RaeMarieRN

[COLOR=#000000]Have a question for anyone out there who has worked as a travel nurse and then took a staff position. How did you list your travel experience? By agency or by facility? I have jumped around between a few different agencies, so I initially listed it by facility. Example: [/COLOR] [COLOR=#000000]Highline Medical Center: Burien, WA, Feb 2016 - April 2016 Registered Nurse, Agency - AMN Healthcare Intermediate Care Unit [/COLOR] [COLOR=#000000]Any information would be appreciated! Thanks! [/COLOR]

Having switched between agencies, I wasn't sure how it would look having 3 months here, 6 months somewhere else then back to the first. Thanks for the response!

Have a question for anyone who has experience leaving the travel world for a permanent position. When creating your resume, how did you list your travel positions? By agency, or by facility. Currently mine our set up by facility. Example: Highline Medical Center: Burien, WA. Jan 2017 - July 2017 Registerd Nurse, Agency - AMN Healthcare Intermediate Care Unit I have seen examples on line both ways, but as I have agency jumped I felt like it would be uniformed in appearance like above. Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I would check with HR. I know a lot of nurses at different hospitals that I have worked at that have varying NP degrees, work as RNs, and teach as well.

- Don't rely on PPTs for all your information, take your own notes - Set aside a designated "study area", either at home, the library, or local bookstore. Make sure you are able to buckle down and focus there and not get distracted people watching - Use peppermint scents. Peppermint has been proven to help increase focus so chew some gum, light a candle, or slather on some peppermint lotion! - Put your phone on do not disturb - Find people in your class who study like you, and organize study dates to discuss the information covered that week in class - Listen to recorded lectures/read assigned readings before class. This allows you to better absorb the information, make connections, and ask any questions you might have - Don't be afraid to ask for help! Good nursing instructors can tell when you aren't connecting the dots, and make suggestions to help you study better - Find a hobby that helps you relax - hiking, yoga, running, cooking, leisure reading. Anything that you can spend some "you time" on. Good luck the rest of this semester, and on future semesters ahead!

My husband and I drove up to Denver from our assignment in NM to do a livescan submission to the CA BON. That was the second week of January, got our temporary license 2 weeks later, and our full the first week of March. Another traveler friend submitter her paperwork with fingerprint cards in April, and just now got her license in October, while another took almost 2 months with in person delivery. I would advise you to plan of worse case scenario (6 months) if you are not able to do it in person just to be on the safe side.

My husband and I travel with our two Dachshunds, and have never had any problems. They are wonderful companions, and if you are a solo traveler, having to get out and exercise your pooch can help you explore your new local! The main downsides to consider are weight restrictions, breed restrictions, out of pocket expenses r/t housing (i.e. refundable and nonrefundable deposits - we had to pay over $1000 in Seattle, and pet rent), access to green space for them to do their business if your housing is in the city, and dedicating extra time before and after work to exercise and spend time with them. Both our girls (11 & 14 lbs) share a larger crate when we are at work, and get quality "snuggles" in bed between night shifts. The only issues we have had personally is that the old one (12 years), developed a habit of peeing when we would leave the apartment, thus the beginning of being crate trained. If you don't mind the trade off its definitely worth!

I would recommend getting experience at the hospital you currently work at. If you know where you want to go, aim for that. Or if you would really like to travel and gain a broad base of knowledge, then get ICU experience. A lot of travelers that I have worked with who come from ICU background like having the option to take assignments on a lower acuity floor such as MS/T, Tele, or PCU type floors while still being able to return to an ICU unit on their next assignment.

I agree with NedRN! Company housing vs finding your own plays a big role. Same with how you plan to get to your assignment - are you driving? flying? That will also affect your packing. What is the climate like where you are going? Are you going to need to have scarves/jackets/snow boots? Or just shorts/tshits/sandals? Clothing wise I like to have a good pair of jeans, two pair of shorts, anywhere from 10 -15 shirts, a dress or nice slacks/dress shirt, sandals, tennis shoes, heels, bathing suit, jacket, scrubs. You can fit all of that in one large suitcase. With company housing, if you aren't concerned with high quality you can always get pots/pan set, bedding, a few towels, cheap throw blanket and plastic utensils/plates/cups at Walmart or Target for cheap. Donate at the end of your 3 months or take with you if you have room. If you end up in an unfurnished place, you can do the same thing. We slept 9 months on an $80 air mattress (add egg crate and sheets and it sleeps amazing!), then purchased a $90 "inflatable couch" of Amazon that lasted 6 months. If its just you at your apartment, and you aren't worried about entertaining and impressing people, there are many options to be cheap and pocket more of your money!

Tampanurse2000, the first contract that my husband and I accepted here in CA was offered with no interview. It took a lot of work, but we finally managed to get them to send us information about the units that we would be working on (turned out to be a very basic bullet list that really gave no information at all, just bed count and ratios). In the end we did take the assignment, and loved it. Extended and even recommended the facility. I can understand why it would raise some red flags for you, especially if it hasn't happened before. Check with your recruiter if they have had other travelers at that facility in the past and what they thought about it. In the end, I would suggest to go with your gut.

My husband and I are both travel nurses, and we got our Livescan completed in CO while on another assignment. The company who completed them sent them to CA for us, about a 48 hr turnaround time. This was done the second week of January and we just got notified of our temporary license got approved on March 13th. We had already submitted everything else, so the prints were all they were waiting on. Keep in mind, they are notorious for loosing paperwork! If it is an option for you, I would definitely recommend hand delivering everything (except your fingerprints, of course).