October 2, 2024

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5 Benefits of the Travel Nurse Lifestyle

Posted on October 2, 2024September 17, 2024 by CareerStaff Unlimited

CareerStaff Unlimited provided this article.

Travel nursing is no longer just a way for healthcare facilities to fill urgent positions. These days, it’s an opportunity for nurses to get paid to travel, work hard, play hard, and rest hard! It’s a unique career where you can pick your schedule, fight burnout, and explore new places. The travel nurse lifestyle has evolved a lot in the past few years, and the benefits are better than ever.

Day in the Life of a Travel Nurse

During Your Shifts

During your shifts, you’ll adapt to your new facility, gaining fresh skills, experiences, and connections. Depending on your role, you might float between departments to support staff needs.

While the dynamics may vary, you’ll quickly settle into a routine after orientation and training. Your main focus remains caring for your patients, just as you always have, with the added excitement of learning in a new environment.

Before & After Your Shifts

Before or after your shift, the day is yours to plan. Some days, you might prefer to rest and recharge in your new surroundings. On others, you could explore the area, sample local cuisine, visit museums, or relax at a nearby park or lake.

On Your Days Off

On your days off, the possibilities expand even further. Turn your days off into a staycation or a quick getaway.

Unplug with a day trip to the beach, mountains, or a national park.
Catch a ballgame, go to a concert, or visit an amusement park.
Take a road trip to a nearby city or destination.

The travel nurse lifestyle is the perfect balance of work and play, and you have the freedom to choose what that looks like. Your days off can feel like mini-vacations if you want them to be!

5 Benefits of Today’s Travel Nurse Lifestyle

1. More Flexibility

Sometimes, you just need a break. As a travel nurse, that’s entirely possible. You can take a few weeks or even months off between assignments — whatever you need.

Whether you want to jump right back into work or take your time, the travel nurse lifestyle helps combat the burnout that affects 2 in 3 nurses today. You can work with your travel nurse recruiter to try and align your breaks with holidays or vacations if you want.

During this time off, you might travel and explore your new area without the demands of work, focus on self-care, or spend quality time with family and friends. The best part? The choice is entirely yours.

2. Travel & Explore New Areas

As a staff nurse, finding time to travel can be a big challenge. But with the travel nurse lifestyle, it’s built into the job.

You can play tourist in your new city between assignments and on your days off. Explore local favorites, visit landmarks, and unwind in nature.

Picture this: A few months surrounded by the gorgeous fall colors on the East Coast, then heading off for snowy mountain adventures — or maybe escaping to a warm beach to avoid the cold. You get to choose assignments that fit your travel dreams.

3. Build Your Nursing Resume

One of the fastest ways to gain experience is through new experiences. As a travel nurse, you’ll quickly learn new skills, expand your network, and build confidence by working in different medical settings. You’ll get exposure to various specialties, settings, and methods, broadening your perspective and abilities.

The more you open your mind to new ways of thinking and practicing, the more career opportunities you’ll discover.

4. Earn More

The numbers are clear: Travel nurses usually earn more than staff nurses. The exact pay depends on the job and location. However, because travel nurses fill urgent needs, they tend to make higher wages. On top of that, they often get extra perks like travel and housing stipends, which add to their overall income.

5. You Aren’t Stuck

Assignments typically last about 13 weeks, so you’re never “stuck” with a particular schedule, role, or setting. If you don’t enjoy an assignment, you know it’s temporary. Unlike the significant commitment of quitting a permanent position, the travel nurse lifestyle allows you to explore different work environments and see what you like or dislike. It can help you decide where you want to be long-term in your career.

Choose Your Lifestyle as a Travel Nurse

We hope you found this article on the 5 benefits of the travel nurse lifestyle helpful. Are there any other benefits we missed? Comment below.

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Do you need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

By Favorite Healthcare Staffing

August 11, 2021

5488 Views

Healthy Tips to Support a Travel Nurse Lifestyle!

Posted on August 11, 2021July 20, 2021 by Favorite Healthcare Staffing

This article was provided by Favorite Healthcare.

