Questioning travel nursing?

wildnursebrendan · Jul 20, 2017

Unit- ICU
Pay Package
â€¢ Breakdown- $20hr
â€¢ Housing- Provided or $565 weekly stipend
â€¢ Food- $250wk

I just got accepted to a nursing program so I don't know anything, but when I look at that I think about how my $20/hr for 36hr a week as a CNA gives me about $2,200 a month, so $42/hour would be more like $4,000.

Then the travel contract= $20/hour or ballpark $2,000 a month +

$565/week housing= $1,200 month +

$250/week food= $1,000 month.

So $4,200 a month or somewhere in that range. Then depending how you work the housing and food you can give yourself a raise there. Am I way off?

Cecilgko7 · Jul 20, 2017

I also work 4 twelves a week and overtime is not guaranteed in travel. I easily clear $3000 bi weekly at my current job. So this is what troubles me.

Cecilgko7 · Jul 20, 2017

I also work 4 twelves a week and overtime is not guaranteed in travel. I easily clear $3000 bi weekly at my current job. So this is what troubles me.

NedRN · Jul 20, 2017

If you want numbers that make sense, try PanTravelers calculator. It is especially useful to compare different travel offers. It can also assist with comparing travel pay with staff pay but that is a very difficult comparison indeed.

One way to think about travel is that it is similar to per diem. You are giving up benefits for more cash take home upfront. Per diem and travel share either no health insurance or bad health insurance, hours may not be guaranteed, no sick time, PTO, retirement, education, seniority rights for shift or floating, holidays or vacations. You would have to decide if you can give up those benefits. Some do decide (especially low paid staff from the South and parts of the Midwest) that higher cash to pay off debt now or to build a nest egg. These days I seldom ever meet a traveler from higher paying areas of this land. It simply won't pencil out for them so they never take the leap.

I do meet travelers from Texas by the way. Many of them love Texas but will never work there again no matter the pay because they are treated so badly.

Money should not be the first reason to go travel for most. Adventure and the opportunity for professional development and resume enhancement should top the list. Experiencing different cultures and patient populations. Occasionally as a fun way to look for a staff job and know what it is really like beforehand.

Your location expectations are unrealistic. It is fine to have a location bucket list but not to work them in a given order. I've found things to love about every assignment location in over twenty years of traveling. Three months seldom seems like enough time.

To put things in some perspective, there are around 30,000 travel nurses on assignment, some fraction of that in your specialty. That's how many travel jobs there are. And every assignment is competitive, with typically anywhere from 5 to 50 traveler profiles that land on a manager's desk.

Here is another number: there are somewhere between 3.4 and 3.6 nurses. 30,000 traveler's is fringe indeed. The only way travel would be if some large percentage of all nurses, say 10 to 30% and geographically evenly distributed, quit there staff jobs and became travelers.

That will never happen. The vast majority of all employees (not just nurses) value there job security and the life they've built locally.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Jul 22, 2017

STAY AT YOUR STAFF JOB. The industry has turned for the worst especially for ICU RN's. The pay is not good at all if you are currently benefited making 42 an hour. Keep that job. When traveling as an ICU RN you are looked upon as the you can do it all nurse. Meaning you are Step down, tele, med surg, then ICU last.

I should have a new staff job by next week.

Wait until the market changes.

I know I am going to get attacked by the OR twins...in 3.2.1

Argo · Jul 22, 2017

Travel nursing sucks, stay as staff. We need less travelers in the world.

Im an OR traveler. $3k/wk takehome. I do not want overtime, call or extra hours. I dont necessarily travel for the money, it helps, I do it for the lack of loyalty I need to have to the hospital, I am only loyal to my profession and patient now. No politics, no meetings, no BS. I also like taking 4 to 6 months off a year while making a solid annual takehome pay.

If your 25 miles from your job you arent co sidered a traveler and can be royally screwed if you took the tax free money.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Jul 22, 2017

If you really want to travel get trained in CVOR, L&D or Cath lab other than that you will be worthless and wasting your time.

NedRN · Jul 23, 2017

Nice thing to tell some 30,000 travel nurses. You do realize that most travelers are from areas where it is a struggle to earn more than $25 an hour?

You are coming off as entitled and bitter. I'll expand Argo's theme and suggest you hang out more in other forums here and share your negativity about travel with them. More jobs and improved pay for the rest of us travelers

Cecilgko7 · Jul 23, 2017

I am confused? Are you saying I am coming off as entitled and bitter?

Argo · Jul 23, 2017

I am confused? Are you saying I am coming off as entitled and bitter?

I dont think he was talking to you, maybe but I doubt it. You come across more as uninformed than bitter or entitled.

Also, you can get contracts with guaranteed 48 hours a week. Guaranteed overtime. I like to work 36 only but am offered 48 at every extension where im at. If you are contracted for 36 or 40 hours you are righy, working overtime is not worth it because its based on the base taxable hourly rate. Call pay sucks in general too.

Travelling can NOT be about the money, the other guy on here talking poorly of the profession is in it for the money. I have yet to make less money than any of my counterparts working fulltime at my contract facilities.

Im in it for the time off. I chose to work in the highest paying places so I am maximizing my time at work and away from the family.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Jul 23, 2017

Nice thing to tell some 30,000 travel nurses. You do realize that most travelers are from areas where it is a struggle to earn more than $25 an hour?
You are coming off as entitled and bitter. I'll expand Argo's theme and suggest you hang out more in other forums here and share your negativity about travel with them. More jobs and improved pay for the rest of us travelers

this is coming from an OR RN who has no clue outside of the palace. Entitled no. Bitter yes, but there is a reason to that. If you ask me via a DM I would tell you.