Fusion Medical Staffing provided this article.

You already know how to become a nurse (get your degree from nursing school, pass the NCLEX, and get licensed wherever you expect to practice). But how do you become a travel nurse? The flexibility, the adventure, the connections – there are a million reasons to hit the road and kickstart your travel nursing career path.

Welcome to your guide through the process.

Can you travel nurse with no experience?

Short answer? No. Longer answer? Definitely not. But there’s a good reason!

Unfortunately, you can’t immediately jump into travel nursing, although you’re officially an RN. You’ll need a year of experience (or two) before beginning to travel nurse. This ensures the safety of your patients, your facility, and yourself.

Upgrade Your Career as a New Grad Travel Nurse

Travel nurses are expected to get cracking on assignments without a lot of training – orientation is short, so it isn’t enough to simply be certified.

You’ll want a real-world experience when you’re facing the factors that make travel nursing assignments rewarding: fast-paced units, new-to-you technology, and emergencies that require critical thinking skills.

What experience do you need to become a new grad travel nurse?

Try to get your first RN staff job ASAP, even if you have to move. Your entire graduating class is looking for new grad RN jobs at the local hospital, so those will have stiff competition. Don’t be afraid to branch out and gain new experiences while preparing for your first travel assignment.

Travel nursing positions have requirements depending on regional locations, the facilities and settings involved, and your specialty nursing niche.

What are the best positions for new grad RNs?

Finding a Med-Surg position in a hospital is often ideal for broad experience and exposure, but there are other options, including long-term care.

Keep in mind that even if you loved a specialty in clinicals and during simulations, it might be different at your first job placement in an official position. Now is the time to switch it up if you realize you prefer something different.

Nursing specialty positions require additional certifications or experience – check with your agency ahead of time. If you already HAVE specialty experience, great! Your skill set will help you land travel nursing jobs with detailed requirements.

When taking a specialty travel job, you might end up floating to help perm staff. This can help you gain different nursing experiences and innovate the way you approach patient care.

How do you get licensed in different states as a traveling nurse?

You need to be correctly licensed as a registered nurse in every state! The nurse licensure compact is a great place to start since the majority of states participate.

Find the best travel nurse staffing agency for new grads

To find the top travel nurse staffing agencies for your needs, explore rating services, ask for referrals from friends and co-workers, and reach out to your top picks. Consider joining a healthcare job platform that features multiple agencies and allows you to filter searches.

Or maybe you were contacted by agencies while in college – give them a ring!

How do you find the best travel nurse recruiter?

Comparing different agencies (and recruiters) is essential. Do they have good benefits? Transparent pay? When you chat, are they friendly or pushy?

A travel nurse’s best resource is their recruiter, so make sure they pass the vibe check.

Do your research, if you can – some healthcare travel platforms or agencies offer travel recruiter ratings and reviews, so you can get the scoop from other traveling nurses like you.

What are the CEU requirements for travel nurses?

Good news! There aren’t any specific CEU requirements for travel nursing. You need to stay on top of the regular requirements for each state, but you don’t have to do anything extra.

Do travel nurses make more money than staff nurses?

A travel nurse’s salary is typically larger than a permanent nurse’s salary. Jumping into positions that need to be filled quickly means that most facilities and hospitals are willing to pay a premium for skilled healthcare professionals.

Just note that the extremely competitive pay for travel nursing, which spiked during the pandemic, will not last.

So why do travel nurse jobs make more money?

Even new-grad travel nurses tend to receive higher paychecks than a new grad in a staff position with perks like reimbursements and tax-free stipends. Understanding travel nurse taxes helps traveling nurses keep the most in their pockets.

What are the best certifications for travel nurses?

Additional certifications could help you get a travel job to start with and will help you get more once you’re already traveling. See if your employer reimburses the cost of these certifications!

Waiting to start your travel nursing journey is frustrating, but new graduates and new registered nurses shouldn’t despair! As a new grad, travel nurse jobs might seem out of reach, but boost your RN experience, and your travel career will follow shortly.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Fusion Medical Staffing Provided this article.

You chose the medical travel life for a reason. Whether your reason is to travel through all 50 states, visit the country’s best national parks, or gain ultimate professional autonomy, you’ve already done the hardest part of the job: Taking the leap.

