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I was originally drawn to the travel nursing field for the opportunity to travel the country while getting paid at the same time. I knew travel nurses were paid fairly well and had been bombarded with various emails advertising travel nursing pay scales as high as $40 an hour.
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I am typically not the type of person to do something just for the money. I tend to be more interested in the experience, but I also realize that I have bills to pay too. I didn’t really pay attention to the breakdown of my travel nursing pay, all I cared about was whether or not I had enough money to live and to get from point A to point B.
Fortunately, I had a wonderful travel experience but wish I took the time to really understand travel nursing pay scales, expenses and how to deal with taxes. Many of your recruiters don’t take the time to break these topics down for you so it is ultimately your responsibility to seek out the information and educate yourself.
The most alluring advertisement travel nursing agencies use to get you in the door is the infamous “tax advantage plan”. This can also be referred to as per-diem, stipends, reimbursements or a combination of all three. What this basically means is that if you are traveling away from your home for work, there are certain expenses that are tax deductible and certain reimbursements that are non-taxable.
The most common types of stipends or reimbursements that you will hear about in the travel nursing world are referred to as meals and incidentals (incidentals include taxi/bus fares, parking, and tips), lodging or housing stipends, and travel reimbursements which cover your expenses to and from each assignment; other non-taxable items can include retirement plans, license reimbursements and health insurance. When travel nursing companies advertise pay rates, they will often tell you a blended rate. A blended rate combines an hourly taxable wage such as $20 an hour with your non-taxable reimbursements and stipends to give you a higher hourly rate. Here is an example of a typical pay package:
Your blended rate is calculated by breaking down your non-taxable stipends into an hourly rate and adding it to your taxable base rate. For instance, if you worked 36 hours per week on a 13-week assignment, your hourly rate would look something like this based on the above scenario:
| $250/wk for meals X 13 weeks: | $3,250 |
| $2,000 per month lodging X 3 months: | $6,000 |
| $500 travel reimbursement (one time): | $500 |
| Total: | $9,750 |
| Divided by total hours worked | /468 hours |
| Non-taxable stipend pay per hour: | = $20.83 |
| Add base pay: | +$20 |
| Total blended rate: | $40.83 per hour |
There are two different types of pay packages: flex pay and rigid pay.
Flex pay packages allow you to mix and match, add or subtract various non-taxable stipends such as healthcare, retirement, and license reimbursements to your pay package, while rigid pay packages are non-negotiable. The benefit of flex pay is that you can decrease your hourly taxable base rate and increase your non-taxable earnings by adding more benefits such as 401K. Many travel agencies have to be careful not to enter the illegal realm of wage re-characterization when dealing with flex pay packages. To learn more about wage re-characterization visit traveltax.com.
There are some travel contracts offering overtime; for example, some agencies will ask you if you want to work 4 days a week instead of 3 days a week. Overtime by law has to be paid time and a half of your taxable base rate. So, if you make $20 and hour, then your overtime pay will be $30 an hour. In the world of nursing, $30 an hour isn’t really that much extra money for an extra shift; however, over the long run it does add up. If this is something you are considering doing than make sure you negotiate a higher taxable rate for lower non-taxable stipends if possible so that you really get more bang for your buck. I have never heard of a part-time travel contract so if you are looking to work part-time than it would be better to consider an agency job in your desired destination.
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The allure of low taxable income and high non-taxable income sounds appealing, but there are some potential downsides to this scenario. The first disadvantage comes into play when you are attempting to get a loan. Most banks do not take into consideration stipends and reimbursements when it comes to giving out money, so if you are trying to qualify for a loan, it looks like you only earned $30,000 in one year instead of $60,000.
We also have to take into consideration retirement. I know many of you aren’t necessarily thinking about your social security check right now, but it is important to take into consideration that the social security payments are based on 35 of your highest income earning years. Non-taxable money is not considered income.
Last but not least, if you get injured on the job, you only receive 2/3 of your hourly taxable base rate. These are some scenarios to take into consideration when thinking about a travel nursing pay package.
With all things considered, a travel nurses pay rate, is very comparable to a staff nurse’s pay rate. However, there are some out of pocket expenses travel nurses have to be aware of that regular staff nurses don’t have to consider;
Just like any of other profession, it is important to budget and prepare for the unknown. Take care of yourself make sure you are well organized.
In order to qualify for these non-taxable stipends or reimbursements, one must maintain what the IRS calls a tax home. A tax home is your place of residence that you maintain and pay for while you are out on your travel assignment. Ideally, the IRS would like a travel nurse to take an assignment somewhere and then return to their tax home where they maintain a PRN or full-time nursing job.
Most travel nursing agencies will have you sign a form stating that you do have a tax home. If you do not have a residence that you are planning on maintaining when you are traveling, you will be referred to as an itinerant worker. As an itinerant worker, you will be required to pay taxes on all income earned including stipends and reimbursements. When applying with different travel agencies, make sure they are aware of your itinerant status. You can get more information about tax homes here.