Travel Nurses are always on the go during their assignments, making it sometimes difficult to stay on top of mental and physical health. Whether you are hitting the road for the first time or are looking to adopt new healthy habits, here are some helpful tips to keep you healthy while on your travel nursing assignment!

Maintain Your Physical Health

Living the travel nurse lifestyle, it can be difficult to make your physical health a priority. You come home from a long and exhausting shift, and the last thing you want to do is fit in a workout. Here are some simple ways to stay healthy:

Join a local gym that you can attend on your days off or when you just need to relieve the stresses of work. Make sure to do your research to find the best fit for you.
Don’t want to join a gym? No problem! Order a few resistance bands to do body workouts wherever you are!
Go on walks or hikes. There is nothing better than a long walk while enjoying the beauty of nature wherever you are.
Even the simplest forms of physical activity can be good for you! Whether that is walking to the local coffee shop you discovered or taking a morning stroll on the beach, keep your body moving.
Always stay hydrated! Water is vital for the human body to function properly throughout the day so make sure you have a good water bottle on hand. You can even find a 64-ounce water bottle to make sure you get your full water intake throughout the day.

Sleep Makes Everything Better

Working long shifts every day can be extremely stressful and draining. Sleep is important to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing, but catching some Z’s isn’t always as easy as it sounds for a nurse. Here are some ways to keep a regular sleep schedule:

Make your space your own. Bringing cozy items with you while you’re on assignment like your pillow, favorite blanket or slippers can help you stay relaxed.
When it’s time to sleep, keep your room cool, dark, and even find a comfortable sleep mask to block out any extra light.
Sound machines are great to bring with you on a travel assignment. If you don’t have one you can even play white noise straight from your phone. A variety of music apps have different playlists that can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Ensure that you have a regular bedtime routine in place. Whether you enjoy reading a book or prefer to limit screen time before bed, having a consistent routine every day will help your body prepare itself for a good night’s sleep.

Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health

The travel nurse lifestyle can sometimes mean that you will have time alone or that you might be far away from your friends, family, and loved ones. This could put a strain on your mental health. Here are some tips for supporting good mental health:

Make sure to research the location you are heading to. If you are traveling alone, you can fill up your schedule with activities and adventures to keep your mind and body active.
Have nothing to do in a new city? Working extra shifts is always a good option and a terrific way to make extra money!
Add yoga, breathing exercises, or a form of meditation to your workouts for a particularly good stress reliever. It’s also the perfect way to stretch and heal your body after working a long shift.
Remember that it’s always okay to ask for help. There are many online resources you can use if you are feeling down or just need someone to talk to, and here’s a great place to start. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It takes tremendous strength and shows that you care about your body and wellbeing.

Happy Healthy Wallet

While traveling from place to place, the cost of food and travel can add up quickly, and expenses may be higher than you expect. As a travel nurse, healthy eating habits are important to improve and maintain your energy throughout shifts. Going out to eat may be quick and convenient, but overspending on eating out is not the healthiest way to live. There are many easy ways to save money while also keeping your body healthy! Here are some tips on how to keep a happy, healthy wallet:

If you are staying in an Air BnB or a location where you can cook, it could help save you money. Meal prepping is such an easy way to have food ready to go throughout the week, making life easier when you work 12 hours a day.
Eat your fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eating these higher-quality foods will help keep your energy up. It is also cheaper than buying snacks from a vending machine.
Limit your eating out to one or two times a week. The costs of eating out can add up quickly and often a restaurant’s portions are much bigger than what you would eat at home.

The travel nurse lifestyle can be tiring at times but is overall so rewarding! Not only do you help and heal others, but you also get to visit some breathtaking places and experience amazing adventures across the country. Just don’t forget to also take care of yourself during your travels. Practice each of these tips, and you’ll be on your way to creating a healthy lifestyle as a travel nurse!

