November 4, 2022

2270 Views

The Perks and Rewards of Being a Travel Nurse

Posted on November 4, 2022November 1, 2022 by The Gypsy Nurse

Traveling is an opportunity to see new places, meet new people, and experience different areas. What’s better than being able to travel and work and get paid top dollar for it? Being a traveling nurse! Travel nursing has become more popular since the pandemic for many reasons. With high-paying contracts, flexibility, and growth opportunities, nurses who take on travel assignments in other places have many new rewards than traditional nursing roles.

Any type of nursing is a rewarding career, and the possibilities can be endless. If you decide to take on being a travel nurse, you will see it offers many rewards for both your professional and personal life.

Opportunity To Experience Environments

By taking on new assignments as a three or six-month contract, you have the opportunity to live in a completely new place and experience different hospital settings. As a traveling nurse, you can pick different cities and locations to move to temporarily. This allows you to try different living styles and see what you like and don’t like. You can learn to take public transportation and explore the buzzing nightlife in a city. Or you can enjoy the sunshine in Florida and the desert in Arizona.

Most hospitals around the United States offer contracts, so if there are places you have always wanted to visit, now is the time to do it. You can discover new restaurants and activities along every destination you travel to. This is especially important if you are unsure where you want to live long term. Experiencing different places to live will help you decide where you want to put your roots down permanently.

Ability To Learn New Skills

By working in various hospitals, you will meet many new people and, more importantly, learn new techniques that will help you advance your career. Each assignment you take will present you with unfamiliar challenges and learning experiences. That said, each assignment should incrementally offer more pay and responsibility. You will be building your resume and skill set along the way, allowing more flexibility in what you can ask for.

When being a travel nurse, you have to be able to adapt to different situations quickly. You may get transferred to a different unit, and you need to be prepared to tackle any obstacles that come your way. The benefit of this is you may gain more awareness about what parts of the job you enjoy and what specific areas you want to focus on. This is great if you plan on furthering your education down the road and need to pick a specific discipline like pediatrics, emergency medicine, or geriatric care. The professional and life skills you earn as a traveling nurse are endless, providing much insight into your career aspirations.

Maximizing Your Earning Potential

As a travel nurse, you can make significantly more because you fill an urgent opening requiring flexibility. In addition to the hourly wage, you receive housing stipends. You will need to have somewhere to live while traveling unless you have family or friends you can stay with. Your options are renting an apartment monthly, Furnished Finder, Air BNB, or staying in a hotel. The length of your contract, location, and personal preferences will determine the best fit for you.

With a larger income, you will have the opportunity to make smart money decisions and hopefully accumulate savings. With the extra funds, you may pay off your student loans, pay for your master’s, or save for buying a home. A smart move to consider is purchasing a home while making extra money. You will then have a “home base” to live in when you are not assigned to a traveling contract, and you can rent it out when you are away. This is a smart investment and a great way to maximize your salary as a traveling nurse. With your extra income, research how much house you can afford to see if you can comfortably purchase a house or condo. Investment properties are a great way to start building a financial portfolio and secure your future assets.

Meeting New People

A perk of being a traveling nurse is getting to meet people all over the world. While working, you will be able to make new friends through your co-workers and, hopefully, create long-lasting relationships. Also, you will get to experience new cities where you will meet people. Even once you leave an assignment, having a place you can always visit is a fun perk! Lastly, as a nurse, traveling or not, you will get to help others daily and show that you care.

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!)

By Uniti Med

October 5, 2022

1918 Views

Top Tips for New Travelers

Posted on October 5, 2022October 3, 2022 by Uniti Med

Uniti Med provided this article.

Picture it: you’re about to start your journey as a travel healthcare professional. Congratulations! What an exciting time in your life! For many first-time travelers, however, it can also be challenging, stressful, and overwhelming. How do you navigate this new step in your career? What can you do to ease the process? Here are some of our top tips for new travelers.

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Don’t be afraid to travel far from home

Leaving your friends, family, and your current hospital or facility can be scary, especially if you have never left your home state. While moving away from everything you have ever known can be a challenge, it can also be equally rewarding. Working in a new facility can introduce you to new ways of doing your job and seeing things from a different point of view. You can also make friends from all over the country and go to places you never thought you’d go. Who knows, you may find your new home away from home! Remember, if you don’t like being far away, you can request your next assignment to be closer to home.

Be flexible

You might not always get your first choice for your assignment. Take a breath. It’s OK! Each assignment is temporary, and if you don’t like the place you’re in now, try something new next time. Additionally, any travel experience will open doors to more jobs along the way. Hospitals love to see a wide variety of assignments from their travelers. Open yourself to new experiences and locations.

Mackenzie, a travel RN, says this: “Go into each assignment with an open mind and friendly face. You can make it through just about anything for 13 weeks, knowing there is an end in sight!”

Be brave

As we said, starting a travel career can be scary. Even with fear and uncertainties, remember to be brave. Bite the bullet. Take the leap. Freefall into the unknown. Say yes instead of no. You will never know until you try!

