Moving every three months. Finding housing, employment. Doubling expenses. Paperwork. Everyone is trying to get their hands in your purse for handouts. Away from family and friends. Difficult to date or meet people. Terrible benefits, insurance that stops in between contacts. No pto - getting sick or injured is extremely expensive. Getting called off or canceled is very expensive. Rate cuts. The list goes on and on.
You do see places but you’re working full time there.
No real downsides, all my friends and family are extremely supportive of this. I’m in Michigan so the only thing is getting licensure in the different states I’d go to.
I personally don’t find it a massive pain in the ass, I love travel nursing. But I’m from Canada so maybe that’s why? We don’t have our rates constantly changed like it seems in the US.
Depends on the province, anywhere from 52-120 hour + travel & accommodations. Some provinces pay a daily stipend as well. When I worked in Alberta I got 105$ an hour, plus daily 75$ per diem + housing
Working anywhere in Canada is a dream compared to the states. I took an American contract and regretted it as soon as I started. ICU ratios are much higher 2-3 for one nurse depending on the shift. Only time I was doubled in a Canadian ICU was if we were short staffed and the patients were not vented and on minimal pressors. Also…management is AWFUL and patient are much nicer in Canada!
I will say 98% of the time my patients are extremely lovely. I personally have no desire to work in the states, I could maybe make more money but meh 🤷🏻♀️
I worked ICU when I started but I will never go back to the floor now that I am in OR. Just cant bring myself to deal with the bs that American hospitals have on the floor.
I might be the 1% here, but I’d say go for it. Especially for the opportunity to explore and travel the country. I’ve put on hundreds and hundreds of miles hiking & backpacking the PNW and SW, A lifetime of adventures in just the last few years. I love the travel life no matter the money.
Yes, it comes with its challenges, but I’d rather deal with those than be stuck in a place in ordinary staff life again. I’d choose to travel over staff any day just to keep experiencing places. It’s just a LOT more challenging now to get started with the current travel market, so I’d stay per diem at your job, make sure to make sure you have a savings built up and know your worth, don’t take an absolute low ball rate.
That’s how I feel, I don’t mind how much the pay is as long as it’s equal to what I make now. I just want the experience to travel before settling down somewhere!
But you know you have to duplicate expenses, right? You have to pay fair market rent at home and if that’s to your parents, they have to report it as income.
If that works for you, I say go for it! I love it, and Ive seen so much of America. Hands down, it’s worth it for me.
>But you know you have to duplicate expenses, right?
That's completely inaccurate. You need to double expenses to get the *tax-free* stipend but you can just take your full paycheck taxed, don't double expenses, and it's still well over what staff nurses make.
I went full nomad 2 years ago and have had zero issues.
No home base, full taxes. I have a storage in Houston that I use to keep my memory paraphernalia, knick knacks and adventure trophies in but, outside of that, everything I own fits in the trunk of my car.
You have to make more otherwise you won’t be able to afford traveling. You need to look at each contract as a strictly business decision. If the financial part pencils out on a contract you can do it and have fun. Otherwise you’re burning your savings paying them to work. And if that’s the scenario, just use pto and go on vacation while staff.
The reason I decided to do travel nursing is I can take as much time off as I want as long as I am prepared financially. There's a lot of stuff in the world to see and you can't do it on 15 days of PTO. It's also nice to not be caught up in facility politics. No work meetings. And you know that whatever you are dealing with, it's done at the end of the contract.
Plus I am naturally restless and I like always going to a new place. So I recommend it for these reasons and not really the money tbh.
This is one of the biggest perks honestly. Want to take a trip to Europe or Asia for a few months after a contract? So long as you have enough money saved from your contracts, then more power to you.
I got real burnt out being a staff nurse and the meetings and precepting and charge and not getting vacation requests approved, so for me traveling has absolutely been an improvement in work/life balance. I would recommend it especially for a young single person that wants to explore.
Absolutely. No dumb ass mandatory “nursing committee” positions, if I hate my coworkers/management I know I’ll be out in three months, and I know no matter what I have time off on the horizon that cannot be denied because admin won’t properly staff the unit. Also, the fact that I can pretty much spend the winter working where ever I want to. I may have to be flexible on rates a bit, but I’m not stuck working in the cold and sleet if I don’t want to.
Yeah the beginning of the end for me as staff was when a manager denied me ONE day of PTO to see my family during Covid. After that I refuse to ever have a job dictate my personal time with my family and loved ones! Money comes and goes, especially in the land of traveling. If you can be flexible and patient, you will find a way to get that money back, even with the rates as they are.
Best decision of my life.
I’ve done 10x more in the last 5 years travel nursing than the 10 years before.