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you have your assignment lined up but need housing? Click here to view 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 Grace Hawkins

July 7, 2021

6202 Views

Tips to Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle as a Travel Nurse

Posted on July 7, 2021March 22, 2022 by Grace Hawkins

Travel nursing has many perks and challenges. And staying healthy while on the road is one of the most important of them. As a nurse, you can choose to work in different states, cities, and countries. You are constantly challenged with new organizations and are “on the move” many times throughout the year. Travel nurses face work-life changes when they sign up for different assignments. Therefore, it gets difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

But if you are already following a healthy lifestyle, staying healthy while traveling will be easy for you. And if you are someone who hasn’t found the time to acquire healthy habits, travel nursing might be the perfect opportunity to do so. All travel nurses can learn to manage stress, eat healthily and exercise while on the road with careful planning.

We have listed a few essential tips travel nurses can easily use to continue eating mindfully and maintain their health.

Always make a Plan

Anticipating the change helps and allows travel nurses to develop and prepare a plan. The plan can be as detailed as required, depending on the nurse. For example, with proper planning, it will be easy for you to identify nearby grocery stores and healthier restaurants near your assignment location. The travel nurses can even plan meals for their lunches and snacks to avoid the unhealthy foods in the cafeteria or restaurant. In the world of nursing, potlucks are pretty popular. If you are aware that potlucks can be a joint breakroom event at your assigned location, motivate other nurses to plan that as well.

Take CBD Supplements

A travel nurse schedule is a hectic one, with plenty of traveling and hectic work schedules. At such a time, CBD can be helpful. It is a stress reliever and helps to calm the mind. CBD can help promote the mental well-being of the travel nurse. It is widely used as an alternative to medication and relaxation therapies across different professions. You can buy CBD products like CBD oil, CBD hemp capsules from Weedsmart.

Drink Water

Drinking adequate water is essential. A healthy diet does not just end with food choices. Water helps in ramping up the metabolism when taken first thing in the morning. It also helps you feel full for a longer duration and helps in lubricating joints to prevent injury. Since nursing is a physical job, water is essential. Therefore, you need to drink adequate water throughout the day.

Follow a Routine

Following a routine is an efficient and good way of maintaining a healthy life. It is a practice that proved beneficial and fruitful for every person, whatever profession they might be. The schedule of the travel nurse is hectic and full of travel and duty that often leaves them fatigued and worn out. As such, it is important for you to follow a routine with healthy eating and regular exercise. Additionally, you should also resort to workouts. If the location you are traveling to doesn’t have a gym, carrying light weights, or other easily packable fitness equipment or a yoga mat can prove to be helpful. A good pair of sneakers can be a lifesaver at times. Also, a good run or jog in the morning or evening can equally prove effective. There are many free workout videos on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to keep you fit and healthy.

Get a Fitness Buddy

If you have a friend who motivates you to stay fit, that’s an additional bonus. Teaming up with a friend is an effective way to stick to a healthy routine and diet as a travel nurse. You can have a long-time friend, a partner, family member, or even a co-worker at the new workplace as your fitness buddy. Additionally, this arrangement is a great way to strike up a friendship in an unfamiliar location. Like-minded people can help, motivate and encourage you to continue healthy habits, especially when you are beginning a new assignment. Working out with your buddy, swapping healthy recipes, sharing workout and fitness videos, or even scoping out nearby diet-friendly restaurants are excellent ways to keep each other on track.

Take Time for Yourself

As you already are aware, travel nursing can be stressful. Switching gear frequently is not easy and can also lead to setbacks. Hence, you should consider taking time off to help manage your stress. Fun activities such as continuing a hobby, going out sightseeing or exploring nearby places in your new location, and making new friends can help ease the stress. You can try out a relaxing activity like meditating, yoga, art, and journaling to help melt stress and anxiety. In addition to this, getting adequate sleep, taking time off from work, and prioritizing rest is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion

Work as a travel nurse tests a person both mentally and physically. It is essential to maintain sanity and a healthy lifestyle to work and create a good balance between professional and personal life. We hope these tips help you put your health first and encourage you to continue to help others.

We hope you found these tips on living a healthy lifestyle helpful. If you would like to read more health and wellness articles click here.

