Best of Both Worlds: A Nursing Career with Traveling Perks
Czech nursing students. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Nursing shortages have increased the demand for travel nurses, who take assignments to fill in the gaps at understaffed hospitals. As a travel nurse, you can create a rewarding career for yourself as you visit new places.
A Professional and Personal Adventure
If you are an adventurous person who is open to new experiences, a career as a travel nurse is rewarding on several levels. You will grow professionally while regularly enjoying a change of scenery and meeting new people.
Though there are no age limitations and when you can apply for a travel nurse job, many nurses travel either toward the start of their careers or when they’re nearing retirement. With at least two years of clinical experience, you can set off on your journey as a young nurse and pick up a breadth of experience you would never receive staying in one place.
You’ll likely work in a variety of settings at different types of hospitals, from major teaching hospitals in large cities to smaller institutions in quiet rural areas. You’ll pick up experience in different departmental settings and see how things are done in different areas of the country. When and if you decide to settle into a permanent job, your resume will be stronger for all the collected experience, and you’ll know exactly what type of position you want.
As an empty nester, you can hit the road and see the places you’ve always wanted to see. You can leave a position that may have grown stale during the years you were raising your family. You may find yourself acting as a mentor to newer nurses at some of your assigned hospitals.
Economic Perks
It is well established that travel nurses do very well in terms of pay. Because you are literally going the extra mile, a travel nurse salary is substantially higher than what an employee nurse with a similar background makes.
Travel nurse agencies typically offer an enviable package of other benefits as well. Good medical and dental benefits are a given. Usually, you are either given free housing near the assigned hospital or granted a stipend to find your own digs. You will also receive travel reimbursement and often a meal allowance.
Some agencies guarantee a minimum of paid hours per assignment. Others offer retirement savings such as a 401(K), and others will pay you a bonus simply for signing up with them.
Choose the Best Assignments for You
You will also be in the driver’s seat of your career. You can choose assignments you know will add to your professional growth, or assignments you believe you’ll enjoy the most. You will have the power to choose where you will go, and can travel to cities or areas you’ve always wanted to see. You can plan your work life so you’ll be travelling to areas near friends and loved ones.
Some nurses sign up with the same agency as a nurse friend, and the two travel together. But no one can stop other people from travelling with you as well. More experienced nurses have brought their retired spouses or grown children along, essentially enjoying vacations with loved ones during their downtime.
Be a travel nurse: have a wonderful career, and see the country, too.
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