November 21, 2022

2403 Views

Want to Start 2023 as a Travel Nurse? Now Is the Time to Prepare

Posted on November 21, 2022November 16, 2022 by TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

TNAA Healthcare provided this article.

2023 is weeks away, and a new year brings new opportunities. Many nurses use the fresh start of a new year as the perfect time to leap into a travel nursing career. If you’re considering starting 2023 as a travel nurse, the time to prepare is, well, now.

Before taking your first assignment, you’ll need to:

1. Find a Stand-out Travel Nurse Agency & Recruiter

There are hundreds of agencies and thousands of recruiters. What’s the best way to narrow down this pool of possibilities? Look for what makes an agency or recruiter stand out from the crowd.

Want to Start 2023 as a Travel Nurse? Now Is the Time to Prepare

Pick a Travel Nurse Agency

A quick way to make a top-five list is to consult reputable review sites, such as The Gypsy Nurse, to see which agencies travelers voted as the best of the best. Narrow that down to the agencies that have certification by The Joint Commission, which requires agencies to undergo an extensive evaluation process every few years and demonstrate the ability to offer high-quality and competent nursing services.

With that list, it’s time to explore each agency’s benefits, support, and perks. You’ll want an agency that steps forward to support you on the road with traveler-focused benefits, like day-one insurance and paid sick leave, mental wellness resources that meet you wherever you are, and a 401(k) plan to invest in your future.

Additionally, you’ll want to be able to rely on an agency’s well-structured, experienced support teams. Look for agencies with a QA team that ensures you’re meeting all compliance requirements, a housing team helping you find the best accommodations within your budget, and a clinical support team available to coach you when you need it.

Last but not least, you’ll want the agency you work with to have various travel nurse jobs available so it’s easier for you to get your first assignment to start your travel nursing career.

Pick a Travel Nurse Recruiter

Once your top few agencies are sorted out, you’ll want to connect with a great recruiter. Use social media networks, like The Gypsy Nurse’s Facebook group, to ask other experienced travelers which recruiters they recommend. Your recruiter should know what the agency offers and the current state of the travel nurse market, listen to your career goals and put you on a path to reaching them. You should feel like a priority to your recruiter, not just another traveler on their list.

2. Prep Your Travel Nurse File & Submit Your Application

Your recruiter is responsible for submitting your travel nurse profile to a job; you’ll work with them to get it prepped. Your travel nurse profile will consist of your resume, licenses & certifications, immunizations & titer records, references, and more. If you need to update specific certifications or obtain another state’s license, now is the time to get it done!

Meanwhile, your recruiter is hunting for a few contracts that match your requirements – whether you want to work specific shifts, go for a particular pay, or try for a certain state.

When you and your recruiter have found a few that meet your needs, and your profile is ready, it’s time to apply! You’ll begin applying to open jobs about three to four weeks before the start of the assignment. (Tip: One essential thing to consider before applying for any job is the housing market in the area. You don’t want to accept a job only to discover that you can’t find reasonable housing nearby.)

3. Interview and Land a Job

Once your application is submitted, this next step could move quickly. It takes approximately 72 hours to hear from hospitals about profile submissions. Suppose a hospital wants you for an assignment. You could have a phone interview with a nurse manager, a voice-automated interview, or an auto-offer without a formal interview. Once you agree to a contract, you can put in a two-week notice at your staff job.

4. Compliance and Housing

Congrats, you’ve secured your first travel nurse job! Now, you’ll have to think about assignment compliance and housing. If your agency has a QA department, they’ll contact you to ensure you get all assignment compliance items out of the way. Your agency might even be able to set up any appointments you need and pay for it all. At the same time, you’ll want to find accommodations near your assignment. If your agency has a housing department, they can relieve stress by finding a safe, affordable place for you to stay.

