Favorite cities/locations you've traveled?

Specialties Travel

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Hi guys! I'm on my first travel assignment (labor and delivery) in Phoenix area for the summer (yes I knew it would be hot when I signed on.) :) I am then headed to Nairobi Kenya in August/beginning of September for some volunteering. When I get back, I'd like to take on another travel assignment in late September/beginning of October.

Wanted to ask: What are your favorite cities/locations you've traveled and why?

I am interested in going somewhere that I will have lots of things to explore when I'm not at work. My current location is nice aside from the heat, but I went here more for the opportunity to work at the hospital and because they were willing to take a first time traveler.

I am not sure how many more travel assignments I'll have the opportunity to do, so I'm thinking ahead about where I might want to work. I am from Idaho so I have a compact license but I'm open to getting other licenses too. I'm an adventurous soul so any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

I was curious. im a new lpn and was wondering what it was like traveling. i was offered 700 a week from a agency and i flat turned them down. what is normal? pay wise

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Specializes in Nephrology, Dialysis, Plasmapheresis.
I was curious. im a new lpn and was wondering what it was like traveling. i was offered 700 a week from a agency and i flat turned them down. what is normal? pay wise

As an RN in California, working minimum 36 hours, I took home $930/wk, plus housing was provided. If you don't include housing, RNs usually take home $900-1100/wk. So it seems like $700/wk for an LPn is probably comparable. Travel nursing is NOT "big bucks"...... Like it used to be from what I've heard. You can make money and save money but you have to be reallllly smart with your money and not be tempted by all the luxuries of travel.

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yeah they told me no housing was covered. I laughed. 700 a week flat rate.i think either they were looking for a sucker. or the contract literally paid close to nothing. I make 600 a week at home why would I leave? then I have double expenses like home mortgage + rent in the new town/city I went to. for what 100 bucks a week? I should have asked if the company drug tested him before he got hired as a recruiter lol

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anyway thank you for the info nurseRies I hope there are better contracts than what i was quoted if not ill be staying put for now. and I will steer clear of that agency in the future.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Dialysis, Plasmapheresis.
anyway thank you for the info nurseRies I hope there are better contracts than what i was quoted if not ill be staying put for now. and I will steer clear of that agency in the future.

Yes, I too thought that travel nursing would get me ahead and help me pay off some debts and save money. I was wrong. I made more at my staff job in South Carolina, because I had 2 jobs, a stable home environment, and flexibility with scheduling. Traveling brings a lot of unexpected costs such as paying for your own drug test and lab work to sign up ($500 non reimbursed), to licensing fees which are impossible to get reimbursed ( I spent about $1500 total for 4 states), to the traveling costs which they reimburse you for, but it barely covers it. Not to mention while you're in between jobs, you are not getting a paycheck that week, so that's 4 weeks of no pay per year right there. In between assignments, if you set up your own housing, you will have to upfront security deposits, get cable set up, and buy an entire fridge full of groceries and misc items everytime you move. Our first trip to the store usually averaged between $300-400 to buy food and random things like showers curtains, trash cans, a broom, things you thought would be provided.

So each time I started a new assignment I was broke! Broker then I've been in a long time. Towards the end of the assignment I would start to have $2-3k saved in the bank, but then it was time to move again and it would all be gone. You also want to think about spending more money yearly to fly home or visit home either during or between assignments, which isn't cheap. And no one is giving you PTO. I also put 30,000 miles on my car in one year and have had to do a lot of upkeep on it. Maybe my experience was a little more pricey because my husband is with me so more food, but realistically, with all the uncertainties that travel nursing brings, you'd have to be really money savvy to make a decent profit. I suppose I could have stayed in a crappy studio apartment for $500/month and saved money that way, but with 2 people, I think that's really no way to live. We love to cook, and I get up at 4:30am for work, so we need some separation so I'm note waking up my husband. Another thing is that while traveling, we want to do things and see things, which costs a lot of money. Even just restaurants per month was way more then we were used to. If you're traveling the country, it's hard to be disciplined and hole yourself up in the house, never going on day trips or trying new restaurants. All these reasons make it very difficult for someone to truly save money and get ahead. I think many nurses are better off money wise staying at a staff job. I would love to travel again, but not until I have a paid for house, a huge emergency fund in the bank, and no financial worries to hold me back. Traveling is a great experience, but I think many are completely underprepared and shocked at the reality of what you actually get.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

As a LPN my bring home is $1300/WK. With rental car paid for. I enjoy it and am able to pay bills and I also bring my 3 children and my mother. It all depends who or what company you work for. I get my own housing cause its cheaper.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Dialysis, Plasmapheresis.
As a LPN my bring home is $1300/WK. With rental car paid for. I enjoy it and am able to pay bills and I also bring my 3 children and my mother. It all depends who or what company you work for. I get my own housing cause its cheaper.

That is great! I am doing $1300/wk if you count housing stipend in there. What company are you with? I know some RNs making $19/hr plus only $1200/month stipend. Terrible. These agencies can be shady....

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I was hoping to get at least 800 wk + housing 1500 month + some ot if possible. thank you strawberrykool. what is the longest time you been in between contracts strawberrykool. and what contract have you stayed the longest time at? I would be nice to get 26 week assignment.

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Specializes in ER.

that's actual not bad for lpn

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