How much preparation before becoming travel nurse?

[Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN]

Hey all you travelers! I'm 41, have two years experience in med/surg/telemetry/cardiopulmonary stepdown and am thinking about traveling soon. The main reason is money, and I like the idea of moving around to different positions. Just wanted to check out a couple of things, though.

I am ACLS certified, but have been lucky enough not to have anyone code on me. I have had to call the "STAT" team at our hospital-which is a near-code where the person usually ends up in the ICU to help prevent a full-blown code, I've had people who were clearly dying and I was expecting to have to call the STAT team any moment now, but go by with calling the resident and they came down to check things out instead. So I have taken care of really critical patients, done suctioning, trachs (don't really WANT to do them, but I've done them), also solid-organ transplants on another floor where we were dealing with rejection issues and recently transplanted patients. I have been "IN" a code, where I pretty much only wrote down what was happening and fetched things when they were needed (we have a LOT of advanced staff on our floor, so by the time I get to the CODE, everyone who loves that sort of adrenaline rush is already doing what needs to be done).

Is it a problem with travel nursing that I have not actually had much CODE experience? The idea that I will be expected to know everything in travel nursing and hit the ground running really bothers me, because I DON'T know everything. I've done a lot, but there are many things I have not done or that I need some brush-up work on because I've forgotten some training.

If I do start travel nursing, I want it to be a good experience and not filled with anxiety because I feel like the idiot in the group everywhere I go. What advice can you all give me???

Thanks!

[bagladyrn, RN]

As a travel nurse what you are expected to know well is the basic care of your specialties' patients. By that I mean that you are comfortable going in to work and getting your patient assignment without worry unless something really rare is there. You should be able to handle the common complications of your patient population.

That said, you should also have the confidence to say "I have never seen that condition/piece of equipment before. Can you give me a quick rundown or reference on how to handle it?" Believe me - no one, no matter how long a nurse has seen everything!

As for codes - unless you work on the code team or in certain specialties none of us deal with it often enough to feel totally at ease, staff or traveler. A new traveler at a facility is unlikely to be assigned to head the code team unless that is their specialty. Read the policies at a new hospital, know how and who to call for help and realize that in the moment what you learned will come back.

An addendum: Some less than ethical agencies (or unknowing recruiters) will try to convince you to take contracts falling outside your specialty. DO NOT do this! Stay in the area you know, especially as a new traveler.

[Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN]

That makes me feel a lot better! I am completely comfortable when getting my patients in the morning, handle most everything on my own unless it is a procedure I simply have not done enough of to feel comfy (such as cardioversions, I've only done one), and I am totally confident enough to ask for run-downs on what I am unfamiliar with, so I'm okay there.

I'm going to take the next year and specifically seek out skills I feel I have not done enough or at all, get more comfortable with them, ask for some new experiences to build more confidence, and THEN head into travel nursing. Then I will have a total of 3 years experience and should feel more ready.

I just didn't want to get into a situation where I was not properly prepared for what would be expected of me. Thanks so much for the information!

[bagladyrn, RN]

That makes me feel a lot better! I am completely comfortable when getting my patients in the morning, handle most everything on my own unless it is a procedure I simply have not done enough of to feel comfy (such as cardioversions, I've only done one), and I am totally confident enough to ask for run-downs on what I am unfamiliar with, so I'm okay there.

I'm going to take the next year and specifically seek out skills I feel I have not done enough or at all, get more comfortable with them, ask for some new experiences to build more confidence, and THEN head into travel nursing. Then I will have a total of 3 years experience and should feel more ready.

I just didn't want to get into a situation where I was not properly prepared for what would be expected of me. Thanks so much for the information!

Sounds like you have a well thought out plan here.

I'd add one suggestion for the next year - try to save as much as you can so that you have a good financial cushion when you start traveling - 3 to 6 months expenses at the least. The current job market for travelers is still unsteady so you may experience "downtime" between contracts or worst case, drive across country only to have the contract dropped or terminated before or after you start. If you have money in the bank to pay your bills and get you home you won't be in the position of having to take a bad contract just to get by.

I've been traveling for 14 years now and the last couple have been "different" to say the least. Let me know if there is any information I can help you with!

[RN Zeke]

I have heard there is Insurance available for cancelled contracts? If you know of the company please share the name. Thanks.