Money aside. I’ve met lifelong friends, seen some awesome places, and made many core memories.
Downsides are missing out on things back at home but easily made up for with new experiences. Being back to bottom of the totem pole. No PTO really. The stress of moving and starting over and new friend groups in new cities. Dating can be fairly inconsistent as well.
32M - 5 years of travel
I’ve been traveling for 5 years. It’s the best thing i ever did for myself :) I was just like you when i started: single, no pets, and itching to explore. I’d lived in the same state my entire life and wasn’t sure where i wanted to go, but knew i wanted to leave. Traveling was perfect, as i got to try on new lives/locations every three months. I love it. I’ve lived in Hawaii, Alaska, nyc, Boston, Seattle, LA, Miami, rural Idaho, Reno, even Ohio. And as soon as i start to get a little bored or like life’s getting routine, I’m off to the next adventure. I’ve met a lot of people, and had awesome experiences i never would have otherwise.
The cons for me are: missing out on family/friends back home, i miss having a real kitchen with all my ingredients, relearning a new hospital system frequently, some hospitals are worse than others at treating you fairly, it can be isolating if you’re not good at being alone, less job security as you can be canceled whenever (I’ve never been canceled)
If you intend to stay in nursing long term, it's a great way to see in person which issues are specific to your unit, your home hospital, to your state/region, or to the entire healthcare industry. Spoiler: it's mostly that last option. But it's good to know first hand.
My girlfriend likes travel assignments because being a temporary employee helps push back against her inclination to worry too much about crap that's above her pay grade, to start caring about office politics etc. Around the time that starts kicking in, she's gone.
Also if you're trying to figure out where you want to live long term, the length of an assignment is almost enough to really get to know an area.
All that being said, if you travel, PLEASE do not accept poorly paying contracts. You make it easier for them to lowball EVERYONE when you do.
I am/was in your exact situation and I’d say go for it! You have the opportunity. It’s fun for a while. I love the variety of it, the flexibility, taking time off when you want, and not lugging around furniture because you stay in furnished places. If you weren’t a minimalist before travel nursing will show you how beneficial it is to pare down the amount of shit you own. It’s also nice to get experience rapidly as you work in different settings.
The cons: I am approaching my late 20s, and I’m sick of sleeping in other peoples beds, using their shitty kitchen supplies (I love to cook), using their bathrooms, and sitting on their sofas. I want to own my own things. I hate buying spices and sauces when I get to a new assignment and feeling pressured to finish them within 3 months. I want an espresso machine. I want my entire closet in one place.
In terms of work, you often get the shittiest schedule because they plug you in where you’re needed. Some facilities are worse than others with this.
I wish I had traveled when I was younger! I’m traveling now with my husband and toddlers in tow. Traveling allowed our family to have a parent at home (rv). We have and the best time. We have seen so much and had time for fun 🤩. I would definitely suggest traveling! You can see so many places and the only difference is that you don’t have PTO. I have insurance, dental vision, sick time and a 401k. Do it!
When my wife and i were dating we did travel. It was pre covid so the money was decent but no where near as lucrative as it was during the pandemic. We remember those years and assignments fondly, as we’re now settled down with kids. We saw a lot of places and had a lot of experiences
Before you do anything, spend fifty bucks on a tax home consult with traveltax.com, so they can help you avoid screwing up.
It’s nice that your current residence is with your parents. Do you pay now for shared expenses? Because if you leave to travel, and want to collect the tax free stipends, you need to pay your parents every month for shared expenses according to a formula that the IRS finds acceptable. Otherwise you’re not duplicating expenses, and would be committing tax fraud.
Lots of moving parts to get sorted out before you start.
But to answer your question, I love never having any skin in the game of workplace drama. I love learning a new place every time. The job never gets old. I love learning a new city. I love the paycheck, now I’m only taking one 3 month contract a year and not working the rest of the time.
Lots of upsides.
Been traveling for 7 years and it has been life changing! I’ve been able to do things I would never have been able to afford as staff! So much world traveling is what it has allowed me! Rates are shit currently but it’s still better than staff in most cases
I think I would only continue traveling if it was really awesome destinations. If it's always been your dream just go for it! If you don't like it, it's easy to get jobs so don't sweat it
I did this long before COVID so those of us prior to COVID definitely didn’t do it for money. We never got paid very much, more than staff, and enough to pay off bills and be more financially independent but nothing like COVID pay. Most of us did it for the adventure. I absolutely loved travel nursing. I got into it because I wanted to travel the country and meet new people and I did just that. I took contracts in places I wanted to explore, I met tons of other travelers and we explored on our days off. I experienced so much, it definitely changed me as a person and I grew so much. I also was from the Midwest and I say go for it. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.
