If you could only have licenses in 5 states...

[BigT]

Which ones would they be? If you would prioritize the states by best to work in/highest pay/off work amenties/ etc... please let me know what criteria you used!

[NedRN]

Best pay and working conditions:

CA, OR, WA, AK, MA (and most union hospitals in other states)

Best climate:

CA (coastal primarily)

Most fun:

San Francisco Bay area (multiple cities), Bangor and Portland ME, Blackpool England, Western MA, DC area, Durham NC, Greenville SC, Concord NH, Denver CO, Miami Beach. Well most places I've been to actually, but these are just some highlights.

[raindrop]

Awesome post. I must admit that my favorite assignment was my very first out-of-state assignment in Wilkes-barre, Pa. Beautiful area, decent pay, awesome townhome. Another plus, my coworkers were like family. Not a lot happening in Wilkes, but there were express bus trips into NYC and Philly several times/week. I'd see a Broadway show twice/month in NYC. Ahhh. I'd love to go back. I stayed a full year. I considered moving there permanetely, but I missed my family too much and the winters were a bit too much.

[guest769224]

Best pay and working conditions:

CA, OR, WA, AK, MA (and most union hospitals in other states)

Since we are in the travel forum, I assume you are giving us this perspective from that of a travel nurse, but would you echo this same statement were I to ask if it could be applied to staff nurses in these areas?

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

My list would be CA, NY, MA, AZ, CT.

CA wins for high pay and mandated staff ratios.

[NedRN]

Since we are in the travel forum, I assume you are giving us this perspective from that of a travel nurse, but would you echo this same statement were I to ask if it could be applied to staff nurses in these areas?

Of course. We all share the same workplace. Frankly, as an OR nurse, I'm expounding on the entire facility. My ratio and workload never exceeds half a patient in the worst of hospitals.

[MsConstrued]

Definitely the unionized states! I got into travel nursing just to get my CA license which I'm still waiting on. I had the BEST time in Hawaii (not great pay though) and would live there forever if I could manage to get my cats and stuff there for less than $10k. WA and OR are not bad in the big places because of the unions. Always wanted to try AK in the summer too.

[little star, BSN]

Are any of you travel ICU and OR nurses? And if so, do you prefer to travel doing one specialty over the other?

[NedRN]

You are asking if there are travelers that have dual specialties in both ICU and OR? That seems rare to me. The closest most ICU nurses get to the OR is a cushy job in PACU.

I do meet travelers with dual specialties in ER and ICU though. Or ER and PICU/NICU. Occasionally older nurses who have worked in many specialties will settle in the OR to stay, not do other specialties.

Interesting question that is probably worth its own thread! First to find out who travels with multiple specialties and which one they prefer and why.

[thewandereRN]

I have experience doing both (not traveling, but as staff), and am planning to travel ICU, but have considered OR. I went to the OR directly out of nursing school, then to tele, then to ICU... which is ass backwards, and rare. I miss the OR, but I prefer ICU, which is likely also rare, lol.

Do you have an opinion on travelin with either specialty?

[NedRN]

That is backwards! It is easier the other direction I think.

Of course I have an opinion, but I've only traveled in the OR. Benefits to ICU travel would be increase availability of hospitals and remote locations. OR benefits are days only (but call requirements), total inability for hospitals to cram patient ratios, and (almost) no floating.

[BigT]

Thanks for the votes so far. Any other nurses care to vote?