Husband v. Wannabe Travel Nurse

Asystole RN · Dec 13, 2016

You have a looong road ahead of you before you even think about travel nursing. Your vision of what your career will be and what it actually turns out to be are two different things.

Not only that but your marriage goals and needs will likely even change. For example, kids have a way of interrupting goals.

Don't worry about something now that you may not even decide you will like in the future. It's like arguing about what car you will buy after your second child. What second child let alone the first child? Exactly.

Focus on becoming a nurse and enjoying your marriage.

apalms76 · Dec 13, 2016

Thank you for commenting. :cat:

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Dec 13, 2016

Travel contracts are usually 13 weeks, you WILL be gone for around 4 months.

Cowboyardee · Dec 13, 2016

If the point is to travel, you will be gone for months at a time. If the point is to make a higher hourly rate (though at times with fewer benefits or less job stability), then you can often work for a staffing agency in your own area without moving around. There are downsides to either that might plausibly affect your living situation and your husband, so you'll have to work that out between yourselves. It's not unreasonable for him to be concerned.

Thing is, you won't have the skills to be a travel nurse for a while after graduation anyway. They don't get a full orientation and a preceptor, and they're expected to be competent in a variety of situations that a new grad would not likely be competent in. As asystole stated, you're getting ahead of yourself.

Asystole RN · Dec 14, 2016

If you just want to travel around a bit but do not wan to be gone for weeks on end there are per diem education companies like Novasyte that will hire nurses to inservice on various companies products. Teach nurses how to use a new tape, a new thermometer, or even the virtues of a new diaper for neonates.

The pay is about par for hospital pay and most companies will give you a small per diem (~$50/day) for food. The company picks up your hotel and flight and the assignments are usually a week long, Monday-Friday.

AliNajaCat · Dec 15, 2016

Cart WAAAAY before horse, here. You haven't even started nursing school, much less graduated, found a job, and worked for the two years minimum that most travel companies require. This is because as a travel nurse you will get your assignment and be expected to hit the ground running, no more than perhaps a day or two on that hospital's EHR system and general "This is where the lab is" sort of thing. No new grad will have the judgment or skills to meet that expectation.

Agree that you never know what will happen. Take it one step at a time and wait for life to unfold.

AliNajaCat

And yes, I'm a COB. I bring the truth. ~roser 13

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Dec 15, 2016

First, as others have said you are getting way ahead of yourself here. You haven't even started school yet and you are already focusing on a goal that will most likely require at least two years of solid nursing experience before you would even be considered by a travel agency.

Not that there is anything wrong with setting long term goals, but don't be too surprised if those goals change by then. If they don't change though your husband is right to voice his concerns. Most travel assignments are 13 weeks so that would indeed keep you away from home months at a time. That's a LOT of stress to put on any relationship much less a new marriage.

One way to make it work is if you can both travel together. My son and his fiance do this. She is now working in a field that allows her to work remotely and they have no children or pets so travelling together works for them. But not many couples have the option to be so mobile together.