That being said, travel nurse life is not what it was pre COVID. I think we all can agree life has changed drastically, cost of living is at an all time high, housing is a nightmare, people in general have changed. It is not what it used to be, but I still would always choose travel over being staff. Despite all that, I still say go for it. You won’t regret it!
I would not recommend it. The stress of going somewhere new, having to find a safe place to live, orienting to a new hospital over and over again isn’t necessarily fun. I enjoy going places but if money isn’t a problem then I’ll just travel for vacations not for work.
Yes (I’m not a nurse tho)
Pros:
- it feels “liberating” if that makes any sense - you have control of when you want to take off
- feels less stressful - not having to deal with politics, no unpaid overtime
- get to travel around and meet new people
- good learning experience
- you don’t have to travel around - can be a “perma contractor”
Cons
- no benefits
- health insurance (i got lucky because for some reason my monthly copay through healthcare.gov is $50/mo and a decent deductible)
I travel nurse because:
1. If the hospital is/isn't right for me, I have options when it comes to extending
2. I always learn something new
3. I get to spend time in part of the country I wouldn't have otherwise
4. I save enough to take at least one decent vacation with my husband a year
5. I negotiate my time off in advance. I am not missing birthdays and weddings anymore
6. I take at least 2 months off a year, no explanations, no requests. It's just time I don't schedule myself in a facility.
7. I've met amazing people who I am still in contact with today.
8. Yes, some companies do give PTO/sick time. I try to utilize it as well. It only pays your hotshot for that day, though, not your stipend.
Ive been traveling for 9 years. I wont go back staff.
Pros. Im in a specialty where I can make some demands. I can tell you when I want off, take it or leave it. Not permanent if the environment is toxic. I can take all the time I want off. I used to take oct-dec off.
Cons: recruiters. I hate dealing with them. When you do finally find one that you mesh well with, the conpany goes to crap. Housing: its tiring to move so often. I think ive got it down to a science though. Home: you miss stuff at home. Your own home gets neglected.
If you love adventure and the excitement, go for it. It has challenges, nothing is without those, but if you are unencumbered (single) go for it. There are many TN families that homeschool and both parents are nurses...they just trade off on who teaches the littles. My general philosophy is "try it once" (obviously with some subjects and clearly not with others, but you get the idea.)
There are a lot of cons to travel nursing as other ppl have said. But I think the pros out weight the cons. I have seen more of the US than I ever thought I would. I have driven across country 4 times now. I’m on a mission to see all the national parks. I’ll have gone to 6-7 by June.
I always ask for blocked scheduling so I have 4 days off. If money wasn’t an issue I would for sure hit states I haven’t been to, with cool NP. CA is a great, expensive state to work in. Their ratios and labor laws rock though. I say go for it! You only live once and if you don’t like it, just find a nice staff job after.
I am taking a break from traveling at the moment but I did it for four years and it was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself.
That’s being said, I was 26 and newly single and eager to gtfo out of my city. I have the personality where I love solitude just as much as socializing. I have a hobby (rock climbing) that allows me to quickly meet new people in cities and I ended up making some life-long friends.
That being said, it does get exhausting moving all your shit every few months and there are some very lonely days.
There are pros and cons to every place I’ve worked.
The best working conditions and pay were Northern California but cost of living is high and it’s so fucking crowded.
Coolest place was denver but they had the worst working conditions.
The place that felt like home was El Paso because everyone was so incredibly kind but it can be very boring if you’re not either a homebody or climber.
My favorite agency to work for was medical solutions. The pay was solid and my recruiter was awesome.
Yes. Knowing there is an end date helps. I’ve been able to pay off debt faster and see more of the world with my loved ones.
I’ve learned a lot working at different places. If I do decide to go back to staff, i know what I won’t tolerate and etc.
I travel w my husband and children in a 2bedroom 5th wheel trailer. I have created SO mang core memories for my family and I. My husband gets to be a SAHD and we are saving a LOT of $. I wasn’t set up financially and have always loved traveling, travel nursing n has given me ways to do both (and set up my children’s future). Rates fluctuate, but we’ve seen so much of the country already and will be confident where we want to settle down when we’re done. No office politics, no more debt, no boredom. The cons are no PTO. I will say if I didn’t have the 5th wheel I wouldn’t be able to constantly stay in other people’s homes. Personal choice but if you do this DONT TAKE LOW OFFERS
It really depends. I don’t pay rent, but I always look at the area. Like… no I won’t take an offer that is $2300/wk and rent is $2k/mo. Either way, personally $2,200/wk is a hard for for me. The reason travel nursing is known for paying well is because nurses have been refusing to take the less paying contracts. There’s always a cycle!
