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No matter if you’re a new travel nurse, or an experienced one, moving during a pandemic can scary. Here are some tips for moving during COVID-19 if you’re a travel nurse working during the coronavirus outbreak.
Taking a travel nursing assignment during “normal” circumstances can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. There are many unknowns with travel nursing, from what your housing will look like to what kind of people you will be working with, to the differences in workflow, and getting used to new equipment on your floor.
But taking a travel nursing assignment during a global pandemic adds a whole other level to the experience.
Ready to start travel nursing? Start here.
In general, travel nurses traveling to areas of emergency are exempt from any state-issued travel restrictions. (You can check current travel restrictions on the CDC’s website.) That means that if you are traveling to a state that is not allowing travel in, you will still be allowed to travel into the state for work as a travel nurse. Just be sure that you bring all required paperwork with you, including:
And although you should definitely be tracking your travel-related expenses for any nursing assignment, it’s especially important to keep detailed records if you’re traveling for COVID, since you may have to work with your agency to get reimbursed should your assignment get suddenly canceled.
It’s definitely not ideal, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared to have at least one back-up housing option if you are traveling to a COVID-affected area. This is because some travel nurses are seeing assignments get canceled with little warning, such as if the hospital or facility closes the area you were scheduled to work, or if they have to suddenly make cuts if they determine they are overstaffed.
We would recommend that you know your agency’s policy on housing if your assignment gets canceled inside and out, so there are no surprises. It could also be helpful if you were aware of optional housing locations, such as the many areas offering free or discounted hotel rooms, should something happen with your arranged housing. You may also find yourself wanting a more private housing option if you have to be quarantined due to exposure or infection with COVID-19.
Looking for your next travel nursing assignment? Click here.
If you’ve been working as a nurse, or have any reason to suspect you could have been exposed to COVID and have not been quarantined for the full recommended 14 days, it’s preferable that you prepare as much as possible ahead of time to limit any exposing others along the way.
That means making sure your gas tank is full, your vehicle is up-to-date on maintenance, you have masks to pack with you, and plenty of food and water to get you through where you need to go. And we aren’t saying outright some nurses have gotten creative with the bathroom break arrangements, but rumor has it, there have been some dependable moments if you get our drift.
As much as possible, find out what you will need in your living area ahead of time and try to add in extra time for any deliveries or services you might need. For instance, if you normally use a moving company, call earlier than usual to build-in any COVID-related delays and book your spot in advance.
It’s also a good idea to thoroughly vet where you are staying to make sure they have everything you need to survive, should you end up quarantined. For instance:
Think ahead through scenarios and make sure you can have what you need if you end up sheltering in place. It’s also helpful if you can plan on doing as much as you can yourself, in case friends or services you normally rely on to help you move boxes, etc., are not available. More lightweight or travel-friendly options, like camping cots or chairs, might be useful during a time like this.
It’s always important to have some comforts of home with you anytime you’re on a new travel nursing assignment, but during a global pandemic, it’s more important than ever. You may get to your new assignment, only to find that the local coffee shops are closed (the horror), or you can’t depend on picking up that favorite scented lotion to help boost your spirits after a long shift.
As much as you can, be sure to pack and bring along some creature comforts from home that will help you get through what could be a difficult time at work. Anything, such as:
And of course, if you can, pack the most important item that you can to ensure you’re not, well, SOL, to excuse our language. Yup, that’s right — toilet paper. It’s the hot commodity item, and we want to make sure that you’re covered.
Interested in travel nursing? Sign up today.
By now, you have probably heard that travel nurses can earn more money than staff nurses, but you may be prepared for just how high your earnings can go. Although the average reported wage for a travel nurse is around the $88K range, that number can vary widely based on factors like where you work, what your specialty is, and what staffing numbers are at individual facilities.
Travel nurses can expect to make more than staff nurses is because their overall compensation package works differently. In addition to their base wage, travel nurses can also receive extra compensation that can include sign-on and referral bonuses as well as housing, expense, and meal stipends. For some travel nurses, it can even be possible to make six figures — or over $100K — as a travel nurse. Here are some tips on how to make that happen.
RNs can make up to $2,300 per week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!
The reason hospitals and medical facilities work with staffing agencies is that they work to fill in the gaps where nurses are needed; that means that there is a wide range of available nursing positions. If you’re willing to be flexible in where you are willing to work, you could have more opportunity for higher pay and compensation — especially if your recruiter learns that he or she can call you in a pinch. Supply and demand is the name of the game here, and the more demand for an area that is needed, the more income potential you have.
Being flexible might look like taking an odd-time shift, working in a less-popular area, or traveling to a location that is less than ideal (say goodbye to Hawaii in the winter, folks). See also: holiday pay. Usually, you’ll make more money if you sign up for holiday shifts.
Nurses who hold a certification in a hard-to-fill specialty field have the ability to command a higher wage and/or ask for additional compensation. Travel nursing means filling in where there is a need, and if you’re a nurse who can fill a hard-to-find need, you’re in high demand and may be able to negotiate for a higher base wage or compensation packages.
Speciality areas such as the Cardiac Cath Lab, Labor & Delivery, Neonatal ICU, ICU, Emergency Room, Telemetry, and Operating Room are all usually hard to fill and may earn you additional compensation. It’s also a good idea to ask your staffing agency what certifications they find are in high demand, as those may vary from location to location.