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All of this talk about taxes and the IRS can be a little scary. Here are a few easy tips to follow to make your traveling experience a little less complicated:
Don’t let the IRS or financial aspects of travel nursing scare you. Travel nursing should be an enjoyable experience not an accounting nightmare.
As with any tax issues, you should seek advice from a licensed tax professional before filing. This article only offers suggestions and isn’t meant to be tax advice. We leave that to the pros.
Professionals can help you through this experience in combination with educating yourself about nursing pay packages. It sounds complicated in the beginning, but the more you learn the lingo, the more prepared you will be to negotiate your next travel contract.
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Are you ready to try travel nursing? Working with a travel nurse staffing agency can make it easier to find travel nursing jobs and to negotiate pay rates and benefits. An agency gives you a point of contact who can help you navigate job listings and compensation packages.
The sooner you find the right company, the faster you can start traveling. We’ve found the best travel nurse companies of 2024 to help you find the right fit for you.
Click here for today’s top travel nursing opportunities.
All of these companies offer the basics such as housing, benefits, travel reimbursement, staffing in all 50 states, and 24-hour customer support.
| Agency | Description |
|---|---|
| Jackson Nursing | Founded in 2006. Emphasizes volunteerism amongst their staff. They offer medical mission opportunities. They also staff government agencies such as the VA, Department of Defense Medical treatment centers, Indian Health Services, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. |
| Aureus Medical Group | Established over 25 years ago. One of the largest in the nation. They have a student outreach program for new registered nurses. They also offer tuition reimbursement for up to $12,000 as well as paid time off (PTO) after working 2,080 hours. |
| Trustaff | Established in 2002, Trustaff has thousands of jobs nationwide for all specialties, nursing and allied. They also offer licensure reimbursement, benefits starting at $23/week, and 24/7 clinical support. |
| AYA | Established 2001. Staffs multiple healthcare professionals. They also contract per diem work. You can see some of their nurses on MTV’s “Scrubbing In” TV show. |
| Nightingale Nursing | Offers immediate 401K contribution as well as extension bonuses. They also offer per diem work. |
| Mellenia Medical Staffing | Established in 1998. The offer contracts for government facilities such as the VA, Department of Defense medical centers, Indian Health Services, and The Federal Bureau of Prisons in addition to standard travel assignments. |
| Sagent | Established 2001. Offers immediate 401K contribution. Offers license reimbursement as well as VisaScreen and NCLEX-RN exam reimbursement for international travelers. |
| Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group | Established 1999 by a travel nurse who wanted to increase professionalism in the industry. They offer positions in all 50 states and take care of the ground work of securing a position and working out compensation packages and benefits. |
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When looking for the best travel nursing company to suit your needs, you first have to know what your needs are.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when considering travel nursing companies:
When looking into travel nurse agencies, you should first make sure that they provide the basics: free housing or a housing stipend, health and dental insurance, a retirement plan, travel reimbursement, 24-hour customer support, and a variety and abundance of travel nursing jobs all over the country.
Do you want your agency to find housing for you, or do you want to take the housing stipend and search for housing yourself?
I personally found it much easier to have my agency set up my housing for me. This way, I knew it was safe, furnished, close to where I was working, and paid for. If there were any problems, all I had to do was call my company, and it would be handled.
Many people choose to find their own housing and take the housing stipend instead. There are pros and cons to this choice:
Another thing to keep in mind, if you are traveling with a pet, it may make it difficult to find your own housing. Oftentimes, travel nurse agencies have housing already contracted that accepts pets.
There are pros and cons to using your a travel nurse agency’s contracted housing vs. finding your own housing. It just depends on how much time and effort you can put into the search and if you’re hoping to pocket any extra housing stipend cash.
The majority of travel nurse companies offer health and dental insurance.
Now that the Affordable Care Act is in place, it might be wise to research whether or not it would be more cost-effective for you to go with your agency’s healthcare plan or purchase one of your own through healthcare.org. The benefit of going through healthcare.org is that if you do plan on switching travel nurse agencies, you won’t have to change your insurance.
Some smaller travel nurse companies will give you a healthcare stipend if you don’t take their health insurance so you can purchase your own.
As far as retirement plans go, I decided to open up my own Roth IRA and not contribute to the 401K because I didn’t know how long I was going to be traveling. With some companies you can contribute to your 401K from day 1 and with others you have to wait as long as 1 year.
When talking with your potential travel nurse agency, make sure you ask them what the reimbursement is for travel.
“Travel” cost is considered the amount of money it takes you to get from your “tax home” to your travel assignment or from one assignment to the next. Often times this can be negotiated if there is a high need in one state that happens to be across the country.
I have found that the average reimbursement is $500.
