I have been a Registered Nurse since 2015, I began travel nursing in 2018. At the time I had 2 years of experience in ICU and 1 year in Med/Surg/Tele. I’ve taken over 11 contracts in Cardiac, Medical, Neuro, Surgical and Trauma ICUs. I have worked in 6 states including Florida, New York and California. Back when I started travel nursing there wasn’t much guidance, I literally called a bunch of agencies and the one friend I knew who had been a travel nurse for a few months. I knew very little about how it worked, and even less about how to prepare myself for what was to come. I just heard I could get paid a lot. I had no idea just how much this one decision (made in an effort to overcome my debt and depression) would irrevocably change my entire life and thus my entire being. Not only did travel nursing help me pay off all of my debt (over $40k), it empowered me to travel the world, make life-long friends and countless incredible memories.
Here is a list of 11 things I wish I would have known before I began my venture into travel nursing.
How life changing it can be
“The risk you are afraid to take could be the one that changes your whole life completely”
Kyle Francis
I remember people advising me against travel nursing, they would say “you’re going to get the worst assignments” and instilled a bit of fear into me about traveling
I have had 5 full years of amazing experiences travel nursing
I wish somebody would have told me what a unique, life changing experience travel nursing would be
Travel became the nature of my job and since became the nature of my life
I wish I would have known how much it would improve my confidence as a woman, as a solo traveler, and as a nurse
How transformative
getting out of your
comfort zone can be
Sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side, on the other side of your comfort zone that is. Travel nursing gave me the freedom to move to a new city/state where nobody knew my past and they only get to know what I decide to tell them — this can be an opportunity to recreate yourself
Your past is important as it has helped create the current version of you, but we are not our past mistakes and failures, we are who we are in this very moment — you can re-create yourself as many times as there are cities on Earth but after a few times I think you will find that the core elements remain the same: your values, your morals, your ethics, the foods you love and the places that fill your heart with joy and/or peace.
Sometime we have to remove ourselves from our comfort zones to realize just who we are and how we would like to improve.
I wish somebody would have told me how transformative stepping out of your comfort zone can, I might have appreciated those moments of discomfort a lot more if I knew that was the actual growth I was seeking for long.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Neale Donald Walsch
Do not take things personally,
they rarely have anything to do with you
“You are not responsible for the behavior of others, but you are responsible for your reaction to their behavior.”
unknown
Do not take things personally, it’s not personal.
Hospitality and healthcare taught me how to deal with many different types of personalities (from landlords to recruiters to managers, doctors and patients you will have many interactions as a travel nurse) I’ve had to learn how to not take things personally.
Always keep in mind that most units have experience with travel nurses and not all of those are good memories as you can imagine.
Know that it isn’t your fault or something you did/didn’t do if staff treats you like you are not as competent as you are — sometimes nurses may over explain topics/skills you already know a lot about — take this as an opportunity to learn how they are doing things in their unit (even if it is repeat education, even if you already know how to do something — they are taking time to help you be successful in their unit Please do not just write them off by saying “yeah i do this all the time” or “this is how we used to do it my previous hospital” (cringe).
After all, it can’t be actually be personal unless they know you and they just met you, they do not know the true essence and core of your being (aka how amazing you are)
You cannot do anything about their past experiences with travel nurses, but you can help paint a new picture; one that leaves a much better taste in their mouth.
(f)unemployment
“The opportunity to step away from everything and take a break is something that shouldn’t be squandered.”
Harper Reed
I wish somebody would have told me just how much time off I would be able to take as a travel nurse
I love my (f)unemployment breaks it has been liberating to be able to take 2-4 months off every year. As a traveler, once you have completed your contract , you are a free agent but also technically un-employed
You can choose to keep working with the same agency or you can switch to another company. You can take another contract within a few days/weeks or you can take 1 month, 2 months or more to travel, explore, and adventure. There are nurses who will actual file for unemployment benefits if they are unable to secure a contract when they need — I am not one of those nurses. I take time off because I want to, I choose to and really I haven’t spent more than 2-3 weeks looking for and securing a contract when I was ready to return to work.
Cancellations
Your contract could potentially get canceled. It is a good plan to have 2-3 months of expenses saved. Unfortunately, the possibility that your contract could be cut short at any time always exists. You could be cancelled the day before you start or at anytime during the contract.
They can cancel you the same day and tell you not to report to work, very rarely will you receive 2 weeks notice that you will be canceled. It’s not very fair no, and yes it is a double standard. Agencies and facilities expect us to provide 2 weeks notice if we will be unable to fulfill the rest of our contract. Tis the nature of the beast.
The best way to plan and prepare for this situation is to save money and make sure you have enough to support yourself in between contracts (I recommend at least 2 months of expenses including all of your bills your rent, food and gas).
“”You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
How to combat lonliness
“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.”
Wayne Dyer
Being on an assignment thousands of miles away from home can be so liberating and yet so isolating. I wish I would have known a few of these tricks on how to avoid the frequent feelings of loneliness.
–Video calls: call a friend on your lunch break, do it any time you are feeling bored and alone
–Making new connections – seek out opportunities to connect with other travel nurses (one great way to connect with fellow travelers is the Medventure app)
–Take time to re-connect with yourself – sometimes we need to be alone in order to reconnect with the essence of our true selves. Learn to appreciate being alone. Remember that alone does not have to mean lonely.
