Trjl

I get how you can feel very frustrated in a new situation, and not feel that you have been adequately trained to handle what is given to you. It happens to all of us. I do agree with the above comment, that you may have had certain pre conceived notions about what your nursing career was going to be, and it is not what you hoped for. There are a lot of good nursing jobs out there. But there are even more bad nursing jobs out there, unfortunately. And especially when you are a new nurse, we are often subjected to units that are understaffed, and often miss managed. It may take you 2-3 years to find where you want to work and stay in nursing. But I would highly suggest that you get a job on a med surg unit, and stay there at least a year or more. As a new nurse, it may hurt you to have spotty employment, because a responsible mgr will be reluctant to hire someone they know will quit when times get rough. So you are really going to have to work on that account to prove you can handle tough situations and stick with it. And always go to the supervisor or mgr when you feel that you are being put in unsafe conditions. They may not be aware that a new grad is being given these assignments without better training. The reason I suggest med-surg is because there is an abundance of jobs available. It is a good, basic ground for the rest of your career. I think it would also help you if you start soon in ER to be able to walk in the door and already know your basics. ER is very fast paced and stressful. You may not have time to look up drugs and medical conditions when you are new to nursing in general. The only other thought might be if you are willing to move from your area. There may be other programs across the country who may be willing to take a fairly new grad into a program to train new ER nurses. You may be obligated to stay and work for them for a certain period of time, and you can always return home. Just a thought. Best of luck to you in finding a job that you like. Nursing can be a rewarding and stable career to have, but most of us have to 'pay our dues' when we start so we can get to where we want to be.

I can't answer for everyone, but being a Travel nurse can also help you. For one, you are not penalized for only being somewhere for 3 months. You didn't quit, you were contracted for those 3 months. And depending on how much you may have traveled before you start a permanent job, they can look at it as you have a wider range of experience. Anywhere you go, you will pick up new techniques or ways of doing things, rather than only one way. They can will look at you as a more well rounded nurse. Travel nurses are usually pretty adaptive to new situations, which can make us more marketable in a more permanent placement. I would say at least 3/4 of the Travel jobs I have had, they asked me if I would consider a permanent position with them. I want to experience travel for a while, so I would have to say no. But the point is, moving from job to job was not hurting my chances of a permanent position, as well as I assume it will not for you either.

You do not need to work back home in order to maintain your home state as your Tax Home. If need be, you just need to prove that you do live there (like paying rent), and you probably get your main mail sent there. Whether you paid a friend $250/mth rent, or a total stranger, the IRS will not ask you who you rented from and what you paid. I know travelers who will stay with family for free on assignment while pocketing the housing stipend, and there is nothing illegal about it. The housing stipend is a part of your pay and you are entitled to it, no matter what you do with it. I am not a NICU nurse, but I have worked at Duke in Durham, NC. They also have a Duke Hospital in Raleigh. While I didn't like the snobby attitude of the HR dept during my orientation, the staff and the hospital are wonderful. It is a great place to work. I would recommend it. It is also an affordable city. Not too crowded. You can have city living, and if you like the mountains or the beach, they are barely 2 hours away. I haven't worked in SF, but they of course have a lot of wonderful hospital to work for. I have been to SF and it is jammed packed with plenty to do, but very expensive to live. If you have friends you could stay with, all the better. While you don't want to cheat the government, I think you do not have to worry about being audited unless something looks odd on your tax forms. I fill out my forms like I always did. You do not have to divide your pay on the form (like hourly pay, housing stipend, etc..), just report it as it comes on your W-2 form. And nowhere on the tax form does it ask for a tax home location. Best of luck. Travel nursing can be a lot of fun.