With the hardest part in your rearview mirror, what do you have to do to land the travel job you want? I mean, you already have the education, experience, and qualifications to get out there and start improving the lives of others! What’s next?

The only thing standing in the way of you and your next dream travel job…is you. So, become your best hype person and learn how to market yourself better to get the job you want! Here’s how.

No. 1: Decide what’s important

First things first—you need something to work towards. That means it’s time to identify what’s important to you in a job. When looking for your next med travel job, set a couple of clear objectives to help you narrow down your options. Here are a few things to consider:

Work-life balance. Are you looking for a set schedule or something with a little more flexibility?
Skills and experience. Are there opportunities for professional and personal growth available to you?
Workplace culture. What’s more important: A paycheck or a purpose?

You’re the only one who can answer these questions, and good for you, there are no right or wrong answers! But you’ll want to know what’s important to you before you embark on the adventure of your next job. Why? Because knowing what you want will help you find and achieve it that much easier. Having clarity on what you want helps you move towards it and inspires you to keep going. Knowing is half the battle, right?

Not sure what’s really important to you? We get it! This is some tough stuff to figure out, but we’re here to help along the way. Let’s get old-school and grab a pen and paper. Good, now let your mind roam free and make a list of everything that you want. Literally everything—the winning lottery ticket, the chance to meet Channing Tatum IRL, and the opportunity to practice medicine in a foreign location. Save this for future you. Revisit it when you lose inspiration or forget what you’re working towards. Future you will thank you.

No. 2: SWOT it out

So, you’ve done some introspection. Now what? Time to SWOT it out! Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as aggressive as it sounds. SWOT stands for:

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

And you’re going to analyze each of yours! It may not sound like a walk in the park up front, but in the long run, doing so will help you take advantage of your opportunities and set yourself apart from the competition.

To get started, identify the strengths and weaknesses that are specific to you. Here’s the catch: Whatever you list must be within your control, which means you can’t say your biggest weakness is not being Captain America. Instead, these would be things like your extensive knowledge on a variety of charting systems = strength or your subpar communication skills = weakness. Whatever makes it on the list should be things you can improve on over time.

Next, think of external opportunities and threats, aka the things that are outside of your control. For example, an opportunity could be working alongside a mentor to elevate your experience and give you an edge over the competition.

Lastly, anticipate your threats. No, not “threat” like a bear chasing you with a chainsaw. Rather, a threat like another candidate’s experience = something you can’t control. However, it is something you can work around. Knowing this, you can discover alternative job options that align with your strengths and provide professional growth and development.

Once you completed your personal SWOT analysis, you’ll be left with a clear picture of people you could network with, what continued education courses you can sign up for, or which advanced degree to go after, if that’s your vibe. A SWOT analysis is meant to give you a comprehensive idea on what you have and what you need, getting you that much closer to your next unicorn assignment!

No. 3: Build your personal brand

Ever heard of a personal brand? It’s like a business brand, but just for you! Your personal brand is a mix of your personality, skills, and values. When marketing yourself for a job, use your personal brand to showcase what you stand for, what’s important to you, and what you have to offer as a professional medical worker. The best part is you can use your personal brand throughout the job search process to help a hiring manager better recognize your awesomeness.

Job search process

As you peruse open travel jobs, do some market research to understand the mission and values of the staffing agency and medical facility. Do they match what you’re looking for? Is it an environment that will enhance your personal brand? Are you passionate about the same things?

Application process

Before you submit your resume for the job, fine-tune it to include an introductory paragraph featuring you! Here, you can tell a story to describe what you’re passionate about, highlight your many accomplishments, and emphasize the strengths you identified in your SWOT analysis. Use this as an opportunity to pitch your personal brand and help hiring managers get to know you.

Interview process

As you interview for jobs, stick to your personal brand. Share your story and use it to connect with hiring managers. Let them see your potential from paper come to life before their eyes and impress them with the things only you can bring to the table.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between your reputation and your personal brand? Because we do, so we did some digging. Here’s what we learned, thanks to the Harvard Business Review:

Your reputation is built from what other people think or believe to be true about you based on your actions and behaviors. Your reputation values credibility.
Your personal brand is how you want people to see you. Your personal brand values what’s meaningful and important to you.

