What Makes Travel Nursing Amazing

[Maladroit, BSN, RN]

At current, I am a travel nurse. My path to get here has not been easy and I am quite pleased to have “made it” finally. Every travel nurse has their own reasons for choosing travel nursing, all valid. I’ve learned that there is a stereotype of why nurses choose to travel; they’re young with no ties, hungry to explore, and want to make a lot of money. If you fit that description: Awesome. This does not describe me or my reasons at all; sometimes, I wish it did. To start, I am 35 — not young, but not old. I did staff nursing for several years in Pediatrics and Mother Baby before having to deal with a nasty divorce and custody battle. There is a lot that I would do differently if given the chance. However, it has made me rather fearless in it’s wake.

I was always adaptable and used to moving a lot — those aspects of traveling were neutral for me. I didn’t mind changing locations frequently, but I do enjoy familiarity and stability. Working locally after the divorce became nearly impossible due to my ex’s determination to make me as financially handicapped as possible so that I would need to go back to him. Working through an agency, having my exact whereabouts being discrete meant that I could finally work in peace. There was no longer fear of him showing up, calling managers, or otherwise causing undue anxiety. I can’t even begin to tell you how much of a relief it is to know that I can do my job without fear of him ruining another opportunity. I can be independent. Living in different cities on a short-term basis allows me to test out different cities that I like. I learn what I need and don’t like about certain places. I know where my comfort zone is now and it’s nothing where I expected it to be. I assumed college towns would make me happiest and I was wrong. I love cities and their close suburbs. I love teaching hospitals and the environment of education and the no-such-thing-as-a-dumb-question mentality. I need GOOD food options, without that, my contracts become torture.

I do make a lot more money as a travel nurse than I ever would as a staff nurse, but let me assure you, I work harder and need to think much more in this role. Instead of 3 months of orientation, I get two days. Two days to learn the policies, procedures, charting systems, pumps, codes, and norms in a given unit and sign off on dozens of papers stating that I feel comfortable functioning independently after that time. It can be overwhelming, but it can also be empowering being able to do in two days what takes most people months. I welcome the challenge and every time hope that I can rise to it in the way the hospital needs me to. Because I needed plenty of experience in my specialty prior to traveling and needed over a year of traveling experience prior to being at the kinds of hospitals I am now, I am seen as an expert. Staff nurses consult me when they don’t know what to do. That will never NOT feel good and I help as much as I can.

Each hospital has it’s own culture and dynamic and I love being a fly on the wall. I remain the neutral party — no one wants to bring me into workplace drama, which has made work life much easier. I may only make one or two friends while I’m there, but that means I have so many friends spread out all over now. While the money was initially the biggest draw to travel nursing, what has kept me doing travel nursing is the sense of peace stemming from not feeling controlled, harassed, or stalked by my ex. That part, is priceless to me. What are your reasons?