Are you a nurse looking to shake your life up a little? Feeling like taking a step outside of the norm and trying something new? Something unique? Well, if travelling, meeting new people and earning a great income while doing it sounds like a good change, maybe you should consider travel nursing.
Travel nursing has been booming in the last few years and many nurses have dropped their regular nursing positions in order to take a step into an adventurous lifestyle. While it may seem like a big leap to some, travel nursing positions allow you to take control of your work and life balance, learn new skills in new hospitals and with new patients, as well as make a great income. These temporary nursing positions are generally 13-weeks long, with the potential option of renewing your position or taking on another in a different part of the country. Have a nursing specialty under your belt? That’s excellent! A nursing specialty, like critical care, neonatal or anesthetist, etc. can get you through more doors and can even see you have a nice pay raise compared to RN positions. Filling positions is generally based on nursing shortages, a rise in patients due to seasonal changes or major disasters, like a pandemic.
Once in the travel nursing world, each area you work in is your oyster. You can find great cafes and walk Central Park in New York, visit the beaches in California or take on epic hikes in Utah. Your days off are yours to find the hidden gems of the country, and to be able to move on to your next destination and start your discoveries all over again is a major benefit.
So, if you’re considering making the journey to travel nursing, here are some tips you should have up your sleeve before heading in.
1. Find Your Recruiter
Travel nursing companies are available to make your transition into travel nursing as smooth as possible. They learn your wants and needs, find your assignments and take care of the paperwork along the way. They are your backbone in travel nursing and guide you throughout it all. Here at TheraEx, our healthcare professional owned agency has been supporting travel nurses since 2009. Offering above median, lucrative compensation packages, single point contact within the company, makes credentials easy and offers bonuses.
2. Backup
Though your travel nursing recruiter will be doing their work to get you the assignment you want, it may not be the best idea to quit your day job before finding an assignment. Contracts can be cancelled, although not often, it is always a possibility as with any job. Therefore, keeping your regular schedule until you are ready to fly will keep your backup savings safe and secure.
3. What Do You Want?
If you have made the decision to become a travel nurse, have you decided where you would like to go? Some previous travel nurses suggest writing down your goals and what you would like to achieve in travel nursing. Are you doing it to build your resume? Make a good income fast? Or is it for the travel? There is no shame in any of these goals, and it will help you decide where you want to go on your first assignment and after.
4. Licenses and Credentialing and Compliance Process
There are always some tedious details to put in place, and while your recruiter will make sure you have everything you need to get started, you may have to buckle down to make sure you are able to start yourself. Make sure your licenses are up to date and be ready to go through the burden of credentialing and compliance processes. Each hospital may have its own system, and once they give you their list, do your best to get them everything you need ASAP. Lack of doing so can cause delays or cancellations.
5. Housing
One of the more daunting parts of travel nursing is figuring out where you are going to live, but equally the best part is that there are agency housing departments that assist you in finding housing in a safe and affordable area. Taking away a heck of a lot of stress.
6. Pack What You Need
13-weeks is an odd amount of time to be away. It’s longer than a simple vacation, but not as long to be packing everything in your house. As long as you have your necessities, you can usually purchase anything more at your destination. Just don’t pack too heavy, it can be more of a stressful burden on yourself.
7. Finding Your Place
You’re sitting in your first assignment, in a new area and are excited to get discovering. Before you go for the fun side of that part, start figuring out your work-life routine. Where is the hospital and how do you get there? What cafes or restaurants are available on the way or nearby in case you need a quick coffee or don’t want to cook?
8. Orientation
The Friday before you start your assignment; you will receive instructions on your orientation. It’s a good idea to also map out the hospital where you need to go. Once there, make sure to take note of specific details like where the med unit is, where supplies are and even where the crash cart is. Also, find your nursing manager and introduce yourself!
9. Contract
When you are new in a hospital, it’s tough for the staff to trust you do know what you are doing or ask you to do things you aren’t supposed to. Keeping your contract on you at all times allows you to prove to your coworkers what you are capable of or if you find yourself being asked to step out of your range.
10. Have Fun!
Seems like a silly thing to say, but its true! While you are helping hospitals, helping patients and working hard, you also are in the perfect opportunity to open up your world to new things. Ask your coworkers to show you around, take the tour you want, and do anything outside of your comfort zone. This is a real place of experience and growth, take advantage of it!