Travel nursing concerns

[Pepperlady]

I am a nurse with over 20 years of experience in Critical Care and Emergency. I have always been one to either pick up and move to advance my career or just for the sake of a more interesting job.

I am at the point where I now own a home and am quite settled in my life but still crave learning new things and being in new places. Most recently I decided that travel nursing would fill that need so I am in the process of applying for my TNVisa and writing the NCLEX ect.

My concern is the economy and the things I read and hear about with nurses losing jobs and not being able to secure jobs after graduation. Am I just taking a job from a US trained nurse who may take the position I get if I were not in the picture?? Or, am I filling a need for a seasoned nurse in an area that may be underserved ... which may be the case if they are still hiring.

I am speaking hypothetically, I don't have a position yet, but I really am starting to wonder if I am making the right decision. I have a very secure position that pays very well, my desire to travel is purely to get some more trauma experience in a bigger center and that is almost impossible to do with how the system works here.

Thoughts?? How do you percieve the international travellers with the economy as it is??

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Hey I would welcome a RN with the experience you have. You aren't necessarily taking a job from anyone. You are helping an area short of nurses.

The economy is booming in some areas of the US like out west. Think Texas, Nevada, Arizona. So nurses there are needed at a higher rate. Some areas have an overabundance of new grads like New York and New Jersey.

I wish you the best if you do decide to travel.

[farmerRN]

Travel nursing right now is pretty tight through out the US...even in hot spots like AZ and CA. Hospitals are really watching the pennies...which means agency/travelers are the first to go. And with the downturn in the economy...lots of nurses that were part time/casual are picking up alot of hours or nursing coming back into the workforce...so in turn less of a need for agency and travelers. And a growing trend the past few months...nursing surpluses in some areas.

Not to totally deflate , it seems like Washington state always has openings at some decent facilities. Might want to look into that area.

[Pepperlady]

My concern is not getting a position, thankfully, my travel company has to honor the contract I sign with them, so they cannot terminate me, just as I must honor my contract with them.

I was wondering what people thought about international travellers taking positions in the US, are we taking jobs that a US citizen would otherwise get, or, with my experience, would I still be considered an asset by the nurses I work with. I cannot imagine working a 13 week contract and having people unhappy that you were there. I travelled once before and I loved where I worked and got along fantastic with all the regular staff ... couldn't say that about all the travellers that were working on that unit.

[farmerRN]

If you go the hospital and there is a shortage...no...you are not taking a job away. You are filling a need.

There are hospitals out there that will welcome you with open arms...and there are hospitals that will make your life miserable. It will not matter if you grew up down the street or across the world. Its amazing that places that always have traveler needs seem to be the places that treat the travelers the worse...they think we live this glamorous lifestyle making big bucks and having everything free. And they could just be miserable people anyways.