Victoria, a travel CNA, suggests “stop fearing what could go wrong and start welcoming what can go right!” Tracy, an RN, said this: “For me, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. Turned out really well!”

Take it from these travelers; don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from trying something new!

Get out there!

Once you make it to your first assignment, you might be a little lonely. You are in a new place with people you just met and are in unfamiliar territory. Get out there, make friends, and see what your new town has to offer. Remember, there are likely to be other travelers at your facility who have been where you are now. Reach out to them as well as the perm-staff. The more you put yourself out there, the more you will learn and grow as a professional and as an individual.

A former traveler, Mikaela Cook, says to “go to all the local places!” There will be many restaurants, bars, breweries, coffee shops, and stores that you won’t have in your hometown. Make a point to check these places out before you make your move to your next assignment.

You are not alone

Starting anything new can be hard to get used to. Just remember that your recruiter and travel agency are always there for you. If you have questions, need assistance, or just want someone to talk to, they are only a phone call away. Traveling alone doesn’t mean you ARE alone. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your recruiter with anything; that’s what they’re there for!

Starting a career in travel healthcare can be a culture shock. No hospital does it the same way, and walking into an unfamiliar place away from everyone you’ve ever known can be a lot to handle. When we have asked travel nurses what their advice would be for first-time travelers, many say that they wish they had started sooner. It’s never too late, but don’t sit on the sidelines forever. Make the move and start your journey!

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!)

By Fastaff Travel Nursing

September 2, 2022

1971 Views

Tips From a Recruiter – Handling Illness & Other Curveballs as a Traveling Nurse

Posted on September 2, 2022August 31, 2022 by Fastaff Travel Nursing

Fastaff provided this article.

Let’s set the scene: You’re cruising through week one of your 13-week travel assignment feeling confident and excited for the opportunities that await. You’ve familiarized yourself with the ins and outs of the facility and your new coworkers, and you extend the highest-quality care to all your patients.

Then, on the second week of your assignment, you get sick.
Or you’re needed to aid in a family emergency.
Or you need to call out of work for an unexpected reason.

What now?

Travel nursing comes with its own set of unique challenges, and handling those challenges when you’re a traveler can be overwhelming, as many nurses aren’t clear on the process.
We asked one of our Fastaff recruiters how nurses can best handle these situations and effective communication tips to make the unexpected a little easier.

“I would always suggest that an RN call their manager or scheduling at the facility to ensure they are aware of the situation, and they can plan ahead for scheduling. They should also alert their recruiter so that we can communicate on our end (but still need to message directly to the facility because sometimes there are delays in communication with the game of telephone we play, and it’s important that the manager have as advanced notice as possible in order to find someone to cover their shift).
“If it’s a family emergency, it’s best if they can just let everyone know when (approximately) they expect to return – so that the facility can plan.” – Melissa Donahoo, Fastaff Recruiter.

We strive to have the recruiter + nurse relationship built on trust and communication. What it comes down to is simply communication – no matter what arises, open avenues of communication can pave the way for a seamless resolution so you can get back to serving patients across the nation.

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.

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!)

By Favorite Healthcare Staffing

August 30, 2022

2515 Views

5 Ways to Become a Travel Nursing Pro

Posted on August 30, 2022August 25, 2022 by Favorite Healthcare Staffing

Favorite Healthcare Staffing provided this article.

Whether you’re a seasoned travel nurse or brand new to the field, you might be looking for a few ways you can thrive as a travel nurse. In this article, we dive into five ways to become a travel nursing pro. From tracking your finances to recognizing the signs of burnout, we’re covering all the bases.

1. Be flexible and open to learning

You might notice that the one thing travel nursing pros have in common is that they’re all flexible and open to learning new skills. While you’re moving from one facility to the next as a travel nurse, no environment will be the same. Tawyna, ER Nurse, urges those interested in travel nursing to be gracious to the people you work with and open to learning new things. Learning how to be flexible and adaptable to any circumstance will help you excel as a travel nurse.

Every travel nurse contract might operate differently than the previous one, so it’s important to keep a positive outlook, have patience, and be willing to learn. “You need to have patience. The first few days can be challenging. They often won’t have your badge ready, your computer login, etc. Just take a deep breath, smile, and introduce yourself. It’s important to work well with others,” says Med Surg Nurse Tammy. Making the most out of each assignment can make all the difference. So, as you pick up new skills at various facilities, you will strengthen your travel nurse resume and advance your nursing career.

2. Know what qualities to look for in a travel nurse recruiter

If you’re looking to secure more assignments, a good way to do so is to maintain a solid relationship with your travel nurse recruiter so they can understand your skill set and what type of travel nursing contracts you’re searching for. Psychiatric Nurse, Rebecca, explains, “a good recruiter will work just as hard for you as you do for them,” so you will want a knowledgeable recruiter who has good communication skills and pays attention to detail.