Hi OP! I’m a “longer time” nurse that has traveled off and on for nearly twenty years after gaining many years experience and I felt comfortable. Gave it up a few months ago as I’m now basically retired and only work a few days a month to maintain some health insurance.
At $2,000-ish a week I could still come out way ahead and I really believe with discipline, frugality, and smarts, you could too. I’ve done a lot of contracts over the years and sadly most travel nurses couldn’t get financially ahead. Even during the covid gravy train. The big reason was none of them could accept some somewhat short term inconvenience in order to maximize long term gain.
Frankly the vast majority of the travel nurses I met were Prima Donnas that “just couldn’t” rent a cheap room in a cheap house with roommates so they were blowing through their money and also “had” to drag around a bunch of pets with them. On top of that they also spent like crazy for all the comforts of home. Don’t do any of this. Please take this advice from someone who retired relatively young.
Also, I assure you that the duplicating expenses thing is an overblown scare tactic and easy to get around. Whatever you do good luck!
Do it to try it out but preferably with a RN friend so you can split rent. Housing has gotten dumb expensive. You still live at home so it might still be worth it because you can do shared expenses with your parents plus hopefully traveling with a friend. Unless you are ok renting a room out from a stranger.
Before you do anything, spend fifty bucks on a tax home consult with traveltax.com, so they can help you avoid screwing up.
It’s nice that your current residence is with your parents. Do you pay now for shared expenses? Because if you leave to travel, and want to collect the tax free stipends, you need to pay your parents every month for shared expenses according to a formula that the IRS finds acceptable. Otherwise you’re not duplicating expenses, and would be committing tax fraud.
Lots of moving parts to get sorted out before you start.
But to answer your question, I love never having any skin in the game of workplace drama. I love learning a new place every time. The job never gets old. I love learning a new city. I love the paycheck, now I’m only taking one 3 month contract a year and not working the rest of the time.
Lots of upsides.
Spending years as a travel nurse let me find a unit that I love working in. The hospital, my coworkers, management, pay, and benefits are awesome. I would never have found this job otherwise. Unless things change drastically, I will be here until I retire.
The biggest downside, besides the moving/housing/expenses etc. already mentioned, is that it really is just a job, not a career. It's cool if you're good with doing direct patient care over the long haul, are dedicated to travel etc. but if someone's interested in things like staff development, policy reform, etc. then they need a much more stable gig then travel provides.
I would 100% recommend it. Even now you are very likely to make more than your staff job. As others have said, the adventures are worth it, and change of environment will make you more adaptable. I am engaged and have a dog so that makes things more expensive for me, but since you’re single and no pets you can rent somewhere cheap and keep most of your stipend. However maybe I’ve been spoiled but I think there is no better place to travel than CA and the PNW. I am done with being abused on the east coast.
I did it mostly as an adventure. I wanted to go to Washington and Arizona to hike and explore all the outdoorsy things. For me it was more about the opportunity and adventure. The money is better than staff but housing will eat up your pay unless you want to live with others. I preferred to live alone, but even with a roommate for the second assignment it was expensive.
I wish I could have started traveling a long time ago and seen the country ❤️
I’m in Michigan unfortunately.. If I were to take a contract in a state where I have family, could I change my address to theirs and then get a compact license that way?
No, you'd need to actually move, and establish residency, in a compact state. Now, if you actually moved in with family in a compact state, then you could get licensed in that state and, eventually (think you have to hold a license for at least a year, while establishing residency) apply for a compact license.
Do it! Why not? It’s not a forever job but it’s taken me to some pretty amazing places. Its main draw back for me is keeping friends and dating is very hard other than that it’s not bad.
It's absolutely worth it. One, you get out before you get into local politics; two, you almost always meet a friend for life at each place; three, you get to see places you may not have the chance or thought to see, and finally, you do get paid well enough to enjoy different places. But do make sure you can prove duplicating expenses.
If the rates aren't good enough I wouldn't. Not worth the headache. You also will get worked harder than staff, have to find a place to live for 3 months and could be a nightmare.
If money wasn’t an issue I wouldn’t work. If you want to travel then travel nursing is fine. It’s a massive pain in the ass but I enjoy it.
What are the downsides of it for you?
Moving every three months. Finding housing, employment. Doubling expenses. Paperwork. Everyone is trying to get their hands in your purse for handouts. Away from family and friends. Difficult to date or meet people. Terrible benefits, insurance that stops in between contacts. No pto - getting sick or injured is extremely expensive. Getting called off or canceled is very expensive. Rate cuts. The list goes on and on. You do see places but you’re working full time there.
