This article was sponsored by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions.
Travel nursing has a tremendous amount of perks, however many nurses believe it is a job that can only be done for a short period of time. Surprisingly, there are a lot of nurses who work full-time as travel nurses. There are so many benefits to working full-time as a travel nurse such as long periods of increased pay, flexibility with vacation time, and much more.
Flexibility and Adventure
The options for traveling around the country, even internationally, seem endless when working as a travel nurse. Travel contracts that are 13-weeks long allow nurses to move about the country or a region pretty frequently, giving options to explore different cities, participate in unique activities, and meet new people. For those that like the beach, there are options across the country to work in different beach towns. The same options are available for mountain escape destinations or big city living. For nurses with family or friends all over the country, there are opportunities to work in cities nearby to see them. The options are endless!
Matching Benefits and Time Off
Some travel companies offer more benefits and paid days off once a travel nurse has worked for their company for more than a year. Nurses still work contracts wherever they like, but the contracts are with the same travel company. Additionally, a lot of travel companies will start matching retirement account contributions after working with them for an extended period of time.
Higher Pay
Plenty of nurses choose to leave permanent nursing positions for travel nursing because of the allure of higher pay rates. Travel nurses get paid weekly, with a large portion of the pay being a non-taxable housing stipend. The ability to change travel contracts after a period of typically 13 weeks gives nurses the opportunity to move to another area for a contract that pays more money or is more in line with what they are looking for in a contract.
Holidays and Vacations
One of the biggest benefits of working as a travel nurse is being able to either request specific vacations off before signing a contract or not working at all during a time period when more than a few days off is desirable. Many permanent nurses have to compete for time off during peak seasons with a lot of vacation requests, such as during the summer or winter holidays.
While travel nurses can’t just request massive amounts of time off during contracts, they can choose with quite a bit of flexibility when they start a contract. Since contracts are typically 13-weeks long, a contract might end the third week in November. A travel nurse planning to be off for all of December may decide to not start their next contract until January. This type of planning allows travel nurses to plan for time off in between contracts.
Another way to be off for certain days is to request it before signing the contract. Some hospitals will want travel nurses to work holidays, and this information can be discussed prior to signing a contract and starting the job.
Friends Everywhere
Travel nursing is all about making new connections with people from across the country. Travel nurses tend to gravitate towards each other at assignments or meet up by staying at the same RV parks. Building friendships in new cities makes traveling less lonely or isolating. Plenty of travel nurses will travel together or even back to previous locations because of friendships or because they enjoy the people working in a specific unit or hospital.
Professional Confidence and Skill-Building
Working full-time as a travel nurse builds resilience at work by increasing professional confidence and the ability to adapt to new environments while providing quality patient care. Travel nurses adapt to the unique setting of each new contract, helping them maintain their skills at a high level. Moving to new hospitals and seeing different cultures builds nursing skills, and shows new ways to approach problem-solving. It takes a lot of confidence to be new to a unit and come in to provide safe patient care.
Travel nursing offers full-time benefits and opportunities for nurses looking for higher pay, adventure, and flexibility to take vacations more readily than permanent staff nurses. The skills, confidence, and connections that can be gained from long-term travel experiences are invaluable and last a lifetime.
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest health system. We help travelers find high-pay, rewarding assignments across the country. We offer both traditional travel contracts and full-benefited, full-time travel positions, as well as local contracts. Click here to learn more.
