Travel Nursing and Pregnant?

[Myprettykitty]

Hi,

I have kind of a specific question or questions I would like advice on. I was a PICU RN until April when I quit to move out of country with my husband. My plan was to work once a year as a travel nurse in the states but otherwise live abroad with my husband. I want to do this to keep up my skills and licenses and to make it easier to get back into working as a staff nurse upon my return. January was to be my first travel nursing gig.

Now I find that I am pregnant. With twins! So my plan to work January through March would put me working through my 20th-33rd week of pregnancy. With twins and the likelihood of them coming early and the fact that you measure full term for a singleton at 30 weeks and are quite uncomfortable and sometimes unable to work much after 26 weeks, I thought that maybe I would have to give up on this travel nursing idea for now.

The only option I now see is to go work earlier. Like November. Like 14 to 27 weeks of pregnancy. The problem is that if there are to be problems with my pregnancy, I likely won't know it at 14 weeks. So I guess I am wondering if I can work, or if I need to let this plan go and possibly then not be able to work for a number of years. (Because I believe it will be harder to work as a traveler if I am out of the biz for more than a year.)

Anyone have any experience traveling while pregnant? Is it too much stress? Will the hospital be pissed when they see I am pregnant? Anyone with twin pregnancy experience and working would be greatly appreciated too.

I have no idea how much added stress there is being a traveler in a new place but that seems like a stressful situation. That being said, I came from one of the most stressful PICU units out there so maybe I have been trained well.

Any thoughts of advice would be appreciated!

Also, are 8 week contracts a real thing or would that be very hard to find?

Thanks!

[NedRN]

8 weeks is possible, but usually through a rapid response agency like Fastaff. If you had asked for advice before quitting your job and moving overseas (and becoming pregnant), I would have suggested a different approach. The safest would have been to find a suitable hospital where you could have remained on staff and returned to do block booking. Seasonal assignments are also possible. Failing that, I would have suggested starting your travel career before moving overseas. That would have have allowed a shakedown. You would have discovered if adapting to different hospitals is for you and if the travel company(s) you chose are any good.

It is tougher now, but I'd advise you to take your first travel assignment as soon as possible. All risks increase with time here, including the chance of an extended time off from work (falling outside a year from your last job). Just finding a suitable agency will likely be more difficult from a distance.

If you are not doing this for the money, well, worry about it when you return and want a staff job. I don't think that it will be all that difficult if you are just talking about a few years. You will also be getting some hands on peds experience at home! That will certainly improve your connection with patient's family.

[8-ball, BSN]

I don't have experience with pregnancy but I would think what Ned said is right, the earlier the better but otherwise I would consider just waiting and rasing your twins. pregnancy is stressful and traveling while pregnant brings all sorts of issues and opportunities for disaster. The last place you want to be is away from family when you go into early labor or anything like that. Thats just my thoughts.

[perfexion, ASN, RN]

I just had a baby in June. I worked straight from October 2014 when I found out until March 2015 when I was about 28 weeks. I had to end my contract 10 days early due to complications with my pregnancy. It wasn't a super big deal because I had a doctor's note and private disability insurance. It was no more stressful than working a staff job while pregnant. There were two other pregnant staff nurses while i was there so nobody cared that i was pregnant also. I timed my contracts out so that I could work consistently until my third trimester. By that time I was ready to quit anyway! But I just did two 13 week contracts back to back and it worked out for me (for the most part). If I had to do it over again I'd probably plan it the same way.

[Myprettykitty]

Thank you for the advice everyone. I agree that had I known far enough into the future, I could have done some things differently to make things easier for me. I am curious if you think my year mark is accurate- I mean is it true that if I am out of work for a year, I won't be able to get a travel contract?

As things are, I don't need the money per se. But I do want to be able to get a job when I return. The opinion seems to be that I would be able to get a job easily after so many years out of work. I had never thought of that. I just fear licenses lapsing but I guess people make it work somehow. And I know I can do CEUs to keep one of my licenses current. I would hate to put stress on my pregnancy and would blame myself if these babies came early. Also I would hate to end a contract early- especially my first contract. That might never get me a travel job again.

