Can this nurse be a traveler?

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation! Nurses Nurse Beth Nursing Q/A

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Dear Nurse Beth:

I received my ASN 29 years ago, going into the OR circulating for 20+ years, before & immediately after graduating. After that, I took some short periods off (due to a personal family tragedy) then practiced in Psych nursing with a local agency for a year before moving on into LTC.

That is where I've practiced the last four years.

As a 'late bloomer' and near retirement age, I've decided to do some traveling while I'm still able.

My concern and questions are, I've had med-minimal EHR experience, and also, how do I decide on which type agency to sign on with?

Due to 5 rounds of COVID, I unfortunately had to live off most of my 'retirement’/IRA. I had been concentrating on this being my deciding factor until I read your comment on a post about the matter, which was in-lightning.

Even with my longevity as a nurse, I still feel I'm lacking in the basics, like Med/Surg, and skills.

I continue to have a very strong urge to care for the Geriatric population and honestly feel that is my calling. I have nothing preventing me from traveling (have 2 cats I can't live without! and will travel with me).

Being new to travel nursing and but a few years still left in me, I don't want to make the wrong choices. Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Late Bloomer,

Talk to a recruiter at a traveling agency to realistically find out what options are available to you with your background.

As a traveler, you're expected to "hit the ground running" with only 1-3 days of Orientation. They don't teach you nursing practice, they teach you how "we do it here". You won't qualify for a speciality assignment without experience in that speciality.

Without acute care MedSurg experience, your strongest suit is Psych. You have one year of psych experience, which may be enough to qualify you for a psych assignment, if it's considered recent enough. Psych nurses are in demand in some areas, including some well-paying locations. You also have OR experience but it's not recent, which is what most hospitals ask for. There are some LTC traveler positions, but the pay is on the low end, and you might make more doing per diem.

Your lack of EHR documentation skills could be a challenge but if your computer skills are good and you're a quick learner, you can pick it up as you go. You'll also be scanning meds at most facilities, but it's not hard to learn. Most likely you'll be required to complete some computer orientation and perhaps computer testing remotely before you physically go to the site.

Travel nursing is its own world- you need to learn about contracts, getting called off, guaranteed hours, tax home base, and more. Don't take the leap without doing your research. Learn about stipends, housing, and compare contracts between agencies.

A good source of information is the Travel Nurse Network- The Gypsy Nurse group on facebook and the website. You'll get a lot of good, insider information on all aspects of travel nursing.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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