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For many travel nurses, housing is one of the most important pieces of the pay package, but it can also be one of the most challenging aspects of being a traveler. It provides the exciting yet terrifying adventure of finding a new home while having to sign a contract sight unseen most of the time.
Housing has certainly become a deal breaker for us — we won’t sign a contract until we know 100% what we’re getting into for housing.
Housing can make or break an assignment. Whether you’re a first-timer or a traveler who has been doing it for years, you’ll want to feel settled and comfortable in your new home.
With the transitions between new jobs and new friend groups, having a safe and comfortable place to come home to is one of the highest priorities in a new contract. Read on to learn everything you need to know about your travel nurse housing options.
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Travel nurse housing is available in two options:
I have used both options depending on the assignment. I know several travelers who only take agency-provided housing — it’s simple and one less thing to worry about. I also know travel nurses who take the stipend and either find their own housing or travel in an RV. One option isn’t necessarily better than the other. It really depends on what will work best for you.
Typically, the more stress-free option for finding housing would be to allow the agency to provide it for you.
Most agencies have an internal housing department that finds a place for a short-term lease (often they have long leases that they rotate travelers in and out). The agency also rents your furniture package, pays your utilities, and can even get you housewares like linens and dishes (typically, for an extra fee).
I’ve also heard of some agencies paying for cable and internet, though that’s not common. Often, they will set you up at an extended-stay hotel that has all of those amenities already provided.
Usually, agencies send you two to three housing options to choose from (if available and if you ask), but ultimately, they’re going to place you where is most convenient for them (typically what is currently available and the cheapest). You can request what you want, but there is no guarantee you will get it. Agencies often have access to discounts that are inaccessible to travel nurses.
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Understanding travel nurse contracts and the way a company pays travel nurses is the first step in deciding which route to go. Some companies pay nurses an extremely low hourly rate (as low as $20/hr), but that is the only money that is taxable.
The additional money falls into the housing and cost of living stipends, which are not taxed. Some agencies will look at the housing stipends and spend all of it, or the large majority, while booking your agency-provided housing. Then, you are left with a small amount of money earned while at work. However, if you can find cheaper housing on your own, you can pocket the rest of what is left over from the stipend.
When you choose stipend pay, you’re responsible for finding, booking, and paying for all of your own housing and the expenses that go along with it. The actual dollar amount will differ based on the location and your specific contract, but it is typically adjusted based on the cost of living in that region. The travel company will provide you with either a weekly or monthly total for the specific stipend.
The best way to go about this is to find a fully furnished place that will include utilities, cable, and internet. These types of rentals often include all housewares and basic furniture, so all you have to bring are personal items.
Other travel nurses rent a standard apartment or house and then rent, bring, or buy furniture and set up utilities, etc. on their own as if they were a long-term renter. While even more adventurous travel nurses live in an RV or try van-life and rent a spot in a campground or RV park, the location is not likely to be right in the heart of a city.
Even though the stipend may sound like a lot, finding a decent, inexpensive three-month rental isn’t easy — often, places charge a premium for short-term leases (sometimes double or triple the normal rent).
One of the other biggest challenges is trusting that the house/apartment will fit your needs without seeing it in person first. A lot of single travelers will rent rooms in houses, but that also poses a risk since you don’t have the opportunity to meet your roommates ahead of time. At a minimum, we recommend doing a video call with the landlord to meet them and view the property. Also, look for reviews from other nurses on Furnished Finder or Airbnb for the unit.
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Travel nurse salaries have a wide range depending on where you take a contract, your specialty, time of year, and many other factors. Check out our comparison tool to compare rates.
If you take agency-provided housing and don’t ask for any upgrades, then yes. If you take the housing stipend and find something within that budget, then the answer is also yes. But if you want upgrades like two bedrooms, a vacuum, or a washer/dryer in the unit, you’ll have to pay extra. Likewise, if you can’t find what you want for the stipend amount, you may have to pay a little out of pocket.
Most agencies pay for utilities (gas, electricity, water) up to a certain point. With private housing, many landlords also include utilities (gas, electric, water, and internet) in the rent since it’s considered a “short-term rental”. Cable (and sometimes internet) may be at your own expense, although some companies do pay for that as well. As mentioned before, a lot of company housing involves extended-stay hotels, and therefore everything is covered.
