Am I ready to travel?? Need advice!!

elkpark · Feb 19, 2008

There are lots of threads here that discuss opinions and others' experiences, pro and con, with traveling. Please be aware, also, that agencies will be happy to sign you up with (just) one year of experience but many of the hospitals that use travelers insist upon two or three (or more!) years of experience.

For the huge amounts of $$$ they are paying, they expect (and deserve) to get a seasoned pro who can walk in and do the job independently from day one, with little or no orientation and little or no support/guidance. You said that you are at the point where you feel very confident on your floor; do you feel confident that you could walk into a new, strange setting, possibly with negative working conditions and staff morale, possibly with some hostility from the permanent nursing staff, and function successfully?

I'm not trying to be critical or negative; take a look at some of the threads here where people discuss some of the negative experiences in which they've found themselves when traveling (there are several current threads on that topic these days). Agencies will be happy to sign you up and "throw you to the wolves" -- they are interested in their profits, not your professional growth and development or the safety of your license. If you crash and burn, they have plenty of other nurses, but you only have you ...

No one else is is going to look out for your best interests, so it's important to make the best choices that you can. Best wishes!

kidnurse04 · Feb 22, 2008

I am getting ready to travel. I am working on getting my license in several different states but have a dilemma. I got a DUI back in June but it was dismissed when I went to court. Do I still need to report this on my applications to the different state BON's? I'm terrified that if I don't report it that it will show up on a background check and then I'm screwed.

kdblueey · Feb 23, 2008

I am getting ready to travel. I am working on getting my license in several different states but have a dilemma. I got a DUI back in June but it was dismissed when I went to court. Do I still need to report this on my applications to the different state BON's? I'm terrified that if I don't report it that it will show up on a background check and then I'm screwed.

You could always call the BON without telling your name, and then just ask them to see what they say. It probably WILL show up, but check with the BON and they should be able to give you advice. If you don't feel comfortable with calling the BON, try emailing them.

Kathy (up in the panhandle - for now:bugeyes:)

alwayskatiek · Feb 23, 2008

I started traveling after only working 8 months. I would say if they trust you enough to precept, you are ready. I had worked in the OR, oncology, and LTC before I traveled, but on my 1st assignment I ended up on ortho. Ortho is one of those "specialties" that you can take almost anywhere. In every hospital I learn something different, and I really have not had many problems with the permant staff (I'm winding down on my 3rd assignment). Especially if you have seen renal patients it makes it easier, because you have seen some of that basic med/surg stuff. The keys I have learned about traveling is going in with a good attitude, asking questions- not because you don't know, but that you want to know where they came from (in the interest of learning) and making a point to be a team player. Even that 1st week, when EVERYTHING is new and you are feeling a little overwhelmed, I make a point to get the beeping IV pumps, put people on the bedpan or whatever. It's those little tasks that let the other nurses know that I'm there to help out for a little while. I have also for the most part made it clear that I'm not there forever. For example, I have backed this assignment up with a medical mission. As soon as people started asking me when my contract is up, my answer is on such and such a date, because I'm doing a mission the next week. It makes the staff understand that you are not there to take their jobs, and that you are interested in helping them out. If your are a charge nurse, then you know all about that jumping in and helping out! Good luck, and I hope that I meet you out "there" someday!:heartbeat

ERRNTraveler, RN · Feb 23, 2008

If you have to ask if you're ready to travel, you're probably not ready. If you are not 100% confident in your ability to walk into a new facility and function independently with only 1-2 days of orientation, then you are not ready....

kdblueey · Feb 24, 2008

If you have to ask if you're ready to travel, you're probably not ready. If you are not 100% confident in your ability to walk into a new facility and function independently with only 1-2 days of orientation, then you are not ready....

GREAT ADVICE, ERRNTRAVELER; It made me think too. Thanks.

Kathy (in the panhandle - for now :bugeyes: )

KatieBell · Feb 24, 2008

Couple of things here.

If your one year experience is at a very very busy hospital, Level one trauma center type place, yes, you are probably ready to travel to a small community hospital setting.

If you are at a smaller community hospital, then you are generally seeing lower acuity patients, and going to a higher acuity hospital may burn you. I've seen it happen a variety of times.

My non-traveling experience has been at huge 800 bed hospitals, so when I travel to a 200 bed hospital I rarely see anything that is a surprise or even new.

If you think you want to have a specialty beyond M/S(which is paying pretty darn well it seems) then I'd do that first, and then travel.

One of the saddest things I ever saw was an agency trying to market a M/S nurse with 9 mos experience in M/S to an Emergency Department because she wanted to become an emergency nurse. Not fair to the nurse and apparently no hospital would have anything to do with such a lousy resume.

A lot of it is attitude, but if you do not have core knowledge it is flushed out pretty quickly...Unfortunately travelling is not really a time to learn (though I do all the time), its more a time to simply perform.