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Thread: Anyone else considered travel nursing?

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Feb 2013
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    Anyone else considered travel nursing?

    Hi, All

    I just learned about travel nursing and I'm quite interested! I do have a few things I wanted to get some information about:
    1. Anyone travel nursing right now?
    2. How do you like it?
    3. Did you move out of your apartment? What did you do about your stuff?
    4. Did you drive or fly?
    5. Is your apartment furnished by your agent?
    6. In your new place, do you have things like microwave, kitchen supplies, etc?
    7. What did you pack?
    I know these are quite a few questions, but I want to travel and I think this could be a really great option for me. Any help, advice, especially on did you drive, what you did with your stuff and did you buy all new kitchen, household stuff at each new place would be most helpful

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    695
    I traveled for several years and you have to be able to work right away with a very short floor orientation. Maybe 2 days of orientation. I liked it in the beginning then I hit a few jobs that were awful and staff were not friendly. I drove so I could have my car to get around. Car rentals are expensive. I gave up my apt. and gave away my furniture because I knew I'd be traveling for a long time. As far as apt. goes, some companies furnish everything 100% and some only bed, couch, etc. and no kitchen ware,no tv,. And is a pain to bring sheets,towels,tv, kitchen stuff, dishes, etc. Some don't even have a shower curtain or waste baskets, just a couch, bed.....Anyway, look into jobs and companies.

  3. #3
    Junior Member
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    Jan 2013
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    The reason is simple. Travel nursing offers registered nurses the freedom to control their own destiny as well as seeing parts of America they could only dream about.

  4. #4
    Junior Member
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    May 2013
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    Hello,
    I thought I would respond with my insights on travel nursing. Over the last 7 years I sporadically worked in travel assignments (a total of 6 assignments). I have done this sporadically due to family responsibilities which have prevented me from doing this full-time. My last child is now 21 and I can finally consider doing this more regularly. Since I am married, and I jointly own a home I would not consider giving up my primary residence while I am traveling. I think I would always want a "base to return to" although if it were just for me it would be on a smaller scale. My husband is way too young to retire, and it is his job that provides me with the benefits that I do not get when I am taking sporadic positions. My travel experiences have all been with the same company, and I have never considered looking at other travel companies since mine treats me like a queen. I have worked with other travelers who have had numerous problems with their companies and I have never had any with mine. With each assignment I have accepted I have received roundtrip airfare, a rental car, housing and very generous pay and in some instances sizable bonuses for filling specific needs in my field of specialty. I have always been paid on time, and I would fully expect that if I had any issue of concern it would be adequately addressed. I just finished a 13 week assignment in California and I will soon be returning for another 8 weeks. Here are a few of my observations about traveling:
    1. You get what you put into the position. Strive to be better than those around you and don't fall into bad attitudes and habits. A good reputation will pay off when you are looking for a position, and if the client requests you in the future you can negotiate for better contracts, pay and bonuses.
    2. Speaking of negotiating-Pretty much everything can be negotiated. I almost always negotiate on the length of contract. My philosophy is to start with less time with a plan of extending if I am content where I'm at. I have also named a higher hourly pay, and I have negotiated airfare for visits home.
    3. If you are going to an area where you have friends of family, you can also negotiate to find your own housing and pocket a substantial amount of the housing allowance while still paying you friend rent. I have done this several times and it has resulted in a win-win situation for me and my family.
    4. Bring some comforts of home I always bring my favorite blanket, my pillow, eye covering and noise-blocking earphones and some small items that remind me of home. I have never had to supply the little basic items though there are some things I bought because I wanted to. I didn't spend much on the items to make my digs feel like home, and when I returned home, I left most of those things behind. Finding a Trader Joe's and stocking my refrigerator and buying some fresh flowers were things that I did on the day I arrived.
    5. Look at this as a new adventure, and find things to do while you are there. I love to use YELP to find great restaurants, spas, theaters, hair stylist's and anything else I am interested in. Think of this as a working vacation, and hopefully you will love this as much as I have.
    6. You will not get much orientation which can be difficult. You will be expected to acclimate quickly, and if you do your job well, no-one will think about the fact that they got much more training than you have gotten! It will take you several weeks to feel like you know what you are doing. Ask questions, and take notes. One of the best things about temporarily staffing is that by the time you figure out the politics of your workplace, your time will almost be up and you don't have to get involved with the drama! I've found that even if the situation is less than ideal there is freedom in knowing that your time is temporary so have fun!

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    Hello kellyz! I'm planning to try traveling as well. It seems that you have a good agency! Can you please share the name of your agency and recruiter?

    Thank you!

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