Becoming A Travel Nurse Everything You need to Know

By Patrice M Foster

Have you always wondered if travel nursing would be a good fit for you as an RN? Have you had questions about how to become a travel nurse, and what it takes to become a successful and fulfilled one?

Have you been wondering about the other side of travel nursing that no one talks about, and you want to know everything before you commit to this career path?

Have you been experiencing difficulties with settling in your assignments and seeking advice, on what you can do better?

In this book, you will learn everything there is to know about travel nursing – most of which is never said out loud. Written by an experienced travel nurse, who has been on this journey and knows the path so well, the lessons are invaluable; they are real and practical in the real world of a traveling nurse!

If you have been looking for the truth regarding this career path, and only getting bread cramps of truth, then this book is a honest blueprint for the journey of a travel nurse.

Have you been wondering;

What does it take to become a travel nurse?

What is the negative side of this career path, and how can I survive it?

How do I ensure that I work with the right agency and sign contracts that fulfill my needs?

How do I make settling down in new locations smooth and save money and time?

How do I handle the downsides such as housing issues, license troubles, hostile environments, socializing problems etc. that are common in a travel nurses 'nomad' life?

If you have these and other related questions, you will find legitimate answers in this book.

You will learn:

How to get started, i.e., education, certification

Getting the documentation right

Negotiating the best contracts

Where to find work and how to find the best assignments

Where and how to find short-term jobs while in between assignments to reduce layovers

How to settle in a new location fast

How to earn more money, and proper money management skills so you can be financially secure.

How to make friends with strangers

How to stay connected to family, friends, partners and home, away from home

The downsides and how to maneuver through the cons at assignments

How to live your best life in new locations and create lifelong memories while traveling for assignments.

And much more!

Travel nursing is a great career path for a RN, with a love for flexibility and adventure – and who wants to earn better money. However, just like everything else, it has its challenges. However, with information such as this book provides, you will be well equipped to maneuver through and live your best life.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Patrice M Foster
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223264361

Patrice M Foster

About The Author Patrice M Foster is a Registered Nurse in Childhood and Adolescence Psychiatry, with more than 30 plus years of clinical experience. She blogs and writes about issues that affect kids' mental health

Book preview

Introduction

When most people think about nursing, what comes to mind is a tiring and boring career. They imagine that to practice, one has to be stuck in a hospital and toil away for the next twenty or more years until retirement or until they quit or move elsewhere.

A person with an adventurous spirit who wants to explore the country, see different places, and experience different cultures may consider nursing a no-go career. Many have given up because they cannot imagine having such a ‘stuck’ or ‘stagnant’ life.

Some nurses prefer this ‘settled’ life, especially if they have family responsibilities, school-going children, a spouse, or other personal reasons. However, for others, it just cannot work. They will feel trapped and may even opt to change careers, which is not easy knowing what it takes to study another course.

It is understandable for the adventurous to feel such discomfort. Being stuck in one place for ten years or more, working long hours, and never having enough time to travel is no fun. It is easy for one to start to hate their job and become miserable, unmotivated, and grumpy, hating every day of their career.

The good thing is that no nurse has to quit because they feel trapped in an unexciting routine. Also, no one with the passion to be a nurse has to change course because they want to have a ‘flexible’ job that allows them to travel. They can practice nursing and satisfy their desire for an adventure through travel nursing.

This guidebook will share my experiences as a travel nurse, including all the tips, tricks, and strategies I have learned that have allowed me to thrive in this vocation.

My aim is that after reading this book, you will gain a new perspective on nursing and feel inspired and motivated to view it as a career choice that can involve a fair amount of traveling to and exploring new places and locations.

Table of Content

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Basics of Travel Nursing

Who is a Travel Nurse

Chapter 2: Becoming a Travel Nurse–Starter Pack

Documentation

Finding Work

Getting the Contract Right

Chapter 3: Is There Room for A Healthy and Vibrant Social Life?

Forging And Sustaining Friendship As A Travel Nurse

Chapter 4: Adapting and Assimilating

Assimilating with Colleagues

How to Successfully Get Along With Co-Workers

Chapter 5: Common Pitfalls in Fitting In With The Community And Co-Workers

Taking on More Work Than You Can Manage

Agreeing to Things You Don’t Want To Do

Doing Other People’s Work

Disregarding Your Boundaries/Values/Beliefs

Being Silent About Injustices

Chapter 6: The Best of Travel Nursing: Living the Best Life

About Work

About Lifestyle

Chapter 7: The Cons of Travel Nursing

The Suitcase Lifestyle

You Will Miss Home

Licensing Can Be a Struggle

You Don’t Get Paid Time Off

Keeping Up With The Taxman Could Be a Nightmare

Getting Floated Often

Complexities In Finding a Place to Live

Being Served the Undesirable Assignments

Varying Pay Rates

The Layovers

The Dreaded Assignments

Safety Issues

Lack of Job Security

How to Maneuver The Cons and Have a Fulfilling Travel Nursing Career

Chapter 8: Money Matters: How to Make More Money And Manage Finances As A Travel Nurse

Positioning Yourself to Earn More in Travel Nursing

Additional Tips to Increase Your Income While on Assignment

Chapter 9: Top Qualities That Make The Best Travel Nurses And A Good Traveling Experience

Adaptability

Communication Skills

Know How To Avoid/Deal With Burnout

Knowing How To Beat The Boredom!

