Kaelyn

I have been entertaining the idea of travel nursing for quite sometime but I am nervous about leaving my current job because I am told I "have it so good" and would be "crazy to leave". Do I really?...And is it enough to stay? - I am a second degree holder, with my BSN, RN. - I work at a 990+ bed, level 1 trauma, University/teaching hospital. - Nurses are unionized, no complaints, our union and bargaining team are extremely supportive. - I have been a nurse since 2012, this position is my first job out of school. I work on a medical/pulmonary/remote telemetry floor doing day/night rotating 12 hour shifts. (About 3/12 shifts are nights). - I get paid $28-$31 per hour depending on the shift with 2 raises per year. - I get approx. 14 hours of PTO per month. - I do a lot of unit business time where I don't work with patients and get to flex my time (come in early, leave early) where I do chart reviews and audits, prepare hospital wide presentations and work closing with my educator, clinical nurse specialist and managers to take on additional unit educational responsibilities. (Ex: Creating new fall prevention interventions/documentation and doing the unit wide education and overseeing the roll outs). - I am a member on our Unit Based Committee where we roll out new clinical initiatives (4 hour meetings once a month). - I am the chair person for our Workload committee where we discuss and come up with solutions regarding RN workload. (1 hour meetings per month). - I have to pay to park blocks away from my job, fight to get parking spots and walk in rain (snow!) or shine/day or night with a 30 minute drive in. - My retirement is matched 200% by my employer. - My benefits rock, my coworkers and management are fantastic! - I am a new hire preceptor, student preceptor and charge nurse. ...I think that's it. As far as my lifestyle goes; I am in my mid-20s and absolutely restless. Although bearable; the city and state I live in (born and raised) are not supportive of a young lifestyle. I have very little family where I currently live (just my parents, siblings/cousins have all left) no significant other, no pets, very little friends or no lease to break/house to sell. I love traveling and always wished I could travel for my job. I would love to start in Chicago and work my way across the USA, making new friends and experiencing different states until I land in California (where my brother is!). I am essentially in the prime spot to up and leave...but is it worth it? Everyone I speak to says no, that my current set up is too good and that travel pay/benefits/etc wouldn't compare. I would love and appreciate some outside opinions from nurses. Thank you for reading!