When you are on week 8 of a travel nurse contract, you are getting ready to look for your next job! It can be wild to realize that, less than halfway through one assignment, you are starting to think about your next adventure.
There is a certain process and timing you flow through when on contract. Your first contract might feel slightly chaotic, but you will fall into a routine as you go along. Everyone acclimates differently and in a different time frame.
Generally speaking, by week 6 (with 8 weeks left on the contract), most travelers have acclimated to the hospital environment and are beginning to explore and have some fun outside of work. If you’re not….GET OUT of the apartment and explore!!
But what about planning the next travel nurse contract?
Do you want to stay where you are? Are there openings? Hate the location or facility and want to search out something new? Perhaps you have realized that Travel Nursing isn’t for you, and you are ready to go back to a staff position. Now is the time for you to start asking yourself these questions.
There is no one right answer to the above questions. Some travel nurses take a new contract every 13 weeks, while others typically like to extend. You do not have to make a solid decision by week 8 of a travel nurse contract, but it’s a good time to start weighing your options.
Here are a few questions to keep in mind:
- Are there opportunities to extend where I am currently?
- Do I like the job/location well enough to extend?
- Do I want to continue Travel Nursing?
- Are there any upcoming life events that would occur during the next contract? Anything that might require you to be in a certain area of the country or perhaps off-contract?
- Are there enough local activities to keep you entertained if you extended?
- Where do you want to go next?
During the next few weeks, you should have given these questions some thought and have a general idea of which direction you want to go for your next travel nurse contract. We recommend that you touch base with your recruiter as well and give them some ‘vague’ updates, i.e., “I really like it here and MIGHT consider an extension” or “I’m really looking forward to working with you on the next contract, and I am ready to look at new locations.” You might also start looking through the job postings and investigating hospitals on our Travel Nurse Network Group.
Start obtaining References
Obtain a reference (or two). By week 8 of a travel nurse contract, your manager and co-workers should have a good feel for the type of work you perform. It is best if you can get a reference from a manager or supervisor because some jobs require manager references to apply.
Ask if your company has a basic reference form you can give to a manager, or you can usually Google a reference form with a basic 1-5 rating scale and room for comments. These references are a valuable addition to your travel nurse portfolio. Hold onto them and keep them up to date.
The job market for travel nursing fluctuates, but jobs are usually listed between 4 and 6 weeks from the preferred start dates. Needs will fluctuate with the season and market, so ask your recruiter what trends they are seeing and when it’s time to start seriously looking for your next job!
