How many months off is OK(recent experience)?

Specialties Travel

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Hi, I have been wondering how long off the travel companies will accept and sill consider me having recent exp. I have always dreamed of a gap year world trip. I currently work on a MS floor. Will it be a problem for me getting a travel assignment if I hit 2 years experience, quit working and take 6-8 months off to travel the world before taking my first travel assignment? This is something I have been dreaming about for 10+ years.

Thanks for the help.

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Personally, I don't think it would hurt. You should be able to live your dream.

Locally, we are hurting for nurses. If your work history showed you were a good nurse, I know I'd hire you in a heartbeat! We use lots of travel nurses.

I do mission nursing - been to Vietnam twice.

I say, go for it! Then call me when you get back!~

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8 months might be OK, a year off will definitely give you trouble. I would suggest doing a couple of travel assignments before taking time off. Then you will be a proven traveler and more marketable when you return.

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Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg.

I'm alternating a contract with a major trip. I live frugally while on contract and save money for a trip. Works pretty well for me, although it is not a year long trip. SE Asia in January, N France in April.

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I agree with Ned, take an assignment before going on your trip. It will be a lot easier to arrange everything when you are in the US (I'm assuming you're American) and the hospital will be fresh in your mind--it isn't easy at first, working without orientation. There's a lot of paperwork to take care of before your first assignment, and you also need to get references, vaccines, lab tests... lots of stuff. Do it now while you are around and while you have health insurance.

I am currently in Africa and will have had 12-14 months away from American hospital nursing. I work as a nurse here but I doubt the hospitals at home will consider it recent relevant experience. But my recruiter is encouraging about finding me jobs, since I already have a couple of assignments behind me.

Also, I'm glad I had a chance to pack up and leave my apartment, and store my things, for a few months in the US before coming to Africa long-term. It was a relief to have all of that done beforehand, and I got an idea of what I could/couldn't live without. I ended up storing some things I didn't need after all, and taking a couple of things out of storage that I decided I did.

If you can, spend a couple of months in one country and learn to speak some valuable language while you're gone--depends on your area, but Spanish, French, Swahili, Vietnamese, Chinese, Amharic, and others can be very useful. Then, when they ask what you've been doing, you can say "traveling and learning Spanish" which sounds a lot better than "chilling in Thailand and surfing". Besides, language study can just be really fun and a way to get to know the culture better.

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Thanks for all the help everybody.

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