A knowledgeable travel nurse recruiter will be able to answer all your questions while guiding you in the direction of your dream assignment. Communication skills are also important when looking for a recruiter so you can ensure that they will be there for you every step of the way. Lastly, a recruiter’s ability to pay attention to detail is important to help you understand the fine print of your travel contract. Korenne, OR Nurse, says that one thing she couldn’t live without while traveling is her recruiter, Sally. “I could not do this without her continued kindness and support!” Once you find a recruiter who suits your needs, it’s key to stay in contact with them so they can stay up to date on what you’re looking for in a travel contract.

3. Stay organized with the latest apps

As a travel nurse, getting lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life can be easy. Luckily, there are a few apps you can use to stay organized. Our first pick is Adobe Scan which can be used to quickly and easily scan any documents you need. With Adobe Scan, you have the power to access your scanned documents from your phone, tablet, or computer because they are kept on Abode Document Cloud.

The next app we recommend for traveling nurses is Evernote, which has all the features you need to keep organized. Stay on top of things by creating fully customizable to-do lists, adding events to your calendar, and syncing your information across all your devices. Evernote provides you with the tools you need to stay organized, all in one app.

Our final must-have app is for the travel nurse who loves to get out and explore. FourSquare City Guide makes it easy to find things to do and places to eat in any city. Simply select what you’re looking for, whether it’s a trending excursion in the area or a local coffee shop. FourSquare City Guide delivers exactly what you’re looking for in just seconds. The best part about each of these apps—they’re free for Android and iOS users. These apps will make you a travel nursing pro!

4. Keep track of your finances

The first step to successfully keeping track of your finances is understanding what your salary is, along with any pay policies that might come with your travel assignment. A travel nurse’s salary differs from a permanent staff nurse’s, so it’s important to understand hourly, overtime, on-call rates, and any tax-free stipend for housing and meal expenses so you can calculate your take-home pay.

Once you have a good grasp of your travel nursing salary, you can establish a budgeting routine. Be sure to include everything from monthly subscriptions to rent to ensure you still have money to put into savings. A handy budgeting rule you can use to stay on top of your finances is the 50/30/20 rule. This rule recommends you allocate 50% of your income to needs, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings. You can find more tips about budgeting for travel nurses on Favorite’s blog here.

5. Know how to avoid burnout

Being constantly on the go can get tiring, so it’s important to know the symptoms of burnout so you can avoid it. Some telltale signs of burnout include lack of motivation, emotional exhaustion, and the inability to focus. Working long shifts, having high stress, and being around sick patients are all components that can lead to burnout in nursing.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid burnout. Taking time for yourself is important, so don’t be afraid to take breaks between assignments and say no to offers if you feel like burnout is possible. Another way you can avoid burnout is to keep your physical and mental health a top priority. Find someone you can talk to and who will be your support system throughout your journey. Once you’re ready to get back on the road and pick up your next travel nursing contract, Favorite will be here for you. You can view our full list of travel nursing jobs here.

We hope these tips on how to become a travel nursing pro were helpful. Do you have other tips to help fellow travel nurses or those just starting become travel nursing pros? Comment below.

Travel nursing with Favorite Healthcare Staffing gives you the opportunity to advance your career, develop new skills, and experience new things. Take a look at our open travel nursing jobs and start exploring the country with Favorite today!

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!)

By Triage Healthcare Staffing

August 15, 2022

2184 Views

Recruiter (and Travel Nurse) Red Flags

Posted on August 15, 2022July 26, 2022 by Triage Healthcare Staffing

Triage Healthcare Staffing provided this article.

Looking for an allied or travel nurse recruiter or planning on taking your first travel assignment? Before you commit to a recruiter, check out these recruiter red flags, so you know which recruiters to avoid. But, because the recruiter/traveler relationship goes both ways, check yourself for red flags you might be throwing up too.

Recruiter Red Flag: Not Understanding You Work with Different Recruiters

Good recruiters understand that this is a competitive market—for both recruiters looking for travelers and travelers looking for jobs. Most recruiters understand that travelers have a couple of recruiters searching for jobs. Although it’s natural that a recruiter wants to be your one and only, they should be understanding when they find out they’re not. This is especially true if you’re looking for an assignment in a coveted area or one where the company doesn’t have a lot of contracts. If a recruiter asks you to sign an “exclusivity clause,” consider running far away because this recruiter is only looking out for himself.

If you are working with more than one recruiter, don’t hide it because this can actually make it harder to find a job. While it might seem like a great idea to double your chances by having two companies submit you for the same job, that isn’t the way things work. If you have two recruiters submit your resume for the same job, both will get rejected automatically. Hospitals don’t want to waste time figuring out which application was first to determine which recruiter gets the credit, so they reject them both, leaving you without a job. For this reason alone, it’s great to be upfront with your recruiters about where you’re submitted and by who.

Traveler Red Flag: Social Media Negativity

It’s common job searching advice to lock down your social profiles, but that’s not enough when you’re looking for an allied or travel nurse job. If you’re in any travel Facebook groups, like The Gypsy Nurse’s group, know that there are definitely recruiters in those groups. Remember that anyone on social media can take a screenshot of a post in a group and spread it around, so before you talk negatively about a recruiter, a company, or a facility, understand that these groups aren’t quite as private as you might think.