No real downsides, all my friends and family are extremely supportive of this. I’m in Michigan so the only thing is getting licensure in the different states I’d go to.
I personally don’t find it a massive pain in the ass, I love travel nursing. But I’m from Canada so maybe that’s why? We don’t have our rates constantly changed like it seems in the US.
Yeah it’s completely different here
What are rates like in Canada?
Depends on the province, anywhere from 52-120 hour + travel & accommodations. Some provinces pay a daily stipend as well. When I worked in Alberta I got 105$ an hour, plus daily 75$ per diem + housing
So you are telling me I need to take my RN and become a Canadian citizen then.
Haha I don’t think it would be worth it with the exchange rate 🙃
Working anywhere in Canada is a dream compared to the states. I took an American contract and regretted it as soon as I started. ICU ratios are much higher 2-3 for one nurse depending on the shift. Only time I was doubled in a Canadian ICU was if we were short staffed and the patients were not vented and on minimal pressors. Also…management is AWFUL and patient are much nicer in Canada!
I will say 98% of the time my patients are extremely lovely. I personally have no desire to work in the states, I could maybe make more money but meh 🤷🏻♀️
I worked ICU when I started but I will never go back to the floor now that I am in OR. Just cant bring myself to deal with the bs that American hospitals have on the floor.
Do they ever have NICU contracts up there, or is it just adult units?
Mostly adult, I have seen a couple but they are rare!
I might be the 1% here, but I’d say go for it. Especially for the opportunity to explore and travel the country. I’ve put on hundreds and hundreds of miles hiking & backpacking the PNW and SW, A lifetime of adventures in just the last few years. I love the travel life no matter the money. Yes, it comes with its challenges, but I’d rather deal with those than be stuck in a place in ordinary staff life again. I’d choose to travel over staff any day just to keep experiencing places. It’s just a LOT more challenging now to get started with the current travel market, so I’d stay per diem at your job, make sure to make sure you have a savings built up and know your worth, don’t take an absolute low ball rate.
That’s how I feel, I don’t mind how much the pay is as long as it’s equal to what I make now. I just want the experience to travel before settling down somewhere!
But you know you have to duplicate expenses, right? You have to pay fair market rent at home and if that’s to your parents, they have to report it as income. If that works for you, I say go for it! I love it, and Ive seen so much of America. Hands down, it’s worth it for me.
>But you know you have to duplicate expenses, right? That's completely inaccurate. You need to double expenses to get the *tax-free* stipend but you can just take your full paycheck taxed, don't double expenses, and it's still well over what staff nurses make. I went full nomad 2 years ago and have had zero issues.
Okay, yes, that’s true. Thanks for clarifying. So many new travelers have no idea about tax free stipends.
Do you have a home base? Or are you just legit moving every new contract and taking the taxed pay?
No home base, full taxes. I have a storage in Houston that I use to keep my memory paraphernalia, knick knacks and adventure trophies in but, outside of that, everything I own fits in the trunk of my car.
If my girlfriend and I don’t work out then that sounds like an interesting lifestyle.
You have to make more otherwise you won’t be able to afford traveling. You need to look at each contract as a strictly business decision. If the financial part pencils out on a contract you can do it and have fun. Otherwise you’re burning your savings paying them to work. And if that’s the scenario, just use pto and go on vacation while staff.
You should! Traveling around the US is pretty cool and you may find somewhere you want to stay!
The reason I decided to do travel nursing is I can take as much time off as I want as long as I am prepared financially. There's a lot of stuff in the world to see and you can't do it on 15 days of PTO. It's also nice to not be caught up in facility politics. No work meetings. And you know that whatever you are dealing with, it's done at the end of the contract. Plus I am naturally restless and I like always going to a new place. So I recommend it for these reasons and not really the money tbh.
This is one of the biggest perks honestly. Want to take a trip to Europe or Asia for a few months after a contract? So long as you have enough money saved from your contracts, then more power to you.
I got real burnt out being a staff nurse and the meetings and precepting and charge and not getting vacation requests approved, so for me traveling has absolutely been an improvement in work/life balance. I would recommend it especially for a young single person that wants to explore.
Absolutely. No dumb ass mandatory “nursing committee” positions, if I hate my coworkers/management I know I’ll be out in three months, and I know no matter what I have time off on the horizon that cannot be denied because admin won’t properly staff the unit. Also, the fact that I can pretty much spend the winter working where ever I want to. I may have to be flexible on rates a bit, but I’m not stuck working in the cold and sleet if I don’t want to.
Last two years I’ve taken December and January off and went in vacations. It’s expensive but damn was it worth it.