They will pay you half on your first paycheck and the other half when you complete your assignment. You have the option of either driving or flying to your next destination. I personally drove to each of my assignments; I couldn’t imagine trying to fit all my belongings into suitcases, and I love road trips.
Not all benefits or pay packages are created equal. It is important to find an agency that offers benefits, housing, and pay packages that are specific to your needs.
The whole point of travel nursing is to travel…right? So it is important to find a company that serves the city or cities you want to travel to. Some agencies claim they have contracts nationwide, however, that may not be the case.
If you know of a specific hospital that you would like to travel to because it looks good on your resume or a specific city you want to explore, then make sure your potential agency has a contract at that location. This is especially important if you want to travel to places such as Hawaii and Alaska.
Match with a travel company here.
Does the company tend to pay a higher base rate with lower non-taxable reimbursements or a lower base rate with higher non-taxable reimbursements?
Having a higher base rate may serve you better if you plan on taking company housing, plan on buying a house, or getting a loan in the near future. If you are someone who likes to find their own housing, then a higher housing stipend may be the way to go with a lower base rate.
Most agencies offer a one-bedroom furnished apartment for your typical 13-week contract. This typically does not include dishes, linen, a washer and dryer, a T.V., or even a vacuum. If you don’t like lugging your belongings around with you all over the country or paying out of pocket to rent this stuff, then it may be wise to either ask if the agency provides any of these necessities at no cost or find your own housing.
If your contract is only eight weeks, then you could get stuck in an extended-stay hotel. I personally like to have nice housing, so I wanted a company that focused on providing comfortable and safe housing options. If you like to find your own housing then this may not apply to you.
Most agencies offer medical/dental benefits and a retirement package. If these benefits are important to you, then finding a company with good benefits is essential.
If you like to live on the edge with no health benefits and you brush and floss your teeth like a champ, then maybe you don’t care about benefits. If this is the case then you can ask the company if they are willing to pay you a higher base rate for not taking their benefits.
As far as retirement packages go, I found it easier to do my own Roth IRA on the side. This way, if I switched companies I didn’t have to worry about moving my money all over the place.
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Travel nurse companies can reimburse you for the following:
Some travel nurse agencies have a CEU database that is free for their employees. This helps cut costs in those states that require a certain number to maintain or acquire a new license.
These extra costs add up over time so it’s nice to know your agency is looking out for your pocketbook.
A missed shift means you called in sick, and a canceled shift means they canceled you for low census. For the most part, the hospital determines how the travel nurse agency handles this, and it will be written in your contract.
This is important because in the travel nurse world if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. And in some cases, you may have to reimburse your agency for housing costs.
There may be a clause written in your contract that allows you to “miss” a certain amount of shifts without being penalized. There will also be a clause that states how many shifts the hospital can cancel you. Usually, it’s once a pay period, and your agency shouldn’t require you to reimburse them for housing costs.
There are even some agencies that offer 100% guaranteed shifts meaning no matter what you will not get canceled.
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There are a number of travel nursing companies to choose from.
Finding the best travel nursing company that fits your needs and a recruiter that has your best interests in mind are absolutely essential for an enjoyable travel nursing experience.
The right staffing agency for you is out there, now is the time to find them!
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Imagine spending an entire 13 weeks taking care of ETOH withdrawal patients and then having to float to the telemetry unit for half of your shifts. As an ICU nurse, this is absolutely your worst nightmare.
So are nightmare scenarios like this what you can expect as a travel nurse? Below, we’ll explain why this isn’t what you should expect as a travel nurse — and why this common misconception shouldn’t keep you from travel nursing.
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Don’t get me wrong, becoming a travel nurse will definitely get you out of your comfort zone. There will be moments when you think you are getting the worst assignments but who in the world of nursing has the best assignments for 13 weeks in a row? That never happens…ever!
Some of your assignments may seem quite intense, but that is only because you are out of your comfort zone. You’re in a new city, you don’t know the doctors, maybe the nurses aren’t as helpful as you are used to or finding supplies is almost impossible. If you were back at home, that assignment would be no problem.
In fact, the charge nurses tend to give travelers the easiest patients. They aren’t really familiar with your skills and most of the time their own staff needs the experience with the more critical patients. You will often times find yourself in a 12 hour day full of boredom. Yes, I said the “B” word.
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One of my concerns before traveling was that I was going to lose my skills. As a staff ICU nurse I was used to taking care of the sickest of the sick. I knew all the modalities, CRRT, balloon pumps, Swans, and all of the protocols.
I knew that as a traveler, I would not be assigned these patients. What I came to find out was that I enjoyed the break from the critically ill patients. I learned to connect with my “Walky Talkies” and actually enjoyed taking care of them.
I was so used to my intubated and sedated patients that I think I lost touch with my bedside manner a little bit. I also learned that patients are virtually taken care of the same throughout the country so when I came back to my staff nurse position, it was fairly easy to get myself reoriented back into the different modalities.
