As a travel nurse, you take short-term assignments in hospitals around the country, potentially even around the world, when those facilities have a need. There are many different reasons why professional nurses take up the travel lifestyle, and all of them are completely valid. If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse but are not yet convinced that it is right for you, here are some of the potential benefits.
1. Avoiding Burnout
Nursing is a rewarding career but also a very demanding one. Becoming a travel nurse allows you to vary your routine, which may be just what you need to get yourself out of the dismal gray doldrums of hospital politics and let some light in to recharge your internal solar battery.
2. Developing New Interests
As a travel nurse, you can work in many different places, including those that are very different from where you came from. This gives you the opportunity to try new activities or hobbies that were unavailable to you before. For example, if you came from the Midwest, you can work in a coastal location, giving you the opportunity to try surfing. If you came from Florida, you can take a post in the Rockies and try downhill skiing for the first time. Developing new activities also gives you the opportunity to meet people with the same interests and potentially make new friends.
3. Escaping Bureaucracy
Hospital politics and bureaucracy can be some of the worst parts of the nursing profession. Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with this as a travel nurse. Your contract with an agency that handles all the onboarding and associated paperwork for you. It is understood from the beginning that you are only there on a short-term basis. Therefore, you’re usually at least one step removed from any political posturing or intrigue that may swirl around you.
4. Enjoying Freedom and Flexibility
A traditional nursing job can sometimes feel like a prison sentence. You may feel that you are always on call and don’t get enough time to yourself. As a travel nurse, you have the freedom to choose your own assignments. When you finish one stint, you can choose your next one on your own time. If you wish, you can take a long break in between assignments for a much-needed vacation. Not only that but as a travel nurse, you have total freedom to choose where you want to go to work. If there’s a particular place where you have always wanted to travel, here’s the opportunity to go there and get paid for it.
5. Growing as a Professional
As a travel nurse, you go to work where there is a need, whether that be a remote rural hospital or a top research facility. Each of these settings offers you the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques that contribute to your professional growth. You will become more well-rounded as a result, which can open up more options for you if and when you decide to return to full-time work at a single facility. Performing different jobs as a travel nurse may also give you an idea of a specialty in which you would particularly like to work long-term.
6. Earning More Money
Nursing salaries are not known for being exorbitant, but travel nurses often make more money than their non-traveling counterparts. Not only do the hourly pay rates tend to be more generous, but there are also bonuses and the opportunity to earn more through overtime or shift differentials. Some travel nursing companies also provide private housing to travel nurses free of charge, drastically cutting down on the cost of living and essentially putting more money in your pocket.
The experience you gain as a travel nurse can help you gain a clearer idea of what you want in life. You may find that traveling and working in many different places helps you decide where you ultimately want to settle down, establish some roots, and work out the rest of your career.
