Might be interesting to some of you......

Published

Re: Advice, thoughts, wisdom........

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Cydney:

Onward HC, and the others I am not too sure about. On Assaignment has a good reputation. Get a good recruiter that you feel good about.

Many assaignments are great. There are lots that are from facilites that can not staff for a good reason (they are difficult). I prefer smaller facilites as well. Take your time in checking. Put together a list of what to discuss with the Nurse Manager. REad through the Travel Nursing posts etc.

I think, with your experience, you will do well. It sounds like you have more then a couple of years. Travel Nursing can sure cure burn out. It can be rewarding too financially. Just take your time with choosing an assaignment.

Let's keep the conversation on the Board so more posters benefit and you will get more feedback.

Happy travels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NurseCyd

Hi Nightngale--

I've been a member of allnurses for a while now, and just recently started reading posts again. I've been a nurse for two years, and currently work in home hospice. I've only been there for a month, and I really do love it, but I still feel sort of.......unfulfilled, I guess. I think I might like to try travel nursing, but I guess I'm pretty apprehensive about it. Most of my career has been spent in postpartum, which I love. I've also worked in med/surg (yuck), NICU (didn't last), and labor/delivery (also didn't last). If I travelled, I would prefer to do postpartum and/or nursery.

My travel experience is severely lacking, I guess. The bravest thing I ever did was leave home and work in Yosemite National Park for three months (before I was a nurse). It was amazing and taught me so many things about myself. I've had a tough year and think I need to do some of that "soul-searching" again.

So, I guess I'll get to the questions I have. I'm interested in smaller hospitals, mostly. I've done the big hospital thing and don't like it much. I've researched about three or four agencies so far. Can you recommend some of the better ones? Do you know anything about Onward Healthcare? That's one I've been looking at a lot. Also Nurse Choice (but don't want to do the 48-hour work week), Travel Nurse Across America (I think), and a couple more.

Do they expect you to drive to assignments? I know they will usually supplement you for this.

My dad made a good point---he said that travel nurses get paid a lot because the working conditions aren't so great. Do you find this to be true? I hope not, because most travel nurses I've met absolutely love it. I think he just doesn't want me to leave home---he worries.

Anyway, I'm just rambling on and on here. I guess that I would just appreciate any and all advice you could give me about traveling, or recommend me to someone who can help. I'm so curious but just don't know where to start.

Thanks so much. Hope you've had a great weekend.

Cydney

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Oh, okay, so you posted our conversation on the Forum.

Perhaps someone will have something to add.

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Cydney ,

Nightingale has given you good advice . It sounds like your skills are sufficient . As far as agencies , thats a coin toss , it all depends on your recruiter . You can specify that you want a smaller facility , but they will push any if there are no small ones available . If you have a friend who wants to travel you may be able to take assignments together (but that will usually mean larger facilities) . If you are worried about being able to make it being away from home , maybe you could try and find an assignment close to home . I love the 12 hour shifts so it gives me plenty of time to do things and travel . I am working in Alaska now and almost all the hospitals are small , winter can be tough here though (for us Texans!!) . Do as Nightingale said and take your time . I remember thinking when I started travelling that if I didn't like the job , it was just for 13 weeks . That thought is true , but I have enjoyed all of my assignments except one .

good luck to you .

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Specializes in OB.

Just a thought Cydney - at the smaller facilities postpartum and nursery are not usually staffed separately from L&D - generally the same nurses do all 3 areas. If you are fine with that, since you have L&D experience, you should have no problem finding assignments. If you really want just PP you may need to look at medium to large facilities.

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You need to check out travel agencies very carefully as each one offers different things. Some promise the moon but what you get is pluto. I really enjoy traveling but have learned the in's and out's hard way.

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Specializes in Hospice; home health; general medical.

Does anyone out there do Hospice nursing? I really don't want to go back to med/surg (yuck-yuck!!) and am really more interested in Hospice or home health. Anyone know any travel agencies for this?

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I'm really curious to hear more about your experience in Alaska. How small is the hospital that you work at? I'm from Mississippi, so I'm sure those winters would be crazy. Alaska is actually one place I've thought about. I want to go to places that are a little more remote...........Montana, Maine, places like that. Where have you travelled? And if you don't mind, what agency do you use? Thanks for your help.

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Baglady--

I did L & D for about three months, and I was in orientation the entire time because I just wasn't catching on. It definitely wasn't for me, and I definitely don't feel comfortable enough to do it when I travel. Thanks for letting me know about that, though, I'll definitely keep it in mind.

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Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.
Baglady--

I did L & D for about three months, and I was in orientation the entire time because I just wasn't catching on. It definitely wasn't for me, and I definitely don't feel comfortable enough to do it when I travel. Thanks for letting me know about that, though, I'll definitely keep it in mind.

You and I sound almost identical! We could be twins! I LOVE PP, but had extreme difficulty catching on in L&D! I was working at a small hospital where we did all three and then float to med/surg. I would LOVE to get into PP full time, but there's never any availability around here, so I'm doing stints with agency but never placed anywhere but the VA! Geez

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Jen--

What was so hard about it for you? For me, it was having to make lightning fast decisions.........the stress of that was just too much to handle! I don't think I'm very good under that kind of stress, you know? People are looking at you, expecting you to know exactly what to do immediately, and you're looking for someone else to tell you what to do! Know what I mean? It was just too much, and definitely not my thing. Besides, all the nurses up there (except for one or two) were very catty and not very, um, welcoming to new nurses. At least I didn't feel like they wanted me there. Oh well. But yeah, postpartum is great. I would still be doing it, but had to get out because I was working nights, and it was killing me. So I'm doing hospice now. Big change, huh?

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Specializes in OB.
Baglady--

I did L & D for about three months, and I was in orientation the entire time because I just wasn't catching on. It definitely wasn't for me, and I definitely don't feel comfortable enough to do it when I travel. Thanks for letting me know about that, though, I'll definitely keep it in mind.

You can find the straight postpartum as I said in some of the larger facilities without going to the megahospitals in the big cities. I did a straight mother baby in Sarasota, FL last year (nice area) and a high risk antepartum in Ft. Myers, FL (also a great area). Your best bet to find these are to go with one of the larger travel nurse agencies as they have a larger pool of listings to draw from. I'm with Cross Country and can usually find the kind of position I'm looking for at any time.

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Thanks for the info, BagLady. I'm getting so much from these posts! How long have you been travelling? How's the pay with Cross Country? Benefits? Do they do what they say they're going to do? I've read good and bad things..........

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