You’re in the driver’s seat of creating your personal brand. That means that only you have the power to change and redefine it.

No. 4: Be your best advocate

I don’t know about you, but it can be hard to practice self-advocacy. What is self-advocacy, exactly? In short, self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself, plus the things that are important to you, and be your own cheerleader. In the long, the ability to advocate for yourself empowers you to ask for what you want and helps create independence.

When it comes down to it, self-advocacy can be broken down into three key elements:

Understanding your needs
Knowing what support could be beneficial
Communicating these things to others

Like most things, self-advocacy is easier said than done. But, also like most things, practice makes perfect! Once you enhance your self-advocacy skills, all there’s left to do is reap the benefits like increased self-awareness, better decision-making, effective problem-solving, and more. Plus, you can use these skills to help land the job you want.

What recruiters look for in a medical traveler

When applying for med travel jobs, it’s important to market yourself to make an impression on the hiring managers and recruiters. Essentially, you want to show them that you have what it takes to be the best travel nurse or allied medical traveler that you can be. So, when you put your name in the proverbial hat, make sure you spotlight the skills recruiters look for in a medical traveler on your resume to ensure you catch their eyes. Here’s what we’re talking about:

Effective communicator

Not only should you demonstrate that you’re an effective communicator during the interview process, but you should also make that skill clear on your resume. You can do this through your personal paragraph that we talked about earlier and by making a point of your strengths, background, experience, and other characteristics that make you you.

According to research by Indeed, the most common ways to communicate at work are through written communication like emails, oral communication, and nonverbal communication like nodding, and listening. Once you become a master communicator, you can help promote a healthy culture, boost job satisfaction, increase creativity, and more.

Sense of self and authenticity

It can be tough to convey who you are through a written resume or job marketplace profile. Recruiters look for a sense of self and authenticity within applicants—someone who takes their written skills and puts them to use in the real world.

“I want to hire a person who happens to have experience relative to a job and that special someone that brings their skills to life,” said Jennifer Marszalek, Chief People Officer at Revolution Global. “Frequently, the best hire is someone with the greatest number of intangible credentials, so I look for a sense of authenticity and self to come through in their application.”

An authentic resume is one that portrays an accurate representation of yourself. Use your resume to introduce yourself to recruiters and hiring managers alike to build a genuine connection.

Agility and flexibility

A career in medical travel is an unpredictable one. In addition to starting new jobs every 13-ish weeks, you’re also more than likely moving to a new destination, learning new technologies, adapting to a new medical facility, and meeting new people. It’s a lot of newness all at once, which may be a lot for some people.

The ability to be agile and flexible will get you far as a professional medical traveler. By improving these skills, you can avoid burnout more effectively, make friends wherever you are, and quickly adapt to your new environment. Sounds like a win-win-win if I’ve ever heard one.

Of course, listing these skills on your resume won’t guarantee finding your dream job ASAP. But hey, it doesn’t hurt, right?

Marketing yourself as a professional only has its upsides. By doing so, you get to not only tell others, but even better, show them how valuable you are. Stand above rest and use these steps to market yourself as a medical professional. Before you know it, you’ll have all the jobs you want right at your fingertips!

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. If housing is an issue, we have you covered with our housing page. You can search for what you are looking for.

Fusion Medical Staffing provided this article.

Author, Megan Bebout

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a bad day at work. As the backbone of the healthcare system, registered nurses (RNs) have seen some serious stuff, and to put it lightly, they’re tired. Exhausted.

Travel nurses aren’t just there to treat illnesses or injuries. These caregivers also comfort, educate, and advocate for their patients and their families, in addition to a bunch of other tasks. Plus, most RNs are working long shifts away from their homes, separated from their own friends and families, so not only do they struggle with patient care, but they also deal with feelings of loneliness, homesickness, and travel nurse burnout.

In case you didn’t know, November 3 is National Stress Awareness Day, so it’s the perfect time to get real about burnout. Travel nurse burnout, otherwise known as “compassion fatigue,” is a breakdown in an RN’s physical, mental, and emotional state, and it usually occurs as a result of being overwhelmed, overworked, and underappreciated.

