700 | High demand at Saint Francis — L&D is a consistent gap specialty |
OR / Surgical RN | $2,200 to $2,800 | Strong demand, moderate supply of qualified OR travelers |
Med-Surg RN | $1,700 to $2,300 | Highest volume specialty in Tulsa — most contract opportunities |
Step-Down / PCU RN | $1,800 to $2,400 | Demand varies by facility census |
Telemetry RN | $1,600 to $2,200 | Consistent demand across all Tulsa health systems |
NICU RN | $2,200 to $2,700 | Specialized demand — fewer positions but stronger packages when available |
GME / Medical Resident (rotation) | $1,400 to $1,800 | Different structure — rotation windows of 4 to 13 weeks, often coordinated by GME office |
Allied Health / PT / OT | $1,500 to $2,100 | Growing demand as Tulsa health systems expand therapy services |
These ranges are starting points. The most important variable is your negotiation. Travel nurse packages are negotiable in ways that permanent employment is not. Before signing any contract, confirm the housing stipend amount, the base rate, and the overtime structure. Compare packages across at least two agencies for the same facility when possible. Agencies have different margin structures and the same facility contract can yield meaningfully different packages depending on which agency holds it.
Hospital System | Location / Zip | Specialties in Demand | Closest HeyStay Housing |
Saint Francis Health System (12,000+ employees — largest employer in eastern Oklahoma) | 74136 — South Yale Avenue | ICU, L&D, OR, ER, Med-Surg, specialty units across the full system | South Tulsa properties near the Darlington corridor — within minutes of the main campus on South Yale |
Ascension St. John Medical Center | 74104 — South Utica Avenue, Midtown | ICU, ER, L&D, OR, Med-Surg | Midtown properties in 74104 — some within walking distance of South Utica |
Hillcrest Medical Center | 74104 — South Utica Avenue, Midtown | ER, Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU | Midtown properties in 74104 — same South Utica corridor as Ascension St. John |
OSU Medical Center | 74107 — Southwest Tulsa | Med-Surg, ER | East or central Tulsa properties |
OU School of Community Medicine | 74135 — East Tulsa | GME rotations, clinical programs | East Tulsa properties — within 15 minutes of 41st Street campus |
Bailey Medical Center (Owasso) | 74055 — Owasso | Med-Surg, ER, specialty | Owasso property — closest professionally managed furnished housing to Bailey Medical in Owasso |
Stipend: $2,400/month. HeyStay 2-bedroom South Tulsa property (close to Saint Francis): approximately $5,200/month. Monthly housing cost per nurse: $5,200. Monthly out-of-pocket above stipend: $2,800. This is above stipend — common for a nurse traveling solo who wants a full 2-bedroom property.
The optimization: find a property at or below $2,400/month. HeyStay properties at the lower end of the range — older neighborhoods, West Tulsa — start around $4,950 for a 2-bedroom. If you are comfortable with the location, the cost drops to $4,950 — still above a $2,400 stipend for a solo nurse, but significantly closer.
Stipend (each): $2,200/month. HeyStay 3-bedroom Midtown property (close to Hillcrest and Ascension St. John): approximately $7,000/month. Monthly housing cost per nurse: $3,500. Monthly stipend shortfall per nurse: $1,300. Better, but still above stipend.
Adjusted: two nurses negotiate a 3-bedroom at $4,950 (West Tulsa, adequate neighborhood, close enough to both hospitals). Monthly cost per nurse: $2,475. Stipend: $2,200. Out of pocket: $275/month each. Over 13 weeks: $845 each — and both nurses are living comfortably in a 3-bedroom house, not competing for space in a 2-bedroom apartment.
The best outcome: two nurses sharing a 3-bedroom at $4,950 with stipends of $2,400 each. Monthly per-nurse cost: $2,475. Above stipend by $75 — essentially break-even. Both nurses are pocketing virtually their full stipends while living well.
Agency offers housing (extended stay hotel in Tulsa): agency covers the cost, you receive a reduced-base-rate contract with no housing stipend. The convenience is real. The financial upside you are giving up: if your stipend would have been $2,200 and you could find a $2-bedroom for $1,800, you would pocket $400/month tax-free — $1,300 over 13 weeks — that agency housing does not give you.