If you can, avoid using company housing and instead elect to take the set housing stipend to find your own living arrangement. If you are able to find your own housing situation that is cheaper than the stipend, then those excess funds go in your pocket and your overall compensation. You could also find a roommate from your agency, for example, or use Airbnb for a local place to stay. Just be sure you’re fully aware of the rules regarding housing stipends, such as turning in receipts or bills.
Read more: Housing for Traveling Nurses
Established staffing agencies may be able to command better packages for travel nurses, or help you match with an area that can boost your wage. Although it’s a good idea to shop around for agencies to find the best fit for you, in many cases, it’s a good idea to start with an established agency for the best rates and compensation packages.
Read more: Travel Nursing Companies & Agencies
Unless you sign an exclusive contract, you are not required to stick to just one nurse staffing agency. You could have relationships with multiple agencies to help you find the jobs that are the best fit for your goals. You may even be able to use an offer from one agency to help you negotiate compensation for another job, if needed.
Pro tip: You should always carefully inspect your entire contract and consider having an attorney review it before signing it, so you understand what you’re signing.
You can make yourself more valuable to staffing agencies by maintaining nursing licenses in multiple states. Once you choose an agency, be sure to speak with your recruiter for advice on what states would be the most helpful to become licensed in, so that you are available for more assignments. And if you do hold multiple licenses and are willing to travel to those states, be sure to let your recruiter know as well, so he or she can place you quickly.
Read more: Current Nursing Compact States 2019
If you’re willing to be called in for immediate staffing needs, you may be able to earn additional money with “on-call” or short-staffing response time compensation. For instance, some hospitals may pay time and a half or even double time for nurses willing to come in at short notice. Strike situations — while not exactly the most popular choice to win you friends — usually also carry additional compensation for nurses willing to work.
If you want to work more hours, find a higher-paying placement or gain experience that could open up doors for additional compensation, work with your recruiter to reach your goals. For example, if you know that OR experience could help you land a lucrative position in the future, but you haven’t been able to get your foot in the door, communicate with your recruiter that you’d really like some OR experience. The right recruiter can help you, but if he or she is not aware of what you’re working towards, they can’t help.
Want a bonus for signing on with a new agency or be willing to work that shift that no one else will take? Just ask! Your nursing staffing agency may be able to work in a bonus to your compensation package, or even negotiate with the hospital or clinic for additional compensation as necessary. You could also ask for bonuses that could help you advance your education, so that you could become even more desirable for future recruitment opportunities.
Referrals can really add up, so if you know a lot of nurses, are active on social media or are willing to put in the work to recruit for your agency, you can earn a significant amount of money thanks to referral bonuses. Just be sure to check with your agency on the rules and if there is a cap on how much you can earn — if there is, you may want to work on referring to different agencies to collect referrals with each one.
To help ensure that you are able to keep as much of your income as possible and don’t owe more money come tax time, be sure to keep on top of the tax rules of travel nursing and file any paperwork you may need. It’s a good idea to consult with an accountant who works with travel nurses to make sure you are keeping proper records and filing on time to avoid fees and fines.
Read more: Comprehensive Guide to Travel Nurse Taxes
Sure, making $100k sounds like a great goal and making that much money can have real advantages, but it’s also probably going to require a significant amount of work and sacrifice on your end.
So as you work towards your goal, be crystal-clear on why you are aiming for that six-figure mark. Are you trying to pay down your student debt? Saving for a down payment on a house? Building up your nest egg so you can start your family? Stocking away cash to travel the world (not while working, obv)?
On the shifts that will test your patience, spirit and stamina, it can be helpful to remember you goal — and just why you are working so hard on that shift that no one else wanted.
RNs can make up to $2,300 per week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!
While many hospitals have been relying on travel nurses to help care for an overwhelming surge of coronavirus affected patients, other travel nurses may have been surprised to actually see their contract canceled due to COVID-19.
Some travel nursing specialties have been in less demand as a result of facility closures and hospitals limiting non-urgent care in hopes of stopping the spread of the virus. Travel nurses in areas such as surgery, for instance, may have seen assignments canceled, and some hospitals initially hired on large surpluses of travel nurses in anticipation of the virus — only to let them go if the patient numbers were not what they were expecting.
In many online travel nursing groups, travel nurses are sharing stories of being surprised and frustrated after having their contracts canceled as a result of COVID. “I had three Fl contracts canceled in two weeks,” said one nurse in a Facebook group for travel nurses. “It’s a big mess.”
Chances are, you probably didn’t expect to be dealing with canceled contracts in the wake of a global pandemic, but if you are facing a contract ending, here are some steps you can take to make it through.
Are you a travel nurse looking for a new assignment? Start here.
All travel nursing contracts include some kind of clause about cancellations, whether that’s specifying how an assignment has to be canceled legally, or probably more relevant to you right now — what financial costs you can recoup from the assignment.
Check your contract carefully for what it stipulates you are owed, especially for reimbursement for travel to and from the job, any expenses incurred along the way, and costs such as housing deposits or associated fees. You may also get a percentage of what you should have made from the assignment, although that will vary among agencies, especially now, with COVID.