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If floating is what concerns you the most, then it may be wise to either prepare yourself beforehand by floating in your current hospital or choose assignments that do not float their travelers.
During my first five years as a staff nurse, prior to traveling, I only floated to a telemetry floor once. I walked around the entire night peeking into my patient’s rooms to make sure they were breathing. It was the most nerve racking experience of my life.
The thought of spending an entire travel assignment floating made me cringe. To my surprise, I really didn’t have to float that much. When it comes to staffing, travelers are definitely the first to float so there is a good chance that you will have to float some time in you travel nursing career, unless you work in a specialty area like the Cath lab or OB. I personally only floated a few times with each assignment.
The worst part of floating is that you don’t know where anything is. The patients are exactly the same… for the most part. You just might have more of them. I personally found floating to the tele floor quite easy. I often wondered why half these people were in the hospital to begin with. Learning to float and being flexible is a skill; a skill that is only mastered by a few and tends to pay off financially if you become a float pool staff nurse.
If floating sounds absolutely horrible to you then it may be wise to sign contracts that ensure you don’t float. I’m not exactly sure if these exist but you can always ask your recruiter. You can also travel to places that are known to have busy seasons when floating is less common. When you have your interview it may be good to ask about the floating situation on that particular unit. If they tend to float their nurses a lot, then maybe you can pass that one up.
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Whether or not you have a good experience as a travel nurse is up to you. If you change your perspective on who you consider to be the worst patient or how you feel about floating to another floor, then your traveling work life will be much more enjoyable.
There are important lessons to be learned from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. You will learn to have more empathy for your fellow nurses who care for 5-6 patients at a time, you will learn to connect to your talking patients and their families, you will become more flexible and in the end, a more desirable candidate for hire. Do not be discouraged by other perceptions, instead, create your own.
Travel nursing can give you the opportunity for adventure and career development. Travel healthcare professionals typically receive competitive travel nursing pay along with a housing stipend, healthcare and travel reimbursement.
So if you’re a registered nurse who is ready to dive into the world of travel nursing, speak with a travel nurse recruiter who can help you find a travel nursing assignment that’s right for you.
Travel nursing agencies can help you make an informed decision about your travel contract, pay package and the nursing job market. Plus, a travel nursing company can help you negotiate for the best possible compensation.
New travel nursing jobs available here.
You may have encountered a travel nurse at work, or if you are like me, have wanted to be a travel nurse since before you even entered nursing school. You have also probably heard some horror stories and common misconceptions that go along with the travel nursing profession that have made you think twice about whether or not you are up for the task.
Many of these fears and misconceptions are mostly rooted in hearsay and are in need clarification. But travel nursing has lots of perks. Here’s why you shouldn’t let those stories keep you from taking a travel nursing assignment.
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The best way to ease the fear of change is to educate yourself and be prepared. Lets address some of the more common concerns:
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There are fears and there are misconceptions. Fears are created from the unknown and misconceptions are rooted in hearsay. I heard numerous horror stories and travel nursing tales prior to starting my first assignment, but I also heard of amazing experiences so I took the misconceptions with a grain of salt.
According to pantravelers.org, there is an estimated 15,000 travel nurses actively working in the US. I figured if they could do it, it must not be that bad.
Some common misconceptions/myths about travel nursing include:
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Like with any profession, being a traveling nurse has its benefits and downfalls. If you are bored with the same mundane routines and are looking for something a little more challenging and exciting, then a travel nursing career is right for you. The money is great but the experiences are even better.
You will learn and see things that you would never otherwise get to partake in as long as you stay in your comfort zone. If being comfortable is where you prefer to be, then a permanent staff job may be the right thing for you.
Don’t let fears and misconceptions prevent you from experiencing your personal and professional life to its fullest. Be prepared, get educated and create your own travel nursing tales.
Travel nursing agencies can help you navigate the world of travel nursing jobs. They can help you find the best travel nurse assignments and even help you negotiate your pay package.
Travel nurses typically enjoy lots of incentives, including higher pay, a housing stipend, healthcare and travel reimbursement — all while gaining valuable nursing experience and making new friends.
So if you’re ready to start enjoying the benefits of travel then talk with a staffing agency today.
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If you already meet the requirements to become a travel nurse and are ready to take the plunge, here is a step-by-step guide to getting your travel nursing career started.
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There are hundreds of travel nursing companies out there. If you know anyone who has traveled or is traveling you can ask them which staffing agency they worked with and what their experience was like.
HighwayHypodermics.com is a great website that rates traveling healthcare companies based on their reviews and their benefits offered.
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with a few companies, it’s important to know how to pick the right one for you. The two companies I traveled with, Cross Country TravCorps and HealthCare Pros aren’t on the list and I had a great experience with both.
Once you pick a travel nurse agency, an agent will be assigned to you. Feeling comfortable with your recruiter is of utmost importance. If they give you a bad vibe or you feel like they don’t have your best interest in mind then you can always request a different agent.
