In recent years the world of travel nursing has generated a lot of traction. In a profession where it isn’t possible to work remotely or from home, I believe this to be the next best thing. Travel nursing has had such a positive impact on my life. I have been able to save and pay off debt, foster my love for travel and adventure, increase my confidence and experience as a nurse, revive my love for what I do, and make lifelong connections. Here are my personal top reasons to pursue travel nursing.
1. The Travel Nurse Paycheck
Often times the most talked about topic of travel nursing is the money. Even among non-healthcare workers, it is a widely known fact that travel nursing can be a lucrative business. With the pandemic came crisis pay. Travel nurses were able to make on average 4-5x more than their regular pay as staff nurses. While I don’t disagree that the pay is a nice perk, I do not believe that this should be the only incentive to travel. Rates can often fluctuate during lower census seasons and there is always a risk of pay cuts mid-contract. It is also important to take into consideration that cost of living is typically higher. Temporary housing is not cheap. My rent as a solo traveler has been double to triple what I pay at home.
All that being said, travel nursing has allowed me to save and invest in ways that I could not afford to as a staff nurse. I am able to explore, and do, and see, while also paying off debt and building a financial future for myself. I simply advise that if your only motivation for travel nursing is “the money” that you do your research.
2. Travel…Obviously
Travel nursing has not only allowed me to travel for work, but it has also provided the financial means and flexibility for me to travel during my time off. A typical contract lasts 13 weeks. This is enough time to really get to know and explore all that a city has to offer. You don’t have the rushed feeling of trying to fit everything in that comes with a short trip. It also provides the perspective of what it would be like to live in these places permanently. If you do decide to settle down you can truly experience the location before committing.
Instead of requesting time off during my contracts, I take my breaks in between. I typically take anywhere from two weeks to two months off in between each contract. I know some nurses who will work hard in multiple contracts for six months, and then take off the other half of the year to travel and be with family and friends. The flexibility that comes with being a contracted worker is unparalleled.
3. Career Development and Work Experience
One of my biggest personal motivators to begin travel nursing was to increase my work experience. Before leaving to travel I was on staff at the same hospital, in the same unit for four years. The knowledge I gained at my staff hospital is invaluable, but the knowledge that comes from working in multiple different hospitals is invaluable as well. You have to be able to adapt and learn quickly. Each unit I’ve worked on as a travel nurse has had different protocols, equipment, policies, and workflows. The ultimate goal is always providing safe and optimal care for your patients, but you learn that there are often multiple avenues to do this. Travel nursing allows you to stay up to date on the latest evidence based practice policies and healthcare trends and then apply it to your daily standard of care.
I do, however, believe that where you gain experience in some areas, you lose in others. There is always a give and take. Most hospitals will not allow travelers to take the highest acuity patients. This is not always the case, but it is common. You often have to be checked off at that hospital to take care of specific patient populations. For this reason, sometimes being on staff allows growth in higher acuity skill sets such as ECMO, CRRT, VADs, etc. that you will not experience traveling. This is always something to consider, and one of the reasons why I believe it is important to have a solid staff hospital foundation before you begin traveling.
4. Travel Nursing Provides Burnout Relief
We, as nurses, are all too familiar with the burnout that comes with staffing shortages, heavy nurse-to-patient ratios, and overtime hours worked. Before leaving my staff hospital, numbers were tight. Bonuses and incentives were being offered to work overtime. Messages were constantly being sent out requesting nurses to pick up extra shifts. And the workload was heavy. I loved my team, but I was ready for a change of pace.
As a travel nurse I am able to work my minimum 36 hours and still make more than I would have as a staff nurse picking up incentive shifts. And I no longer feel like I take the work home with me. The sense of responsibility I felt for the staffing struggles is gone. And the best part is, every contract is temporary. If you don’t mesh well at a certain hospital you don’t have to extend or resign. You can do anything for three months. Plus the travel experiences that I’ve been able to have, are worth the hard work.
5. Professional and Social Networking
Working in a new facility every few months opens up opportunities to form new professional and personal relationships. You are constantly meeting new nurses, managers, and physicians. People naturally like to do business with people that they know. By fostering these relationships and proving your work ethic, you are creating connections that can be an investment in the future of your career. On top of that, you have the potential to make meaningful, long-lasting friendships with people from all over the country. I have met some wonderful people and formed multiple friendships not only with other travel nurses, but also with employees on staff that I still maintain even after leaving an assignment!
Each of these reasons to begin travel nursing are a reflection of my own opinions and personal experiences. If you are contemplating taking the leap into the travel nursing world, I urge you to ask questions, do your research, talk to people who have done it, and find out what your own incentives are. It’s not a journey that will be for everyone, but it has definitely changed my life.
If you’ve already decided to take the leap, check out my travel nurse guide for beginners.