But not many nurses feel this way, right? A recent survey showed that a whopping 63 percent of nurses have experienced burnout because of their job. So, what do we do about this? Hot take: We give nurses the chance to care for themselves before they tend to patients.

The burnout trifecta

There’s a very specific recipe for burnout, and no, it’s not sugar, spice, or anything nice. There are three very specific components to nurse burnout, and they are:

Emotional exhaustion
Depersonalization
Dissatisfaction in personal achievements

When you add these three pieces together, you will get the perfect trifecta for burnout.

One indicator that you’re approaching compassion fatigue is when you start to feel depleted emotionally and mentally. Oddly enough, stress levels tend to skyrocket when it feels like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Who knew?

“Burnout can occur when you’re not just physically tired, but you are emotionally exhausted,” said Ashley Neuman, LPCC-S. “It’s when you don’t have the motivation to get up, get moving, and finish that one last clinical note. That emotional weight becomes heavier and heavier every day.”

Do you remember what sparked your passion for nursing? When you start to forget your why or depersonalize, you stop caring, that intrinsic motivation disappears, and you become a shell of yourself. Depersonalization caused by burnout can lead to or increase the loss of job fulfillment and escalate emotional exhaustion to a whole new level.

Compassion fatigue can take your proudest moments and achievements and stomp them in the dirt right in front of you. The monumental accomplishments you would have previously been thrilled to brag about become no biggie, and your daily wins are totally obsolete.

General nursing job duties also have a role in nurse burnout. Things like handling the death of patients, comforting grieving family members, collaborating with difficult coworkers, having limited autonomy, and sometimes a language barrier between caregiver and patient are major challenges nurses face. And all of that is just “part of the job.”

As one of the most trusted professions in the U.S., RNs are expected to stay on the top of their nursing game at all times. The only problem with that is nurses are humans with real emotions and valid feelings, so you can see the dilemma.

I don’t know about you, but my mom always told me you can’t do anything in life that doesn’t affect someone else. The same is true for nurse burnout. When RNs feel compassion exhaustion, they may become distracted and forgetful, which can then lead to medical mistakes, pharmaceutical dosage errors, and even increased rates of patient infections. And if things do go haywire, nurses who are burned out have a slower reaction time to urgent cases, which isn’t good for anyone.

Nurses make such a great impact in our lives, they deserve to feel like their best selves every day on the job, and burnout makes that nearly impossible.

You may be burned out if you…

So, how do you know if you’re on track for burnout? Sometimes nurse burnout can sneak up on you with such stealth that you don’t even see it coming. Give yourself time to stop, breathe, and assess your emotions. Ask yourself these questions:

Have I been irritated constantly for no apparent reason?
Am I cynical towards my patients and nursing in general?
Am I disengaged from job-related activities?
Have I been experiencing a low sense of personal achievement?
Am I physically, mentally, and/or emotionally exhausted?
Have I been hard to cooperate with?
Do I care about my job performance?

Typically, compassion fatigue occurs gradually in phases. First, you’re on top of the world! You have the energy, commitment, and desire to heal patients and be a successful nurse. You might start to feel overwhelmed by the amount of responsibility you take on, but that won’t throw off your groove. This is the stage where you may feel like you have to prove yourself, which results in high productivity levels, high job satisfaction, and sweet, sweet optimism. But, what goes up must come down.

Next, life slaps you in the face (metaphorically, of course) and you become acutely aware that some days are harder to get through than others. Your feel-good vibes may start to fade as you notice more common stress symptoms like change in appetite, headaches, and fatigue.

The transition from phase two to three takes you from “meh” to constant internal screaming. This change brings intense pressure on a frequent basis and can lead to anger, chronic exhaustion, resentfulness, substance abuse, and even physical illness.

Now you’ve reached burnout. Everyone has their own personal levels of tolerance, so the effects of this stage will look different depending on the person. Some experience chronic headaches and feel empty, while another might neglect their needs and isolate themselves from others. If by this phase, you haven’t phoned a friend or sought help in some other way, shape, or form, this is the time to do it.