Your travel nurse recruiter is responsible for finding your assignments, making your contracts, setting up your interviews, and securing your housing. They are your lifeline so it is important to have someone who is on point.
All travel nursing companies will have you fill out a skills checklist right away. This will give them a good idea of where they can send you. The hiring managers will also look at this to make sure you are a good fit for the assignment. Keep in mind that the more skills you have, the more hirable you will be. You will also need a copy of your nursing license, driver’s license, immunizations and any certifications that you may hold.
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As a new travel nurse, your job options may be limited only because you lack travel nursing experience. If you have always wanted to travel to Hawaii and there are no assignments for inexperienced travel nurses, then you may have to go somewhere else first to get started on your career path.
Make sure your agent knows where you want to go and check the travel nurse job boards frequently. Some agents may try to send you somewhere with a nursing shortage, even if it’s somewhere you don’t necessarily want to go because they make more money for filling a particular open assignment.
Once you have decided where to go, you should make sure you have the proper licensure to practice in that state. If you are lucky you will have a compact license. The nurse licensure compact allows you to travel to multiple states without having to get a new state license for each one. If this is not an option for you, then obtaining a nursing license will be your top priority.
Obtaining a license usually involves filling out an application, getting fingerprints done, a background check and paying a fee. It can take upwards of a month depending on where the nursing assignment is located so be prepared to wait a little bit.
There are a few states that are considered “walk-through” states meaning that you can obtain a temporary nursing license from them in one day. The licenses are good for 30 days to 6 months depending on what state it is. These types of licenses are used mostly for “strike” work. Your staffing agent will be able to direct you on which license to obtain and how to do it.
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It is important that you pick a travel nurse assignment that fits your skill level. If you don’t have critical care experience, then don’t pick a critical care assignment. Starting a new job is stressful enough and not knowing what you’re doing will make it all that much harder. If you know the night shift is not your thing then pick a dayshift assignment.
Try to find a hospital that is used to having travelers. It may be wise to take your first assignment in a facility that is similar to the one you are currently working in. You can always work your way up to the 600 bed teaching facilities later in your career unless of course you are used to that type of thing.
Of course, you’ll have to choose the pay package that appeals to you most and whether the assignment includes benefits like health insurance. And consider location! Make sure that your new city is a place you’ll feel comfortable exploring.
Most travel companies have a nursing supervisor on staff that you “interview” with. There will be some hospitals that require you to speak with the nursing manager of that particular unit. “Interview” can be a scary word to some folks, but it means something a little different in the realm of travel nursing.
These “interviews” are usually conducted over the phone and mainly cover what types of patients the unit takes care of, what color scrubs they wear, how they do their staffing and scheduling, floating requirements, and go over any vacation requests you might have.
This process is more for you to determine if this travel nursing job is the right fit for you. It is important that you are flexible and open-minded when considering assignments. You are there to fill a need.
Discover your dream travel assignment here.
For registered nurses ready to launch their travel nursing careers, flexibility is the most valuable skill you can offer. Your role as a travel nurse will be very different from a staff position. You will be placed in challenging situations that require patience and understanding. You will be asked to float in the middle of your shift or work on a unit that you have never been to before. “Go with the flow” will be your new mantra.
Getting into travel nursing is a piece of cake. It’s just choosing where to go — from small towns to big cities — that is the challenge!
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Many nurses start their healthcare careers by first becoming a CNA, or Certified Nursing Assistant. Working can be a CNA is a rewarding career path, as well as a valuable stepping stone to advancement in a nursing career.
Maybe you’re already working and want to know what comes after your CNA or maybe you’re curious about what the next level of nursing after a CNA is — but no matter what your career goals are, we have the information you need to know about moving from a CNA to RN.
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If you think of a nursing career in levels, you can think of a CNA as the first “level.” Like the name suggests, a CNA is a nursing assistant and they assist with the day-to-day duties of nursing care.
CNAs learn professional skills such as workplace communication, teamwork, diversity skills, and gain a foundation of healthcare clinical skills that support nursing care.
Some of the typical duties of a CNA include:
To become a CNA, you must get certified through a CNA course before becoming licensed, which usually takes around 4-8 weeks. You must also pass a competency test. The specifics of CNA courses vary from state to state, but as a general guide, the Red Cross lists the following requirements to become a CNA:
CNAs differ from Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) in the scope of their practice, what they are responsible for, and the type of clinical care they are able to perform.
For instance, CNAs cannot do assessments or hand out medications, and they are not responsible for the overall monitoring of a patient’s status, labwork, care plan, or orders. They also do not communicate with the healthcare team, such as the physician or nutritionist.
CNAs can work in hospitals, mental health facilities and nursing homes. According to the National Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the average pay for a CNA is $13.72 per hour or $28,530 a year. Working nights and weekends can give you a pay differential of much as $5 an hour. Also, because there is high demand for CNAs, overtime is often an option.