If you traveled to a hot-spot to find work, only to have your contract canceled due to COVID-19, you may be able to find free housing while you either wait to see if more work will be available, or figure out your next move. You can check TravelNursing’s list of extensive free resources that include housing and hotel options that are offering free rooms for healthcare workers.
Before you pack up and leave town, be sure to speak to your recruiter about any other options that may be available for you in the area. Just be sure to double-check that your license and housing will still be valid if you are in an area that has an emergency declaration before you sign on — there’s a chance that if your assignment lasts longer than the emergency declaration, any temporary license you have may not be valid once the emergency is lifted.
Looking for a new assignment? Start here.
If you have a contract canceled due to COVID-19, be sure to document everything, keep receipts, and even print out any emails or communication you had with your recruiter, just in case. Since you’re a contract employee, you may be able to claim lost wages or expenses on your taxes come next spring, but be sure to consult with a tax expert about your own situation.
If your travel nursing assignment has been canceled, you may be eligible to apply for unemployment benefits. Check on your state’s unemployment website for guidelines on who qualifies, and how to apply. Just be prepared for potential longer wait times, as many unemployment agencies around the country have been overwhelmed by applicants.
Many travel nurses heroically signed up to help in COVID-19 hotspots, such as New York, to fill necessary gaps in healthcare services. And while travel nursing is an important piece of the puzzle in getting through a pandemic, the fluid nature of travel nursing also means that unfortunately, in a shortage of funds, travel nurses will most likely be the first to be canceled from a hospital that has lost revenue.
While travel nursing, as a whole, can vary from agency to agency, and even job to job, this experience of working through COVID-19 may give many new and emerging travel nurses the opportunity to learn valuable lessons and advocate for themselves as travel nurses. Before you choose your next assignment, be sure to learn carefully about what you want out of the experience. Ask yourself some of the following questions:
Will I be OK if my contract is canceled?
Do I have a place to stay I can afford or a way to get back home?
Do I value stability and a long-term contract or am I willing to take on more risk for a new learning experience?
Am I aware of everything that can happen if my contract is canceled and what my agency is responsible for?
Do I feel supported by my agency fully?
And don’t forget, even as COVID cases continue around the country, you do have the ability to choose to take a non-COVID assignment. (Yes, they still do exist!) Some travel nursing agencies have even started advertising for non-COVID assignments for nurses who are looking for other options. So if you’re looking for an assignment with more stability, don’t be afraid to seek out a contract that works for you right now.
Ready to start travel nursing? Start here.
TravelNursing.org is exploring the stories of travel nurses working on the COVID-19 front lines — travel nurses across the country are serving important roles in this pandemic fight, helping overcrowded hospitals and stepping in when exhausted staff succumb to their own exposure. Their stories are important and it’s an honor to highlight them.
This week’s story comes from 26-year-old Channing Scott, BSN, RN, an intensive care travel nurse originally from North Carolina, now working in Washington, D.C. after accepting an extension of her assignment due to COVID-19. Scott shares her experience working as a travel nurse, her fears of being treated as “expendable,” and the challenges of being immunocompromised with type 1 diabetes.
Interested in travel nursing in areas impacted by COVID-19? Start here.
What precautions are in place at your facility?
“We have to get our temperature checked twice a shift. PPE is slowly becoming more available. However, it seems like we get an abundance of one thing and then nothing of the other. One day we may have masks and no hair nets or shoe covers and no sanitizing wipes.
“It honestly depends on the day. We are reusing mask and face shields—some nurses are actually making their own.”
How has COVID impacted your work?
“Day-to-day work procedures haven’t changed much. Everyone at work is on edge though. As an ICU nurse, I haven’t had to float. Many co-workers have been calling out of work, leaving us short-staffed, and nurses are having to share patients.
“Normally, each nurse has two patients. Some nights we may have three or four and share them between another nurse. Essentially. we are going in and out of the rooms a minimum of 5 times and in all actuality, it ends up being way more.”
What happens when you get home?
“When I get home I really have to decompress. We’re working in a difficult time right now — we are trying to save people’s lives, take care of ourselves, and to be there for people’s family members via phone because they are not allowed in the hospital, along with worrying about our own family members.
It is draining in all aspects. I live alone, so self-isolating has been easy. Face Timing friends and family is the new norm.”
What has been the hardest part about working as a travel nurse during this pandemic?
“Feeling like what you have to say doesn’t matter and feeling expendable because you aren’t there for the long term.”
What has surprised you the most about working as a nurse during this time in history?
“The lack of support and realizing that societal perception of nurses by the general public is not entirely correct. For example, a lot of people don’t realize that we are constantly with the patients, more than any other healthcare professionals, so the inability to not have access to PPE is devastating to our profession and the care we can give to our patients.
You wouldn’t ask a firefighter to go into a fire without proper gear, so why should we?
What kind of fears and feelings do you have currently about working as a travel nurse during a pandemic?
“Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, I have feared how fast this would spread and how I would be able to protect myself when it came to the facility that I am working at.
“I am a type 1 diabetic and have taken measures to be extra careful and cautious to protect myself as well as others. I’m fearful for my patients mostly due to the lack of knowledge that surrounds the coronavirus. Every day, it feels like we learn something new. The lack of communication and lack of transparency in managing these patients has definitely been frustrating in regard to the patient’s plan of care.”
How you are taking care of yourself?