This doesn’t mean you can’t be honest when you have feedback about a facility. Just realize that social media may not be the best venue for your complaints. Basically, if you wouldn’t say it to someone in person, don’t put it in writing on social media.

Recruiter Red Flag: Not Showing a Pay Rate Up Front

No one should work for free. While healthcare travelers have lots of different reasons for traveling, the money sure doesn’t hurt. If a recruiter is shifty when you ask about the pay rate or gives you a vague answer to your questions about pay, keep looking. Good recruiters will give you all the information up front instead of hiding details until after you’ve signed a contract.

When you do get that pay rate, understand that it’s possible that it doesn’t match what you’ll see every week. This isn’t because of any shadiness by your recruiter, though. The number of hours you work each week may vary. Different states have different tax rates, and a recruiter can’t know your exact situation—they’re recruiters, not accountants. Plus, things like 401k deductions, whether you have single or family coverage for health insurance, or HSA deductions can all affect the amount that’s actually deposited each week.

Traveler Red Flag: Being Hard to Communicate With

A good recruiter/traveler relationship starts with good communication. We know—most travelers want to communicate solely by text message because it’s fast and convenient, but a lot of details can be ironed out with a 10-minute phone call, especially if you’re beginning a new relationship. Taking this time up front can help ensure your recruiter knows exactly what’s important to you so they’ll be able to start on your job search immediately, rather than waiting until you’re free to answer questions one at a time.

Doing this also means that your recruiter will know what’s most important to you. For instance, if you prefer an assignment in Seattle, but the recruiter has something elsewhere in Washington that pays more, your recruiter can find out what’s a real requirement and what you consider just nice to have. So next time you get a phone call from a recruiter, consider picking up the phone.

Recruiter Red Flag: Not Being Honest About a Facility

There’s no perfect job, and anyone who tries to sell you on a picture-perfect facility isn’t being honest. Everywhere, even the best facilities, has a few warts. Maybe parking is far away. Maybe the hospital requires a specific color of scrubs that you’ll never need again. Maybe the pay seems great, but housing is expensive and hard to find. If a recruiter paints a 100% rosy picture, dig deeper.

Your recruiter should know if the assignment they’re sending you on has a few bumps along the way and should be upfront about what they know about the facility or the unit. Good recruiters won’t try to sell you on a “paid vacation.” What kind of “paid vacation” comes with a 36 or 48-hour work week attached to it?

If you’re looking for an allied or travel nurse gig, look for an agency that’s committed to treating you with candor and honesty. Triage Staffing pays attention to your wants and needs and works around them—not the other way around. To connect with a Triage recruiter, apply for a travel nurse job on the Triage website.

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!)

By Mynoucka

August 10, 2022

4456 Views

Transitioning to Travel Nursing: My Takeaways

Posted on August 10, 2022July 20, 2022 by Mynoucka

First, deciding to use a staffing agency or book through a hospital directly.

The first thing to do when deciding whether transitioning to travel nursing is for you is to determine whether you want to use a staffing agency versus booking your assignment through a hospital directly. Both options are great, depending on what you’re looking for. When you book through a hospital, you’re cutting out the middleman, and when you cut out the middleman, sometimes it can work to your advantage because you get to pocket more of that money. But in cutting out that middleman, sometimes it may cause you to have to do a little bit more legwork. You will be communicating directly with the hospital; you are getting all your paperwork together and communicating with them regarding your benefits and insurance.

Benefits and Insurance

With a staffing agency, they can coordinate those things with you. And although it does not take the responsibility off you completely, they at least have a process; typically, they’ve been doing it for a while. They’re able to ensure that you are getting everything that you need. Regardless of whether you’re booking directly through the hospital or you are booking through a nursing agency or staffing agency, you want to make sure that you’re discussing things like benefits, insurance, life insurance, retirement, and all the different benefits that people working as a contracted nurse or as a travel nurse think they don’t have access to, but that’s not true. You still have access to these benefits.

The idea that you must work as a staff nurse because you won’t have benefits is not necessarily accurate. Many of these hospitals and staffing agencies still have access to benefits to offer them to you as a travel nurse.

Picking a staffing agency

So, first, decide whether you want to book through the hospital directly or the staffing agency. From there, if you are going to book through a staffing agency, talk to other travel nurses you know, look through different Facebook pages and groups, look through Instagram, and as many different online resources to determine which staffing agency you want to work with. Make a list of what you’re looking for and see if that staffing agency meets your needs. There are so many different staffing agencies, and it can be overwhelming. Talking to someone and getting a direct referral can sometimes be less overwhelming. A lot of times, you can get a referral bonus. The staffing agency may give you a bonus for booking through a referral, and the person who referred you also gets a referral bonus. It is a win-win situation. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It is based on what you decide would be best for you.

Second, verbalize what you are looking for in your travel nursing assignment.

