Anyone worked as a nurse without a home?

[Cats&Tea&Climbing]

I am wondering if anyone has lived out of a camper van, RV, or just a regular van, while working as a travel nurse- how did it go? What were the challenges, and unexpected perks?

If not, when assigned to a hospital as a travel nurse, do you have the option of choosing a hospital with staff showers? Can these be utilized whenever?

[dec2007]

Start with the thread Rose_Queen linked. You can do a search on AN for more such threads. There are lots of even better threads on RV forums such as Escapees, iRV2, and RV dot net. Look for subforums titled working on the road or fulltimers.

Do not follow advice on those forums about taxes, that will be where you want to look for tax home posts on AN, or articles on PanTravelers or TravelTax. There are also at least two books you can find on Amazon about travel nursing that feature the author using RVs. It sounds like you are really motivated to travel with low expenses, but you need to be aware that you will maximize your take home pay if you maintain a permanent residence if you can keep the costs below around $20,000 a year.

Also be aware that like travel nursing, living in an RV is a lifestyle choice first. It is not about saving money and the overall costs will be similar to regular housing with everything considered. Living in a car on the other hand...

By the way, the term for living in a car or RV and not paying for a site is called boondocking. Park wherever it is safe and otherwise satisfactory with regards to upsetting local residents, light, noise, and traffic. It is legal in most jurisdictions, but a complaint will have the police waking you up and asking you to move after checking your arrest record. Walmart welcomes overnight RVs but boy, they keep their parking lots bright. Travelers can also utilize municipal parking lots on the road - I've been advised a couple times by police to use them - also invariably very bright lights.

So you know there is a whole class of working people who are homeless and living in their vehicles. Plus all the RV fulltimers, through hikers, and bicycle tourists, and homeless sleeping on the street or woods in tents. So of course it can be done. I've done over a month living in a car several times (because I'm frugal, not poor). I even selected my current car for that purpose. Plus a couple of bicycle trips that lasted 6 months. So it can certainly be done.

Showers can be obtained in a wide variety of ways. Yup, some staff washrooms have showers, typically OR and ED. Many offices are often former patient rooms with working showers. I've ducked into unused patient rooms for a shower in hospitals I know from prior work. A good many hospitals have gyms for staff that are free and have showers. Truck stops have showers, and many camping and even some RV parks have unlocked showers. Beaches usually have outdoor showers (you don't have to get naked to get very clean in a swim suit). I've ducked into motel rooms after the guests have checked out leaving the door open - well just once - spotted it midmorning while driving. Youth hostels have showers. You can also get very clean with a "sponge bath". My favorite place for that is often grocery stores with single private bathrooms (makes a bit of initial mess of the floor, but I leave it cleaner than I found it and dry).

I often cross the country so have a need to clean up and I loathe staying in a motel. I can think of lots better ways to sleep badly and save $40 to $100 plus at the same time.

So that may sound nutty to most readers here, but perhaps not to you. I would question whether boondocking really saves you enough money versus the hit on quality of life compared with say the low cost of sharing a house in most places. I've certainly never worked an assignment living out of my car other than perhaps a few days at the beginning and end of an assignment.

What about water hook-ups?

[NedRN]

I'm not an RV owner but many truck stops as well as RV parks offer water and sewer dumps.

[Surfandnurse]

I appreciate ARGO's comment regarding lifestyle of "Van life"

We lived in New Zealand in a camper van for 9 months and had no problems staying clean, washing up in rivers, the ocean, or paying to camp occasionally for a real, hot shower (people will also offer for you to come into their home for such purposes).

We spent 10+ hours a day in the great outdoors! I feel blessed to have experienced this in New Zealand and not just America as NZ has freedom camping throughout the country with bathrooms and free showers. in the past 2 years (since my daughter was born) I have only had to work for 3 months each year because we have chosen to live very frugally during the rest of the time. We are not on any government hand outs etc and we are having another baby and do not see our lifestyle changing as we are frugal and have found it easy now that we've been doing it for 2 years.

Just as Argo has stated there are multiple places to shower etc, and do laundry.

Also we drive older vehicles, and I ride my bike to work rain or shine. These are lifestyle choices, of course some people think that we are absolutely crazy, nuts, obsurd, how can you not own a home etc... but we have enjoyed traveling and spending quality time together and not having to pound our heads against the wall working 40+ hours a week just to make ends meet.

there are also "Tiny homes" on wheels that have drawn a lot of interest from other travel nurses I am working with.. a little more comfort and style than a camper van or RV.

[Argo]

Im with you on that. I wish i had a van for this current assignment in San Francisco. I could easily urban van boondock here while on assignment. I may actually do it in the future once i get a feel for the place. Driving to and from the rv park every day in traffic is a time waster. 10 hours of work, 3.5 of traffic. If my campsites weren't free i would be doing a hostel for the week.

Again, my way of doing assignments is not for everyone either but i am here to maximize income and take time off between assignments so i dont want to eat up well over $1200/month for a closer rv spot or roommate/share. A solo apartment would be in the $2000+ range.

I would rather just spend $400/month commuting and keeping as much of the $12k a month "net" i can. If it was a fun, vacation type assignment then i would have a different mind set....

[Cats&Tea&Climbing]

You got it for FREE?? That's an amazing stroke of luck! This is super awesome and inspiring, thanks!