According to the BLS, the projected job market growth for CNAs is 9%, faster than average growth for all occupations. The need for CNAs is only predicted to increase, as the baby boomer population ages and will need more nursing care.
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Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) have more responsibility than a CNA, but not as much as an RN. LPNs have to work under the supervision of an RN, and unlike RNs, typically can’t specialize in any clinical area. As an LPN, your options for work will be more limited to long-term care facilities or general medical-surgical areas. Only RNs can work speciality units such as pediatrics, labor and delivery, or NICU.
Every state has its own rules for what type of medications LPNs can administer. Some states, for instance, will not allow LPNs to administer IV medications or certain medications, like narcotics. LPNs may also not be able to perform autonomous care for a patient like an RN can, so an LPN won’t be able to do an assessment and nursing care plan.
LPNs can work in hospitals, nursing homes, home health, clinics, and schools, just like an RN, but unlike an RN, LPNs do not hold management positions. LPNs usually only work at the bedside, so there is little opportunity for growth or advancement in non-clinical roles.
As an LPN, job duties usually include:
If you are already a CNA and would like to move from a CNA to an LPN, programs to become an LPN usually take about one year to complete. The average pay for an LPN is $22.23 per hour or $46,240 a year according to the BLS.
Many CNAs choose to become an LPN while pursuing their RN or BSN so they can continue to work and make a higher income. The BLS notes that the job outlook for LPNs is 11%, faster than other occupations.
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Becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) requires more time and education than both a CNA and an LPN. RN programs are a minimum of 2 years, however, bachelor degrees are becoming required in some hospital settings, so some programs can take four to five years to complete on a full-time basis.
RNs can specialize in any area, from surgical to dermatology to mental health care to private practice, and have more opportunity for career mobility than LPNs. RNs can work in a multitude of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, home health, community health, clinics, aesthetics, management, and education. Earning your BSN concurrently with your RN will also provide more advancement capabilities.
An RN must be able to perform all of the job duties of a CNA and LPN, but is also ultimately responsible for actively assessing, monitoring, and implementing care for patients. Unlike LPNs, RNs assume full responsibility of all aspects of patient care. An RN’s tasks on the job include:
According to the BLS, the job outlook for RNs is a projected growth of 11%, which is similar to LPNs. RNs, however, earn an average of $34.48 per hour, or $71,730 per year, which is significantly more than LPNs.
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Depending on where you are in your life and what you are looking for in a career, any of these professions in the nursing field can serve you — and of course, your patients.
If you decide to start your healthcare career as a CNA, there are many options available for you to advance your profession. For instance, you could go from a CNA to an LPN. Or, you could choose to take the CNA to LPN to RN route. And finally, you could make the decision to go directly from CNA to RN.
Becoming an RN will give you the most freedom to choose what indof career you want, from clinical specializations, higher pay, increased flexibility, and more opportunities for growth and new experiences, such as travel nursing.
No matter what position you currently have in the nursing field, however, remember that you are serving a vital role for your patients. In the healthcare field, there is room for everyone to explore their passions and make a difference, from CNA to LPN to RN and beyond.
There are many decisions to make when starting a new travel nurse assignment — How much does it pay? Where do I get to travel? How many pairs of shoes should I bring? And, of course, should I take agency-placed housing or take the housing stipend and find my own?
Regardless of your travel intentions — making extra money or exploring a new city — where you live while working is a big deal. The decision to take agency-placed housing or finding your own is no exception. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and many travel nurses will tell you that your housing situation can make or break your travel nursing experience.
RNs can earn up to $2,300 a week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!
Are you hoping to make extra money? Or, is exploring a new location more important? If you’re looking to make as much money as possible, then it may be wisest to find your own housing and take advantage of the non-taxable stipend.
You’ll need to find housing that’s less expensive than your housing stipend, though. In some cities, this may be easier than others. You may need to be flexible with what amenities are deal breakers (washer/dryer, gym, pool, etc.), whether or not you’re willing to live with a roommate, or what area within the city you’d like to live.
By being flexible and focusing on overall costs, some travel nurses can actually make money from their stipend. The trade-off, though, is more work and upfront costs, plus potentially more compromise. For those travel nurses where money is secondary, then agency-placed housing may save you time and effort.
Read more: Housing for Traveling Nurses
To take the housing stipend and find your own housing, you’ll be required to come up with a security deposit, plus first month’s rent (some places require last month’s rent upfront too). If you don’t have enough funds to cover these upfront costs, then it may not be a feasible option for you.
Also, if you have bad credit, then you may not qualify for certain housing opportunities, or be able to rent furniture or get internet access. In that case, agency-placed housing may be your best option.
If you find your own housing, then you’re on the hook if anything adverse happens — either at the apartment or with your lease.