It does you absolutely no good and no justice to take a travel nursing assignment that you’re not qualified for or to work with patients you’re unfamiliar with. It puts you in danger of losing your license; it puts that patient in danger because you might not possess the skills to take care of them, not because you’re not smart or you’re not able to figure it out, but because you need more training.

When booking your travel nursing assignments, talk to the staffing agency and let them know what you’re competent in. What you’re not comfortable with. As I said, it does no good to take a travel nursing assignment where you will be overwhelmed with anxiety every time you go to work because you’re taking care of patients that you’re not familiar with. There are opportunities where you could be trained where you take an assignment, but most of the time, when you take a travel nurse assignment, they are not looking to train you or teach you how to perform the skill they’re hiring for. They expect you to hit the ground running because you’re likely fulfilling a need that they have. They’re expecting you to be competent in the skills that you’re telling them that you’re competent in.

I remember, as a new nurse, the anxiety that I used to have. Feeling like I wasn’t confident enough to do my job. It’s a natural feeling when you start something new. Especially when you are going to a new city, a new hospital with unfamiliar staff, the last thing you want to do is work with patients you’re unfamiliar with. So bottom line, make sure you verbalize what you can do and what you are comfortable with. If you take a travel nurse assignment entirely different than what you expected, verbalize it to the agency or the facility. It is better for you to step up and say, “you know what, this is not for me,” and cut that contract short. You deal with those consequences versus staying, sticking it out, and possibly losing your license because you’re working with patients you’re not trained to care for.

Third, make sure you have a plan.

Visualize where you want to go and ensure that everything you’re doing gets you closer to your final destination or the next season in your career. Though travel nursing can be a lifestyle, and some people choose to work as a travel nurse long-term, it is also a fantastic way to set yourself up for the next season of your career. However, simply making more money isn’t the end all be all. We know that if money were the end all be all, then people who are billionaires wouldn’t be unhappy. Just jumping at any contract because of the money is not a good idea, and you’ll find that just because they’re throwing five to ten thousand dollars $10,000 at you does not mean that it’s going to be what you want it to be.

If your goal of transitioning to travel nursing is to make more money, pay off your debt, build up your savings, or do different financial things, then you want to look for assignments with a higher pay package. Because your goal is to pay off debt and build up savings, you also want to couple that with what kind of work environment you will be going to? What kind of city are you going to? Are you comfortable working in that city? Do you feel safe? Do you have a support system?

You want to make sure that you’re writing down these different things to ensure that when you get to your assignment, you’re comfortable. You can last eight to thirteen weeks, or however long your contract is. A mistake that we make is we operate from a scarcity mindset. We will accept anything that somebody throws at us. If you need money, you will likely accept something that maybe is not the best for you because, at the time, you’re just looking at the contract, In that case, you’re looking at the amount of money that they’re paying, but you want to also make sure that you’re taking into consideration how many hours a week are they expecting you to work, are you able to work for five days a week, and some people can’t. If they’re offering you $10,000 weekly and you want to build your savings and pay off debt, can you work five days a week? If the answer is no and the contract comes with working five days a week, that contract is not for you.

When I was looking for my assignments, I wrote down states that I was okay with going to, cities that I was okay with going to, and cities that I was open to going to, and took it from there. I thought about if I felt safe? Did I have people there that I knew? Was there a church I could go to since that’s something I prioritize? Was it more of a city? Is it more rural? All these things matter, so definitely write down what you’re looking for. If you’re doing this temporarily, look to see if the assignments you’re being offered meet your needs because it is a two-way street; remember, do not operate from a scarcity mindset. There are so many contracts out there, and just because one contract does not work out for you does not mean you’re not going to find another opportunity.

Those are the three takeaways from transitioning to travel nursing that I’m leaving you. Remember number one: determine if you’re going to go through a staffing agency or a hospital directly. Two: verbalize what you’re looking for in your travel nursing assignment. And three: make sure you have a plan, write it down, and visualize what you want to accomplish by transitioning from staff nurse to travel nurse.

Are you currently transitioning to travel nursing, or have you decided that transitioning to travel nursing is for you? Comment your story below.

Follow my journey at The Vintage Traveling Nurse.

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!)

By Mynoucka

July 25, 2022

2048 Views

Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

Posted on July 25, 2022July 22, 2022 by Mynoucka

If travel nursing allows you to travel all over the country and get paid while doing it, why isn’t everyone doing it? Travel is getting increasingly popular; in 2019, millions of dollars were spent on travel and people catching flights. People claim to be catching flights and not feelings. It doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. But there is something about the uncertainty of not knowing what’s next that brings about its challenges. Not knowing where your next job is going to be, not knowing the city or the neighborhood you’re going to be in, not knowing who your coworkers are, and all the things that can make you feel like the new kid on the block. Instead of feeling that for a little while and then eventually learning all those unknowns with time as a travel nurse, you’re in a constant state of change, which can be uncomfortable. So, let’s talk about it. How do you thrive when the only thing that is certain about your living and working situation is that there will be an inevitable change at the end of your assignment?