Once you have an address (either agency-placed or arranged by you), contact the property manager or landlord and ask who the providers in the area are. Then compare pricing and schedule set up for your move-in day — you typically have to be present for the installation. Make sure whatever you sign up for doesn’t require a long-term contract. This often works in your favor, because cable companies generally offer promotional freebies for the first three months. Since contracts are generally three months, you’ll get a premium service at a base-level price. The benefit of finding a fully furnished apartment is that almost all of them include wifi with the cost of rent.
For most agency-provided housing, furnished means they’ll provide the following:
– Bedroom: Queen-size bed, one nightstand, one dresser, and a lamp
– Dining room: Small kitchen table with four chairs
– Living room: Couch, chair, an end table, coffee table, a lamp, and a TV stand
Dishes, linens, a TV, bedding, and a vacuum are considered extra and will cost more. A washer/dryer and even a microwave are not necessarily standard all the time either. You can negotiate some of these items. Oftentimes, nurses tend to travel with most of these “extras,” but other travelers I know buy them cheap each assignment, so they have less to move with.
For private housing, it’s best to confirm what exactly is included in the listing. Many properties listed on Furnished Finder or Airbnb provide similar amenities and supplies that you could expect at a short-term vacation rental. However, doing a video walk-through or seeing a full listing of what’s included will better help you prepare.
Your options for finding housing are nearly endless. Just make sure you thoroughly vet the place and area before signing a lease — a great money saver isn’t worth it if it’s a risk to your safety. Travel nurse housing sites have become very popular as this profession has been highlighted over the past two years.
A few options to consider when finding your own housing:
1. Furnished Finder specializes in housing for travel nurses. With no booking fees for the traveler and background-checked property owners, this company was built from the ground up with the travel nurse in mind. This has quickly become one of the most popular ways to find housing, and you can even get reviews from previous tenants.
2. Facebook There are many groups on Facebook that can be extremely helpful with housing, especially local groups. Some sites will have homes listed for rent, and others have travelers’ feedback about certain places. This can be a great platform to find answers to simple questions as well, such as “what part of town do you recommend living in,” or “does anyone want to split housing in ‘x’ while we work.”
3. Traditional house-hunting sites like forrent.com and apartments.com
4. Vacation rental websites like Airbnb.com, VRBO.com, and homeaway.com
5. Temporary housing sites like sublet.com
6. Non-traditional housing options like couchsurfing.com or houseboat rentals (search by the city for best results)
7. Extended stay hotels like Candlewood, Extended Stay America, Residence Inn, etc. Be sure to ask for Healthcare worker discounts.
8. Craigslist – Although it has a bad reputation for scammers (and yes, they definitely exist), some of the cheapest housing options can be found on craigslist. A tip is to post your own ad that you are searching for furnished housing, and more people might reach out with options.
9. Stay with a friend or family member (maybe even for free!)
Most staffing agencies will give you two to three options to choose from if you ask — and if they have more than one available. You’ll get the spiel though that even if you put in a request it doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed.
In my experience, most agencies aren’t typically overly accommodating when it comes to housing. If housing is important to you, it’s important to know what your deal breakers are and be upfront with your recruiter about that from the start. Even then, you may still end up being disappointed. But, contracts are short, and the housing is temporary.
The amount a company will pay you for your housing stipend is completely dependent on where you are traveling to. The GSA sets housing stipends, and they vary based on the city and state. For instance, the total amount a company will pay per week in Mississippi is vastly different than in San Francisco. Mississippi might be around $300 per week, but San Francisco would be more around $1000 per week. Your recruiter can give you an idea of how much you would make based on the locations you are looking at traveling.
The amount of the housing stipend is determined on the contract, the city, and how the particular agency breaks down its pay package. So, you may get a different amount for each travel nursing assignment.
This is dependent on what you want. Some short-term assignments like strikes do require you to room with a fellow nurse or take less pay to get a private room. Though, you should know this before you apply to the assignment. If you prefer to live alone, travel agencies can accommodate that, or you simply find housing yourself.