If you exceed burnout and reach habitual burnout, welcome to your new life, and not in a good way. By this point, the ongoing mental, physical, and emotional stress is so embedded in your life, that it’s a part of who you are. Say hello to the new, exhausted you.

Hot tips to avoid nurse burnout

Nurse burnout is a lot to handle. The good news is there are healthy ways to cope that can help avoid or escape from compassion fatigue. Here are some hot tips to get to the light at the end of a very dark tunnel:

Listen to your mind and body

It’s so easy to get caught up in the events of the day that you forget to eat lunch or go to the bathroom. Pay close attention to your physical, mental, and emotional needs so you can protect yourself early to avoid becoming ill or burned out.

Practice mindfulness

This is something you see in every magazine or mental health advertisement, and that’s because it works. Mindfulness is like meditation, where you focus on what you sense in the here and now. The key is you must do so without interpretation or judgment, and that’s where it gets tricky.

Try some breathing exercises or guided imagery to help relax your mind and body. An exercise you can do anywhere is belly breathing. Don’t worry; it’s easy. While sitting or standing, simply close your eyes, and put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Inhale deeply, fill your belly with air (hence the name), and slowly exhale out of your mouth. Pretend you’re blowing out birthday candles on a cake! Practice makes perfect, and the more you do, the less stress you’ll hang onto.

Don’t skip your breaks.

What are you doing, silly? Sure, the days can be long, and yes, it may feel like there’s somehow not enough time in the day for all the things on your list… but do not skip your breaks!

“Making time for this physical break will help your body feel rejuvenated,” said Tina Gerardi, RN. “And it will give your mind a mental break from the work at hand.”

Those dedicated ‘you’ times are when you can decompress and where you can hydrate, treat yourself to a snack, free yourself from work concerns, and maybe, if you’re lucky, get a moment alone to relax.

Engage in self-care.

Self-care is the best care, and as a nurse, you should certainly be giving yourself the same level of care you offer your patients (because we know it’s a lot). Find a hobby or activity that redirects your attention and distracts you from your work self. Try yoga, hiking, or swimming to naturally release endorphins and boost your mood. Allow yourself to sleep when you’re tired (and not working). Whatever you do, pamper yourself and let loose a little!

Say, “Thanks, but no” to new commitments.

We know you want to do all the things and change the world, but the thing is, you already have too much on your plate from doing all the things and changing the world. If you’re overwhelmed and asked to take on an additional task or responsibility, politely decline. And if they ask why, tell them it’s because Ashley said you need to “get whatever it is you are dealing with under control before you add something else to your plate and overextend yourself.”

Set boundaries

Ah, boundaries. These are hard and necessary. Accomplish a work/life balance by knowing your limits. If you have to leave work at 7 P.M. to pick up your kiddo from daycare and you’re not out of there until after 7:30 P.M., you’re doing it wrong.

“When your shift ends, leave any thoughts, feelings, and grievances about work at work,” said nurse Tina. “And make a point to focus your time spent at home with family, friends and doing activities that you enjoy. Be present and mindful.”

Phone a friend

Support is so important with burnout. People need people, and there is no shame in that! Call a loved one to hear their voice and catch up. Make an appointment with a counselor or therapist if you want a more objective viewpoint from someone who hasn’t known you for a million years. Or text your recruiter for a pick-me-up because you’ve got a friend in us.

Quit your perm job to travel

We’re not suggesting you quit your job, ignore all of your adult duties, travel willy-nilly, and live off the land for the rest of your life. But if that’s what you’re into, we love that for you!

If you’re uninterested in option A, go for option B and leave your perm job to become a travel nurse. Life as a travel nurse opens new avenues to opportunities you may have never thought of, like the chance to see sunrises and sunsets from places across the country or the tax-free stipend you could receive.

Relive that moment when you felt your first “spark” for nursing and get back to doing what you love. Travel nursing gives you the freedom and flexibility you deserve to cope with burnout and accomplish a healthy work/life balance. As a traveler, you can control how you work, where you work, and when you work. Suffer in silence no longer and manage your own work schedule so you can take time off when you need.

Nurse burnout is a crisis that’s felt by RNs in every specialty. While compassion fatigue may not be going anywhere anytime soon, more and more techniques are becoming easily available and accessible to help you cope.