5. Now, The Fun Begins

You’re officially ready to take off for your first assignment! The good news is a lot of the hard part is over. You’ve picked a great agency, established a relationship with a recruiter who is getting to know you and your lifestyle needs, and you’ve got everything together for your travel nurse profile. With all this work behind you and one assignment on your resume, it will likely be much easier to apply for your next travel nurse position or to start your travel nursing career!

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 Frank Hamilton

November 3, 2022

2608 Views

How To Write Awesome Social Media Posts As A Travel Nurse

Posted on November 3, 2022October 10, 2022 by Frank Hamilton

There is not a single day that we don’t use our social media to check the latest news happening in the world and updates for our favorite celebrities and social media influencers. In this post, we would like to take a closer look at the social media of travel nurses. The profession of a travel nurse is supposed to be interesting and quite different as they need to change their locations quite often, which means that, along with being a travel nurse, they can be travel bloggers and write about their new adventures and experiences. However, here comes the question: what type of content is acceptable for travel nurses, and what is not? Keep reading to find out what post ideas travel nurses can consider for their social media accounts.

The profession of travel nurse has its advantages and disadvantages like any other profession, for example, professional writers on service Rated by Students. You need to constantly change your place of living, which can be complicated for your mental health, as well as physical health, due to rapid changes in climate. Even if we talk about social media posts ideas, travel nurses will never feel the lack of topics.

As travel nurses change their locations very frequently, they can share their experiences of being in this or that country with their audience on social media. Of course, travel nurses have time off when they can explore the area, visit the most outstanding places of interest and share their impressions on their social media profiles.

Make connections with other travel nurses.

Social media is also a great tool to connect with other travel nurses who actively post on their social media accounts. For example, if you are going to a country other travel nurses have already been to, you can boldly ask them about the best places you would definitely need to visit. Also, you can connect with other travel nurses in the city you are currently in to spend some time together, exchanging your experiences and impressions from your new place of living. By the way, you can help each other to make appealing photos and videos for your social media to reach a broader audience.

Remain professional

Of course, as a travel nurse, your social media accounts are private. But it doesn’t exclude the need to keep your social media professional, even though these accounts are made for your personal needs. For instance, today, you had a horrible experience with your patient who made you very upset. However, you have no right to discuss the situation with your followers on social media. There is a huge probability that your employer or this patient will find out about it, and you’ll probably have some problems with your job. Once you post something in a social media profile, it will never be deleted, as all information will still be kept on servers.

Don’t post the private information of your patients.

Social media for travel nurses is not the place where they can share their use cases and information about patients, like what visits they had to use today, what diagnosis they had to conduct, and so on. All medical information is protected by HIPAA law, which is accountable for protecting patients’ sensitive information from third parties, especially if we talk about publications on social media.

Well, you can discuss various experiences you had at your work in general without not typing the personal information about your patients, the location you had the patient in, the medications you had to prescribe, etc. Due to various reviews on the writing service Top Writing Reviews, this type of content will just ruin your face as a professional travel nurse.

Keep growing skills and knowledge.

Generally, social media can influence your profession as a travel nurse differently, and this impact can also be positive. Social media is a great opportunity to build your face as a real professional as you can share the training and learning courses you passed, the certifications you got, follow outstanding healthcare leaders to find out more knowledge and develop your skills, etc. In addition, you can also share useful articles related to your job or overall healthcare industry with your subscribers to bring more value to your social media audience.

All in all, travel nurses can share general information about their traveling and new destinations, but we do not recommend publishing personal patient information as it can cause serious consequences for their job and healthcare career overall.

We hope you found this article on how to write awesome social media posts as a travel nurse helpful; as stated above, please be mindful of private information and HIPAA laws. For more information on social posting and HIPAA, click here.

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

1857 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 TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

August 16, 2022

1394 Views

What Healthcare Travelers Need to Know About Monkeypox

Posted on August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 by TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

TNAA Healthcare provided this article.

The United States has officially declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. The first domestic case attributed to this outbreak was confirmed on May 17, 2022. Since then, there have been over 7,000 additional cases.

