Do you think a new job would approve all this time off?

[Psychnurse1996]

Hey guys! Long time lurker, first time poster here. So I have got myself into quite a pickle here and I am unsure how to proceed. I have been a travel nurse for about 7 months now. My original plan was to extend my contract for a second time which would have been until the end of September, and then I wanted to switch from psychiatric nursing to labor and delivery.  I had planned to take the entire month of October off before applying for staff labor and delivery jobs. I also bought several concert tickets for this Summer.

Once I signed my extension in May, I booked several vacations for the month of October. The facility also approved all my concert dates off as well. Then the day before my second contract was suppose to start, they cancelled my and all travelers contracts. I would love to apply for a labor and delivery staff job but I do not think they would approve all the time I need off. I have a concert July 21, August 11th and 16th. In October I am going to Cancun from the 17-21 with my sister, which is a non-refundable trip. I am then the maid of honor in my best friend's wedding October 29, and then I have a family reunion trip to Gatlinburg from October 30- Nov 3. I also have a cruise booked with my other sister from January 1-7th. Again all of these concert and trips are non-refundable (I have called and inquired about all of them). I do not think a staff job would give me all of this time off. I have been thinking about just getting a PRN job until the start of November. I am wanting to hear your guys thoughts and opinions on what you think would be best as I am unsure what to do.

PS:

I have been looking for another psych contract but I have not found any. I have to stay a few hours close to home for personal reasons. I live in Indiana and there are hardly ever any psych travel contracts, and I am surrounded by non-compact states- besides Kentucky which has horrible pay and notoriously dangerous psych facilities.  By the time I applied for another states' license and got a contract, it would be cutting into my vacation with my sister. 

 

[HiddenAngels]

This sounds like me ha ha!

I do have a PRN job as well as my other job.  You should always keep a PRN.  The one I have you must work 48hrs in a 6 week period so it's not bad.  You should look into something like this because you can work as much or as little as you want when the Summer comes around.

Okay so here's what I would do.  If you start a new contract, the July 21, Aug 11 and 16, you can easily schedule around those days because they're singles, maybe you won't even start until august and then you'll just have to worry about the two august dates.  You will have to put those Oct 17-21 dates tho.  For the Oct 30-Nov 3 I would wait until I have the job and then say nicely, "oh hey can I please check out my October schedule I have a couple things I would like to move around" usually by then you've built rapport and shown them how much of a bad*(ss you are and usually they're pretty nice and flexible.

Jan 1-7 hopefully you've landed a PRN and then this one will work out where you won't have to be under contract. 

Now

If you start a brand new L&D job, oh boy.  The single dates will probably still work for you but those 3 sets of vacas Oct 17-21, Oct 30-Nov 3, and Jan1-7, yea, no, forget about it.   You're not going to get all of that so you'll have to choose your favorite. ?

Hope this helps, good luck and Have Fun tripping!