“In terms of taking care of myself, it is completely from the care that I am giving my patients. I feel now more than ever that I am more focused on patient care during my shift as opposed to what is going to happen after work — just really taking it day-by-day, hour-by-hour.
Mentally, I try to escape from work when I’m not there, which is difficult because, with media and my network of friends, it seems to follow me everywhere. In order to keep my mind sharp, I’ve been journaling at least once a day, listening to soothing music, and cooking new recipes.
Physically, I have been trying to work out the best I can and eat healthy. Emotionally, I feel grateful for the support I have from friends, co-workers, and family. They have been so great throughout this difficult time.”
What advice would you give any travel nurse thinking about taking a COVID assignment?
“Do your research and understand what you are getting yourself into. Try to take an assignment where you know someone or are semi-familiar with the facility and area. Money is not the most important thing.”
Interested in travel nursing? Speak with a recruiter here.
This week’s travel nurse COVID-19 front lines story comes courtesy of Natasha, RN, BSN, ACLS, a 31-year-old critical care nurse from Philadelphia who is currently working in an assignment in Bronxville, New York.
I care, I want to help—this is what I was meant to do. But this level of staffing and lack of PPE just puts what little staff we do have at high risk.
Natasha has been a travel nurse since June 2019 and tells TravelNursing.org that she was already on assignment when the pandemic broke out.
Interested in travel nursing in areas impacted by COVID-19? Start here.
What is the situation like at your current facility?
“[In] the weeks leading up to the full-blown epidemic, rules and policies were changing every few days. At first, we were being reprimanded for using our N95s in the ICUs by administration because ‘we should only be using them when you are planning to suction your patient’—which is something I anticipate every time I go into my patient’s room as an ICU nurse.
[Now,] they are reprimanding us for spending more than 20 minutes in patients’ rooms, but I am being put into a room with 4 critically ill patients that I am being asked to keep alive so that is an impossible task. We are currently being given one N95 that we are expected to keep for the week. Along with the N95, I am given one face shield and hair net that I am expected to use for the shift. The charge nurses are trying to look out for us and doing their best and if there is an extra around, they give it to us, but it is like we are dealing drugs.
Due to the aerosolization, we are no longer bagging patients during codes. Last week I did CPR on 3 patients. This has also changed. We are now only pushing medications and shocking shockable rhythms during codes for these patients with minimal staff in the room to limit exposure.”
Do you feel like you have adequate PPE?
“No, I do not feel like I have enough PPE and we do not have enough staff to ensure minimal exposure. Mind you, during the shift I just mentioned, I was pulled to one of our makeshift ICUs that were created during the rise of COVID, so my fellow nurses in my home unit were taking care of 8-9 ventilated patients. We are very at risk.
Luckily, I have a can of Lysol that I spray my N95 with at the end of each shift, along with the rest of my uniform and shoes. A lot of staff has been exposed, which may contribute to the lack of staffing, but we were already short-staffed to begin with. Perhaps if administrators would have allowed us to protect ourselves from the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Can you describe your typical shift?
I used to come in for a 12-hour shift, but due to the workload, I typically end up doing 15 or 16 hours. If I am on my unit, the first thing I do is don my face shield and N95. I come into the hospital with a hair net. I try to get a report from the night shift staff and am typically interrupted by the need to refill 3-7 IV bags that are keeping my 8 patients alive.
After I have gotten a breakdown of my patients’ drips and vent settings, I am scrambling from room to room without a break for many hours to give medications, draw labs, etc. There is no time for phone calls, there is no time for “fluff” — it’s just “do everything you can to keep them alive.” I don’t matter anymore, I am a robot with some skills and my function is to save whoever I can.
Typically, I will have several patients desaturating at once and I am forced to assess which room I go into first. The 37-year-old is 88%, the 70-year-old is 84%, and the 50-year-old is 87%… so I go into the 37-year-old’s first, try to get his sats up, then the 50-year-old, then the 70-year-old. That’s how I’m being forced to function right now.
I was in a room the other day for 11 hours with 4 intubated patients who were very ill and likely had very high viral loads. If I was not in the room, the patients would have died due to me not suctioning their airways and not keeping their vasopressors adequately titrated.”
What has been the hardest part of working as a travel nurse during this pandemic?
“I am a very hard worker but being placed into a situation where you are told you have to care for 4-9 vented patients who are all dying is physically and mentally taxing. I have so much exposure, it’s not even funny. It’s like people are pretending not to notice and I am just the sacrificial lamb.
I care, I want to help — this is what I was meant to do. But this level of staffing and lack of PPE just puts what little staff we do have at high risk. Honestly, I’m sure I will get the virus, I just hope that my immune system is strong enough to fight it off. Emotionally, it’s challenging. I am seeing people who are all different ages with no and few co-morbidities become very ill, go into ARDS, and then kidney failure from this, and I wonder if that’s God’s plan for me.”
What has surprised you the most about working as a nurse during this time in history?
“I think one thing this has shown is what leaders we are as nurses. All the titles and egos from all different positions disappear when you are trying to keep people alive. We all have to function as a team.
I found myself working with a group of patients the other day and was basically directing an attending cardiothoracic surgeon on the plan for my group of patients. He listened to me. In another situation, I probably wouldn’t have been as forward but the situation has pulled the leader out of me because that’s how I have to adapt to keep my patients alive.”