Remember why you love nursing in the first place and make the switch to travel nursing. Search through thousands of nursing jobs in picture-perfect locations and work with your personal recruiter to get to exactly where you’re meant to be. With a more flexible schedule, you can work like a boss and live like a local without the fear of quickly burning out.

We hope you found this article on strategies for dealing with travel nurse burnout helpful. Have you found ways to manage nurse burnout? Comment them below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our travel nurse job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming travel nurse assignment? Click here to search our travel nurse housing page.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Fusion Medical Staffing provided this article.

Throughout a lifetime, everyone moves at some point or another. But as a medical traveler, you move a lot more frequently than the average Joe. And that can be tough.

6 Ways to Adjust to Your New Travel Job

For you, each move likely means a new zip code, a new living space, and a new work environment. Although you’ll only be there for about 13 weeks, it’s still important you make the time to get acclimated to your new surroundings. Lucky for you, your good friends at Fusion have put together these helpful tips on how to adjust to your new travel job. Check it out!

No. 1: Meet new friends

As a kid, it was easy to walk up to another strange child and ask, “Do you want to be my friend?” But, somewhere along the way of growing up, it became harder to have that conversation. According to psychologist and University of Maryland professor Marisa Franco, it’s because when you get older, making friends doesn’t happen as organically.

“Sociologists have kind of identified the ingredients that need to be in place for us to make friends organically, and they are continuous unplanned interaction and shared vulnerability,” said Marisa. “But as we become adults, we have less and less environments where those ingredients are at play.”

So, it seems easier said than done to make new friends in your environment, but it’s completely doable. All you have to do is put yourself out there and make it a priority to make friends! Again, easier said than done, right? Here are some tricks you can try to form new friendships:

Assume that people already like you
Make the move to get someone’s information when you connect with them
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you find you’re on the struggle bus
Continue to put yourself out there

Use these tips at work, in the gym, in a coffee shop, etc., to meet new people. Or try out an app like MeetMe or We3 to find people nearby with common interests. No matter how you prefer to make friends, once you do, it’ll help you get situated and feel more at home while you work your travel job.

No. 2: Be a joiner

It’s hard to fit in if you don’t put yourself out there. One way to do that is by being a joiner. There are tons of local groups and organizations for you to join and be a part of. All you have to do is a little research.

Not sure where to start? Here are some good examples:

Join an employee resource group
Join a book club
Check out role or industry-specific professional associations
Meet internal colleagues
Join a gym

Put on your thinking cap and find the best atmosphere for comfort away from home. If none of these ideas fit your fancy, then give no. 3 a shot and make the first move!

No. 3: Make the first move

It can feel intimidating to put yourself out there, especially if you don’t get much in return from others. Have no fear, dear traveler. You have a lot to offer, and you should share your skills, talents, and friendship with others around you.

There’s no robust orientation or guidebook for how to adjust to a new travel job, so it’s up to you to make the best of it. If there’s no existing club or organization for you to join and connect with like-minded folk, then take it upon yourself to get one started!

There are an infinite number of clubs you could start, but to help get those gears turning, here are a few examples of common types of clubs:

Movie club. Watch movies as a group and then spend time afterwards to discuss thoughts, feelings, and more.
Dinner club. All about delicious food and wonderful company, a dinner club could be the start of lifelong friendships. Whether you decide to focus on a specific cuisine, explore a new restaurant, try a new recipe, or experiment with flavors from across the globe, a dinner club brings people together over something we all love: Food.
Sports club. Find a group of people who are fans of your team and get together for game days. You could also put together a recreational sports team if your city doesn’t already have an existing league for you to join.
Hiking club. Connect with friends over beautiful scenery and a common appreciation for the outdoors. Get together and adventure through local hiking trails to experience all nature has to offer.
Language club. Always wanted to learn another language? Well, this could be your chance! Come together with those who have the same goal and watch movies, read books, and listen to music in the particular language you want to learn.
Coffee club. Enjoy nice conversations over a warm, comforting cup of coffee. Go coffeeshop hopping and try out different brews from all over the city.

