Alaska

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Hi all, I am currently on my first travel assignment in Charleston South Carolina and loving every minute of it. I hope to extend my contract for another 3 months and waiting for them to ask. When I tire of here I would like to do Alaska next. Has anyone travel nursed in Alaska and if so which are the better hospitals up there, How is the housing situation, and did you enjoy the venture?

Thanks

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very interested in comments about traveling to Alaska myself

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I have not done anything like that myself, but I had a friend a number of years ago who did an extended travel assignment in Alaska. She didn't have any complaints about the hospital or people, but she hated the experience overall and couldn't wait to get away -- because of the weather. She was there part of the time of year where it stays dark all the time, and said she seriously thought she was going to go crazy ...

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I lived in the interior of AK from 1986 to 1988 - absolutely loved the weather but it did snow 10 months of the year, was dark for six months, and was very, very cold (-50 often). That said, that is the weather you would have in Fairbanks. In Anchorage it is more like WA state weather.

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noone else with any Alaska travel experiences?

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I did not work as a travel nurse in Alaska but worked there from 2/05 to 3/07 through Indian Health Service - for student loan repayment. I worked on the general peds floor but mainly in the small level 2 NICU. The hospital Alaska Native Medical Center (I WORKED HERE) & Providence Hospital are both nice hospitals in Anchorage, AK. The housing up there is very expensive as is everything else, due to having to have things shipped in from lower 48 states - food, etc. Other then Fairbanks AK the rest of the state has very small clinics and minor emergency centers. Most of alaska is very islotaing - you live "out in the bush" except in the handful of bigger towns like Anchorage & fairbanks. The best time to go to Alaska is between May & September, this time of year is gorgous and lots of extraculicular activities available, sunlight for 22 of 24 hrs a day. October - April is their winter, and its dark 18 hrs of 24 per day..We left AK in 3/07 and moved to navajo resrv in northern Arizona very drastic change in climate. PM me if you would like more information and contacts.

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hmm, surprised no more responses from anyone who has worked as a traveler there.

i'm gonna start traveling next summer and the wife and I really want to go to Alaska

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