Inevitable change

The only constant is change. That is a popularized quote you have probably seen floating around on your Instagram or Twitter, but it is true. I was a checklist girl, literally attempting to checklist my way through life. There is nothing wrong with planning or creating goals; without some form of planning, it’s like navigating life with no real direction.

Getting into travel nursing was the opposite of the direction that I wanted to go but transitioning to a career that constantly forced me to face change shifted my mindset. It taught me to adapt to the important concept of flexibility. As a travel nurse, you’re constantly navigating change, like life, learning to adapt and be flexible. Learning how to go with the flow and, yes, change is hard, but like anything else, you learn how to adapt to those changes. When you go to work, you’re constantly changing even within your assignment, whether you go in. You expect to work for a few hours on one floor. You get floated mid-shift, or maybe you go into work expecting to work on one floor, but you then get floated to work on a different floor or the most recent challenge that I’ve had to face is going into work and not having enough staff and working through your shift without taking a lunch break.

Having to deal with those different changes has allowed me to carry those same concepts from work into my everyday life. Not knowing what the next five years will look like or not knowing what the next twenty years will look like is not as much of an issue as it used to be for me. Sure, plan, pray, and manifest. I have different things that I want and different things that I expect from life, but if I veer off those original plans, it’s no longer something that will make or break my day. I have learned how to embrace the change that comes with life and understand that if life begins to go in a different direction, it’s not necessarily the wrong direction. Maybe your life needs to go in that direction to set you up for something bigger and better than you’ve expected. That is a lesson within itself, and I can see how becoming a travel nurse has helped push that concept and plan.

Prioritizing your needs

The second thing that I want to highlight is prioritizing your needs. So, when you’re in a constant state of change, what do you do to bring stability? You have to find things that bring about a sense of home, regardless of where you are. What I mean by that is that I can’t plan my assignments to the exact details as a travel nurse. I can’t plan them too far ahead of time because a lot of time, the assignments come through maybe a couple of weeks or a few days before you start. So, I try to control what I can beyond the actual assignment. I have a list of places I’m willing to go based on my expectations for places I’m willing to live. Even if it ends up being for only three months. I tend to extend my assignments at least by one additional assignment to give me a little time beyond three months. I try to prioritize safety, diversity, and whether there will be a church in the area where I will live. Even though, as a travel nurse, you’re constantly changing, and you’re constantly uprooting your life and moving around, there are non-negotiables or different things that you can set to ensure that those things are constant. Having things that are constant when you’re constantly changing helps. Having that list of places I’m willing to go to gives me a sense of control. If you are the type of person who doesn’t need to have a sense of control and lives off spontaneity, and you thrive off it, then maybe you don’t need a list. Maybe you don’t have to have expectations like diversity, safety, or different things that in your mind give you a sense of peace. Many of these things stay in our minds because just because I perceive a place as safe doesn’t mean that it’s safe, or just because I perceived an area as more diverse than another doesn’t mean it is. Having these lists still gives me a sense of control over what I can control. When things are coming my way that I cannot control, like going to work and not having a lunch break or going to work and not knowing where I’m going to be, it doesn’t bother me as much because there are still some things within my life that I have control of.

Another thing that I try to do is once I get to my assignment, within that first week, I unpack everything. I put everything where I need it to be. I settle into where I’m going to live. I also find my closest gym because I prioritize ensuring I do some physical activity. I also prioritize church, so finding a church community or a church to attend quickly after arriving at my new location is a priority as well. All of these are contributing factors to your self-care and maintaining balance within the workplace.

Self-care

We discuss the importance of self-care because work and life generally cause burnout, anxiety, and depression, especially as healthcare providers. We work in stressful environments, often with patients with very serious situations. We often leave work feeling that energy within us. So, ensure that you know exactly what is important to you regarding stability. So, make sure you write these things down or put them in the note section on your phone. These things will help you thrive and maintain the level of success that you want to maintain when going from assignment to assignment.

Setting Intentions

Make sure you set daily intentions; I have made it a habit to set my intentions for each assignment. During my first assignment, my intentions for that assignment were to get myself together, make sure that I unwind, and make sure that I maintain a level of peace. A level of peace I felt like I was lacking. That first assignment wasn’t about looking around and exploring the city; it wasn’t about making a ton of money; it was more about trying to find consistency and stability in my schedule and daily life. This assignment and moving forward, my intentions for assignments are to try to pay off my debt. I want to be financially independent; I want to be financially free, and I want to get to a point where I am not exchanging my time for money, which is something I have prioritized. When I go to work, that is what I think about; I think of it as an opportunity for me to get closer to my goal.

So along with setting my intentions daily, I still struggle with trying to maintain a sense of balance and trying to maintain and manage my time. Still, I also ensure that I’m setting an intention for each assignment, which is one of the biggest things I think we can do for ourselves. You don’t have to be the type of person that micromanages every aspect of your life. You don’t have to write everything down or have everything on a checklist; everything doesn’t have to be crossed off.