What kind of fears do you have currently about working as a travel nurse during a pandemic?
“I think I speak for all nurses, not just travelers, when I say that I am afraid of contracting the virus and falling very ill.
Specifically, as a traveler, I am worried that if I do fall ill, I won’t be able to see my family. I haven’t seen them since Christmas and I don’t know when I will see them again.”
How you are taking care of yourself?
“I am trying to be kind and forgiving to myself. I am trying to remember that these are not normal circumstances—this is a pandemic. I am one body in this ocean trying to keep everyone alive, but at the end of the day, it’s not completely within my control.
I am actually really grateful in this time that we have the technology to Facetime friends and family, especially others in the field. It allows me to feel connected even when we are miles apart from one another. I think having the ability to speak with other nurses and friends in healthcare during this time has been really helpful emotionally. I’m sharing a lot more on social media then I typically would because I honestly need support right now. It’s helping.”
What advice would you give any travel nurse thinking about taking a COVID assignment right now?
“Please allow yourself to get adequate sleep and take care of your bodily necessities like hydration and nutrition first and foremost.
Be prepared mentally to work in really challenging conditions and know that everyone your working with is stretched extremely thin. Please come prepared to work — there is a lot of money being offered, but the truth is no amount of money is going to make what you’re walking into acceptable.
At the end of the day, remember that we are trying to save the lives of other humans, but we are only humans and that we are not in control of the universe’s greater plan.”
Interested in travel nursing? Speak with a recruiter here.
Shannon, 35, BSN RN CCRN, is a travel ICU nurse and is currently on assignment in a COVID-19 affected area. She shared her story about working on the frontlines with TravelNursing.org.
I’ve gone from concern to disbelief to total panic and back again many times.
She has documented many of her travel nursing adventures on her Instagram account, @headstandsonholiday, and has continued to speak about the conditions that travel nurses and nurses are facing in working through COVID-19.
Interested in travel nursing in areas impacted by COVID-19? Start here.
Here, Shannon tells us what she is currently experiencing as a travel ICU nurse on the frontlines:
Did you volunteer to sign up for a COVID-19 assignment?
Yes, my contract was ending as COVID was ramping up here in the U.S. I was supposed to go on a trip to South East Asia but obviously, that’s put on hold indefinitely. I explored some crisis contracts with my recruiter and even submitted to one place that was paying higher than I’m making.
I ended up just submitting for an extension at my current assignment after talking to my mom. She asked me not to put myself into immediate danger if I didn’t have to. After signing my extension contract, I got a call from a recruiter about a week later and he told me that I’d be getting crisis pay for my entire extension. I was stoked so I re-signed at the higher rate. And here I am. We haven’t seen the surge of COVID patients lots of bigger cities have seen yet and only started even having positive cases this week.
What is the PPE situation at your facility?
The policy about PPE has changed dramatically over the last several weeks. First, they asked us to be “good stewards” about our PPE (basically don’t wear a mask unless it’s indicated). Then they said we can’t wear our own masks from home.
Since March 12, I’ve been wearing a simple mask every day. For a while, I was the only one. These days, masks aren’t mandatory for all staff, but managers and charge nurses aren’t telling anyone to take them off. With regards to COVID patients, they are asking us to use “enhanced droplet precautions” so basically they followed the CDC guidelines of “droplet unless performing an aerosolized procedure” which is not good enough if you ask me.
All evidence on the internet points to this virus being airborne for hours after aerosolization. In addition, many patients aren’t getting tested/aren’t showing symptoms. So, once again, this is an example of healthcare being reactive instead of proactive. Yes, we do have PPE, but I’m uninterested in any policy that doesn’t adequately protect me so I’ve been going into my COVID and COVID PUI rooms with a PAPR or an N95. I wear a simple mask at all other times.
We’re not really rationing PPE yet but we’ve been asked to clean and reuse our PAPR shields. Additionally, I’ve worked as a nurse in 3 states and have friends in healthcare all over the U.S.
A classmate from nursing school literally begged for people to send her PPE on Facebook. She works in the Bronx. A friend from high school had donated a box of n95 masks to me, so I turned around and sent 10 to the girl in the Bronx the next day.
How are you feeling working as a nurse through this pandemic?
I’ve gone from concern to disbelief to total panic and back again many times. There have been lots of tears and panic attacks and feelings of helplessness. It started in late January for me. My worst week was in mid-March when it just felt like the walls were closing in and no one I knew in the US was prepared for it.
Now, several weeks in, I’ve adjusted to the new normal. And I know I can do this job and do it well and take care of these patients as long as I have the right PPE. But I still get anxiety the night before my Monday of my work stretch. It feels like the same sort of anxiety I used to have as a new grad and a new ICU nurse many years ago. It’s a bad feeling. What will I encounter today?
What would you advise travel nurses considering working in a COVID area?
My biggest encouragement to nurses everywhere is to take care of yourself first. Health over wealth.
To travelers: don’t settle for any agency or facility that doesn’t prioritize your health and wellbeing. Our work is essential, yes, but we can’t do our jobs without the proper tools. And wear a mask no matter what anyone tells you.
Interested in travel nursing? Speak with a recruiter here.