Conclusion

Chapter 1: The Basics of Travel Nursing

The first thing this chapter will address is the definition of travel nursing.

Is a travel nurse a nurse who travels offering their services to anyone needing them, or where and how do they work?

Is a travel nurse as qualified as the other RN working in a hospital?

Who pays travel nurses, and is their pay lower than what other permanent nurses earn?

These are just a few asked questions by many, including college students, nursing students, and even nurses contemplating this career path who are green about how it all works out.

This chapter answers those questions for anyone who wants to get more information about travel nursing and how it works. This section could convince you as a student or a nurse that serving your purpose can co-exist with your adventurous nature.

Who is a Travel Nurse

A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They differ from their ‘permanent’ or otherwise known as ‘staff’ counterparts in that they work for independent staffing agencies, not a government system.

Please note that a travel nurse can be an LPN, too. However, this book will focus on travel nurses who are RNs.

Therefore, to answer the question of whether travel nurses are competent, trained professionals, the answer is yes, they are, and travel nursing is but a form of employment that a qualified nurse chooses. Travel nurses still need the qualifications needed to become certified RNs.

Additionally, most agencies require the nurse to have at least one year of experience working as an RN in a hospital setting and a BLS (Basic Life Support) certification. That basic qualification puts one in a better position to be an all-round nurse who can work with different kinds of patients, even those in critical care.

Depending on the position you are applying for, some agencies will require you to have certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) 

Who Employs Travel Nurses?

Staff nurses can be employed by a single facility or through a government system. On the other hand, travel nurses are employed by independent nursing staffing agencies. These agencies then post the nurses to assignments around the country.

Travel nurses find their assignments in hospitals or healthcare facilities that are short-staffed or overwhelmed and need extra help for a certain period. An assignment is typically 13 weeks, but it can be as short as four weeks and run for 26 weeks.

Are Travel Nurses as Important to The Healthcare System as ‘Staff’ Nurses?

Some assume that a travel nurse does not put in as much work toward care because they assume they are chasing adventure. For this reason, some people may assume that being a travel nurse means earning less income.

The truth is that a travel nurse is a critical cog in the healthcare system. Some hospitals would struggle to meet their staff requirements without travel nurses. They would be unable to provide adequate patient care, as the staff nurses would be overwhelmed, tired, and burnt out.

The truth about the healthcare system is that there are healthcare facilities that cannot afford to pay a higher number of staff nurses all year round or staff nurses for specialized care. They can only afford to have them on the team when needed, such as when the demand goes higher than the current staff or when patients need specialized care.

Also, seasonal needs and expected leaves like maternity or annual leave – or nurses who quit create staffing gaps. In such instances, travel nurses come in to save the situation.

They help bridge the gap between supply and demand in nursing. They improve the nurse-patient ratios and provide specialized care, such as critical care in the ICU for patients who need it, in hospitals where no nurses are qualified.

There is nothing ‘lesser’ about being a travel nurse because travel nurses receive the same training. Travel nurses are life-savers who travel far away from places they are familiar with and are content with living in unfamiliar places to provide care for patients who need it. Adventure is only a secondary addition that comes with visiting new places. It is not the main purpose or job of a travel nurse!

Does A Travel Nurse Work in Hospitals Alone?

According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitals provide 60% of the jobs held by registered nurses. The other 40% spreads across other industries.

The following job providers give nurses, especially the more flexible ones like travel nurses, fulfilling opportunities outside the hospital setting;

Home healthcare

It is expensive for a patient to stay in the hospital until they fully recover. Others with terminal illnesses will not recover but will require professional care to help manage the illness. Despite being discharged, some patients still need nursing care at home—for example, post-surgery care.

That is why home healthcare is one of the fastest growing jobs in the United States—and a great employer of travel nurses. The nurse monitors the patient’s health, provides treatments, and dispenses medication under a doctor’s direction.

Home healthcare nursing can earn a nurse up to $26,000 for a 13-week assignment. That is good money.

Correctional facilities

A travel nurse can be assigned to offer quality care to incarcerated individuals who often have a history of no quality care. Often, independent agencies win federal contracts to send in medical personnel and nurses to attend to the sick in these facilities.

Nursing homes and residential care facilities

These communities house either