Just make sure that you set your intentions. Know why you’re doing what you do, why you get up every single morning and understand that if you wake up in the morning, you have a sense of purpose. You can then assign different things you do to ensure that it aligns with that purpose. When I wake up and go to work, I want to help people and impact lives. That’s why I’m in the healthcare field. It also ensures that I have a stable job. But I know that every day I go in, even if I don’t want to, it is one more day where I get the opportunity to increase my salary. To make more money so I can pay down debt and essentially get to a place where I’m no longer having to pay down debt and pay for expenses that I’ve made years prior.

Those are some of the biggest things that I think that we can do to make sure that you thrive when you’re in a constant state of change and bring it back to your memory, bring it back to your mind. The three things that I talked about were: remembering the only thing constant is change, prioritizing your needs, and setting your intentions daily but even further than that setting your intentions for each assignment.

Follow my journey at The Vintage Traveling Nurse.

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!)

By Mynoucka

June 5, 2022

3708 Views

Reflecting on My First Year as a Travel Nurse: Tips for New Travel Nurses

Posted on June 5, 2022May 24, 2022 by Mynoucka

I want to share with all of you a review of my first year as a travel nurse and offer some tips; This is my first full year as a travel nurse because I began traveling back in October of 2018. After several months of consideration and deliberation, I just felt like a change in my environment would be the move for me at the time. It has been a tremendous experience, but it’s come with its healthy load of challenges.

Reflecting on My First Year as a Travel Nurse:

Remain flexible

So, whether you’re thinking about shifting your career from working as a staff nurse and transitioning to a travel nurse or you’re thinking about making a move to a different job or maybe a different location, you want to keep these things in mind. One of the biggest things I had to do was remain flexible; there have been many times I’ve gone to work and was asked to work on a different floor. Or I got into work thinking that I would have orientation on a certain day and found out that it’s getting changed around, but I didn’t allow those things to shake my life up or mess up my day. Because I understand and realize that our ability to be able to adapt can either make or break us, learning how to go with the flow and be open to change can relieve the amount of stress related to your job. Being flexible makes life a lot easier. Don’t be stuck to one plan and just realize that things are going to change, and that’s okay.

Remember your why

Another key point to keep in mind is to know your why. Why are you making the changes that you want to make? It doesn’t have to be some deep, profound reason, but you want to keep your why at the center because knowing your why will keep you grounded. And help you stay grounded when things just aren’t going the way you want. One of the biggest reasons I got into traveling was that I wanted more ownership of my time. I felt like I wasn’t getting that opportunity before.

Like everybody else, I had a choice and the choice to do something that would allow me to take more ownership of my time. When I first got into the nursing field as a brand new nurse, I remember being told that I didn’t deserve a vacation after working so hard and graduating and feeling like I had completed a huge accomplishment. Those exact words were used. I remember feeling like after working so hard, not having full control of my time, and for me, it wasn’t whether or not the vacation was approved because I understand that as an employee, you’re not going to get every vacation approved. It wasn’t about that for me, but it was about someone else telling me what I didn’t deserve, and to me, it just didn’t sit well. From that point forward, it made me feel like I needed to view my job, and you work in a very different light.

Although the situation bothered me, I’m somewhat appreciative that it happened because it pushed me to think differently and feel like I had absolutely no control over my life. Even though, looking back, I still had control over my life at the time; I feel like I was losing control over my life. It made me think about wealth-building, it made me think about entrepreneurship, and just making sure that I’m being intentional with my choices. And the type of work that I choose to do. So, when I got into travel nursing, a part of the reason was knowing that I had the flexibility with my schedule, and that was very important to me. In a lot of ways, my time is more important than money because I can always work and make more money. I’m not some huge baller or anything like that, but as long as I have breath in my lungs and have strengthened my body, I can go to work and earn more money. But I can’t ever go back and reclaim the time that I’ve lost, so I really value my time with God’s people in my life. So, I wanted to do something that would, you know, that would offer me or afford me that opportunity to be flexible and to take time off when I needed to—just knowing your why can really really help.

Negotiating Skills

I didn’t expect to get better at that. I surprisingly improved on my ability to negotiate. Again, being so far away from home, a dollar earned is worth a lot more than just a dollar because the longer I’m away from home, the more important it is to me to get compensated what I feel is a fair amount. With that being said, I can remember being offered an assignment and just feeling like I wasn’t being offered the proper amount, so I negotiated and I went back and forth. I wasn’t shy, and I didn’t shy away from stating what I felt was a fair amount. And walking away from that opportunity and what that negotiating experience taught me was that you can accomplish so much more when you’re not operating from a position of desperation. Because I knew that I had the experience to back me up, I knew what value I had, and I knew that my experience was working to my advantage. I knew that I can walk away from that opportunity and get something else. Just not feeling the pressure to choose just any old thing that was offered to me. I’ve been able to refine my negotiating skills and understand my value since I’ve been on the road, and that wasn’t something I expected. Because honestly, when I have been offered job positions before, whatever they’ve offered me has been the rate that I’ve accepted. I’ve never understood the art of negotiating, and the art of saying this amount does not work for me. But that has been something that I’ve been able to really hone in on, and I’m really appreciative of that.