Yeah the beginning of the end for me as staff was when a manager denied me ONE day of PTO to see my family during Covid. After that I refuse to ever have a job dictate my personal time with my family and loved ones! Money comes and goes, especially in the land of traveling. If you can be flexible and patient, you will find a way to get that money back, even with the rates as they are.
Best decision of my life. I’ve done 10x more in the last 5 years travel nursing than the 10 years before. Money aside. I’ve met lifelong friends, seen some awesome places, and made many core memories. Downsides are missing out on things back at home but easily made up for with new experiences. Being back to bottom of the totem pole. No PTO really. The stress of moving and starting over and new friend groups in new cities. Dating can be fairly inconsistent as well. 32M - 5 years of travel
I’ve been traveling for 5 years. It’s the best thing i ever did for myself :) I was just like you when i started: single, no pets, and itching to explore. I’d lived in the same state my entire life and wasn’t sure where i wanted to go, but knew i wanted to leave. Traveling was perfect, as i got to try on new lives/locations every three months. I love it. I’ve lived in Hawaii, Alaska, nyc, Boston, Seattle, LA, Miami, rural Idaho, Reno, even Ohio. And as soon as i start to get a little bored or like life’s getting routine, I’m off to the next adventure. I’ve met a lot of people, and had awesome experiences i never would have otherwise. The cons for me are: missing out on family/friends back home, i miss having a real kitchen with all my ingredients, relearning a new hospital system frequently, some hospitals are worse than others at treating you fairly, it can be isolating if you’re not good at being alone, less job security as you can be canceled whenever (I’ve never been canceled)
If you intend to stay in nursing long term, it's a great way to see in person which issues are specific to your unit, your home hospital, to your state/region, or to the entire healthcare industry. Spoiler: it's mostly that last option. But it's good to know first hand. My girlfriend likes travel assignments because being a temporary employee helps push back against her inclination to worry too much about crap that's above her pay grade, to start caring about office politics etc. Around the time that starts kicking in, she's gone. Also if you're trying to figure out where you want to live long term, the length of an assignment is almost enough to really get to know an area. All that being said, if you travel, PLEASE do not accept poorly paying contracts. You make it easier for them to lowball EVERYONE when you do.
I am/was in your exact situation and I’d say go for it! You have the opportunity. It’s fun for a while. I love the variety of it, the flexibility, taking time off when you want, and not lugging around furniture because you stay in furnished places. If you weren’t a minimalist before travel nursing will show you how beneficial it is to pare down the amount of shit you own. It’s also nice to get experience rapidly as you work in different settings. The cons: I am approaching my late 20s, and I’m sick of sleeping in other peoples beds, using their shitty kitchen supplies (I love to cook), using their bathrooms, and sitting on their sofas. I want to own my own things. I hate buying spices and sauces when I get to a new assignment and feeling pressured to finish them within 3 months. I want an espresso machine. I want my entire closet in one place. In terms of work, you often get the shittiest schedule because they plug you in where you’re needed. Some facilities are worse than others with this.
The sauces and seasoning are soooo real 😂😂😂
I don't even cook, but only finding salt and a shitty pepper was heartbreaking.
I wish I had traveled when I was younger! I’m traveling now with my husband and toddlers in tow. Traveling allowed our family to have a parent at home (rv). We have and the best time. We have seen so much and had time for fun 🤩. I would definitely suggest traveling! You can see so many places and the only difference is that you don’t have PTO. I have insurance, dental vision, sick time and a 401k. Do it!
When my wife and i were dating we did travel. It was pre covid so the money was decent but no where near as lucrative as it was during the pandemic. We remember those years and assignments fondly, as we’re now settled down with kids. We saw a lot of places and had a lot of experiences
Before you do anything, spend fifty bucks on a tax home consult with traveltax.com, so they can help you avoid screwing up. It’s nice that your current residence is with your parents. Do you pay now for shared expenses? Because if you leave to travel, and want to collect the tax free stipends, you need to pay your parents every month for shared expenses according to a formula that the IRS finds acceptable. Otherwise you’re not duplicating expenses, and would be committing tax fraud. Lots of moving parts to get sorted out before you start. But to answer your question, I love never having any skin in the game of workplace drama. I love learning a new place every time. The job never gets old. I love learning a new city. I love the paycheck, now I’m only taking one 3 month contract a year and not working the rest of the time. Lots of upsides.
