Maybe you have been in the travel nursing game for ten years or maybe only a year. Regardless, there is bound to be a time when you ask yourself, “Am I ready to quit travel nursing?”. There could be a lot of factors that play into this. Maybe you met someone. Maybe you have kids. Maybe your family back home is going through a tough time. Or, maybe you have managed to find the spot where you just can’t picture yourself leaving. Here are a few signs it might be time to quit travel nursing and take a staff job:
How to Decide If It’s Time to Quit Travel Nursing:
You’re Tired
Let’s be honest: packing and moving and getting settled every three months is not for the faint of heart. Yes, travel nursing comes with a lot of perks, but it also comes with a lot of legwork. If you are dreading the upcoming move and are tired rather than excited by the idea of starting over again, it might be time to consider staying in one place for a while.
You Found Your Person or People
Friendly reminder that you are not a quitter if you decide you like having people you love nearby consistently. Sometimes, the people in a certain town or hospital snag a piece of your heart, and the idea of leaving them seems impossible. This may be a romantic partner or a group of really great friends. Either way, if you are ready to have these people in your life on a daily basis, a permanent job might be worth it!
You Miss Creature Comforts
While there are plenty of ways to make a temporary space feel more homey, it’s not the same as having your own bed that you picked out, a bathroom color that you love, or a super nice couch that you saved up for. There are a lot of comforts you certainly don’t need in your life, but if you want them, that’s okay, too! Maybe you’re ready to commit to a space for more than a few months so you can really make it feel like your own.
Your Family Needs You
Life happens. As healthcare workers, we all know that things can come up out of the blue, and sometimes, you need to be physically present with your family. The great thing about travel nursing is it will always be an option. If it’s time to go home for a bit, leverage your nursing license to your advantage and then head back to travel when the time is right.
You’ve Extended as Much as Possible and Still Don’t Want to Leave
Sometimes, your inner self is sending you signals you are refusing to acknowledge. If you find yourself eagerly extending over and over again and suddenly are stressed when the one-year mark creeps up, it might be time to commit. Don’t be afraid to leverage your time to your advantage, though–you can still make some extra money via sign-on bonuses or relocation stipends when transitioning from traveler to permanent staff.
You Want a Break From the Bedside
If you have been a bedside nurse your entire career and are ready for a change, it’s difficult to do that as a traveler. Sometimes, you can find a “unicorn” job that will allow you to try out a new specialty, but most of the time, you will have to head home and take a permanent job to do so. The good news is, you also get to pick where “home” is, so it still might feel like a new adventure!
Regardless of your reason for heading home, the reality is that most people don’t work as travel nurses forever. If you are ready to settle down, that’s okay! You might find a new specialty you love or enjoy the consistency of a permanent job. Then again, you might decide you only need a temporary reprieve and hit the road again when you are ready!
We hope you found this article on how to decide if it’s time to quit travel nursing helpful. Are you on the fence about whether you should quit travel nursing or not? Tell us what keeps you travel nursing in the comments below.
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