What Is Monkeypox and How Is It Transmitted?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is caused by an orthopox virus in the same family as the virus that leads to smallpox. However, monkeypox is often a milder illness. Its symptoms include fever, aches, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, malaise, and a severe rash.

Anyone can contract monkeypox as healthcare experts say the virus can be transmitted through direct contact with the rash or bodily fluids, respiratory secretions during prolonged periods of close contact, touching objects, such as linens and clothing, previously in contact with the rash or bodily fluids of an infected person, and being bitten or scratched by an infected animal.

There are a few ways to limit the disease. According to the CDC, “Smallpox and monkeypox vaccines are effective at protecting people against monkeypox when given before exposure to monkeypox. Experts also believe vaccination after a monkeypox exposure may help prevent or make the disease less severe.” However, monkeypox-specific vaccines are not readily available to the general public as of this posting.

What You Should Do As a Traveling Healthcare Professional

Know Your Facility’s Policies

Your first line of defense as a traveling healthcare professional is to know the facility’s policies and protocols. These are often sent through email before the assignment.

“Make sure to read your emails and not just skim through them,” says Misty Hood, Risk Management Director at TNAA and a nurse. “Take the time to read through them because that’s how the facility communicates with you before starting your assignment. That way, you know what you are willing to accept and are not willing to accept.”

If you need additional clarifications after reviewing the policies, your agency should be a helpful resource connecting you to the right people to answer your questions.

Take Safety Precautions

Exposure to illnesses happens all the time on the job, but there are still precautions that you can take.

The CDC recommends healthcare professionals who are caring for a monkeypox patient to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, a gown, eye protection, and a NIOSH-approved particulate respirator equipped with N95 filters or higher. As always, it is also essential to keep your hands clean by washing them frequently with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Exposed? Here’s What to Do

If you were exposed to monkeypox while caring for an infected patient, be mindful of any symptoms you develop within the next 21 days. Additionally, notify:

Infection control, who will help the facility maintain the situation;
Occupational health, who can help travelers with their treatment;
The health department can advise on health monitoring and start contact tracing;
Your agency will bridge the gap between occupational health and your available benefits. As your employer, your agency will administer workers’ compensation benefits, should you need them. So, it is also imperative that you know your agency’s process for reporting workers comp.

The CDC says healthcare workers who have unprotected exposure to monkeypox patients don’t need to be excluded from work but should begin monitoring symptoms twice daily for 21 days following the last date of exposure.

So, before you go to work, ask yourself: Do I have a fever, did I take any medications that could mask a fever, or do I have a rash? If you report any of these symptoms, maintain communication with your facility supervisor and your agency. Your agency should be able to support you in multiple ways.

“Helping them navigate their benefits, navigate sick time – those are a few reasons we’re here,” Hood explained.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has renamed variants or clades of the monkeypox virus during the 2022 outbreak. However, at the time this article was published, no new name had been announced for the disease altogether, though the WHO plans to review potential suggestions in the future.

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.

Resources

Monkeypox is an evolving disease, and this scale of an outbreak is a newer situation for the United States. Stay informed on current facts and guidelines provided by the CDC and review recent updates on its “What’s New and Updated” page. Additionally, you may find the below resources helpful as the outbreak continues.

By Triage Healthcare Staffing

August 15, 2022

2050 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 TheraEx

August 9, 2022

5180 Views

6 Ways to Spot Fake Travel Nurse Job Postings

Posted on August 9, 2022August 1, 2022 by TheraEx

TheraEx Staffing Solutions provided this article.

The rise of fake job postings for healthcare professionals has reached an all-time high. As a travel nurse in one of the most sought-after fields, you must be vigilant when it comes to being able to identify when someone is trying to scam you. Fake postings can fall through the cracks even on the most reputable job boards. Below are a few notable red flags to be on the lookout for:

1. All Emails and Job Postings Are Riddled with Spelling Errors and Poor Grammar

Consider it a major red flag if the job posting contains spelling and grammatical errors or has incorrect punctuation. A legitimate job posting will be professional and polished. Emails from scammers may also be overly formal or look like it was copied and pasted from somewhere else.

