I've heard different views of travel nursing I'm looking to hear from travel nurses

Specialties Travel

Published

Hi I'm Jen. I graduated dec 2010 with a bsn and have been working on a medical surgical floor February 2011 to present. I would love to do travel nursing I have heard from my older coworkers that their friends who do it say they always get the worst patient load because they are the travel nurse.

She recommended I get 5 years of experience because if I go now they'll give me the worst patients and I have to know a lot more than I know now because people won't help me if I ask questions or make a mistake. I'd like to do this before I get married otherwise I might not get the opportunity again. I'd like to work In California and Hawaii.

As a travel nurse is the experience recommended?

Is it true you get treated badly and get the heaviest patient load?

When you are placed in housing is it generally in a low crime rate area?

What kind of transportation are you provided with?

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I dont think that is always the case. I have only been an agency nurse and I am due for my first assignment in 2 weeks. I think it is all about how you approach them, first impressions counts for a lot. If you come in with an attitude they will treat you that way. Most of the time they are happy you are there to help with the load. Usually when i have uncooperative nurses I usually say " i could leave and you guys can take 8 patients a piece" that kinda works. When you are receiving report you need to determine what kind of patients you are having. One time i was given 2 total cares, a 90y/o who had a fluid overload episode that day and a patient that was going to get 4 units of blood. Then the charge nurse tells me to take report for the first admit. I told her "no" that i had too much on my plate.

She gave it to someone else and i didnt get an admit that night. You have got to speak up also. Dont let this hinder you from your dream of traveling.

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Hi Jen,

I have a few friends who travel, two are ICU nurses and two are Med/Surg/Tele nurses. I have never heard any complaints from the ICU travel nurses. I have heard from the Med/Surg/Tele nurses that you do tend to get dumped on, but I personally feel that if you don't ask for help, then you're setting yourself up for failure. I can't imagine that people in these units want to see other people fail. Like sweetgurly said, you're there to help them. As a travel nurse, you will get floated a lot unless it's specified that you don't float in your contract. On the unit I used to work in (tele), we had a few travel nurses on our unit, and I noticed that they would be first for an admission, they would get an admission at 0600 (I work nights), but I feel like those are things that happen to all of us. I feel as though you'd learn a lot more by traveling, and see the country while doing that!! Plus, you're not stuck in the all the hospital politics. I made a transition to the ICU in January, but sort of wished I had just started traveling as a tele nurse. I may still leave the ICU and travel. I don't know. The agencies I was talking to couldn't get me a travel gig to save my soul. Good luck to you and keep us posted! Just go for it!

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How much experience did your med surg friends have before starting travel nursing?

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Thank you for your response!

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You're welcome! My one friend only had 1.5 years of experience and started traveling. My other friend had like 10. hahah.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Mother/Baby.

Hey, I've been a travel nurse since 2000. It's a position that's tough, no doubt. The reason why... you have a very minium amount of orientation and are completely expected to know you know what... That being said, if you are the type of person who lets people walk on you, you will find that you get poor assignments. This is a very powerful position in a sense.. meaning that the hospital and their staff have a need, that you fill. So take that with the knowledge that you aren't there for your pleasure (ok, so maybe you are traveling to the place for your pleasure, but you're still there to work) If you come on the unit with an open, ask questions when you need something, friendly attitude, you will be treated just as everyone else. Now that's not saying that you will not encounter "bad eggs" as there's one with every bunch. But you just need to speak up and use your resources.

For example, I am an OB nurse, and on one assignment I was pulled to high risk antepartum. They wanted to give me 4 patients who were all on Mag Sulfate... (each of those are 1:1) I spoke up, discussed with the charge nurse, and when she was flipant, I went up the chain of command. You have to protect your license first and foremost. Needless to say, my assignment was changed. You can't let people treat you that way, no matter what your position.

Traveling is a wonderful experience. Now I did it as well when I was married, but I just made sure I was far enough away from my home to be considered travel. Most companies you need to be 50 miles. Some, like the one I am with now, is only 35. So it works for me to be 42 miles away.. taking the stipend, and living at home. But that doesn't always work.

My best advice is to have 1.5-2 years of experience in your field. This gets you the basis of nursing care. Be prepared for heavy patient loads, but tell me what med-surg nurse doesn't get heavy patient loads?

Good luck, and have fun!

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Specializes in ER.

I have never worked in California or Hawaii, although I am hoping to in the next year! I was nervous to take my first assignment, but am so glad I did! I had about 4 years total nursing experience before I started, but only had about 2 in my specialty (ER). Good luck!

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Do you find that you get the hardest patient loads?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm on my second travel assignment. I work in the ICU and have found all the patients are bad, so I don't feel dumped on! LOL I have not felt "singled out" because I'm a traveler at all. At both places the only attitude I got was from young lazy nurses aides. The nurses have been wonderful. Take care of your patients well, help out, be friendly, ask questions and you will be fine. I did however wait till I had 6 years of ICU experience before I traveled and I'm glad I did. I'm in a Level one trauma unit right now and it is nerve wracking.

Always ask a travel nurse travel questions to get the true story, not what floor/hospital nurses hear. :)

Big FYI; what ever your company supplies; car, housing ect, it comes out of your pay, they GIVE you nothing! I find my housing therefore I get more money. If I let them find my housing, >300 a week would come out of my pay. Same for cars or medical insurance.

Research and ask around about hospitals in the great places you want to visit. I had a friend who went to Hawaii and was treated so bad she is being sued for breach of contract or something.

I am in Madison WI on assignment visiting a grandson, and its a great place with tons of things to do! Who knew? The hospital is A+ and I'm learning alot. Hope this helps.

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Thanks for your response. I currently have 1 year 6 months nd am thinking of going next August after becoming acls certified

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ACLS is not as scary as you think, and it's a lot of fun! Good luck!

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