The cons of being a travel nurse

saskrn · Jan 24, 2004

It all depends on who you work for. A good company makes all the difference! After 6 years of travel nursing, there is only one company that I'd work for, and that company is Travel Nurse Solutions. They pay in the 30's and routinely offer airfare, rental car, and of course all the usual bennies.

bagladyrn, RN · Jan 24, 2004

Good question - here are a few I can think of:

Constantly dealing with an unfamiliar environment - both on and off the job.

Changing payrate every 3 months depending on each new contract - can affect personal budgeting.

Occasional hostility from some staff.

Uncertainty of next contract (will I have a job lined up?)

Loneliness - not knowing anyone to call and say "Let's go do this"

Now, keep in mind that most of these disadvantages can be off set or overcome and some even turned into advantages. I've found the advantages outweigh the drawbacks by a considerable ratio, and have continued traveling for more than 7 years now!

rollingstone · Jan 25, 2004

Good points, bagladyrn. I've been traveling over a year now and have only been cancelled one time in that period. If you want to pick up overtime it's usually not a problem. I routinely work four 12 hr shifts a week. In my current contract the traveler has to float first but this isn't a big deal to me and it's actually been a break from the routine. Good Luck.