travel and the econony

So I have been dying to go traveling ever since I can remember and I was planning on starting sometime in January but I don't know if I should reconsider with the way the economy is. I know some other people have asked this question already but it is super scary to quit your job not knowing this. I am sure it won't be a problem finding that first assignment but I am worried about after that. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I don't have a whole lot of insight because I'm on my first assignement after thinking about it forever. I quit my job of 16 years to travel. I didn't want to be 90 years old and say "gosh I wish I would have lived on the beach like I always wanted but couldn't because of my job" What other job will pay you to be places you want to go to and if it doesn't work out you can always go staff someplace. I figure the only thing seniority gave me was a choice of vacations but there were enough people with even more senoirity them me I still may not have gotten what I wanted so now I'm the one that was sitting on the beach today for my day off.

thanks for the input. i guess it's hard because all those people that you work with that never take chances and have worked in the same place for thirty years are always saying it is a bad idea. my biggest concern is that i own a house in WI and i would like to be able to come back and forth.

I own a house in Indiana and still make the payment...I'd have a payment no matter where I'm at...and if I wanted to sell it right now I don't think it would so I have the change to go and not worry about getting rid of a house while getting another one and what if I really don't like an area that I always thought I would now I'm not stuck but would never know without doing it.

I have posted several times posing this question. The people to ask are the recruiters/agencies. The problem is they probably won't answer honestly (conflict of interest, you are their bread and butter.) I have pressed a few and they say they are seeing fewer facilities placing requests right now, more than the usual lull at this time of year. I do not have enough experience to know if the listed numbers of jobs is fewer than usual?? Personally, I think it is too soon to tell what if any effect it will have (I mean the financial wizards do not even know how things are going to go.) I think it becomes a personal matter of how much risk you are willing to take, and what your priorities are. If nothing else raises any big obvious red flags from now until January, I am taking the plunge, but I think it is a valid concern.Keep in mind too, that the economy can change your current job as well.

From what I have seen there is no shortage of Travel Nursing Jobs even with good pay rates. Becareful with recruiters who may use the present financial conditions to scare you into taking a low pay job.

CJ www.TravelNurseToolbox.com :33:

HeyFraydo wrote:From what I have seen there is no shortage of Travel Nursing Jobs even with good pay rates. Becareful with recruiters who may use the present financial conditions to scare you into taking a low pay job.

CJ www.TravelNurseToolbox.com :33:

I completely agree- the economy should not be affecting travel nurse wages- if a recruiter tells you they can't pay you as much because of the economy, find another recruiter!

I Haven't Had Any Problems With Recruiters Trying To Quote Me A Lower Pay Rate Based On The Economy. I Was More Concerned With After My First Assignment If It Would Be Difficult To Find Another Assignment Since A Lot Of Hospitals Are Trying To Cut Back Right Now. Thanks

wisgirl wrote:So I have been dying to go traveling ever since I can remember and I was planning on starting sometime in January but I don't know if I should reconsider with the way the economy is. I know some other people have asked this question already but it is super scary to quit your job not knowing this. I am sure it won't be a problem finding that first assignment but I am worried about after that. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I have traveled part-time before and recently in September applied for a job in Texas. Travel over 25 hours to get there, was there 1 day and the hospital broke the contract. (buget problems). Took another assignment sign seal and housing ready and yet another contract broke on hospitals side. Now I have been out of work since Sept. had quit my full time job to travel so with four kids and no income but my husband's part-time teaching job only yielding 3,000 for 2 classess a semester. I have been a nurse 17 yrs in various positions currently ms/tele. Licensed in 4 states. So, I think travel is unsteady right now since my regular staff is picking up extra hours cause their has been laid off. Alot though probaly depends on where you can travel. Good Luck!

I'm seeing a huge decline in travel jobs in the northeast and florida. Usually, Florida has up to 48 postings for med surg and this year not many postings. I've heard alot of hospitals are relying more on local agencies and having their own staff fill in.

I recently stumbled across another nursing site and was very dismayed to read some of the posts. There were the standard glowing articles about how nursing will withstand everything, but then there are the anecdotals of seasoned travel nurses who say things like, "It is the worst [they] have seen in 12 years of travel nursing." It basically seems like a ripple effect. Fewer elective surgeries was a consistent remark, leading to lower census. Fear in the general public and so per diem nurses locally are taking permanent positions, or their spouses have been laid off such as three of my current coworkers, or they need to supplement thier income and so they are working tons of overtime and the need for travelers decreases. And then there is the push from management to get permanent staff and to cut travelers, all of which seem to be lowering the requests for travelers. Where it goes from here I think is anybody's guess, but to suggest that the above dynamics will not effect traveling, at least in the short term, like 6-12 months, is myopic IMHO. My feeling is you are taking a risk to leave a permanent job right now, but each person has to decide how much of a risk they are comfortable with.

If you are flexible with where you're willing to travel to, then there is no risk of you ever not being able to find a travel assignment. People usually run into trouble when they have their heart set on one specific location, and then can't find an assignment in that location.

I have been having trouble finding a job with TNAA for my next assignment. I told my recruiter I would go anywhere on the east side of the US, (I thought that might be broad enough!:wink_smile:) but she says there are no jobs available out east right now. I'm shopping other companies. I think it's the general concensus that the smaller companies just don't have that many options due to the economy.

I'd go with another company... for a recruiter to tell you that there are NO assignments in the entire Eastern half of the country??? I can go on a couple different company's websites and find plenty of listings...