Travel nursing opportunities have grown practically by the minute in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. NurseFly reports an increase in travel nurse job postings of over 300% in certain regions and 3,000 open needs in the past 2 weeks alone. Fortunately, plenty of businesses are offering resources for travel nurses, to give you the help you need to care for others.
We have seen job postings with weekly pay as high as $6,000 for California travel nursing positions, and as COVID-19 continues to spread, the need may be even higher. As the need continues to grow, more travel nurses will be displaced from their homes, which means that if you’re thinking about taking a travel nursing position to help on the frontlines of COVID-19, you’re going to need some help along the way too.
Interested in travel nursing in areas impacted by COVID-19? Start here.
You can download the HOLLIBLU app to help you keep track of all of your paperwork, certifications, and other necessary documentation that you need for your travel nursing jobs.
If you’re a travel RN on the job, or just getting ready to head out for a COVID job and know you will need someone to help fill the errands you normally do, like walk your dog or drop off groceries to a parent, you can use the Hospital Hero site to connect with you willing volunteers in your area.
Hotels for Hope
Organized by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Hotels for Hope has partnered with over 6,500 properties to connect healthcare workers and first responders to temporary housing. You can fill out a form to be connected with a room, but the process does take 2-3 days.
Better Hotels
Better Hotels is offering medical workers a free stay in Las Vegas and Indianapolis luxury vacation homes, with discounts up to 50% in other U.S. cities. The requirements are:
Local Hotels
In hard-hit areas like New York, many hospitals are working directly with hotels and lodging facilities to procure rooms for workers and volunteers, but are not publishing which specific hotels those are out of privacy concerns for those staying in the hotels. That means that if you’re in need of a room, it may be best to work directly with your staffing agency to find housing placement.
Airbnb
If you prefer to book your own housing through Airbnb, the vacation rental agency is offering housing for 100,000 first responders and in some cases, waiving all fees through their site. You can learn more here.
Hertz is offering free car rentals to any New York City healthcare workers through the entire month of April. You can reserve a car from any of NYC’s 19 Hertz rental offices. To reserve your car, you will need a valid medical ID, an email address with a healthcare domain, a driver’s license, and to be a member of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® loyalty program. You can fill out this form to start your reservation process.
If you’re working in NYC, the state’s mayor has been encouraging biking to reduce public transit loads, and the Citi Bike Critical Workforce Membership Program offers first responders, healthcare, and transit workers with a free month of Citi Bike membership.
To get your staffing agency enrolled, you can email HeroBikes@Lyft.com. If you’re in healthcare and recently purchased a membership or have an upcoming renewal, you’re also eligible for a free month.
An obvious necessity for any travel nurse. Claim your tall brewed or iced coffee at any Starbucks location simply by flashing your ID badge.
Beginning Thursday, April 2 at 12pm EST, healthcare workers can visit brooksrunning.com and sign up with their name, address, shoe size, and the name of their employer and Brooks will send them a free pair of shoes. Chances are, as a travel nurse, you’ll be doing a lot of running, so these will come in handy.
If you’re a first responder (and yes, that includes travel nurses!), starting April 8th you can tag yourself on Ably’s Instagram page and the company will send you a free item from their website–some extra clothes might be just what you need if you weren’t able to bring a lot of your own clothes with you on assignment.
UberEats just announced it will be providing free meals and rides to first responders and healthcare workers in the U.S. and Canada, in coordination with local and state and provincial governments. Interested officials and organizations can reach Uber to partner at social-impact-support@uber.com.
Neurocore Brain Performance, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is offering free telehealth counseling to all first responders and medical professionals in the U.S. through May 1st, 2020. As a travel nurse, you are not only diving headfirst into the first modern-day pandemic, but you are also often taking yourself away from family, friends, and into a whole new area, without the comforts of home. That can be very mentally challenging, so it’s important to care for your mental health too.
If you’re a MESSA member, you can get full telehealth services, which also includes mental health services, 100% free online through May 31st without any deductible or co-pays.
Headspace — this app provides science-backed guided meditation and mindfulness training and any healthcare worker in a public health setting can get a free membership right now.
Care.com — if you’re a healthcare worker, you can get one month free on the platform, which allows you to find local care in your area, with filters and requirements you set.
Ready to start travel nursing? Start here.
The New York area has been the most affected by COVID-19 in the United States. Already crippled under the weight of patients who need care from COVID-19, the governor sounded the alarm on March 24th that the peak infection rate is still about two weeks away. That means that as bad as NY is, it’s going to get even worse.
And that means that the need for travel nurses in the New York area is at a critical level.
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As of Wednesday, NYC infection rates had surpassed 15,000 and officials admitted that efforts to contain the virus simply had come too late. Right now, infection rates are doubling every three days, a number that places the need for hospital beds at double what the state actually has available.
“We’re not slowing it — and it is accelerating on its own,” NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference. “We’re not looking at a freight train. We’re looking at a bullet train because the numbers are going up that quickly.”
There has also been a lot of fear, even among travel nurses normally willing to work. According to the New York Times, unfortunately, some travel nurses have been reluctant to travel to hard-hit COVID-19 affected areas, like New York. One nursing staffing agency director NYT that an “unprecedented number” of travel nurses that are regulars with their agency are backing out of offered assignments in New York.
