Getting nervous

You can find something close to home where you can drive home every so often. Otherwise, if traveling is what you really want to do, put in your notice and go back when you're done traveling.

Four week contracts were not common even in 2004. At best, perhaps one out of 30 travel contracts is short. It is just not efficient to orient a traveler for such short periods and increases the cost per traveler tremendously.

Here are your other options: stay full time staff; become a full time traveler; work per diem at another hospital; and perhaps first, see if your hospital will let you work your hours per year instead of monthly (many hospitals already have this as their policy).

The per diem at another hospital used to be particularly interesting in California when more positions were available. There were a number of hospitals there that allowed you to work like 28 straight shifts and then take off a couple of months. The high staff pay allowed such workers to pay for air fare and short term housing and still come out ahead. That is not a practical option right now due to lack of such jobs, but may come back.

Lastly, you can arrange your own do-it-yourself short term travel if you contact local registries and see if their needs are such that you can go to their cities and get enough work to support yourself. But you will have to find your own housing probably.

Good luck.

Ladies and gents I have some options!!! Mad River in Arcata, CA. 4 weeks. Take home about $1000 after housing and $500 for travel.

And Sierra Vista in San Luis Opispo, CA. Maybe can get 6 weeks with take home about $1100. A little less than I wanted for take home but ok for 1st job I think.

Like the idea of working my hours per year instead of monthly. I'll have to look into that. I hate to jump at the first opportunity but I don't want to miss out on an opportunity by being indecisive. Does that make sense?

Congrats! I have to wonder if that Arcata job is real though. They currently have just one 13 week medsurg assignment posted and have 8 profiles waiting interviews. Nothing else posted except a manager job.

What is your specialty?

I am a 26 year labor and delivery nurse

So young! Well, if I had to pick a best specialty for short contracts, that would be it. Plus it is very high demand specialty. That said, I think it will still be difficult to work exclusively 4 week contracts, unless they are some sort of recurring contract, perhaps at a very high delivery hospital. But going to the same place every time would take the fun out of it - while adding a comfort factor I suppose.

No! I have 26 years experience in L&D. Lol. Thanks though, I am young at heart