Yes! The options will be more limited, and you might have to pay more, but it is definitely possible. It’s something you’ll need to discuss with your recruiter from the start. They’ll have to find pet-friendly housing, and you’ll likely have to pay a pet deposit or pet rent.
Unfortunately, this does happen. Immediately contact your recruiter and in most cases, they’ll fix the problem if it’s truly unacceptable. I know a travel nurse who realized her housing was next door to a methadone clinic. When she contacted her agency, they moved her and the other travel nurses to a safer neighborhood. On the flip side, if you get there and the housing is more run-down than you’d prefer, they may not do anything. This is why I recommend you do your due diligence before you leave for an assignment — it’ll limit housing surprises!
It can be any of the above or even potentially a hotel. If your assignment is in a large city, then you’ll likely be housed in an apartment community. But in smaller towns where options are much more limited, there’s more variety in where you may get placed.
Contact your staffing agency and the landlord immediately. Once the sewage backed up in the house the agency rented us. We contacted our recruiter and the landlord, and someone was sent out that day to take care of the problem. The agency also offered to put us up in a hotel overnight if it wasn’t cleaned up by then — luckily it was. Usually, issues are more minor than this if they happen at all.
This is going to be on a case-by-case basis. If your agency is locked into a lease they can’t get out of, then you’re going to get some resistance. If the housing is truly unacceptable though, they should right the situation. But, if it’s just because you changed your mind, you might have some issues changing housing options last minute.
The big risk with taking the housing stipend is the chance your contract is canceled. Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest risks associated with travel nursing. In my personal experience, I have found most of my own places to live, and I know that the relationship that I have built with my landlords would have been crucial in this scenario. Although it never happened, I would imagine that most of them would have had me pay a few additional weeks’ rent, but then would have returned the rest of the money. However, if you have signed an agreement, not all landlords will take pity on your circumstances. Check the lease or agreement ahead of time and ask for something like this to be added in, if possible.
Sit down and write out what your priorities are. If ease and safety are high on your list, I would recommend going with company housing. But if potentially saving a bit of money and having a choice in where you stay seems more appealing, then venture down the path of taking the stipend.
I would always recommend Facetiming with potential roommates or landlords while shopping from afar. This gives you an opportunity to meet them and get a read on their personalities, and ask to see the current condition of the room you might be staying in. Ask a lot of questions and ensure that they are knowledgeable about the house and that it feels like a safe contract to enter into.
Personally, I have only taken company-provided housing for short, crisis contracts. These have been wonderful since finding housing on your own for three weeks can be difficult, and quite expensive. The ease of taking company housing was absolutely worth it for the short contracts. Overall, trust your gut. If something feels suspicious, it probably is.
Travel nursing is a very exciting opportunity that attracts nurses from all backgrounds. But if you are just starting to look into it as an option you might be asking yourself, “Should I become a traveling nurse?” Let’s break it down a bit to help you get a better understanding if travel nursing is for you or not.
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There are a few universal prerequisites to becoming a traveling nurse, but requirements will vary by agency, facility, specialty, and contract. The best way to know for sure if you are eligible to begin a travel nurse career is to ask a recruiter, but here are a few basic requirements:
1. Minimum of one year experience in your specialty
One year is pretty standard, but some specialties will require up to two years’ experience. Traveling nurses need to be ready to hit the ground running and most hospitals don’t have time to train you so it is your responsibility to be confident in your skills and ability to do your job from day one.
2. Be properly licensed in the state you are seeking employment
Travel positions move quickly, so it is wise to get yourself licensed in at least a few states that you are positive you want to work in (just save your receipts for future reimbursement). Some licenses don’t take long and can be obtained after accepting a position, but many take at least a few weeks and many contracts require that you are already licensed there before you interview. If your original license is part of the compact licensure agreement then you already have a leg up, so be sure to check on that.
3. Be up to date on any required certifications
Each specialty and contract is different, so speak with a recruiter to find out what certifications are required for your specialty. If you have been working the past year or more in your specialty, chances are good you have the necessary certifications already.
4. Have the required paperwork
Typically this includes things like an up-to-date resume/application, skills checklist, physical, immunizations, and tons of other miscellaneous paperwork.
