New Nurse! We want to travel...

NedRN · Apr 11, 2016

Travel is a learning experience and no resource will restrict you from making mistakes. You can learn a lot from just reading many threads here and you should be able to read between the lines and start picking out your own preferences. If you prefer long form, PanTravelers has articles covering every aspect of travel and the vast majority (virtually all suitable for a new traveler) are available for a free membership.

emomshart · Apr 12, 2016

I have lots to say! Sign up with Delphi Forums, TNT (travel nurse and therapy). Find Gypsy Nurse, Highway Hypodermics, and just google travel nursing to find more. Pan Travelers has a great calculator I use to compare all my offers and keep them in one place, sign up with them. Research taxes and tax exempt status at traveltax.com. Use Per Diem Rates to find the max per diem your agency can pay you for each area. Use paycheckcity.com to calculate taxes from your check. Once you sign with an agency you can usually get your CEUs for free from them. Highway Hypodermics has many evaluations of specific agencies and lists of questions to ask agencies and hospitals.

No need to contact travel nurse agencies more than a month or two before travel starts. The agencies will bother you with calls and emails for the rest of your life once you contact them. Before they will tell you about jobs they actually have, you have to fill out skills check-lists and a resume form. Often the jobs posted on their websites are just "representative" of the jobs they actually have available at the time. It does help to check though, because often they have repeat contracts at the same hospitals or have exclusive contracts with certain hospitals.

I am a nurse with 25 years experience. I find that traveling does not always allow me to earn more than I do at a full time job. My home hospital pays for years of experience and loyalty. Travel nursing pays by the job, not by your experience. A nurse with 2 years experience who make 20-25$/ hour in their full time jobs will make more money traveling if they manage their expenses properly. At home I make 47$/hour. The nurse making 25$/hr is so happy to work for 40$-50$/ hour. I am not. I need more like 60$/hr to feel that I am profiting. Not easy to find, even in California. Often, I just break even because working at home has fewer expenses than traveling.

There is always some unexpected problem when traveling so much. So, keep that in mind if you are looking at travel as a money maker.

Never leave home to an assignment without backup funds. Travelers really need a month or two income in the bank before leaving home. Contracts get cancelled, car accidents and/or car breakdowns may detain you, sickness or illness can occur, housing falls through. I drive from coast to coast twice a year for travel assignments. The agencies usually pay 300$ each way. This does not cover my expenses as it takes me 5 days each way.

Most people don't know that agencies charge you money if you miss a day of work. They don't offer PTO and they lose money if you don't work. So on top of not getting paid, you also pay them like 200-250$. (Do your research because I hear that a few companies now offer PTO if you work back-to-back assignment for a year with their agency.) I had my agency-arranged housing fall through due to a fire. So I had no place to go when I got to my job 1400 miles from home! I travel with animals and the local hotels would not accept them. I had to pay for my own hotel and drive far to work because of this. It was "season" in this area so everything was full and if not full, very expensive, like 125$/day and up. I had to put this on my credit card and wait for reimbursement from agency and wait for them to get satisfactory housing allowing pets. It ran into several thousands before I got my money back and was moved to an extended stay hotel (I never did get an apartment). Of course, I will never use this agency again, but I learned something: Have lots of money in your pocket BEFORE you travel!

You will float! Most hospitals I visited even float their full time staff if they feel the need. Sometimes you have to float to other sister hospitals nearby. To be happy in travel keep an open mind, remain positive and flexible when things go wrong and learn to love novelty. Every hospital is the same but unique. Research prospective hospitals in private forums like TNT. I always to this before accepting a contract. Private forums allow honest, open communication between nurses. They name names and you can always private message someone for the real inside story. Medicare, JCHO, DNV, etc, ensure that many things are the same nationally but each hospital has its own flavor and the populations differ by geographic areas. For example Southern Florida has a large Elderly population. The South West and Alaska have some hospitals in reservations, in Southern California and Texas it would really be helpful if you are fluent in Spanish. You can research the area at city-data.com, cityrating.com or wikipedia. Look at Craigslist for housing if you want to do your own.

Once you are a traveler you might never want to go back to staff!! That's how I am right now. I am working for 6 months in the same place and I can't wait to get moving again! Some Hospitals in areas with heavy, distinct and predictable seasonal needs have season work programs. I am working one in southern Florida right now. I get paid 1500$ for housing, plus my wages, and get to keep my health insurance with them all year if I commit to returning the next year. While I love the area and the hospitals, I am read to move on, 6 months is already too long for me to stayâ€¦sigh. I forgot to mention that I spend a lot of money on side trips and adventures when I travel. Its like being on vacation 4 days a week! (Don't forget to plan for FUN when figuring your expenses.) I hope you will enjoy traveling as much as I do! Good Luck!