Great travel assignments all depend on what you like to do. You like Big cities? Hiking? The beach? Towns with a lot of history? Central to South Florida is nice because you have the beach, as well as a lot of other tourist attractions within a short drive of you. I did DC one summer. Loved it. It is not a driveable city really (parking a premium), but it is not very big. Easy by bike, metro or Bus. So much to do. I hope one day to go back. There was hardly a wknd that I wasn't able to go and see something new. The Carolinas can be nice. They also have nice beaches. As well as if you are more central in the state, they have some of the prettiest mountains and hiking (etc) on the East Coast. I am now on the Calif northern coast. I have the Pacific to the west (gorgeous bluffs) and the Coastal Redwoods just a few minutes East. I am not a skier, but I know several other employees that have gone to Tahoe for the wknd. So finding an assignment where you think you might like to 'play' is the key. Even small towns, that I never expected to go to, I have found fun things to do in or around the place. Just be aware, as a new traveler, many hospitals will not take you unless you have 1-2 years of Travel experience. So it is often not the best hospitals that will take a newbie, and it may not be in a location you desire. But you will need to get your feet wet and after 1-2 not so wonderful travel assignments, they will get better since more opportunities will open up in places you want to visit. Best of luck to you.

I have been with Cirrus Medical Staffing for a few years. I like them. I feel that they are fair, and I have not had any issues with them. I did one job for Parallon. They hire out to mainly the HCA hospitals, that are not the best hospitals. High nu/pt ratios, etc.. They don't offer insurance, but you get a little more money in your paycheck to buy your own. I personally would not work for them again. I almost worked for American Mobile. They are a very large company. They have an aggressive sell. I constantly get calls from them asking for me to call them back about some 'great jobs' (over several years). I have heard from other American Mobile nurses that they don't pay as well as some other companies. This company will also 'charge you' if you miss a day of work for illness. They do have a lot of jobs, and may not be an awful company to work for, I just think there are a few more out there that may be better. Highway Hypodermics is a web site that lists companies and can tell you a bit about them, and who is higher rated. I am also an oncology nurse, and I have done travel for a few years. When I started there were barely a handful of jobs to choose from, and that number has grown over the years thankfully. I started out in in-pt oncology, but have done clinic work the last 2 years. Your first Travel job may not be the best, as many hospitals don't want a 'new' travel nurse and require 1-2 years of travel before they will even consider you. So sometimes it is the desperate hospitals that will take a newby. And honestly, I am not sure if the Travel Agencies require you to have more than a years worth of experience before they will hire you. Don't be too disapointed to hear that your first 1-2 onc jobs may not be your ideal. I hated my first 2 jobs, but I found plenty of things to do in and around my little communities and am glad I had a few months to explore outside of work. Like many nurses, I thought about Travel for years. I got a Nu Travel magazine for a few years. Now it is on line. I also read articles and blogs about it. While Travel nursing is great, don't be fooled by the ads. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you plan to stay oncology, you won't get to go anywhere you want. Nor will a company find you a job in any city you request. I basically have to watch the job boards and pick and choose where I want to try and apply. yes, your recruiter does help, and if they are good, will alert you as soon as a job becomes available in a town you are interested in. Anyway, I was going to say, before you did it, read, read, read. Call a few companies you think might interest you and interview them. Ask about how many years you need of nursing before they will hire. Ask about insurance, do they offer PTO, 401's, do you get charged for a sick day, travel money, etc... Have a list in front of you. Ask them why you should pick them as a company. Be aware if you call, they have your name and phone number and will continue to call you. I guess you can ask them not to call you back until you call them first. I actually picked Cirrus in the end because I had seen in my Travel Nurse Mag that a recruiter at Cirrus was Travel Nu Recruiter of the year. I contacted him. I actually loved him and thought he really was top notch. He has since moved on. I am not besties with my current recruiter, but I have no issues with her. I do want to quickly mention that many people are under the illusion that as a Travel Nurse, you will make a regular nursing salary, and then on top of that, you get $1000 or more for a housing stipend. That is not how it works. My pay at my last hospital was around $16/hr but with incidentals and my housing stipend, it got me up to my regular nursing salary that I had before I even went into nursing. You still may make a few more dollars than the full time staff, but as a Med Surg 'realm' nurse, you are not making the big bucks. Of course, night shift do better. ICU and similar are the higher paying salaries. Med surg bonuses range around $500, whereas ICU may make $1000 or more in bonus pay. All depends on the hospital and location. For me it is not so much about the pay, but more the experience of traveling and being able to literally vacation while working. But each person has a motivation as to why they want to get into travel. Best of luck to you. If you have no ties back home and are free to travel, it is a great way to get around the country and learn from some really good institutions. I love Travel and see no plans of stopping at the moment.