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If you have the required minimum years of experience in your specialty and you are licensed in the state you are seeking employment; you are pretty much eligible to begin traveling. What is left in deciding if this is the right career move for you is to ask yourself some questions and to analyze your life to decide if this is a good fit or not.
Think about your obligations and ask yourself if there is anything in your life that could prevent this lifestyle from working out. Some basic questions to ask are:
I’m sure there are other things I am leaving out, but just think through your life and your particular circumstances and ask yourself similar questions to analyze if there is anything that could hold you back from travel nursing. Honestly, most of these oppositions can even still be worked around if it is important enough to you.
Travel nursing certainly isn’t for everybody, so really take the time to decide if it is right for you. The good thing is that you can give it a try for 13 weeks and if you don’t love it, you don’t have to take another contract (although I have to say, don’t give up just because of one bad experience. As with any job; you will like some more than others).
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This is a self-awareness question that nobody else can answer for you, but in general there are certain personality types that might be more suited for a travel nurse career:
These personality traits probably make the transition into travel nursing easier, but it obviously isn’t a catch-all. I have met all types of people traveling, so there definitely isn’t a mold per-se. If you have the passion to become a travel nurse and are up for the challenge then you are the right personality type.
Hopefully this can help guide you to make the decision if you should become a travel nurse. It’s a big commitment that should be evaluated as such. And just because right now isn’t the right time, doesn’t mean that later things won’t pan out in your favor.
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As with anything in life, travel nursing isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. There are added stresses caused by the lifestyle as well as some disadvantages compared to a typical staff nurse job.
Fortunately, the adventure and excitement of travel nursing tend to make up for some of the minor inconveniences.
Let’s look at some of the so-said disadvantages and break them down into how we can use them to our advantage while travel nursing.
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Being out on your own in a new city at a new job can be scary and lonely. You have completely disrupted your normal routine and don’t have those familiar places and faces to turn to when you need comforting.
Why this is an advantage: Being away from your home base forces you to branch out and make new friends.
My husband and I have been travelling for five years and it is so cool to think back on how many friends we have made. We have created our own family of sorts all across the country!
Traveling is not only a great way to meet new people, its also great for deepening existing bonds. We have met up with several family members that we rarely saw before because they lived outside of our home state.
With family visits fewer and farther between than when we lived back home it really makes everybody cherish their time together that much more.
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The uncertainty of when and where your next job is going to be is next to impossible to get used to, so you might as well just accept it early on. One thing that eases the stress is to remember that there are ALWAYS travel nurse jobs available – ALWAYS.
It might not be exactly what you are hoping for, but you won’t go hungry and without a paycheck if you don’t choose to.
Why this is an advantage: One of the biggest stressors in travel nursing also happens to be one of the most exciting aspect of travel nursing. That anticipation and waiting to find out where you are going to live in such a short amount of time is quite thrilling.
It definitely makes you nervous from time to time, but try to learn to embrace the adventure of it. How cool is it that today you could be living in sunny California and next week you could be in snowy New York?!
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To be completely honest, scheduling as a traveler can be quite the headache. There is no such thing as a “regular schedule” and very few facilities allow travelers to self-schedule (although some do). For the most part, you are at the mercy of whoever makes your schedule.
Why this is an advantage: As a traveler, you are there to help them fill a void and so it is part of your job description to be flexible and go-with-the-flow. It can be a hard adjustment, but an invaluable one. Accepting that things like scheduling will likely be out of your control will allow you to focus on things that really matter, especially your patients.
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Oh, good ‘ole travel nurse floating. It’s real. It happens. Sometimes it happens a lot. I think this is one thing we warn new travelers about the most. Just accept before you ever get started that you will be floated. It’s not a maybe thing, it’s a definite (I suppose some specialties might be exempt, but most are not).
It can be kind of intimidating, but that it why it is imperative that you are confident in your skills as a nurse before you begin to travel.
Why this is an advantage: Floating can be frustrating, but the benefit to you is that you gain experience in areas you may not have had if you were staff nursing. The experience you gain far outweighs the inconveniences.
Not only do you pick up new skills that will make you a more well rounded nurse, you also make professional contacts from all specialties all across the country.
