Traveling Couples?

Yes. After first spending two or three years becoming proficient in a specialty at a staff job.

Hello Jace b7,

Recruiter here, what you are wanting to accomplish is very doable and thousands of nurses are currently doing it as well.

1) As NedRN has stated it'll be wise to get at least 2 years of experience in your specialty before you decide on traveling. Some agencies or nurses will tell you that they will be able to get you an assignment with 1 year of experience, but I don't recommend doing so. You will not be as competitive as other nurses out there with one year of experience, some contracts require a minimum of 2-3 years of experience, you are given very little orientation so you are putting your license at risk if you are not 100% confident in your capabilities and nursing knowledge.

2) It is 100% possible to travel as a couple and have a steady income as long as you are open minded. While traveling has the allure of making good money while being able to travel to the best locations the truth is that sometimes you will have to go to less than desirable situations. Since you are traveling as a couple it doesn't give you as much wiggle room as travelers who travel alone. You are provided 3 different options in these situations, wait and hope for a position in a city you are wanting, take a contract with less pay for a location you are wanting, or go where the job/money is.

3) Your dream is possible as long as you do your research and make sure that you go into travel nursing knowing the business in and out. Here are a few tips that may help you along your jouney

-Make yourself marketable! (Willing to work different shifts, certifications, certifications, certifications!, multi-state license (if possible, if not quick license single state or walk through state licenses). In terms of specialties you'll want to be in one of the "hottest" specialties (M/S, Tele, ER, OR, ICU, L/D) Being able to float to other departments, have specialized training such as Oncology. Neurology, Cardiovascular, etc.

-When you are ready to start applying for travel agencies and assignments make sure to have all your paperwork ready to expedite the process. (Licenses, certs, shots, physical, etc. all up to date and somewhere easy to access.) Also make sure your resume is up to date and in a clean template. As for references if possible try and get them filled out on a general reference template or write you a letter of recommendation. Doing this will prevent your references from getting annoyed by getting dozens of calls from multiple agencies asking for a reference check, but it will also speed up the process since the recruiter will not need to contact them.

-Work with multiple agencies or recruiters. Each agency or recruiter are going to have different jobs available at different times and each company/recruiter are going to provide different pay packages for the same job at times. It is also important to look at the benefits each provide based on your needs such as insurance, 401k, etc.

-Since you are traveling as a couple it's awesome since one if you will be able to take the agency housing and the other would be able to take the housing stipend. (Make sure you check with a tax person before hand to look at what you are able to receive.)

-Be open to assignments and chase the money and not always the location. It is possible to make 6 figure incomes while traveling if you go into it with the mindset of chasing they money and not so much the location. From my experience the glamorous spots aren't always the best assignments, you'd be surprised how many nurses end up enjoying assignments that didn't look so appealing on paper.