Unfortunately, i don't have any little ones that are being home schooled, but if you are dedicated to that, traveling the US with 2 young girls would be an awesome experience for them. But it may be more of a hardship for your wife if she likes her job. Unless you are planning on her quitting her job to basically stay with the kids while you are at work. As long as you stayed employed by a Travel Agency, you will maintain your insurance. But be aware that the day your contract ends, so does your insurance. So if you have a few weeks off between assignments, make sure you arrange to have your insurance continue. It will cost you extra, since you will have to pay for your insurance (like Cobra) while not working. ICU does pay the best with Travel. Just a few suggestions, if your current work would let you take a few months off, you may want to start off with finding a job for the summer. So your children are off school, and you can test the waters of how travel works. California is a great state to go to get what you mention. They have beaches, and the Mountains not far off. It is a little pricey, but might be worth it for the experience. I am not sure what your wife does, but if she has the type of job she might be able to do via the computer, she might be able to get a few months off with you during the summer as well. Test the waters and see if it works. It is hard to get the Travel bug, cause the only thing that cures it is to Travel. I have only been traveling for a few years and I love it. Good luck to you.

If you have an ICU background, ICU pays the best in Travel nursing. If you took a job per diem in this new town, you would get no benefits. The best thing to do is call a Travel Nurse recruiter. Find out if there are indeed Travel nurse positions at this other hospital, and will they hire 'new' travel nurses. Many hospitals require a nurse to have 2 years of Travel before they will consider your application. So that may or may not even be a possibility for you. Otherwise, if you did get hired by the hospital as a Traveler, your assignment would typically be 13 week contract. If you didn't like the hospital, after your 13 weeks, you will not be penalized for not continuing. And if you like it, and vice versa, they may hire you full time when your travel assignment is done. You will also have to weigh the pros and cons of quitting your current job all together in case you absolutely hate this new place. You might consider staying on in your current job as PRN and do 1-2 days/month just to maintain your employment status in case you want to go back. Not sure how many hospitals will be in the vicinity of where you want to go, but there may be other hospitals w/in 30 minutes of where you want to move that also have openings for Travel nurses. Even if it not where you want to work forever. The more experience you get as a travel nurse, the easier it is for you to get hired. Some travel nurse positions can get extended for up to a year. As far as insurance, again Perdiem or PRN, you get no insurance. You have to buy your own. You do get insurance through a Travel position, and it is like any hospital position. You will pay more with more people on your plan. You will need to ask a recruiter about that. It may vary from company to company. But also be aware that with Travel, if you are not working, you have no insurance. The day your contract ends, so does your insurance. So keep that in mind with Travel and a family to look after. While Travel is harder for people with families, it does have it occasional advantages, like checking out a new city and hospital without being penalized for 'quitting' after 3 months. Whatever you decide, good luck to you.

Theoretically, you could do 3-12 hour shifts in one place, and then 3-12 hour another place. That is 6-12 hour shifts a week. Burn out? Absolutely. Especially as a new nurse. Nursing is always stressful, and your first few years can be the most stressed because you are still learning how to be a nurse. And working that type of stress could lead to making mistakes, which could cause you to lose a job. Most hospitals have spots for their own staff to work PRN, either on their current unit, or on other units. The only downfall of that, is that your extra hours will be paid at your current salary. You may want to consider doing per diem at another hospital. Since you would not need benefits at 2 hospitals, you could maximize your pay with the per diem pay. Also you could schedule yourself for 2 weeks straight if you wanted, but you could also not schedule extra Per diem for a few weeks, just to give yourself a break. Even though this sounds like a wonderful goal, and you want to start a family without debt, remember if are constantly working, your relationships away from work may suffer. So while working hard to save up money, don't forget to take some time to nurture your relationships at home. Best of luck to you. Nursing offers a lot of opportunities, we just have to look to find them.

