The Exciting Rigors of a Traveling Nurse Career
Date: June 28, 2023
Have you dreamed of jet-setting? With a nursing vocation, traveling to go-to destinations might be easier than you once thought. In fact, a nursing education could be your “passport” to destination locations you wouldn’t otherwise place in your travel plans. Stethoscope in one hand, suitcase in another, here are some things to look at as you contemplate the “world of nursing” or the “big old world” in general.
What is a Traveling Nurse?
Travel nursing is a specialty that took root when the nursing field faced a nationwide shortage.1 With the shortfall, healthcare facilities had vacancies, whereby nurses filled open positions.1 This match was accomplished by agencies and employers working together to recruit medical personnel for specific areas.
Traveling nurses are healthcare professionals from various clinical backgrounds who work for independent staffing agencies. Moreover, said nurses apply and are assigned to different care areas on a temporary basis to fill short-term employment gaps.2 More than a few find the arrangement attractive. According to Travel Nursing.com, some benefits of this type of nursing may include the following:
- Discovering new places;
- Having freedom and flexibility;
- Experiencing professional growth;
- Enjoying job security;
- Making new friends;
- Earning more money;
- Suffering fewer workplace politics;
- Finding the ideal place to settle down;
- Avoiding burnout;
- Developing new interests/hobbies.3
1, You Can ‘Camp’ Before Fully Committing
Luxury areas sometimes have an influx of tourists, but often their quota of local professionals is found wanting. Because of this, destination areas often need professional staffing during peak or seasonal times. Moreover, filling such calls not only brings a stopgap to service needs but may also afford you the luxury of visiting a dream destination. By and large, the short-term job appointment allows one to live there temporarily and get a feel for the region before committing.
Additionally, trying a workplace out before determining if it’s a long-term fit makes sense not just on a geographical level but also socially. Traveling nurse options provide a know-before-you-go approach or the ability to wet your proverbial “toes in the water” before jumping all in.
While you might be in a place that doesn’t yet know your birthday or that your favorite ice cream is peppermint, clocking in and out and staying somewhat “detached” as an outsider can help you assess work culture prior to establishing long-term employment. Such an arrangement allows an employer to view you at work and visa versa before making temp to full-hire arrangements.
2, You Can Work Where You Want To
Work near long-lost family members or friends. Or serve in a third-world country, giving back to the world. Or just pick an exotic location you’ve only dreamed of. While a nurse might travel anywhere, he or she generally works within high-need regions. Yet, the assignment choice is up to the individual, so one may work where they choose.
Most traveling nurses serve within physicians’ offices, home healthcare, schools, correctional facilities, ambulatory care centers, government entities, skilled nursing homes, and residential care facilities.2
Traveling nurses may be away from home for periods that range from a few weeks to a year. However, completing such a task generally increases nurses’ experience level and improves their overall qualifications.
3, You Can Ask for Competitive Pay
Agencies generally offer higher pay with housing perks.1, 4
Besides expecting the next adventure and the excitement of new opportunities, travel nursing usually includes higher-than-average pay.1 According to Health Carousel Travel Nursing, nurse benefits attempt at best to attract nurses to open positions. Many times travel and license reimbursement are part of the deal,4 as are healthcare, dental, and life insurance.4
Also, employing agencies generally offer higher pay with housing perks.1, 4 Contracts often include free, tax-free, or housing stipends. Such lodging reimbursement can go far to assuage costs in hotels, Airbnbs, campground fees, or other accommodations.
By and large, contracts are made to provide win-win situations. Often travel nurses have access to a travel recruiter for assignments and other types of working support depending on their agreement.4
You Can Start the Journey Today
You can’t start a traveling nurse career if you haven’t become a nurse. The best place to start in any journey is with the very first step. Start your nursing career at the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Vocational Nurse Program today.~
Citations
1^a, b, c, d RegisteredNursing.org Staff Writers. “What Is Travel Nursing? — How to Become a Travel Nurse and Salary.” RegisteredNursing.org. Aug. 2017. (Accessed June 27, 2023.)
2^a, b “Where Travel Nurses Work | American Mobile.” Www.americanmobile.com. (Accessed June 26, 2023.)
3 Wirkus, Melissa. “10 Benefits to Working as a Travel Nurse.” Www.travelnursing.com, AMN Healthcare, Inc., 2011. (Accessed June 26, 2023.)
4 ^a, b, c, d Rivera, Lauren. “Top 10 Benefits of Being a Travel Nurse and Why You Should Consider It as a Career | Health Carousel Travel Nursing.” Health Carousel Travel Nursing. (Accessed June 26, 2023.)