Now the million-dollar question is, how do I start this club? Well, first, there are a few tiny details to smooth out. Like what kind of club is the best fit for you? Who do you think would want to join and participate in club activities? Lastly, when and where will you meet? After you’ve worked out the details, all that’s left to do is spread the word!

No. 4: Make your temp housing feel like home

When you’re away from home for 13-ish weeks working a new med travel job, it’s natural to get homesick. Do yourself a favor and adjust to your new living space, new city, and new job by making your temp housing feel like home. But how?

Fully unpack your bags. You’ll be there for at least 13 weeks, so don’t spend all that time living out of a suitcase. Instead, fully unpack your bags, put things in their place, and enjoy a clutter-free living space complete with your personal touch.
Get comfy. There’s nothing better than crawling into bed after a long workday. Make sure your bed is ready for you when you get home with your own bedding. Adding your favorite blankets and pillows is a quick and cozy way to instantly transform your new bed into a safe haven.
Get personal. Bring along pictures, mementos, house plans, candles, and all those little things that make you happy and remind you of your homeplace. Maybe it’s your favorite book or fuzzy socks—whatever it is, bring it along because nothing cures homesickness like a piece of home.
Familiarize yourself with the neighborhood. Don’t get stuck inside while the world passes you by! Venture out and explore your new city. See the sights, hunt for a new coffeeshop, find a farmer’s market, walk a nature trail, and experience local attractions like museums and boutiques.

Whether you’re staying in a five-star hotel, Airbnb, or luxury apartment, make your temporary housing feel like home to help you adjust to your surroundings. Once you unpack your belongings and get settled, you’ll feel right at home.

No. 5: Practice self-care

Hot take: Self-care is underrated. When was the last time you took a bubble bath just because? Or the last time you took yourself out on a romantic dinner date? Or how about the last time you treated yourself to a massage?

If you’ve found yourself thinking, “Oh gosh, I’ve been seriously slacking on self-care,” then don’t worry—you’re not alone. Self-care isn’t as easy as it sounds or should be. But hear us when we say that you deserve to feel loved and supported by your own self. These are some ways you can practice self-care to help you adjust to your new travel job:

Get out and enjoy some physical activity
Pump your body with nourishing foods
Manage your caffeine and alcohol intake
Get plenty of sleep

When you care for yourself, it allows you to authentically enjoy what your life has to offer. Plus, engaging in self-care activities have been clinically proven to reduce and eliminate anxiety and depression, which gives you the energy to get up and at ‘em!

No. 6: Establish a routine

It may seem like the perfect opportunity to shake up your routine in your new city, but oddly enough, such a drastic change can have negative effects on your productivity levels, as well as mental and physical health. To adjust to your new travel job, stick to a familiar routine.

No, it doesn’t have to be the exact same routine that you had with your previous travel job. Of course, things won’t be the same—you’ll be in a new city with new people in a new medical facility treating new patients. However, there are ways you can still manage your routine inside and outside of work.

For example, if your normal morning routine involves a fresh pot of coffee, then carry on the tradition during this job. Or maybe every day after your shift, you go to the gym for a workout. Again, keep it up!

Treat yourself to a sense of normalcy and stick to a consistent schedule and daily routine. As your routine drops your anxiety and stress levels, it’s bound to increase your positivity, productivity, and sense of adventure.

It’s no secret that you move around a lot as a professional med traveler. Every 13 weeks or so, you take off for a new travel job in a new city or maybe even a new state. So, the next time you hit the road for a job, follow these five tips to help you adjust to your new surroundings in no time.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming travel nurse assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Fusion Marketplace provided this article.

Written by: Megan Bebout

The past few years have brought major changes in the world of healthcare travel. It seems like the notorious coronavirus, and its variants have virtually taken over the entire healthcare field, causing an influx in travel healthcare professionals like yourself. The dramatic increase in demand has also come with wage increases for healthcare professionals across the board. Let’s take a look at a breakdown of healthcare wage trends by state to gain a better idea of what to expect for the rest of 2022.

Recent changes in healthcare pay

Within a year, every state in the U.S. experienced changes in healthcare wages and, out of the 50 states, 44 of them saw at least a 10 percent growth in wage. With a 51.6 percent pay increase, Alaska tops the U.S. state as no. 1 for the highest healthcare pay growth, with Georgia followed behind at 47.7 percent and New Mexico at 40 percent.