Check with your agency first on their policy. You CAN take off as much time as you want. But I found out the hard way that if you are not under contract when your current assignment ends, your healthcare insurance stops. If they think you will be working (and you have been with them more than one assignment), they may agree to extend your insurance, as long as you pay them around $100/week. So if you do not need healthcare insurance, then this is not an issue. So take off as much as you like, as long as you can afford it. I always like to take an additional side trip/vacation on my way to a new assignment.

I am currently in Northern California (coastal area) and have been here since January. I am with Cirrus Medical Staffing. Pretty much most Travel companies have access to jobs open and available to travelers in the US. I am happy with Cirrus and have not had any problems. I have been with them a few years and an planning on staying with them currently. If you are coming to the coastal area in the North, Spring and summer is their tourist season, so prices will be higher and finding places to stay may be more challenging. Inland can get over 100 degrees and be very hot. I interviewed several companies before I started. I got a good feel with the recruiter that I originally signed up for at Cirrus. He was a Recruiter of the Year and he was really good. Too bad he left the company. But my current recruiter is good as well. So start out by interviewing them. Also Highway Hypodermics has listings of good companies and gives ratings. Pick what is important to you. Best of luck. Northern California is beautiful.

I love Travel Nursing. I really do. But I did have to get over having to feel a little conned by the Travel Nurse industry. I was one of those intrigued by the pictures of the nurses on the Hawaiian beaches, or Alaskan slopes, etc... "Free luxury housing" "Top pay" "Big bonus's" "free health care". I even took time to interview several companies, and I can still remember they each happily told me that my health insurance went on for 30 days past my assignment ending. Not one told me that you had to already be under contract with another hospital when your current assignment ended to maintain your health insurance, and even then, you pay for it, like COBRA. But that being said, there is nothing "free" with Travel nursing. The hospital pays a certain dollar amount for you. The company, then takes that pay and gives you a portion in your hourly pay. Then you get the rest as a 'housing stipend', a sign on, or a loyalty bonus, your healthcare, and other incidentals, like travel pay, drug testing, etc.... And then of course, the company takes their cut. So please just be very careful about a recruiter telling you stories that sound 'too good to be true', cause they probably are. I started off doing a lot of reading about Travel nursing. Went on to Travel nurse magazines online, read about taxes, what to look for in housing, what to pack, etc.... before I ever started. Even though there was still a learning curve once I did start traveling, I felt much more armed with the right information before I began. So you ask how it works. Travel nurses typically work 13 weeks. Some assignments can be shorter, some longer. And you can even extend. I was at one job almost a year. Depending on your specialty, there can be a ton, or a few jobs open at a time. Certain specialties make more than others. Nights, obviously make more than days. Some hospitals are more than glad to have you work extra shifts, some only want to pay you the 40 hours. Your recruiter/company work as the go between and submit your application. A mgr will call you and you interview on the phone with them. If you get the job, the hospital will make an offer to your company. Your recruiter will talk with you, let you know the hours, the start/stop date, and give you the run down on the money. Your choice to take it or leave it. If you take it, you can then either let them find you housing, or you start the process yourself. You then pack, and drive/fly to your new destination and settle in to your new place. Orientation for Travelers can vary. If their are a lot of Travelers, you may have an all day orientation sitting down, and then have another 1-2 days on the floor with another nurse and then you are on your own. If you are the only traveler, they may choose to put you with another nurse 1-2 days to start with, and then you are on your own. Then, hopefully, your assignment will go on, without too much ado. Close to the end of your assignment, you will begin speaking with your recruiter and look for your next assignment, and it starts all over again. Again, depending on your specialty, and how many jobs there are available, you may get to pick anywhere in the US and go there. But, such as my specialty (oncology), the jobs are not as plentiful. So I basically have to look to see what is open, check the start date (I may still be in another contract when this one starts, or it is too far out and I need to work sooner), and is this a place I want to be for the next 3-4 months. I have picked a few places that were certainly not on my Travel list when I started this work, but I have been so glad I went there and have great memories from all of them. Also, while taxes are not my strong point, there are articles on line about taxes and travel nursing. You will still pay taxes. But being that you are away from home, the Travel companies can 'play' with the numbers and make less of your take home pay taxable. meaning that some of your take home pay is not taxable, meaning you get to keep more of it. You still file taxes in the states that you work. You may or may not have to pay taxes to these states, or may even get a refund. I use Turbotax and they make having more than one state to file taxes in very easy. Again, read, read, read about Travel nursing. Highway Hypodermics is a good start to check out. A lot of good information on that web site. Even though, as mentioned, I had to get over the con of the 'dream job'. No job is 100% great. I still have to work every week, ha ha. But I have truly gotten to the point where I just love travel nursing. I know now what it is and what it isn't. I have seen and done things that I never thought I would get a chance to thanks to this job. Nothing better than vacationing in a town you are working in, and having a few months to get everything in, rather than squeezing it in a weekend or a week. Hope you have found this helpful and best of luck to you.