–Travel with a friend. This may not always be possible but it surely makes traveling fun, and not to mention how financially helpful it can be to share expenses
Keeping a per-diem
Maintaining a per-diem near your permanent home can have great benefits. I actually did this when I started travel nursing, but not because I knew about the benefits, because I wanted to be vested in my pension.
Keeping a per-diem (or going per-diem instead of resigning your full time gig) is a great option for those who aren’t sure if they want to quit their job to begin travel nursing, it gives you something to go back to
It is nice to have a stable consistent job in case your contract gets cancelled you will have a quick and easy means to make money. It’s the only back-up plan travel nurses get other than taking another contract.
Depending on how many hours you work at your per-diem they may be required to offer you health benefits.
It can be difficult to maintain a per-diem job when you are traveling across the country though, so be sure you can realistically maintain both jobs. It can become expensive and time consuming though so it’s good to assess and reassess how this benefits your life with each contract.
I
“It is wise to have a backup plan, but don’t make it your primary focus. Let your dream be the driving force.”
Chalene Johnson
Obtaining private health insurance
is almost always your best bet
Do carefully research and compare different private health insurance plans to find the one that best suits your needs
my best advice
You can often save more money and make more money if you decline medical benefits from the agency
You can increase your pay packages – be sure to verify with your recruiter
You will not have to worry about re-starting your deductible from $0 each time you change agencies
You will have coverage during your time off (f-unemployment)
You will not have to worry about lapses in coverage if your contract gets cancelled
You will likely be floated
I wish somebody would have told me that there would be contracts where I would work 75% of my shifts in step-down units and med/surg units as opposed to ICU
This isn’t a deal breaker for me, I started my career in Med/Surg/Tele in Florida taking 5-8 patients (Florida grown nurse)
If you are uncomfortable floating to different units/specialties you should discuss this with your recruiter prior to signing your contract
You should always speak up if you are being asked to care for patients that are outside of your speciality/competency (ie: a pediatric nurse being floated to an adult unit or vice versa). Or if you are being given an assignment you feel is unsafe for whatever reason.
Maintain a positive and team player attitude; just because you are being floated to L&D or ER does not mean you will be taking patients outside of your norm; you may be sent to other units and provide assistance as a CNA or a team nurse. Be ready to help not to fight.
If the staff see you as a team player you are likely to have a smoother assignment.
I
“When you help someone, you also help yourself. It’s impossible to help another without helping yourself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Being friendly and kind
is never unappreciated
Having a positive friendly attitude can make almost any situation better
my best advice
As a travel nurse, you are coming into a unit to provide assistance and support during a possible staffing crisis
You are not here to make friends, although that isn’t out of the question – it is important to lay a solid foundation for yourself
Be professional and try to be friendly and approachable, people are not always going to remember your name but they will remember your demeanor towards them and patients.
You’d be surprised how many patients I have tell me “you’re the first one to ask me that” or “you’re the first nurse to offer me that”. Small acts of kindness can change somebodies entire hospital experience.
Be willing to learn, be willing to help – anytime you are available answer call lights, pick up the phone, help your fellow nurses out – they will remember your kindness and likely return the favor.
The most dangerous nurses are the ones who do not know what they do not know
In my career I have seen a few sentinel events involving travel nurses directly. It is sad but they were all thrown under the bus and bared severed consequences some even lost their nursing licenses.
I have learned to always always always ask for help/clarification if I do not understand something/have not seen something before (even if it’s just a PO medication)
If you have maybe not seen/done the skill in a while, ask for an experienced nurse to come with you to assist
There is never a situation where it is OK to do something you do not know how to do without support.
Always alway always scan your patients and your medications.
Always waste your medications with a witness
If you are not 100% sure what to do, ask for help
Most doctors nurses will respect you for speaking up about something you don’t understand rather than pretending to know something you do not – it can be a teaching moment or a career ending moment
This is not to scare but to prepare you for the dense reality that travel nurses face, we are always working under our nursing license and we must do all we can do protect our years of hard work and experience.
I
“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.”
Harvey Mackay
The Hospital’s Policy and Procedure
should guide your practice
Policies and procedures are one of your best resources as travel nurse
my best advice
In the criminal justice system, travel nurse committed crimes are not as uncommon as you might think
One of the most important documents in your travel nurse arsenal is the facilities policies and procedures. It is a valuable resource.
You can ask 10 nurses in the same unit how they do something, and you might get 10 different responses; they might all be safe methods but they are not always the methods described in the policy — when it doubt stick to the policy.
Because, when a nurse goes outside of this policy the nurse can be easily thrown under the bus, (travel nurse or not) I’ve seen this a lot.
By following policy and procedure you are protecting your license, your patients and the hospital in a court of law.
I have never found it necessary to carry any types of medical malpractice insurance during my 5 years as a traveling RN
One of the first things I will do when starting on a new unit is being reviewing policy and procedures – not every topic will be listed but I try to see what is available (common topics I search for: IV infiltration, central line, medications, skin/wound)