With the rise in the number of people who will need care as a result of the virus, there is also a dire need for nurses to actually perform that care. Many nurses already working in the NY area are exhausted, burned out, or may be under quarantine themselves after initial exposure — especially because in the early days of the infection, there has not been enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent those nurses from getting infected.
The good news is, however, that private companies are stepping up to the plate to ensure hard-hit areas are getting more PPE. For instance, 3M has sent half a million N95 masks to Seattle and New York.
Virtually any nursing opportunity you are interested in is available in NY right now — staffing agencies are advertising any shift, any hour, along with expeditated clearing and licensing processing. One nurse recruiter tells TravelNursing.org that in the New York area, there is a high need for ER and critical care nurses especially in the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New York City areas.
It may sound somewhat crass to say it, but at a time like this, if you’re willing to work in NY, you may get to get to choose exactly what kind of shift you are willing to work. Want to only work days? Only have time for 4-hour shifts? Prefer to work strictly on an on-call basis? Chances are, if you’re willing to work, the hospitals in the area will take any help they can get.
Although travel nursing positions in COVID-19 affected areas have been averaging around the $3-4K per week levels, as the demand goes even higher, pay offers are also starting to increase drastically too.
For instance, the public Facebook group New York Nurse Opportunities lists several travel RN posts in the New York area to connect nurses directly with travel nursing opportunities. One job in the group from Atlas Med Staff, a NY-based staffing agency lists an ER opening in Forest Hills, New York at a whopping $5,582 a week for a 13-week assignment (the pay includes a $70/hourly taxable wage, along with $1,673 non-taxable stipends.)
“Many agencies are posting anywhere from $3,000 to $5,200 per week for nurses,” a nurse recruiter, speaking anonymously, says. “Those include the weekly allowances travelers receive.”
The increased demand for travel nurses also means almost every New York hospital is also asking for LPNs to take on temporary positions, so if you’re an LPN who has had trouble finding travel nurse opportunities in the past, that won’t be the case any longer.
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The same nurse recruiter was able to clear up a few other FAQs you may have about working as a travel nurse:
Will your agency provide you with PPE?
“Typically, agencies do not provide PPE,” he says.
What happens if you have to get quarantined?
“Agencies are providing pay if a nurse is forced into quarantine — this will include the pay, weekly allowances, and/or if they had their housing set up with their contract.”
Will you get help with housing?
Yes, and he notes many hotels are offering discounts for healthcare workers at this time.
What are the most in-demand RN positions?
“The ICU and ER are the most critical needs,” he says. “But hospitals and communities are needing screeners and help with testing, which may rise as tests begin to flood the markets.”
How fast can you really get an out-of-state license?
“[There is a] lot of misconception on this one” he explains. Ultimately, it’s up to the hospital if they will accept an out-of-state license. “Usually getting a license can take a few weeks,” he adds. “Only one hospital I am aware of is currently taking out-of-state licensure.”
Is this really a good time to take on a travel RN job?
Bottom line, yes. “People need help, outside of all the contract piece, the pay, the red tape,” he points out. “People need help, other nurses need support… It is a great time to step up for a community, city, or country.”
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This is a hard time in our history to be a travel nurse — here are some tips on staying safe as a travel nurse during the COVID-19 crisis.
Gone are the days when working as a travel nurse primarily meant having the opportunity to travel, see new places, and experience new aspects of your nursing career. Now, travel nurses are, more than ever, serving a crucial role in the raging battle against COVID-19.
As areas that have been hit the hardest are seeing more patients than they can handle, and healthcare providers and professionals are facing infections themselves, or being forced to quarantine to prevent spreading the virus to the most vulnerable, hospitals and healthcare facilities have a desperate need for travel nurses. For instance, just one New York staffing agency’s site states that they have a need for over 1,000 crisis response positions right now.
And while travel nurses will be critical to getting our country through this pandemic, it’s also so important that if you are working as a travel RN right now, that you stay safe too. Here are some tips for staying safe on the front line as a travel nurse through COVID-19.
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The CDC has a page of guidance resources for helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19, both in the workplace, and at home. You should educate yourself on the guidelines, and as you are able, follow all the CDC’s recommendations in any travel nursing job you have, such as: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water is always preferred over sanitizer, especially for visibly dirty hands. Avoid touching your face. Have your patient wear a facemask. Wear a disposable facemask and gloves when handling any bodily fluids. Throw out disposable PPE and do not reuse them. Remove PPE in the following order: gloves off first, wash your hand, take off your face mask, and wash your hands again. Clean all high-touch surfaces, such as bedside tables, keyboards, tablets, and your phone.
Sadly, many hospitals and healthcare facilities are already severely low on PPE for nurses and other healthcare staff. Nurses have already been forced to take risky measures, such as reusing PPE or working an extended time once they put on PPE to make the most of it.
If you can, try to talk to nurses already in the area to find out what you should really expect of your working conditions, so you are prepared. The reality is that masks are in short supply and N95 respirators may be virtually impossible to find, so it’s very important that you know what your real-life working conditions will be like.
If you have any of your own supplies, such as sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, or even gloves or masks that you stocked up on, speak with your nursing agency to see if you can bring them with you. Depending on how severe the situation at the hospital or facility is, they may welcome any supplies you can use to protect yourself.
