Are you Considering Travel?

Speaking with my good friend and travel nurse extraordinaire Yasmine, she suggested this post’s topic: how to decide if travel is right for you. Since starting my first assignment, it seems more and more nurses are considering travel. It’s no wonder, between the benefits of travel and the relief leaving frequently stressful staff positions can bring. Especially in the current state of healthcare, many professionals are looking for greater flexibility and a change of pace. When considering making the move from staff to travel, it is beneficial to consider the pros and cons. Doing so, and researching the logistics will help lead to the most favorable outcome.

I’ve had both friends and even total strangers recognize me as a travel nurse and ask for my opinion and recommendations. Often, it seems the motivation comes from one of two paces: a push due to dissatisfaction in their current staff position, or a pull towards new experiences through travel. Whether it be frustration with staffing shortages, unit politics, or something else, over half the nurses I have spoken with say they are leaving to escape something unfavorable. The remaining portion, leave because they want to experience new hospitals, new cities/states and/or see what opportunities exist elsewhere. Myself, it was more of the latter, and despite the many benefits to travel, I entered with the mindset that there will problems everywhere you go. Some places will be better, other places worse. What’s more important, is where you draw the line. What are you are willing to tolerate and what do you need to be able to practice safely and effectively?

Motivations aside, how does one prepare to make the choice to pursue a future in travel nursing? Let’s name some of the important considerations.

• Impact on self/family life - how will the switch impact my life and that of my family? Will they come with me or will I travel solo? How far am I willing to go from home? What will change in my day-day life?

  • Many options exist for travel nurses, from traveling across the country to staying local at surrounding hospitals. So depending what you want, you can choose which route to pursue.

• Financial considerations - what will my housing situation be? Will I have health insurance through an agency, or do I need to find private insurance? How will this change impact my taxes?

  • A great way for anyone trying to maximize their financial health is to invest in a financial advisor or CPA. Especially since being a travel nurse welcomes a greater deal of financial autonomy, it’s good to have a plan!

• Support systems - what kind of support systems will I have? What resources do I have access to?

  • Social media is a great way to connect like-minded individuals, and share experience. There are all sorts of travel nursing groups to join, pages to follow and blogs to read up on. For example, the Facebook group “Travel Nursing Newbies” is a wealth of information for those starting out. Best way to receive information on travel nursing? Talk to travel nurses!

• Agencies - What agencies can I work with?

  • Research the different agencies and the services they provide. Some provide housing for you, others give you a stipend but leave the living arrangement planning to you. Below are a few examples of agencies:

    • Medical solutions

    • Trustaff

    • Crosscountry

    • Aureus

    • Maxim

    • Total Med

    • Aya

    • Trusted Health

• Preparation - what should I have prepared for my recruiter/liaison?

  • Documentation - if you haven’t already, start a portfolio (physical and digital) with all your important documents: ID (driver’s license, SSN, nursing license, etc), certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS, etc), health documents (vaccination history, fit test results, physicals), travel documents (passport, car insurance) and financial documents (banking information, proof of address).

• Leaving - What is my plan for leaving my current position?

  • It’s always a good idea to have something lined up before leaving your job (unless you want some time off first - also not a bad idea!). Just be mindful that the time between accepting an offer and actually starting can differ and sometimes stretch longer than originally anticipated! Either way, try to give your employer at least 2 weeks to one month notice.

At the end of the day, the decision comes down to what is best for you. Although nursing can be an exhausting and stressful profession to be in, there are many avenues that can make it more tolerable, and hopefully allow us to continue in the profession without constantly feeling burnt out.