Travel nursing

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Jan 31, 2015

initially I would probably maintain my apt, until I figured my regeime.....wheather or not travel nurse is for you etc....

best wishes

NedRN · Feb 1, 2015

Most American's wealth is in their home. Since few are disciplined enough to save money and invest in other things prudently, buying a house is the way to go to have wealth by retirement age. So yes, buying a house is better for most Americans rather than renting. Renting is a decent investment choice for disciplined savers and investors.

Couples by and large are happier than singles in many studies. Relationships and housing are personal choices of course. But your observations have merit. I don't know of any studies about people with no roots and no place to come home to, but few people are completely itinerant.

One of the financial benefits of travel if you have a home (rent or own) is that you compensation is tax leveraged, some of it is tax free. If you are itinerant (no home and all your stuff is in storage), all your compensation is taxed. The difference is about $10,000 a year for most travelers (bankable money). That is a lot of money, but if your rent and utilities is higher than that, than it is to your advantage to be itinerant. There are a number of ways to have your cake and eat it too, and one way is home ownership. Install a roommate to help pay your mortgage and collect your mail for you for example. But if you really don't want to be tied down and have no need to return "home" once in a while to kick back, see family, visit your primary care, putter in your garden, then being itinerant may be the way to go for you.

x0xerika · Feb 3, 2015

I am about to starting nursing school in the BSN program. I am thinking about travel nursing and also want advice. I am 29, I live with my boyfriend & our 6 yo son. I am currently renting a house & have lived here for 2 years now. We plan on staying here as long as we can because we are hoping the landlord offers us a land contract. Anyone with advice on travel nursing and if it would be okay for me?

NedRN · Feb 3, 2015

You might be in a completely different corcumstances in 6 years. If you find a good fortune teller, do let us know!

x0xerika · Feb 3, 2015

Thank you for that remark, but I kindly asked for advice. I understand my situation is not going to be the same in a few years when I graduate, but I am simply wanting to know if travel nursing is only for certain people or if it works for anyone. If so, how did it work out for those with families?

NedRN · Feb 3, 2015

You are posing questions that cannot be answered. Here are some similar questions: is nursing for everyone, and how does it work out for families? Is dialysis nursing just for certain people? Will I like my job? Will my 12 year old like traveling?

x0xerika · Feb 3, 2015

I believe I'm asking my question fairly clear. I'm not wanting to know if nursing is for everyone, because I know it is not. I'm not asking about dialysis nursing, or else I would have gone to a dialysis thread. I am not asking for advice on if I will like my job because not everyone is the same and cannot tell me if I am going to personally enjoy my job. I am simply asking if someone who is experienced in travel nursing could answer if it is something to consider if you have a family. I don't see how that question cannot be answered. If you are a travel nurse who has a family, how does it work out for you? Do you enjoy it? Do you bring your family along with you, or do they stay back at home while you do the travelling for your job?

mclennan, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2015

If that's what you wanted to know, it would have been helpful to ask that in your first post.

NedRN · Feb 3, 2015

I'm not wanting to know if nursing is for everyone, because I know it is not.

Insert "travel" before nursing (or anything else) and you have answered your own question.

I am simply asking if someone who is experienced in travel nursing could answer if it is something to consider if you have a family.

Yes.

x0xerika · Feb 3, 2015

Seriously? What did you think I was asking advice for, if I should travel to the moon? I wrote Anyone with advice on travel nursing and if it would be okay for me? I didn't ask if a fortune teller could tell me my future and if I would enjoy my job. The original post, they asked for advice on who travel nursing is best for. I asked that same question, but in a different way. Not to mention when I clearly wrote, I am simply wanting to know if travel nursing is only for certain people or if it works for anyone. If so, how did it work out for those with families? I don't understand where the confusion is.

NedRN · Feb 3, 2015

Your initial post listed a few factors about yourself: you haven't so much as started training as a nurse, you have a child, a boyfriend, hope to buy a house. Would travel nursing work for you 6 plus years from now? I referred you to someone qualified to reply about fortunes.

Can you consider travel nursing with a family? Yes. Was that not clear?

How does travel nursing work out with a family? It is not for everyone. I believe you answered that one. Does it work? Yes, for some. Does family come with, or stay at home? It depends on dozens of variables but I meet travelers who do it both ways all the time. If you want anecdotes and don't insist on asking ridiculously open ended questions that apply to you personally, I would recommend a search of prior threads here. There are a fair number of stories.

The ability to ask focused and pertinent questions is pretty important for career success in any field and absolutely vital for travel nurses. I know you don't even know yet what you don't know, but if you respond with anger at a new assignment because someone doesn't feed you the right answer to the question you believe you asked, travel certainly will not work for you. Family or not.