The break-even question: is the convenience of agency-arranged housing worth $1,300 to you over a 13-week assignment? For many nurses on their first assignment, the answer is yes. For experienced travelers who know how to find housing quickly, the answer is usually no.
You will drive this route before and after 12-hour shifts, including night shifts. A commute that seems manageable in a daytime search feels significantly different at 7am after a 12-hour night shift or at 11pm when you need to be back at 7am. The practical threshold for most travel nurses: under 20 minutes in normal traffic. For Midtown hospital assignments (Hillcrest, Ascension St. John), the 74104 zip code places you within 5 to 10 minutes of both hospitals. For Saint Francis assignments, South Tulsa properties in the 74136 zip code are within 10 minutes of the main campus.
Night shift travel nurses need to sleep when the neighborhood is most active. A property on a commercial strip with delivery trucks, a property near a school, or a property with thin walls adjacent to a daytime business — all of these create sleep quality problems that accumulate over a 13-week assignment. Ask specifically about the daytime neighborhood character when inquiring about any property.
Hospital food for 36 hours per week is not sustainable nutritionally or financially over 13 weeks. A full kitchen that allows meal preparation is a health and financial requirement, not a preference. Confirm: full-size stove, full-size oven, full-size refrigerator, and cookware included. Kitchenettes are not adequate for a 13-week assignment.
Scrubs need washing constantly. Laundromat trips are inefficient and add scheduling complexity to an already demanding schedule. In-unit washer and dryer — full-size — is a requirement for any 13-week assignment. Confirm both machines are in working order before move-in.
A housing provider that includes complimentary housekeeping visits creates a meaningful quality of life difference over the course of a 13-week assignment. After a 12-hour shift, the difference between coming home to a clean bathroom and having to clean it yourself matters.
HeyStay is listed on Furnished Finder for Tulsa-area travel nurses. Monthly contracts structured around 13-week assignment cycles with month-to-month extension options. Agency billing available — contact corporate@heystay.com with your agency name and we will establish the billing relationship. Properties available across Midtown (close to Hillcrest and Ascension St. John), South Tulsa (close to Saint Francis), and Owasso (close to Bailey Medical).
20-plus fully furnished properties from 2 to 5 bedrooms. All properties include full furnishings, utilities, WiFi, linens, towels, cookware, and appliances. Complimentary housekeeping typically one to two times per month. Dedicated maintenance team.
Yes. HeyStay is listed on Furnished Finder with available Tulsa properties. Direct contact at corporate@heystay.com or 918-992-0533 is faster for placement coordination, especially for near-term move-in dates.
Yes. We structure contracts specifically to align with 13-week travel nurse cycles. Month-to-month extension options are available at the same rate.
Yes. Contact us with both nurses’ move-in dates and requirements and we will coordinate. Two nurses sharing a 3-bedroom at $7,000/month pay $3,500 each — often within range of or near stipend depending on the package.
Yes. Contact corporate@heystay.com with your agency name and we will establish the billing relationship. We work with AMN Healthcare, Aya Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, and any other staffing agency placing nurses in Tulsa.
Both hospitals are on South Utica Avenue in Midtown. HeyStay Midtown properties in the 74104 zip code are within 5 to 15 minutes — some within walking distance.
Yes. Complimentary housekeeping — typically one to two times per month depending on the property.
Call or text: 918-992-0533 | Email: corporate@heystay.com
Monthly contracts. Direct billing. Same-day placement. Complimentary housekeeping included.
-> Hillcrest Medical Housing Tulsa
-> Saint Francis Contractor Housing
-> Midtown Tulsa Furnished Housing
HeyStay is an independent furnished housing provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of any companies, hospitals, employers, or insurers mentioned on this page. Company and organization names are referenced for geographic context and proximity information only. Insurance coverage depends on individual policy terms — consult your adjuster or carrier to confirm your specific ALE coverage.
Whether you are a general contractor looking for crew housing, an HR director managing a corporaterelocation, an insurance adjuster needing immediate placement, or a restoration company looking for a preferred housing partner — we would love to hear from you.
Call Now: 918-992-0533
HeyStay is an independent furnished housing provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of any companies, hospitals, employers, or insurers mentioned on this website. Company names are referenced for geographic context and proximity information only. Insurance coverage depends on individual policy terms — consult your adjuster or carrier to confirm your specific ALE coverage.