As you can see, the “disadvantages” of travel nursing can often be considered advantages. I suppose it’s all about perception and attitude. What may have initially seemed like a disadvantage may be what ultimately makes you a better nurse!
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I could probably go on forever about the reasons I love travel nursing, but I’ll narrow it down to my favorites. Here are my top 8 favorite things about living this lifestyle.
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In my opinion, the best part about travel nursing is the opportunity to see the country while getting paid. You get to experience everything from small, one-stoplight towns to sprawling, congested cities.
So many people never get a chance to explore much outside of their home-state but in five years my husband and I have seen 46 of the 50 states – most we would have never thought of going to if it weren’t for travel nursing.
Traveling and seeing the country creates the coolest life of excitement and adventure. There definitely isn’t anything routine or mundane about this lifestyle. It is unpredictable and loads of fun!
We all have those moments where it feels like we are just waiting for time to pass with not much excitement in our day-to-day lives. As a traveler, there isn’t time for boredom.
One of the best parts of being a travel nurse is there is no such thing as a typical day. It is an ever-changing, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of life.
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This one is pretty self-explanatory, but usually, travel nurses make more than staff nurses. How much more depends on location and contract. The tax-free benefits and free housing are awesome perks too!
The experience you can gain as a travel nurse is priceless. My husband, Skyler feels like he is a much better nurse now than what he would be if we hadn’t started traveling five years ago.
He has worked with some of the top doctors and nurses in the country at some of the top hospitals in the country. He has seen how to perform the same tasks multiple different ways. He has learned new procedures/methods/ways of doing things/etc.
Being a travel nurse has provided him with invaluable experience and made him a very confident, flexible, and competent nurse.
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My husband and I have made friends all around the country since we started traveling. There is a special bond between nurses so it is always exciting to connect with other travelers!
Thanks to social media, it is easy to stay connected with all of our new friends from everywhere.
One of our goals when we started traveling was to experience living situations and locations that we probably wouldn’t have been able to experience had we not traveled and probably won’t get to experience once we are done traveling.
We have always wanted to experience living ocean front, so for one assignment we lived on The Strand in Hermosa Beach, CA, which was incredible. Similarly, we wanted to experience the true downtown lifestyle, so we lived in the Gaslamp District in San Diego, CA.
We know that in real life, once we are done traveling, we want to live in a farm house in the country, but we both still had the desire to experience other living arrangements and travel nursing is one of the only ways I can think of to test drive so many with no long-term commitment. Plus, it has helped us to feel confident in knowing what we do and do not want when we buy or build our next home.
Find available travel assignments in your specialty here.
This might not sound like a big deal, but just think of how cool it is to live in whatever climate you choose to live in year-round. We tend to fancy a nice and mild 60-80 degree range so a lot of our travels have taken this into consideration.
We have spent winters in Arizona and Florida and summers in Seattle. When we started missing the snow we decided to take a winter assignment in Boston.
It is truly awesome to enjoy your favorite season all year round!
Travel nursing can be hard because you are away from friends, family and places that you are familiar with. But the beauty in that is that it forces you to become truly independent and self-sufficient. It builds confidence and can strengthen your relationship(s) if you are traveling with a partner or family.
There are so many wonderful things about travel nursing, far too many to list. Traveling in itself is an amazing experience, but traveling the country while doing what you love…that is unbeatable.
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One tip I would recommend to all travelers is try to take time to enjoy and actually explore new locations as you travel to and from assignments.
My husband Skyler and I began travel nursing solely for the travel. We knew upfront that the way we planned to do things wouldn’t necessarily be aligned with maximizing income. Our top priority was to see our beautiful country and get paid to do it! What a cool, once-in-a-lifetime type of opportunity, right?!
Skyler and I have now been to 46 states in five years. No, we haven’t had 46 separate assignments, but we have taken the time to enjoy our road trips to and from assignments, and we have done lots of exploring in and around our new “homes” on each and every assignment.
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The first way we make sure to get as much out of our adventures as possible is to take our time going to and from assignments. Now, that isn’t always possible of course. There have certainly been times when we had to book it to get from point A to point B in time for a new start date, but our general rule of thumb was to give ourselves at least a couple extra days in between to site-see along the way.