2. Is The Company or Recruiter Legitimate?

If you’ve never heard of the individual or company that is advertising the job opening, try performing a quick Google search. By viewing their website, recent news articles about the company, and their social media profiles, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, you’ll be able to have a better understanding of their online presence and if they have actual real employees working for them. Another way to decipher if a company is legitimate is by googling the term “company name scam” to see if there are any previous reports or complaints associated with the company in question.

If they’re a recruitment professional, use LinkedIn to research the person you’re communicating with to make sure they’re legitimate and have other connections from within the company they’re representing. Most scam artists have large amounts of information missing on their profiles and tend to spell “jobs” as “j0bs,” so they’re able to bypass LinkedIn filters.

If you are still uncertain, ask around. Thanks to the availability of social networks and online forums, you can ask for information about the company from your friends, colleagues, and other members in your network.

3. The Recruiter Has a Generic Email Address

Whether your correspondence is with a recruiter from a staffing agency or the head of HR, you should expect that they’ll have a company email address. If the recruiter is using a generic email service such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail, they’re possibly not legitimate. Another warning sign to be aware of is if the email that you receive doesn’t contain any contact information such as a physical mailing address, office, cell, and/or fax number.

4. You’re Asked to Do an Interview Via Chat or Text

If your first interview is scheduled through some type of text messaging services like Telegram, Signal, or WhatsApp, it is a huge red flag. Interviews are typically conducted by phone or through video conferencing software like Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Webex. Any hiring manager worth their salt will not conduct a job interview via instant message.

5. You’re Offered the Job Without an Interview

Some scam artists will try to offer you a job without even doing an interview. A major part of a genuine recruiter’s job is to spend time ensuring that you’re the right fit for the company and position you’re applying for and that you have all the required training and licenses.

6. They Ask You for Money

Genuine recruiters will ask you for your contact details, an updated copy of your CV, and for references. At no point in the process should they ask you to provide any form of payment.

Steps to Take if You Fall Victim to an Online Job Scam:

If you believe you have fallen victim to a job scam, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage:

File a complaint with the FTC online at reportfraud.ftc.gov or by calling (877) 382-4357.
Report the scam to your state’s Attorney General at usa.gov/state-attorney-general.
Close any bank account(s) affected by the scam and open new accounts at a new bank.
If you provided your social security number at any point, order credit reports from all three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and monitor them for unusual activity. To be safe, you can also create an E-Verify account with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and freeze your social security number at e-verify.gov/mye-verify/self-lock.
Report the company name, contact email, and job posting to the site where the fraudulent job was posted so they can remove it and investigate further.
Contact your local police department and file a report.

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

1982 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 21, 2022

2934 Views

Travel Nursing to Entrepreneur – My Journey and Advice

Posted on June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 by Mynoucka

I started traveling in October 2018; I began my blog and website in April 2019. I started my podcast on a solo trip to Hawaii, running my first marathon in December 2019.

The cool part about documenting your journey is looking back and seeing how far you have come. I started my podcast to share different things I’ve learned as I continue to travel in general but primarily while working as a travel nurse. It was an incredible experience, and I learned so much about the nursing profession and myself.

I did some soul-searching.

I didn’t have anyone with me, so this time alone was much-needed. It allowed me to do some soul-searching and figure life out. I was at a point in my life where I just needed a change. I talked about this often, and the reason why I talked about health care in mental health so often is that before I started traveling, I was at a very low point and didn’t know what to do. So, first, I left the bedside temporarily, not because I hated it, but because I knew I just needed some time away from it. What I felt was not entirely related to work, but I knew I had reached a level of burnout. I wanted some time, so I took some time away. I am very grateful and blessed to have taken that time away. Once I did, it showed me that I wasn’t ready to quit the bedside; I just needed a different environment.