The U.S. signed a special HIPPA waiver that allows the use of certain third-party applications for health purposes as the country is under a national emergency. This means that you may be able to communicate with patients or even other staff members more easily, using common apps such as FaceTime and Skype, without being face-to-face, reducing your risk of exposure and preserving PPE and other supplies.
Especially if you are traveling to an area to work that is far from home, it’s imperative that you check the agency’s policy on quarantining. You’ll want to find out: What are the procedures in place for if you begin to feel sick? What are the policies on if you have been exposed but are not feeling symptomatic? What accommodations are being made for nurses who have to quarantine–for instance, will you need to supply your own food, are you still responsible for paying bills, etc.? Will you still be paid in the event that you have to quarantine?
On a related note, you’ll want to find out if the agency has any protections in place for what could happen if you are unable to travel home — hopefully, there won’t be any domestic travel closures, but it could happen, so it’s a good question to ask ahead of time. You’ll want to make sure you have a place to stay if you are unable to get back home, along with access to food and necessities.
Obviously, any facility you work at will be doing all they can to clean and kill off COVID-19 from surfaces, but it can be helpful to know for yourself on what surfaces COVID-19 can live the longest on. That way, you can take extra precautions around things that might get overlooked, like the fridge or coffee pot in the breakroom
According to the most recent data, COVID-19 can live for the following lengths of time on different surfaces: up to 3 hours in aerosols up to 4 hours on copper up to 24 hours on cardboard Up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel
Many local nursing organizations are pleading for lawmakers to issue emergency protections for nurses as they fight to do their job with limited resources. Filling out a petition, like this one in Michigan, this plea for more PPE with the American Nurses Association, or this one with National Nurses United, can help ensure protections in your region and ensure that staying safe as a travel nurse is easier.
Whether it’s to your local nursing union, online, or to us here at TravelNursing.org, share your own story of what you are experiencing as a travel nurse. Remember, this is a moment in history that you are living through, and the experiences and stories that you — as a front-line soldier — can share will shape the future.
I know it sounds almost frivolous right now, but the truth is, as much as nurses are being painted as warriors and superheroes and as much as you are all of those things, you are still a real, normal human who can not give endlessly.
It’s imperative you don’t work yourself to the brink of exhaustion and you take extra time for self-care in any way you can, whether that’s through prayer in your belief system, talking virtually to loved ones, exercise, or just binge-watching your favorite show from a simpler, coronavirus-free time.
Staying safe as a travel nurse means you’ll be better able to care for those who need it.
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With Seattle, Washington currently experiencing one of the biggest outbreaks of COVID-19 disease in the entire country, the need for travel nurses in the Seattle area has surged.
The Seattle area has been called “ground zero” for COVID-19, as it has experienced one of the highest numbers of reported infections, as well as deaths, so far in the U.S. With an outbreak like this, one of the major challenges is that if the nurses and doctors caring for the infected patients fall sick too, they have to be quarantined so they don’t spread the virus even more — leaving a gap in staff to take their places.
And that’s where travel nurses come in.
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Travel nurses are needed to not only fill in the places of nurses who become infected and quarantined but also in the community, providing education and testing on suspected COVID-19 patients. And as the virus may spread even more in the upcoming weeks, there will be even more demand for travel nurses who are willing to work in affected areas.
Travel nurses are also especially needed in the areas of:
Before you sign up, you’ll want to check the healthcare staffing agency’s policy on what happens if you are forced to be quarantined — such if you will be paid a stipend and what payments will you still be responsible for during quarantine.
For instance, the staffing agency Trusted Health has a clear “Action Plan” on their website that outlines their quarantine policy: if forced to quarantine, all travel nurses are still paid their full wages and stipends for 14 days. After the 2-week period, payments are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If your agency doesn’t clearly outline the policy for this, you need to be sure to ask and understand it fully.
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Of course, because the coronavirus is, quite literally, a crisis, travel RNs are being paid crisis rates if they are willing to travel to the affected areas, like Seattle, for both short and long-term assignments.
When the crisis was at a peak, some agencies were even offering $4K+ bonuses for travel nurses to sign on. However, that rate is unusually high, and most travel nurses in the Seattle area are reporting closer to the $2-3K range for a weekly wage.
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If you are feeling the call to help in Seattle, the local NuWest Staffing has set up a special COVID-19 emergency page for nurses and other healthcare professionals who are willing to travel to the outbreak area. According to the page, the staffing agency is working with the CDC, WA State and King County Departments of Health, and local hospitals & clinics to keep healthcare teams adequately staffed.
The agency has both a direct hotline, an online form, and an email address you can contact to learn more, and they are offering expedited licensing for nurses whose licenses aren’t eligible for work in WA, as well as a $1,000 referral bonus for minimum 6-week assignments.
Trusted Health is also running an updated list of COVID-19 high impact travel nurse positions across the country, including in California and Massachusetts. Positions include everything from telephone triage to urgent care to ER, with weekly rates ranging from around $2,100 to $2,900 for hospital-based positions. You can also check some Facebook groups for job postings in the COVID-19 affected area, such as the Premium Job Board, which mandates that all job postings must have a minimum rate of $49/hour.
While the fate of our country is unclear and many are waiting anxiously to see how the virus will affect us all, one thing is for certain: travel nurses will be vital now, more than ever.