I LOVE road tripping! I typically plug in our start and end points into Mapquest, check out the route, figure out convenient stopping points to break up the drive, and then start filling in fun things to see and do along the way.
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On our very first road trip from Missouri to California we stopped at The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas (home of the 72oz steak challenge). Skyler chickened out on the challenge but it was a neat stop nonetheless.
Our next stop was a day in Albuquerque, New Mexico where we explored Old Town and rode the 2.7 mile Sandia Peak Aerial Tram at sunset, experiencing some breathtaking views.
From there we stopped off in Phoenix, Arizona where we spent a couple of days golfing and relaxing by the pool.
Then, before making the final trek to Los Angeles we stopped off in San Diego to see our friends and be with them the night their son was born. We did all of that in less than a week, and got to see and do so much along the way. It was the perfect way to kick off our travel nursing adventures.
On our way to Seattle we spent some time checking out Portland, Oregon, including Voodoo Doughnuts. On our way from Washington back to Missouri we stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana, as well as Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse in South Dakota. We also happened to be driving through during the Sturgis bike rally, so that was an experience all in itself.
As you can see, we really try to make the most of our travels to and from assignments. I would say we try to site see on at least half of our road trips. The other half we end up being in a hurry or on a budget crunch so just get there as quickly as possible. Just like with anything in life, it’s all about balance.
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We also like making the most of our new surroundings while on assignment with mini vacations and day trips. Once we know where we are going I get busy researching the entire surrounding area and start planning our next adventure.
We try to see and do a wide variety of things. We take city tours, visit museums, go to various sporting events, try out raved restaurants, hit up the popular and even the less known sites, festivals, markets, etc. We like to really feel like we are getting a good idea of what life is like in a particular area.
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One thing to note with all of this gallivanting around the country is that it definitely is not cheap. We accepted before we ever started that we weren’t going to get rich off of travel nursing. We wanted the adventure and excitement of it all and that, of course, takes money. You have to be smart about it so you don’t go backwards financially while you are traveling.
We have a working budget that I keep saved in an Excel spreadsheet. When I plan activities I try to spread them out based on expense. If we have a five day trip planned to see and do as much as possible in NYC one week, then the next couple of weeks we might take it easy by doing low budget or free things.
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The average 13 week assignment flies by much faster than you might anticipate, especially if you are living it up like we do. I recommend making a list of your must see places, another for places that you would love to see if it works out, and one list of places that sound interesting but you’re kind of indifferent to then try to plan it out as best as possible.
Schedule the bigger, more expensive road trips that are on your must list first. Then, based on time availability and your budget, start fitting in the other things that you want to do.
I write all of the details into my planner. As soon as we get his schedule I write it into my planner. Then I find where he has several chunks of days off together and write in those bigger trips and must do’s and of course anything that is date/time specific. I also include how much I anticipate it to cost (including food, lodging, gas, entertainment, etc.).
After I schedule our must see’s, I write a list of those things that sound neat but we aren’t going to worry one way or the other if we make it or not. It’s nice to have options if you wind up having a day where you want to do something but don’t have anything planned. Often times they wind up being an unexpected awesome day!
However you go about planning things, just make sure that you live up your time as a travel nurse and get the most out of the experience. Not many people are as blessed as those of us that get to travel for a living so we owe it to ourselves to have as many awesome experiences as possible! Ask your new co-workers what they recommend doing, do your homework, and get to exploring!
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For the most part, travel nursing is fun and offers memories and experiences to last a lifetime. However, like with anything, there are the occasional bad assignments and/or experiences that come with the territory.
Miscommunication, varied expectations, unfriendly staff, poor work conditions, unsatisfactory housing, and other anomalies can all happen; you just have to be prepared to handle each situation as it arises. Here are some tips on how to handle the unexpected in a professional way.
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The most common disappointment with travel nursing, from our experience at least, has to do with expectations and communication. There are a lot of people involved in the process, which can sometimes lead to miscommunication, errors or confusion.
1. You have yourself, the nurse.
2. And of course your agency which can include multiple people:
3. And don’t forget the hospital:
So as you can see, there are a lot of people handling one position, which leaves a lot of room for misunderstood or misinterpreted expectations.