I started travel nursing in October of 2018, and that is when the podcast came to be. All I was doing allowed me to dig deep and do some soul-searching; it got me at least out of the little rut I was in. I am incredibly thankful for that season, I have no regrets, and I don’t know where I would be had I not decided to at least take that time away from the bedside. In addition to all the good stuff, I began confronting the debt I had created and broke down some of my spending habits. I slowly began learning to leverage my income as a travel nurse, which could help me eliminate some of that debt and save.

Life as an entrepreneur

I also began to consider what life as an entrepreneur would look like. As a travel nurse, there are a lot of aspects to work that you handle independently. What do I mean by that? I am talking about the steps you go through to become a contracted employee through an agency and reviewing the agency’s contracts. Looking over the contract and understanding that you signed is a contract between yourself and the facility. Also, negotiating your rate while beginning to see yourself and understanding how much you’re worth and bringing to the table. When I started as a nurse and got my first nursing job, I didn’t think about what I was worth; I was just happy that I got a job.

The skill of negotiating

I was able to get into the field right away. As I progressed in my career and had the opportunity to negotiate my rates, I began to see what it was like to ask for more. I knew I was bringing more experience to the table and travel nursing gave me that opportunity. I wasn’t just given my two, three, or four percent raise. Or potentially no raise, depending on the economy. The conversation was more like, “okay, this is what we can give you,” and then being able to come back and say, “no, I want more,” and then going back and forth. And going through that process, you’re negotiating, and travel nursing allowed me to do that. It also allowed me to negotiate scheduling time off before signing the contract to ensure that I could still be involved in activities outside of work. Planning to take extended time off or take breaks when you need to while also thinking about how you will be able to sustain yourself still and pay your bills while taking that time off.

Learning entrepreneurship skills while travel nursing

These are things that I thought about on the travel nurse administrator side of things. Making sure you submit your time card to payroll, so you get paid on time. I was not paid for one week because I forgot to submit my time card. Submitting reimbursements, negotiating additional stipends, and so many things that I didn’t have to think about. It opened me up to the idea of pursuing entrepreneurship. I watched Monette of the traveling child and communicated with her on my podcast. I saw how a blog could be used as an outlet and turned into a profitable business. Some people blog for a living. Like many other things in this life, many things can seem abstract; Google can only take you so far. It’s helpful when you have someone willing to discuss how entrepreneurship works.

I was doing my blog, and then a few months after that, I launched the podcast. Now, even with podcasting, people are making a living. Honestly, I am learning that there are a lot of ways we may think that are unorthodox but can be used as ways that people can make a living. Whether through blogging, podcasting, consulting, writing a book, or the influencer world of social media and YouTube. I mean, you name it, and potential business opportunities are awaiting you. I believe creating different ways to bring an income has always been important.

What I am saying here isn’t necessarily revelatory. As nurses, many of us have the unique opportunity to dive into entrepreneurship because of our unit’s schedule, working three twelve-hour shifts each week or other flexible jobs, such as a telehealth position, where you can work remotely.

I think watching how our world is changing every day and our new normal is being established; if you weren’t experimenting with entrepreneurship or a home-based business, it’s a thought now.

The whys

All of us have different whys that push us in this direction. For some, it’s becoming a parent and wanting to spend more time at home with the children. For others, it’s wanting to pay down debt and save. And for others, it could be the freedom that creating your own business can allow you to have, so you can do more of what you love.

Remain Flexible

If you speak to many entrepreneurs, they will tell you to keep your job and allow your main hustle to fuel your side hustle until it can become your main hustle. I’m sure you can agree that life is about growth, and what traveling has taught me professionally and personally is always to remain flexible and pivot when life calls you to.

We hope you found this article on travel nursing to entrepreneur helpful. Have you taken a role as an entrepreneur with or after a career as a travel nurse? Comment your entrepreneurial experience or advice for fellow entrepreneurs 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.