Please be very careful of Craigslist. It can be legit, but I would never rent or send money to anyone from Craigslist without seeing the place first, to make sure there is a place to rent. I have use Airbnb, homeaway, rent(insert city you want).com (that worked for me in 2 different cities) and I am currently in a rental that I got from contacting a vacation rental realtor in the area. Finding housing in a new town can be time consuming. What works in one city, may not work in another. There are apartments that can rent for 3 months at a time, but the prices will always go up from what you may be seeing on line. (Prices usually quote a yearly lease monthly prices). And if you want furnished rental, the price is even higher. You should list things that are important to you, and what you can live without. Do you want furnished? Cable/internet in with the price, or separate? What utilities are in with the price? Is there a W&D, if not, how close is there one? Pet friendly? Etc... I know travelers who go as cheaply as possible, and live in very questionable places, to save money. While i do not live in luxury, I will pay a few extra dollars for something a little nicer. Currently it is off season where I am, so I got a deal on a vacation rental with a fantastic view of the Pacific. It is really like being on vacation every day. Had I gone for cheap, I may have no view living next to a supermarket. You may also check with your company. They may have another traveler in the city you will be working in that is looking for a roommate. Some people on Airbnb are looking to rent rooms only. I have done that on an emergency basis when I was running out of time and needed a place to stay now. While I did get lucky and they were very nice people, just remember, you are living in someone else's house under their rules. Could be a great situation, or a nightmare. Whether you find a place for just yourself or with a roommate, just do your homework and check all reviews you can find. Best of luck to you. I have been lucky that I have liked all the places I have lived (even if the job-not so much). And I should add, with my monthly expenses, I still have enough money to put in savings, so my few extra dollars on a nice rental, have certainly not been blowing my budget.