For example: Two nurses, one who found their own housing and one who took agency-placed housing, experience a bed bug infestation. Nurse #1 (who found her own housing) has to call the landlord to get an exterminator and potential arrange for other living arrangements. Nurse #2 (who took agency-placed housing) has to notify her staffing agency’s housing coordinator who will take care of everything for her.
In another scenario, these same two nurses have their contracts cancelled early for low census. Nurse #1 has to terminate a short-term lease and potentially pay fees, while Nurse #2 just has to decide on their next assignment.
RNs can earn up to $2,300 a week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!
If you choose agency-placed housing you’ll likely not have much choice in where you live. If you want to be downtown, but your staffing agency has a place in the suburbs, then that’s what you get.
Finding your own housing gives you the freedom to choose where you live as well as what amenities and price best suit your lifestyle.
Read more: Best Cities for Travel Nurses
Whether or not to take agency-placed housing versus finding your own ultimately depends on your preferences and goals for travel nursing. If you’re flexible about housing arrangements and have your finances in a good place, then finding your own housing may be the way to go. But, if you’re new to travel nursing or don’t want the work of finding a place on your own in a new city, then agency-placed housing is probably for you.
And, remember, if you aren’t happy with your living arrangements, then like most everything else in travel nursing — it’s only temporary.
RNs can earn up to $2,300 a week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!
The one thing that most people can agree on about a hospital is that virtually nobody really wants to be there; patients would rather be at home and healthy.
This leads to stress, anxiety, pain, and fear in the hospital setting and unfortunately are all common emotions experienced not only by patients and families, but healthcare workers as well.
Below are seven tips that I’ve found work well with dealing with particularly anxious patients and family members both as a travel nurse and a charge nurse.
When dealing with anxious patients, the most important skill to learn is to listen. Most patients just want to know that you are listening to their concerns. People come into their room all day long talking at them and rarely ask them how they’re feeling. Take two minutes, preferably at the beginning of your shift, to sit down and talk with your patient. Ask open-ended questions like “how are you feeling?” or “is there anything that I can do to make you feel more comfortable?”
The majority of patients with anxiety are not frequent fliers — they don’t know the hospital routine like some of your other patients. Most people’s fear of the hospital comes from being in an unfamiliar environment and not knowing what to expect. To help minimize anxiety, let your patient know everything that you are doing and why you are doing it.
Also, before you enter the patient’s room, make sure you’re prepared. Bring with you any new medication hand-outs and be able to explain the rationale behind administering all of them. Prepare your patients on what to expect with any procedures that will occur that day or the next. If you can’t answer all of their questions, then find someone for them who can.
Do not tell someone who is anxious to relax. IT DOESN’T WORK. Instead, ask them what you can do to help them relax.
Some patients will be able to tell you what they need. If they cannot tell you, then help them with some relaxation techniques. Give specific directions like “breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.” Take some vital signs to make sure the patient isn’t anxious for a medical reason. Dim the lights. Ask family members to step out for a moment to let the patient rest. Also, consider offering the services of the chaplain, a cup of tea, or a warm blanket.
Let the patient and/or family members know that you will be checking in with them or “rounding” on them every hour to make sure everything is okay. Explain the plan of care including medication schedule, repositioning, or procedural preparations for the day/night. Introduce the on-coming nurse during report and reassure the patient that they’ll be in good hands.
Make efforts to lighten the mood and be personable. Ask patients about their lives — how many kids/grandkids do they have, where are they from, how they met their spouse, etc. This helps do two things: one, it gives patients something to focus on besides their current situation and anxiety, and two, it’ll make them more comfortable with you, which also lessens stress.
If in report you get a particularly anxious patient or family member, then prepare yourself to “practice your patience.” Use this as an opportunity to train yourself to remain calm in stressful situations.
Also, know how negative emotional responses like anxiety or fear are activated in your body. Maybe it’s a knot in your stomach, a fast heart rate, or tense muscles. Recognize these feelings and take a few deep breaths before heading into your next task.
Be aware of your own biases or assumptions. We all have conscious and unconscious beliefs about how people should or should not behave in certain situations. But, the truth is that unless you’ve actually been in that situation yourself, you shouldn’t judge how someone else should feel or act. Do your best to put yourself in their shoes.
Patients have every right to be anxious — being in the hospital is scary. But, learning how to manage stress in yourself and others is a unique skill that you’ll carry with you throughout your life, not just on shift.
I don’t know about you, but the thought of settling down in a relationship or getting married was the last thing on my mind when I decided to embark in travel nursing. I didn’t really know what to expect from my travels, but I knew that I would meet lots of people in different situations that I had never been before.
And like with everything else, I did little to prepare myself. I’m no expert on dating and you will likely have unique dating experiences (both good and bad), but below are a few things that I learned along the way about dating as a travel nurse.
Discover your dream travel assignment here.
1. It expands your horizons. Dating on assignment encourages you to be open to meeting new people from different parts of the country, different cultures, and ethnicities that you have may have never been around.
