Leave a staff position to travel in this economy??

I am a travel nurse currently. To be honest with you, its not the time. Jobs are lacking everywhere big time. I have several recruiters always looking for jobs for me, jobs are very minimal. I would keep your perm job, as soon as the economy picks up, then try it.

It is true w/ jobs being very limited. I finally got a travel job, but it was w/ a hospital that I had worked w/ in the past. You might be better off, staying put until the market picks up again.

I was thinking of travel nursing now that my kids have all graduated from high school. I haven't decided on a company yet and have been following blogs from travel nurses who couldn't get out of their contracts or who couldn't trust their recruiters, so I am hesitant to leave my perm job. I appreciate hearing the truth about travel nursing.

I am surprising people have been so discouraging! I am planning on doing some traveling nursing in January. I also have a staff job currently. What I am planning on doing is seeing if I can take a leave of absence for the length of my first assignment and then coming back home for a bit. That way if I don't like it or whatever, I will still have my job. What I am wondering is are these people who have all replied currently travelers? I would say if they are not then those are opinions. If they are, then it's a good thing to know that the economy is affecting everyone. But I will end up making more as a traveler than I am making right now being staff, and I am planning on saving the differential. There are many areas where there are shortages of nursing and they are still using travelers. I would try and see if you could take a leave of absence from your staff job, that way if it doesn't work out you could go back to your job for whatever reason.
I personally have decided to travel because I am not tied down with any husband or children and I don't own a house or anything; I know if I don't do it now I never will! I can't wait to travel and see more of the country! If I end up not liking it at least I will be getting out of the winter for somewhere warmer!!!

Thanks for sharing your experiences with travel nursing. My boyfriend and I eventually want to take assignments together, but realize now is not the time. Just means more time to gain valuable experience as a staff nurse!

I've been a nurse for over 14 years and a traveler for the last year. I work ER and have had no assignment since my last contract ended on the 25th of JULY! I'm on with 4 different agencies and have not even had a phone call from 3 of them. Have interviewd with a hospital I previously worked at as a contract RN for a possible staff position. My main agency is still looking but everytiime a position gets posted it closes in less than an hour due to so many submissions.
I'd stay staff for now it is really BAD out there. My 2 cents anyway!

Sarge

This is not a good time to travel at all. I am personally aware of 7 positions in my state that received over 300 applications. Keep your current position. I don't plan on going anywhere until this recession lets up. I am concerned even if I left, I wouldn't find even a part-time position when I returned home. I too have been looking nationwide.

You've got the right attitude for the current situation! I've been traveling for almost 13 years now (so tons of experience and a track record with company and hospitals) and even so I'm finding contracts more difficult to come by! Though things are starting to look slightly better, I still have to go where I can find a contract rather than being able to go to the area I want to be in.
What you may want to do is spend the next year or so really gaining experience, taking as many continuing ed and certifications as you can while concentrating on saving up as good a financial cushion as you can. Try to save 3-6 mo. expenses as well as enough to travel home from anywhere in the country (in case a contract falls through after you arrive). Then when things loosen up you will be well positioned to start traveling.

That is indeed discouraging. I am a 2.5 year ED experience RN with CEN, TNCC, ENPC, BSN hoping to start traveling this fall.
Willing to travel anywhere in the country. Is it really that bad for ED RN travelers?

GleeGum. unfortumately it is. At least out here in the Southwest and Western states.
Sarge