One of the beauties of Travel is you can choose when you want to work. So you could certainly work a job or two and see if you feel this is something you would like to pursue on a longer basis. I agree with the other comment, that I would not start with a new company telling them you only want to work one job, although technically, you are only an employee of theirs 13 weeks at a time. I do want you to be aware that even if you have been a nurse for 20 years, if you are new to travel, many hospitals only pay attention to the years you have traveled. Many want you to have 1-2 years of travel experience. So the hospitals who often take a new travelers, may be desperate for workers and will take anyone. So first 1-2 assignments are not always wonderful. You could get lucky and find a great place, but just trying to let you know that judging ALL of travel nursing by your first few assignments may not be fair. My first one sucked, second one sucked, third one, sucked less, and by the forth, I had renewed my faith in Travel nursing, and have had great jobs from my 4th on. I ended up selling my home prior to travel because I did not want to pay rent on 2 different places, didn't want to be a landlord to renters and did not want to do repairs from long distance. I have not regretted selling. That may not be an option or what you want to do, but you could eventually rent out your home during your travels. Or at least have a trusted friend/family member watch out for your home if you decide you want to travel longer. As far as your hospital, I know that some hospitals will not let you maintain a PRN status if you do not work at least once every 30 days. But if you have been a long term employee, you may be able to work something out. The hospital may be more than glad for you to come back periodically to do PRN work. But always remember, that PRN work could keep you very busy, or they may only need you once every 2 weeks and could you survive on that? Travel nursing is not for everyone. It has it's ups and downs. As mentioned, my first few jobs were not what I was hoping for and I even questioned if I should stay in. But eventually, after getting some experience, I was getting accepted by some better places to work, with better staff, and my job experience did a 180, and so glad I stayed in. I would suggest reading as much as you can on-line about Travel nursing so you get a general idea of what to expect and watch out for. Eventually, just take a deep breath and take the plunge. You might find you love Travel nursing, and then again, you may not like the Travel nurse aspect, but at least you got to 'vacation' in a town you have wanted to go to, and had a good time with that. Whatever you decide to do, I hope that you have a good time. Best of luck.

I am not an RVer myself, but I am a travel nurse currently working in Northern California. (I am from Florida myself) Pay varies depending on your specialty, location and hospital. But I did want to mention a few things. Middle of the state in Northern California can get quite hot in the summer months, and the coast can stay quite cool all year long. So Spring and summer can be 'season' for certain parts of Northern Cali, and it may mean that RV park costs are higher, and you may need to get reservations as soon as you can. I am on the coast and it is beautiful. The roads getting here are crazy. I had no idea they were as winding as they were until I got here. The locals don't think much about it. But thought I would mention it since you want to bring a large vehicle up this way. But I have known several Travelers who travel with an RV. They love the convenience of taking their own home on wheels. Best of luck to you. Hope you find a company you trust and start your new adventure soon. Oh, I use the company --------------------------. I have not had any problem with them, and plan to stay with them for now. I have been with them almost 4 years. My recruiter is ---------------------. She has been with the company a few years.

I think you have the right idea about your first few travel jobs. Especially if you are not 100% sure that Travel is what you want for long term. My first 3 jobs were in my home state. I actually sold my home prior to starting travel and made my 'tax home', my mom's home, also in the same state. I get my permanent mail there, as well as it is a place to go in between assignments, especially if I do not have anything set up right away. But after a few assignments, it was time to venture out and start seeing America. Which is one main reason for Travel nursing. Then, going home between assignments, is a little harder. But you just have to plan a little better and try to get your next job to start close to when your last one is ending, so you are not spending a lot of money on housing when you are not getting paid. I also take the opportunity to possibly stop and vacation in between assignments, like staying overnight somewhere to see a tourist attraction, or just something you would like to do. i think Travel nursing can get to be a bit of a nomadic type life, if you have several assignments back to back without having a home to go back to. But I really love traveling and being somewhere new, so where I am, I consider home these days. But if being close to family and coming home frequently between assignments is important to you, you can certainly make sure assignments are not that far from home, and give yourself enough time between assignments to go home for a visit. Just be aware that when you are not working, you do not get paid and no benefits, so discuss that with your recruiter. Travel nursing is certainly a learning experience. Even though it is a good idea to read a lot about travel nursing before you start, the first few years (or assignments) will still be a learning experience for you. If you make some bad decisions, don't let that get you down in any way. We all learn from our mistakes and we become more seasoned and veteran Travelers with each year we do it. I am in my forth year, and I certainly feel like a more savvy traveler now, than I did in my first 2 years. But I am still learning. My home state is in Florida and I am currently working in Northern California. So happy to have found this profession. Can't wait to see where my next assignment takes me!! Best of luck to you. Hope you learn to love it like many of us do!