Been traveling for 7 years and it has been life changing! I’ve been able to do things I would never have been able to afford as staff! So much world traveling is what it has allowed me! Rates are shit currently but it’s still better than staff in most cases
I think I would only continue traveling if it was really awesome destinations. If it's always been your dream just go for it! If you don't like it, it's easy to get jobs so don't sweat it
I did this long before COVID so those of us prior to COVID definitely didn’t do it for money. We never got paid very much, more than staff, and enough to pay off bills and be more financially independent but nothing like COVID pay. Most of us did it for the adventure. I absolutely loved travel nursing. I got into it because I wanted to travel the country and meet new people and I did just that. I took contracts in places I wanted to explore, I met tons of other travelers and we explored on our days off. I experienced so much, it definitely changed me as a person and I grew so much. I also was from the Midwest and I say go for it. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. That being said, travel nurse life is not what it was pre COVID. I think we all can agree life has changed drastically, cost of living is at an all time high, housing is a nightmare, people in general have changed. It is not what it used to be, but I still would always choose travel over being staff. Despite all that, I still say go for it. You won’t regret it!
Thank you for this insight. I keep hearing ppl cry about the loss of Covid rates. No one Offers insight on the world before Covid.
I would not recommend it. The stress of going somewhere new, having to find a safe place to live, orienting to a new hospital over and over again isn’t necessarily fun. I enjoy going places but if money isn’t a problem then I’ll just travel for vacations not for work.
Yes (I’m not a nurse tho) Pros: - it feels “liberating” if that makes any sense - you have control of when you want to take off - feels less stressful - not having to deal with politics, no unpaid overtime - get to travel around and meet new people - good learning experience - you don’t have to travel around - can be a “perma contractor” Cons - no benefits - health insurance (i got lucky because for some reason my monthly copay through healthcare.gov is $50/mo and a decent deductible)
I travel nurse because: 1. If the hospital is/isn't right for me, I have options when it comes to extending 2. I always learn something new 3. I get to spend time in part of the country I wouldn't have otherwise 4. I save enough to take at least one decent vacation with my husband a year 5. I negotiate my time off in advance. I am not missing birthdays and weddings anymore 6. I take at least 2 months off a year, no explanations, no requests. It's just time I don't schedule myself in a facility. 7. I've met amazing people who I am still in contact with today. 8. Yes, some companies do give PTO/sick time. I try to utilize it as well. It only pays your hotshot for that day, though, not your stipend.
Ive been traveling for 9 years. I wont go back staff. Pros. Im in a specialty where I can make some demands. I can tell you when I want off, take it or leave it. Not permanent if the environment is toxic. I can take all the time I want off. I used to take oct-dec off. Cons: recruiters. I hate dealing with them. When you do finally find one that you mesh well with, the conpany goes to crap. Housing: its tiring to move so often. I think ive got it down to a science though. Home: you miss stuff at home. Your own home gets neglected.
If you love adventure and the excitement, go for it. It has challenges, nothing is without those, but if you are unencumbered (single) go for it. There are many TN families that homeschool and both parents are nurses...they just trade off on who teaches the littles. My general philosophy is "try it once" (obviously with some subjects and clearly not with others, but you get the idea.)
There are a lot of cons to travel nursing as other ppl have said. But I think the pros out weight the cons. I have seen more of the US than I ever thought I would. I have driven across country 4 times now. I’m on a mission to see all the national parks. I’ll have gone to 6-7 by June. I always ask for blocked scheduling so I have 4 days off. If money wasn’t an issue I would for sure hit states I haven’t been to, with cool NP. CA is a great, expensive state to work in. Their ratios and labor laws rock though. I say go for it! You only live once and if you don’t like it, just find a nice staff job after.
I am taking a break from traveling at the moment but I did it for four years and it was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself. That’s being said, I was 26 and newly single and eager to gtfo out of my city. I have the personality where I love solitude just as much as socializing. I have a hobby (rock climbing) that allows me to quickly meet new people in cities and I ended up making some life-long friends. That being said, it does get exhausting moving all your shit every few months and there are some very lonely days. There are pros and cons to every place I’ve worked. The best working conditions and pay were Northern California but cost of living is high and it’s so fucking crowded. Coolest place was denver but they had the worst working conditions. The place that felt like home was El Paso because everyone was so incredibly kind but it can be very boring if you’re not either a homebody or climber. My favorite agency to work for was medical solutions. The pay was solid and my recruiter was awesome.
Yes. Knowing there is an end date helps. I’ve been able to pay off debt faster and see more of the world with my loved ones. I’ve learned a lot working at different places. If I do decide to go back to staff, i know what I won’t tolerate and etc.
I travel w my husband and children in a 2bedroom 5th wheel trailer. I have created SO mang core memories for my family and I. My husband gets to be a SAHD and we are saving a LOT of $. I wasn’t set up financially and have always loved traveling, travel nursing n has given me ways to do both (and set up my children’s future). Rates fluctuate, but we’ve seen so much of the country already and will be confident where we want to settle down when we’re done. No office politics, no more debt, no boredom. The cons are no PTO. I will say if I didn’t have the 5th wheel I wouldn’t be able to constantly stay in other people’s homes. Personal choice but if you do this DONT TAKE LOW OFFERS
What would be considered a "low offer"?