So it is probably smart to put this travel nursing idea aside for now. Maybe forever. Because twins. Can't be unhappy about that! If anyone else has any other thoughts, I would love to hear them. But thank you everyone who has commented. It was very helpful.

[NedRN]

It can be possible to get a travel assignment with over a year lapse of work history, partly depending on the demand for your specialty. There are a couple of issues, one being NM's raised eyebrows. The bigger one is your competitiveness with other nurses in your specialty with current work histories, and those with successful travel assignments. You will have a double whammy with neither. So getting a good assignment will be hard. Getting a crappy one may be easier.

I hadn't thought of licensing issues but that can happen if you don't work every year. Most of the states I travel to have instant renewal as long as the lapsed period is less than (for example) 8 years, so I only keep them current to avoid a late fee if it makes sense because of my near future plans. But I've always worked in the previous two years. Most states (I think) require 500 hours of work (self reported) in the last two years to renew or reactivate a license. There are alternatives to work but I've never paid attention to what they were.

If you are really planning on being out of the country that long, what about working as a nurse where you are?

[Myprettykitty]

Thanks for the thoughts NedRN. I hadn't thought it possible to get a job if I wait longer than a year but it is good to know it is possible, if difficult. I think I will try and maybe do a 8 week stint here soon. I think I can pull that off- twins and all! I hope. I hope the agency agrees. As for working were I am, it is not really an option. I am in a country where they pay nurses $250 a month. Outrageous I know! From what I have learned it really isn't the same job as an RN in America. Its more like a CNA. Either way, it isn't even worth it to me to deal with that. And I don't even know how I would begin to get licensed here. Thank you for the thoughts and help!

[NedRN]

I think a staff job is easier after an extended absence than a travel assignment.

[BonnieSc]

As a nurse currently working in Africa, I am alarmed at the idea of you being pregnant with and possibly giving birth to twins in a developing country. (I realize you havent tokd us your actual plans re: birth.) I would be willing to go through an uncomplicated pregnancy here, but I would absolutely go back to the US before I had to avoid flying and give birth there. (I would also be willing to give birth in Europe; possibly the middle East or South Africa, not sure about those.) And that's with a single birth. I would be even more cautious with twins. I do know one expatriate who gave birth here and she told me she's definitely going home for the next one. Everyone else I know has gone home.

I know you didn't ask for advice about your pregnancy, but as someone actually on the ground in a hospital, I can't ignore it. I work in the nicest hospital around and for two weeks we were out of paper towels, soap, AND hand sanitizer. The less-nice hospital often doesn't have water or hand sanitizer. Some of the nurses were surprised when I explained about the five moments of hand hygiene... and these are just the basics.

Anyway, I'll stop!

I think your original plan was a good and interesting one, but with these babies, being out of work for over a year is probably not going to be a top concern anymore. Lots of nurses do take a couple of years off to raise children. My suggestion is to let travel nursing go for now and take one thing at a time.

[Myprettykitty]

BonnieSC, I was never planning to give birth to twins in India. As soon as I found out there were two the slight possibility that I might stay in India for the birth flew out the window. I am only 9 weeks along now and plan on being back in the states to gestate no later than 24 weeks. Earlier if I take an 8 week job like I am looking into. I would be working week 15 through 23 or so and think that is very possible.

That being said, I know a large number of expat women here who gave birth and highly recommend their experience here. Those from the UK rave about how it is better than home. Two of those mothers had sets of twins. I am skeptical and have been since my first experience in a hospital at my first OB appointment. I won't be giving birth here. But I do not think it is all as bad as you seem to think. People have babies here everyday! And many of the doctors at home were trained in India so at least some of the doctors here must know what they are doing! But you are correct that there are many things hard to come by here that are taken for granted at home. Don't worry. I am going home.

[BonnieSc]

My reply didn't go through, I guess... Anyway, okay, India is totally different and the nurses aren't like CNAs--i thought from the brief description that you were somewhere more like here. Congratulations and good luck!