Since winter enhances the spread of most viruses, the industry has seen a recent trend where wage increases mirror virus outbreaks within a particular state. In other words, the more infectious patients there are to treat, the more money you can make as a healthcare traveler.

Of course, what comes up must come down, and Wyoming healthcare workers felt firsthand the decrease in pay. For example, at the beginning of August 2021, healthcare professionals could expect a weekly salary of $2,538. But by the end of the month, that wage had decreased to $2,417, which is a decrease of 4.8 percent within the month.

There are several ways to compare your next travel assignment’s pay, including Fusion Marketplace. And regardless of where you live or where you travel to, you’re bound to feel the changes of healthcare pay eventually. When it happens, you can be as prepared as possible with Fusion Marketplace’s comprehensive job search platform and these recent trends broken out by state.

Healthcare travel wage trends by state

State	Weekly salary at the beginning of 2021	Weekly salary at the end of 2021	Percentage difference
Alabama	$2,074	$2,821	36%
Alaska	$2,154	$3,265	51.6%
Arizona	$2,375	$3,069	29.2%
Arkansas	$2,455	$2,911	18.6%
California	$2,587	$3,313	28.1%
Colorado	$2,157	$2,652	23%
Connecticut	$2,472	$2,542	2.8%
Delaware	$1,716	$2,810	38.9%
Florida	$2,402	$3,173	32.1%
Georgia	$2,456	$3,627	47.7%
Hawaii	$2,327	$2,367	1.7%
Idaho	$2,474	$3,173	28.3%
Illinois	$2,461	$2,879	17%
Indiana	$2,241	$2,908	20.1%
Iowa	$2,422	$2,677	10.5%
Kansas	$2,453	$2,756	12.4%
Kentucky	$2,325	$2,843	22.3%
Louisiana	$2,331	$2,925	25.5%
Maine	$2,311	$2,355	1.9%
Maryland	$2,284	$2,574	12.7%
Massachusetts	$2,419	$2,492	3%
Michigan	$2,296	$2,701	17.6%
Minnesota	$2,584	$2,970	14.9%
Mississippi	$2,348	2,814	19.9%
Missouri	$2,600	$3,022	16.2%
Montana	$2,091	$2,665	27.5%
Nebraska	$2,448	$2,680	9.5%
Nevada	$2,326	$2,863	23.1%
New Hampshire	$2,333	$2,600	11.4%
New Jersey	$2,309	$2,726	18.1%
New Mexico	$2,430	$3,401	40%
New York	$2,417	$2,788	15.4%
North Carolina	$2,289	$2,773	21.1%
North Dakota	$2,680	$3,396	26.7%
Ohio	$2,180	$2,581	18.4%
Oklahoma	$2,559	$3,025	18.2%
Oregon	$2,456	$3,211	30.7%
Pennsylvania	$2,441	$2,996	22.7%
Rhode Island	$2,259	$2,772	18.5%
South Carolina	$2,377	$2,749	15.7%
South Dakota	$2,392	$2,817	17.8%
Tennessee	$2,172	$2,588	19.2%
Texas	$2,270	$2,558	12.7%
Utah	$2,175	$2,727	25.4%
Vermont	$2,363	$2,457	4%
Virginia	$2,246	$2,546	13.4%
Washington	$2,307	$2,957	28.2%
West Virginia	$2,195	$2,569	17%
Wisconsin	$2,440	$3,159	29.5%
Wyoming	$2,538	$2,417	-4.8%

The healthcare industry goes through constant change, especially as the nation experiences infectious waves from illnesses like the coronavirus and influenza. As healthcare travelers become more and more in demand throughout the year, we can expect to see fluctuations in pay that mirror the demand. For you as a professional healthcare traveler, it’s important to keep up with current wage trends so you’re able to negotiate your pay with each assignment and ensure you’re making the most you can.

We hope you found this article on healthcare travel pay trends by state informational and helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please comment below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

Author Bio

Megan Bebout

Megan is a professional writer and marketer, producing high-quality content to make a positive impact in the healthcare industry. She has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

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