Traveling Solo

I can remember when that was a huge issue for me and embarking on this adventure solo has just given me some time to think and assess my past relationships and childhood traumas and just really understand the difference between being alone and loneliness. I really didn’t have to embark on this journey for me to understand all of these things, but I think just having that extra time in the extra space gave me the opportunity to sit back and really just dig deep and see what it is about being single that was bothering me. I realized it was expectations and timelines that I had placed on myself. Thinking things should happen at a certain time, and it didn’t happen at my time, and it was just very disappointing for me. Just taking this time to realize that if your timeline doesn’t work out the way that you wanted to, that is perfectly okay has really really helped me to say I want to stay sane and to just remain calm. Understanding that all things don’t happen the way that you want them to happen it’s okay. That means that something better is in store. That means maybe more things need to happen, but either way, just not taking for granted the time that I do have and just having this time to really think about that has really helped in the way I see things just moving forward.

It’s really important to just take a good assessment of what’s going on in your life, what’s going on in your mind, what’s affecting you, what’s not affecting you, and just put things into perspective. So you can be a better version of yourself. That’s my first year as a travel nurse in review!

We hope you enjoyed this article on the first year of travel nursing and tips for new travel nurses. How did your first year as a travel nurse go? Do you have any advice for those just starting out? 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 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!)

By Kevin Devoto

May 15, 2022

2035 Views

How to Become a Traveling Nurse

Posted on May 15, 2022May 3, 2022 by Kevin Devoto

Many people are interested in becoming a traveling nurse, and there are plenty of good reasons driving this career choice. For example, as a traveling nurse, you’ll have the ability to travel the country, see new parts of the world, make money, and help others while doing so. If you are interested in becoming a traveling nurse, then read on to learn how to get your foot in the door.

Begin With Training and Experience

Many people who want to become traveling nurses have found that they lack the training and experience necessary for the job. If you are one of those people, there is no need to worry about this. You can get all of the training you need for this job by enrolling in a nursing program and taking some classes in the proper fields.

Becoming a traveling nurse is not easy. It takes a lot of time, patience, and perseverance. There are many things you need to know before you start your journey. First and foremost, you need to understand that the process of becoming a traveling nurse involves many years of learning and doing.

This includes the training and education required to become a traveling nurse and the process of getting licensed in your state. Whether you look at a renewable energy lesson plan or classes that teach infield skills, your nursing education serves as the foundation of your new career.

Next, you need to explore various programs that offer training for becoming a traveling nurse. You should also look at various schools that offer nursing programs with an online option or an accelerated program that can get you in and out of school quickly so that you can start working sooner rather than later!

Work With an Accredited Institution

There are many steps that one needs to take in order to become a traveling nurse. The first step is to complete an approved course through an accredited institution. After that, you need to find a job as a traveling nurse and work for at least six months with the same hospital system before applying for certification with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Once you have your ANCC certification, you can start looking for jobs as a traveling nurse.

Study and Pass Your Exams

The process of becoming a traveling nurse requires training and education and some time spent in the field before full licensure is achieved. There are several exams that you will need to prepare for to ensure that you have the required skills to pursue this profession,

Your journey to becoming a traveling nurse includes obtaining a nursing degree from an accredited university, followed by passing the NCLEX-RN exam, which certifies nurses for practice in any state. Studying for your exams is a key step in proceeding with your education. Without the proper exam plan in place, you may have to re-take your tests, a process that can set you back in a significant way. In these cases, you may have to work on obtaining licensure in each state that you want to work in, which can be done through reciprocity agreements or by taking additional exams.

Contribute to The Field and Gain Experience

The nursing profession is in high demand, but the supply of nurses is not keeping up with the demand. The United States alone has over 1 million jobs for nurses that are currently unfilled. Nursing schools have been experiencing a decline in enrollment since the late 2000s, and it is predicted that by 2020 there will be a shortage of over one million nurses.

So far, there have been many solutions to this problem proposed, such as increasing the number of nursing programs and boosting enrollment rates. However, these solutions do not address the root cause of this problem: there are not enough nurses to fill all these positions because they are not being trained fast enough.

Many agencies and facilities require or would like those applying to positions as travel nurses to have at least two years of floor experience. With that being said, you may still apply for a position for a travel nurse assignment. If you feel that your experience is adequate, just be ready to explain that to those interviewing you, should you get an interview.

As you can see, becoming a traveling nurse is not easy, but it is rewarding. When you study and plan, you will find that this career path is one of the most flexible and fulfilling ones you can find.

Are you looking for your first 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.

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

START HERE

Opportunity To Experience Environments

Ability To Learn New Skills

Maximizing Your Earning Potential

Meeting New People

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1. Be flexible and open to learning

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First, deciding to use a staffing agency or book through a hospital directly.

Benefits and Insurance

Picking a staffing agency

Second, verbalize what you are looking for in your travel nursing assignment.

Third, make sure you have a plan.

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Inevitable change