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 Medical Edge Recruitment

March 16, 2022

4217 Views

Tips for Every Type of Traveler

Posted on March 16, 2022March 9, 2022 by Medical Edge Recruitment

Medical Edge Recruitment provided this article.

Written by: Gabriel Velez, Recruitment Consultant, Medical Edge Recruitment

Travel contracts and jobs are both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time! It is an opportunity to travel anywhere, make more money, see new things, or help in areas that need nurses. When it comes to deciding where to go, there are a few factors you need to consider, especially if you are new to travel nursing.

For those new to travel

“Wow, you are making how much?”

“You are traveling to another beach this weekend?”

“Your agency gives you bonuses just for completing a contract?”

These are probably things you or a friend have said if you are a first-time traveler or interested in contract work. Traveling is an exciting opportunity, but if you are new to it, it can also be an intimidating or daunting task to go somewhere far from home, even if it is for a job you do every day. For those just starting out or exploring the scene, it’s best to stay within your state and only a couple of hours away. Most facilities or contracts will consider anyone commuting 60 or more miles for their work as a traveler. Going to a neighboring city or even across the state can be a great way to get a feel for travel while also staying in an environment that is still “homey.” This is one of the best ways to dip your toes in for the experience!

For those looking for the most money

Money is a driving force for almost everyone. Whether you are looking to build your savings, provide for your family, or are a “treat yourself” type of person, money is very important. Traveling contracts are almost always a higher rate than local contracts. It is crucial to investigate what is being offered in your contract. Is the agency giving you a pay package that is based on 48 hours of work, but the facility caps you at 36 hours a week? Ask questions as to how often you are being paid. Ask if stipends are in addition to your pay or if the contract being presented includes it, making it seem like more money than it really is! More money is always tempting, but the best thing to do is to take a travel contract that is high pay and low risk. Sometimes what’s being presented is high pay and high risk.

Additionally, with high-paying contracts, research how much the area costs. If you are paying for housing, it’s nice to find a high-paying job, but not if your hotel, Airbnb, or housing takes half of it. Furthermore, if everything in the area is expensive (i.e., food, entertainment, etc.), is it worth taking that job just because it pays 10 dollars more per hour than another location?

For those looking for an adventure

Travel nursing is a fun way to vacation! For those that like to work hard and play hard, travel contracts are a good way to find adventure and make money at the same time. As a recruiter, it is so fun to work with adventure-seeking nurses. We work across the nation and have facilities all over the country for those that know what they are looking for. Want to work 3 days a week, and the other 4 be at the beach? Done. Want to go somewhere that’s warm during the winter but has a great city life? We can do that! Plan a vacation and work at the same time as your contract!

All in all, recruiters should be doing what is best for you and your success. We are here because we care about our nurses. Our mission is to find you money, adventure, or a comfortable place that makes you prosperous. Nurses have a tough job, one that is selfless and rewarding, and nothing brings us more joy and fulfillment than taking something stressful like job hunting off your plate!

Need help finding a travel nurse adventure?

Medical Edge Recruitment is the premier travel nursing recruitment agency specializing in providing top talent to clients in the healthcare industry. We connect clinical and allied providers to their ideal opportunities, focusing on building long-lasting relationships through honesty and transparency. In travel nursing, bigger does not always mean better. While we have an extensive network of job opportunities, our experienced team is dedicated to making a personalized provider experience a priority. There are a lot of moving parts in getting set up for a new assignment, but we take care of all the details along the way. Adventure awaits; let Medical Edge Recruitment show you where to go next!

We hope you found this article on tips for every type of traveler helpful. Do you have any tips to share with fellow travelers? Comment them 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 assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

1. Find a Stand-out Travel Nurse Agency & Recruiter

Pick a Travel Nurse Agency

Pick a Travel Nurse Recruiter

2. Prep Your Travel Nurse File & Submit Your Application

3. Interview and Land a Job

4. Compliance and Housing

5. Now, The Fun Begins

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

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

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