Is traveling REALLY all that AND SOME???!!

Specialties Travel

Published

Hey y'all,

Been wanting to travel for a minute but I thought it'd be great if I got experience first....right? Lol. Anyway I have 2yr of Med/surg c tele/Oncology and 1.5yr of Pediatrics (current), from TENNESSEE by way of MS and, I'm just gonna be honest...afraid to go at it alone. It would be great to hear from ppl who are pros at this or newbies to offer advice on getting out there and working with agencies (currently talking to 2, AM and CC) I'm about to apply for my CA license and I'm also interested in NC, IL, and MN.

Can you really make a lot of money doing this bc I've been looking thru the board and I'm not quite understanding how....

nonetheless Im guessing it can be rewarding in other areas as well. Hit me up y'all!!! :yes:

You would want to drive so that you could have a vehicle to explore with. Unless you rent a car, and that would be something you pay for, not the agency and quite expensive.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Burn/Trauma, Med-Surg, Nurse Education.
I just started traveling this year. Do I make BANK? No; technically my gross income is about the same as my last staff job. But now I get to go where I want ALMOST as often as I want. I'm not tied to my apartment and the rent, I'm not tied to my job, or any other responsibilities that keep one tied to a place. Everything is tied to ME instead. And I'm still not squandering all my money trying to survive.

After nursing school, I barely had enough money the change the timing belt on my car (no I'm not a mechanic don't make fun of me) and my credit card was maxed out. Now I'm about to buy a brand new car (not a BMW or anything but a new nice NOT beater car), I actually have some money in my saving account, and I'm making great strides in paying off that debt. Why? Because being a travel nurse, I'm finding it much easier to make that same income and bank it. If you sit down and crunch the numbers after you get a couple offers, you'll see.

I also have noticed I'm genuinely a lot happier this year in my career. I'm even taking it upon myself to work on my OCN and I actually feel motivated to do it. A part of me wonders if it's because I'm not as involved in the politics of the hospital. My last two contracts haven't even been great, really; but I come to work, take GREAT care of my patients, chart, make jokes with my colleagues, and leave. I'm focused on why I became a nurse and that's it. I've made some great friends in my last two contracts. A patient who back in her day was a travel nurse gave me some advice. "You can handle ANYTHING for 13 weeks." You have a good specialty and good experience, just keep an open mind and go with the flow :)

Thanks for ALL THE GREAT INFO!!!

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It pays so great I just bought a Mercedes after just considering travel nursing. "If ya got a $100 bill throw yo hands up!", love that song. Whoop Whoop!

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Specializes in L&D.

I think I'll actually make LESS once I pay for somewhere to stay. Can anyone tell me how you find cheaper housing???

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Specializes in Dialysis.
I think I'll actually make LESS once I pay for somewhere to stay. Can anyone tell me how you find cheaper housing???

Lower some standards. When I travel im looking to be comfortable but not like im living at home. As long as I have a tv and a bed and internet then im ok

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Specializes in L&D.

LOL! Ok not sure what you thought I meant. I checked into extended stay places and it would of cost me $1000/ month. Sorry but that's a Big bite I can't afford. Hubby found me a room in someone's house. 10x 13. No TV. Just a bed. $400/ month.

Not ideal but I can afford that much out of my pay.

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Specializes in BMT.

Okay, you have been posting about all this trouble with budget; let me break it down for you:

Let's say your TAKE HOME is 1400/week. Let's use April because it's got 4 weeks, that's $5600.

Rent-$1000

Cell phone, Idk, depends on your phone, let's say $100

Utilities- $100 (shouldn't be more if you've got a roommate, might even be included, especially if it's a extended stay.)

Groceries- $400 (I shop at Whole Foods and that's about what I spend; most people think that's a lot)

Netflix - (comes in handy) $8.99

Gas- $280 (again, this is a flexible number)

Car note - $300-$500

Car insurance - $100

Entertainment - $400

Aesthetics (if you a girl) - approx $100

That's about $2888.00 in expenses.

$5600-2888.99= $2711.01

Okay, I just did the math for you. YOUR budget might be different, mine is a little different, this is a generalization. Still; you gave all these other random numbers on other posts and didn't understand how to make money travel nursing. THAT, by the way, is a generous budget! I took home a generous bit less than that in NYC!

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Specializes in L&D.

Well I made a lot more than that working staff

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Only by working overtime.

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If you make more than that as a staff nurse, more power to you. Traveling may not be for you. But personally, I make exactly double what I made as a staff nurse. So traveling is great for me.

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Specializes in L&D.

Double! Give me your secrets : )

I've always made around $32.00/hr both in NJ and in NC. But I always get more pay because of experience. Maybe that's it..

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Specializes in BMT.

Where do you get your math? I showed you how much RN's make in so cal and you said you make more. $32/hr does NOT equal the budget I showed you OR any of the contracts you were saying you were offered! If you're factoring OT into your base annual salary that's NOT your annual salary. So, yes, you'd make more as a traveler.

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