Is travel nursing right for me?

8-ball, BSN · Dec 9, 2015

Well I feel like we need more info, what is your experience? Where do you work now (OR, ICU, ect.)? If you live in a low pay area it may be a good idea but we need more info? Also do you plan on keeping your current home? You might want to do some reading on pantravelers website its a free resource but you must register. Also try the FB groups like gypsynurse.

Argo · Dec 10, 2015

If the only thing holding you back is a guy, go travel. You and he will know almost immediately if it's the real deal once you are gone for a while. You're young and have no ties, you can always come back after a single assignment or he can always join you. My wife and I have never cared where we go as long as we know we have each other there or waiting for us at home. Met at 20 years old, I moved, we visited each other over the next year or two and now we have been married 16 years. I still hit the road for travel assignments now but am home alot too.

Realistically if you're making 25/hour now you could triple your income quickly while working in California and take months at a time off to be home.

NedRN · Dec 10, 2015

Great post Argo.

To adventurous RN: I don't think this guy has much invested in your relationship and I don't think that is a good sign. Convenient, well OK then. Inconvenient, then goodbye. So it could work out long term if you stick around, but I think that is probably a long shot. You might dither along for years without commitment. To to go along with Argo, see if he misses you on a travel assignment. Try to forget him, not call, and enjoy yourself. If he calls, see if that feels good still.

guest769224 · Dec 11, 2015

Realistically if you're making 25/hour now you could triple your income quickly while working in California and take months at a time off to be home.

Have you done this personally? Could you give me an example, or more details on what you're saying?

I wonder if it would be worth it to work 6 months in California, then take another 6 off, making the exact same (or more) as you would at a staff job in ones lower paying home state.

NedRN · Dec 11, 2015

You are asking if is it is worth working just half a year travel for the same money as from a year as staff. Did you really want a straight answer?

guest769224 · Dec 11, 2015

I'm asking for examples with realistic and numerical figures if he had done it. Obviously that opportunity is preferable, to me at least. For some people, it would not be, because of constraints. It seems doable more-so for a single person. Plus a 6 month contract seems difficult to find.

NedRN · Dec 11, 2015

Yes, it is possible. There are a number of nurses that work stacked shifts for weeks I California and then go back to their home in another state and have a month off. They are on staff though.

Hot specialty nurses have no trouble doing this either if they want to. Effectively I am doing that right now. I make a bit over three times at travel than I could make locally as staff. I'm taking large chunks of time off.

It is also possible for anyone from low paid areas of the south to make more than double at travel. Their choice to work only six months. Easy enough to work two assignment totaling six months, or extend one assignment. There are a good number of facilities that want to lock you into six month assignments but of corse that is higher risk of being locked into a long bad assignment. Most travelers are happy doing three months and extending if they like it.

yohanes9 · Dec 11, 2015

The best thing to do is to work full time 3 days in a hospital that you love and take a PRN in a higher payer state like NY, NJ, Hawaii or California

That's what I do and it work just great cause they can pay you like 90$ an hour! And if you do it great the director is gonna call you all the time..

That way you can stay to live in an area that you love and still travel and make good $$ when ever you want it!

But if you want to travel go ahead and do it! Don't say no to your dream for somebody that doesn't share your dreams or just doesn't care about what you want! Not a guy not a girl deserve that! Fist you second you and third you!!!

Good luck

Bluebolt · Dec 12, 2015

Adventurous RN, I think you're in the perfect spot to go travel.

My girlfriend of some years was a deterrent to go traveling because she wasn't ready to leave home yet. I took a couple unfulfilling local contracts nearer to home just so we could still see each other a day or two a week and compromise on me really wanting to travel but also work on our relationship. Things went sour after about 6 months. I think you'll find that if it's meant to be, it will flow, life will flow with it and you won't have to sacrifice your wants or dreams to be together. If you're with someone who is willing to let you give up your wants and dreams now, they'll definitely not care about your wants or needs 20 years down the line. Let it go.

As for the other topic about working 6 months and earning your same equivalent home staff pay, I know a few people who love doing this. I net between $8000 to $11,000 a month in California depending on how nice the hospital is, if I work OT, etc. It doesn't have to be Cali though, I worked a contract in TN that was $10,000 to $12,000 a month but I worked really short staffed and crappy work conditions. Cali is your best bet to work with tons of staff, lots of perks and benefits, tons of breaks and STILL make big bucks. The other states you may make some big bucks but it will be earned with hard work.

Point being, I could net anywhere from $48,000 to $66,000 in Cali in 6 months of work then take 6 months off back home and work a PRN job on occasion if I was bored earning even more income. Back in Alabama as a staff nurse I would have worked 40 to 48 hours a week for 12 months and be very lucky if I had net income of $48,000 a year. There's your real life examples and hard numbers so everybody can make sense of the theory of working half a year and being off half a year.

Before you jump up and say that Alabama is the freak state that pays astronomically lower than most, check your average nurse pay for different states. Probably near half the states pay like Alabama or just a tad more, nothing to swing the numbers a noticeable amount after taxes.

ParalyticAgent · Dec 12, 2015

Ditch the boy.

Travel.

LaJollalove · Dec 15, 2015

Personally, I was in a similar situation at your age and I chose not to jeopardize my relationship to relocate. Many years later we broke up. I totally regret all my sacrifices for that relationship. You have lots of time still to find yourself and discover your perfect career and your perfect mate. You two are not married neither one of you has made a vow before God and your family to do all that it takes to stay together, you don't have children to stay together for...like you said only you know what is best for you though.