2. It helps you create your life partner checklist. Spending time alone allows you to think about what it is that you want in a partner. Maybe there were characteristics that you admire in someone you met in another city that you find yourself missing. Or, maybe you realize the person you just left was the love of your life.
3. Temporary assignments provide space. Often when you meet someone travel nursing, the relationship initially seems exciting, which can cause you to overlook some red flags. When a new contract takes you elsewhere, you may realize the person you were so excited about wasn’t the person for you. Or, the opposite. Maybe dating long distance confirms things for you.
Overall, though, knowing that you are only in a city temporarily can make the dating scene a little more casual and fun — you can get to know people without worrying about marriage.
1. Usually contracts are only 13 weeks. It can take a few weeks to actually meet someone, especially if you don’t have any connections in that city. And, by the time you do meet someone, it may be time to decide on where your next assignment is going to be. Trying to decide if the person you just met is worth sticking around for can be a tough decision, especially if you don’t care for the city you are working in.
2. You may be more vulnerable than usual. Travel nursing can be lonely, especially at first. You may find yourself settling for someone not quite right for you to avoid loneliness.
3. Some people find travel nurses exciting. They may like the idea of a short-term, casual relationship with no commitments. If this isn’t what you want, then beware.
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From my own experiences, I have compiled a list of dating tips. That doesn’t mean I actually followed all of them, but in hindsight, I was I had.
1. Do NOT cancel your travel plans. If you have always wanted to go to Oregon, then by all means go there. Don’t cancel your plans to stay with someone you just met. You can get to know people at a distance — long-distance relationships can improve your communication and tend to be more exciting.
2. Be creative. Don’t make “grabbing a drink” your go-to date. If the person you are dating is local, then have them show you some local attractions. Or, compile a list of things you want to do and turn those into dates.
3. Maintain distance. Avoid dating people who are in the same housing complex as you. Trust me, this can get weird fast.
4. Keep your work life separate. If you date a coworker, it may be wise to obtain your next contract at a different hospital in the same city. This helps minimize drama that may occur should things not work out.
5. Beware of serial daters (unless you are one). Some hospitals who employ a lot of travel nurses have employees who like to take advantage of their vulnerabilities. I witnessed one guy date five different travel nurses at a time.
6. Don’t force anything. The time constraint of a 13-week contract can be stressful. If the only reason you want to stay in a city is because of the person you are dating, then it may be wise to have a serious conversation with that person on where he or she stands. If you’re not on the same page, then move on.
I personally believe dating is at its best when the sole purpose of hanging out with that person is to have fun, but not to get married — especially for the first few months. Travel nursing is an adventure. Do not let dating take away from your experience. If you find more heartache than joy while you are on the road, then maybe it’s time to reconsider your priorities.
Read more about Crystal’s experience with dating on the road: A Travel Nursing Love Story.
Click here to find available travel assignments.
I am not an expert in dating. In fact, I have probably made more mistakes in the realm of relationships than I care to admit.
Finding love as a travel nurse was happenstance. The purpose of my travels was not to find my next mate, but to find myself. I also came to the understanding of what I wanted in a partner and it just so happened that this person came into my life.
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I was on a travel assignment in Tucson, Arizona where I met a personal trainer who used to live in Los Angeles. I knew that L.A. was my next destination so I asked my trainer if he would give me some phone numbers of people who could show me around L.A. I had no idea how life changing this would be.
After my travel assignment in Tucson ended, I was off to my next assignment in Los Angeles. After getting acclimated at my new hospital, I decided to call the contacts my personal trainer gave me. One of
those was Mario.
When I first met Mario, I cannot say that it was love at first sight. In fact, it took a few months for him to grow on me. Luckily, my assignment in L.A. was five months — if it was any shorter, I’m not sure we would have connected.
Mario had the qualities I knew I wanted in a partner: a kind heart, a humble background, easy on the eyes, and someone who goes to the gym as much as I do. He was exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for. He turned out to be my forever love and we are now happily engaged.
I would like to tell you that finding love on the road is more glamorous than it sounds, but the reality is that it is like a trucker’s memoire. Depending on where you stop, it’s sometimes lonely, other times exciting, and in the end, a long haul.
Travel nurses tend to be energetic and adventurous at heart, which makes us extremely vulnerable to new relationships. I mean who wouldn’t want to hang out with an educated, well paid, adventure-seeker who only works three days a week?
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Becoming a travel nurse was a game changer for me and my relationships. I hadn’t realized how naïve and insecure I was when I was living at home in Colorado. I had lost myself in my previous relationship and had no idea of who I really was.
Spending time alone was the best thing I did for myself and was pivotal in meeting Mario. When I met him, I was vulnerable but open minded enough to allow our relationship to blossom. Because of my experience in previous relationships and with people I met on the road, I knew what I wanted and that strength was enough.
Mario and I have had our ups and downs (what couple doesn’t!), but I am happy to say that we are now both in this for the long haul.