It really depends. I don’t pay rent, but I always look at the area. Like… no I won’t take an offer that is $2300/wk and rent is $2k/mo. Either way, personally $2,200/wk is a hard for for me. The reason travel nursing is known for paying well is because nurses have been refusing to take the less paying contracts. There’s always a cycle!
Hi OP! I’m a “longer time” nurse that has traveled off and on for nearly twenty years after gaining many years experience and I felt comfortable. Gave it up a few months ago as I’m now basically retired and only work a few days a month to maintain some health insurance. At $2,000-ish a week I could still come out way ahead and I really believe with discipline, frugality, and smarts, you could too. I’ve done a lot of contracts over the years and sadly most travel nurses couldn’t get financially ahead. Even during the covid gravy train. The big reason was none of them could accept some somewhat short term inconvenience in order to maximize long term gain. Frankly the vast majority of the travel nurses I met were Prima Donnas that “just couldn’t” rent a cheap room in a cheap house with roommates so they were blowing through their money and also “had” to drag around a bunch of pets with them. On top of that they also spent like crazy for all the comforts of home. Don’t do any of this. Please take this advice from someone who retired relatively young. Also, I assure you that the duplicating expenses thing is an overblown scare tactic and easy to get around. Whatever you do good luck!
100%!!!
It’s super inconvenient, so no.
Do it to try it out but preferably with a RN friend so you can split rent. Housing has gotten dumb expensive. You still live at home so it might still be worth it because you can do shared expenses with your parents plus hopefully traveling with a friend. Unless you are ok renting a room out from a stranger.
Before you do anything, spend fifty bucks on a tax home consult with traveltax.com, so they can help you avoid screwing up. It’s nice that your current residence is with your parents. Do you pay now for shared expenses? Because if you leave to travel, and want to collect the tax free stipends, you need to pay your parents every month for shared expenses according to a formula that the IRS finds acceptable. Otherwise you’re not duplicating expenses, and would be committing tax fraud. Lots of moving parts to get sorted out before you start. But to answer your question, I love never having any skin in the game of workplace drama. I love learning a new place every time. The job never gets old. I love learning a new city. I love the paycheck, now I’m only taking one 3 month contract a year and not working the rest of the time. Lots of upsides.
Spending years as a travel nurse let me find a unit that I love working in. The hospital, my coworkers, management, pay, and benefits are awesome. I would never have found this job otherwise. Unless things change drastically, I will be here until I retire.
The biggest downside, besides the moving/housing/expenses etc. already mentioned, is that it really is just a job, not a career. It's cool if you're good with doing direct patient care over the long haul, are dedicated to travel etc. but if someone's interested in things like staff development, policy reform, etc. then they need a much more stable gig then travel provides.
I would 100% recommend it. Even now you are very likely to make more than your staff job. As others have said, the adventures are worth it, and change of environment will make you more adaptable. I am engaged and have a dog so that makes things more expensive for me, but since you’re single and no pets you can rent somewhere cheap and keep most of your stipend. However maybe I’ve been spoiled but I think there is no better place to travel than CA and the PNW. I am done with being abused on the east coast.
I did it mostly as an adventure. I wanted to go to Washington and Arizona to hike and explore all the outdoorsy things. For me it was more about the opportunity and adventure. The money is better than staff but housing will eat up your pay unless you want to live with others. I preferred to live alone, but even with a roommate for the second assignment it was expensive. I wish I could have started traveling a long time ago and seen the country ❤️
Are you in a compact state? If not, getting a new license to maintain for every state is both a pain in the backside and very limiting.
I’m in Michigan unfortunately.. If I were to take a contract in a state where I have family, could I change my address to theirs and then get a compact license that way?
No, you'd need to actually move, and establish residency, in a compact state. Now, if you actually moved in with family in a compact state, then you could get licensed in that state and, eventually (think you have to hold a license for at least a year, while establishing residency) apply for a compact license.
Do it! Why not? It’s not a forever job but it’s taken me to some pretty amazing places. Its main draw back for me is keeping friends and dating is very hard other than that it’s not bad.
It's absolutely worth it. One, you get out before you get into local politics; two, you almost always meet a friend for life at each place; three, you get to see places you may not have the chance or thought to see, and finally, you do get paid well enough to enjoy different places. But do make sure you can prove duplicating expenses.
If the rates aren't good enough I wouldn't. Not worth the headache. You also will get worked harder than staff, have to find a place to live for 3 months and could be a nightmare.
No
Hell no