Anyone Travel to Minneapolis and Stay for Good?

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

I'm relocating to Minneapolis for grad school in August and will not be working.

My husband is a working RN who will have a year of experience this fall. We were thinking it might be a good idea for him to utilize a travel agency to get his foot in the door at some Twin Cities hospitals. I've heard there is a demand for travel nurses in Minneapolis in the wintertime. This way, we'd get some help with living expenses, and he'd get to check out some facilities and can either move along or pursue a permanent position at a hospital he likes. It almost seems like an easier way to explore job opportunities than trying to secure permanent positions while living/working out of state.

Thoughts?

[0.3cm]

Well, I feel your excitement and readiness for changes.

I am from MN working and hope to keep working as much as I can tolerate through the program.

Wonder why travel nursing would be preferred to you over a permanent.

I believe by now you couple must've figured out some ways though

With a year experience, it would be that hard to get a job even at a big hospital for your hubby.

Prime shifts are questionalble though.

BTW, if you were born in 1978, we have another thing in common to be buddies.

Looking foward to seeing ya.. on 9/3

[NedRN]

You can do that, but I would also recommend looking for a staff job. Your husband needs the extra experience that a staff job will provide, and the benefits will be much better, covering both of you for health insurance. You may enjoy sick leave, holidays, and vacations with your husband while money continues to come in (travel is work or no pay). Minnesota is big on unions so it will probably pay better as well.

[trackhead, APRN]

Agree with Ned.

Staff nurses do pretty well here and it's unlikely you'd make any more as a traveler. I've done a couple regular travel assignments in Minnesota, and a fair bit of agency work there too. Agency work last summer for ER was pretty grim, got only 50% of my shifts. On another note, MN is one of the best work environments I've ever worked in. Really friendly people, unions=great staffing ratios, you actually get to take breaks, etc. I love working here (on assignment in rural MN now).

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

Thanks for all of the advice - sorry for my late reply. Things worked out for the best and he was offered a hospital based position before we moved and he only had 8-9 mos of experience at the time, so I feel that was very forunate.

I'm shocked at how well nurses are treated here. He's making as a new nurse (1 year exp on the pay scale) as much working a .75 FTE as I was back home working a .9 FTE with 6 years experience. So cool!