By Gayatri Regester

April 8, 2021

5282 Views

Yoga, Meditation, Self-Care, and Why I Started This Journey

Posted on April 8, 2021January 17, 2023 by Gayatri Regester

What is our purpose in life?

This is a question I have found myself asking many times over the years, first arising during my senior year in nursing school. I was anxious, depressed, and numbing myself with various substances to avoid the pain I did not know how to handle.

Wake Up Call

My clinical rotation that fall semester had me in an inpatient psychiatric unit, where we would start the day off with an AA meeting. I listened to my patients as they shared their stories of serving in the military and how they were not equipped with the tools necessary to deal with the emotional and mental challenges they had endured. To cope with their symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, panic attacks, they too found their solution in drugs and alcohol. One morning, I looked at the people around me and felt an overwhelming feeling of compassion and empathy, but also a feeling that this experience was a wake-up call. Like a mirror, my patients were showing me the suffering I was too afraid to look it with-in myself. I needed a real solution to face my traumas and find healing.

The book called Lessons in Meditation

The solution came in the book called “Lessons in Meditation” written by Jyotish Novak. I began following the lessons and instantly felt as if this book was showing me the light out of the darkness around me. Each day in clinical, I would sit with several of my patients and walk them through the simple meditation tools shared in this book.

One day was a particularly profound moment I will never forget. One of my patients had previously opened up to me about the hatred he felt for himself and the things he had done in his life. His mental dialogue for the last twenty years was, “I am a monster.” We were meditating for about 15 minutes when he said very quietly, but with immense joy, “the voice in my head has silenced.” The joy in his smile and the feeling of inner forgiveness I felt from him were palpable. I knew these meditation techniques had shifted the inner narrative within him and had transformed him in some profound way. Seeing his transformation, I knew these techniques had the power to transform lives. I felt hope and joy for the first time in many years.

About a year after starting to meditate, this question again surfaced in my mind-

What is the purpose of my life?

Again the answer came in a book, this time “Autobiography of a Yogi” written by the Paramhansa Yogananda. I wanted what he had- freedom and infinite joy! (I later would find out, Jyotish Novak was a spiritual director of Ananda Worldwide, a church dedicated to sharing the teachings of Yogananda)

I began to orient my life around a search for that joy he talked about, which eventually led me to the Ananda Meditation Retreat in 2017. I lived and served here for several years, attuning myself with the vibration of stillness and diving deep into the teachings of Yogananda. Profound healing, discovery, growth, and joy were found during this time.

Spiritual Community

I continue to live in a spiritual community, and it gives me great inspiration to share with others these tools and techniques that have changed my life. Simple tools to uplift one’s consciousness, to let go of limiting thoughts and attitudes, and find a deeper connection with your highest Self.

As a nurse, I know the difficulties that come with the job and how little we were taught on how to deal with the emotional aspects of being a nurse. What’s even harder is the loss of hope and inspiration I have heard so many nurses express this past year. As nurses, we have chosen a life dedicated to serving others. We must learn how to care for ourselves, not only physically, but we must also learn how to mentally and emotionally support ourselves so that we can continue to give to others. Meditation, breathwork, and other yoga principles are incredibly helpful tools. By reconnecting to the compassion within our hearts, we can rediscover the inspiration and job satisfaction that inspired us to become nurses. And with tools of self-care and centering, we can remain heart-opened without burning out and depleting ourselves.

I look forward to sharing with you

Day in the Life of a Travel Nurse

5 Benefits of Today’s Travel Nurse Lifestyle

1. More Flexibility

2. Travel & Explore New Areas

3. Build Your Nursing Resume

4. Earn More

5. You Aren’t Stuck

Choose Your Lifestyle as a Travel Nurse

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

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Strategies for Dealing with Travel Nurse Burnout

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Maintain Your Physical Health

Sleep Makes Everything Better

Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health

Happy Healthy Wallet

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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Always make a Plan

Take CBD Supplements

Drink Water

Follow a Routine

Get a Fitness Buddy

Take Time for Yourself

Conclusion

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