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I cannot stress enough to always, always get everything in writing (in your contract). I know it sounds tedious, but your recruiters “word” over the phone just isn’t good enough. Trust me, we have learned the hard way that if it is not in the contract, they will quite possibly not hold up their end of the deal when push comes to shove.
It’s not always an issue with the recruiter. Another common breakdown of communication can happen between the hiring manager and your boss on the floor. So again, get it in writing so if there is ever a dispute you can refer back to your contract.
The perfect example of the importance of getting everything in writing is an assignment my husband took a couple of years ago outside of Cape Cod, MA. It was a very small hospital in a small coastal town. Towards the end of the interview and hiring process it was mentioned that he wouldn’t be working 3-12’s like he strongly prefers. Instead it would be 40 hour per week contract instead of his typical 36. We decided to accept, but we asked that it be added to his contract that he would only work a maximum of four days a week and a minimum of eight hour shifts and only between the hours of 7am-11pm.
Fast forward to him receiving his first schedule after orientation and we were so thankful that we added the stipulation to his contract. His schedule was all over the place. They scheduled him to work five and six days a week. One day might be for four hours late night and then turn around and come back for a 16 the next morning. Literally in one schedule he was supposed to work 4, 8, 10, 12, and 16 hour shifts; all different times of the day/night.
Their stance was that he is a traveler and was there to help them out, however and whenever they needed him. The hiring manager accepted his contract with his stipulations, while his manager on the floor and person in charge of scheduling was clearly left out of the loop.
Had we not asked the recruiter to add his stipulations into the contract he would have been required to work it. Thankfully we had the foresight to be specific on what he was and was not willing to do schedule-wise. They weren’t thrilled about it but they did adjust his schedule to adhere to his contract.
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In the above example, my husband Skyler first discussed his schedule with his boss on the floor, explaining that it didn’t uphold their contractual agreement. She wasn’t budging though, so he then contacted his recruiter and asked her to get involved. She contacted the appropriate people at the hospital and rectified the situation.
In most disputes, that is probably the best way to handle things. First try to resolve the issue yourself, then get your agency involved if need be.
Just remember to always be courteous and professional in all situations. Don’t be that traveler that gets upset about an unexpected situation, justified or otherwise, and storms off the job. It leaves a bad name for the travel nurse industry and not to mention could tarnish your reputation with both staffing agencies and hospitals.
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If you have tried to resolve an issue and it is just not coming to an acceptable outcome and you choose to quit a contract, you need to discuss the procedure and possible ramifications with your recruiter. Honestly, we have never quit a contract so I don’t know what the exact process is. It varies per situation so be sure to follow the directions of your recruiter.
If you are quitting for a valid reason, there shouldn’t be any repercussions per-se. You might be out some travel expense, etc., but it if you are quitting because they are not holding up their end of the contract, that should be about it and your recruiter will likely try to get you placed in a new assignment quickly.
Now if you are quitting for personal reasons or reasons not really justified by the contract, you might be out money for housing and travel, etc. Again, it is handled on a case-by-case basis, but you should find out what the ramifications of quitting are before you make that decision.
It is truly uncommon that an assignment or situation is so bad that it warrants quitting a contract. It does happen occasionally though, so it is good to know how to appropriately handle the situation. More times than not, problems that arise on a travel assignment can be worked out without having to cancel the contract. No matter the situation, just make sure that you, as a traveling nurse, are representing your colleagues, agency, and most importantly yourself, professionally.
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I am married to a murse. Yep, a male nurse. My very own Focker. Jokes aside though, being a male nurse is pretty awesome. My husband and I have talked a lot over the years about whether or not he would go back to school to further his education, but he loves being a nurse and the benefits are awesome. He will very likely retire as a murse and for good reason.
According to a report the Census Bureau released in 2013, from 1970 to 2011, the number of male nurses rose from 2.7% to 9.6% for RN’s and from 3.9% to 8.1% for LVN’s. Male nurses, even in the same role, are apparently out-earning their female counterparts by 9%. I personally find that statistic appalling and hard to believe since most hospitals these days pay strictly based on years of experience, but apparently the truth is in the numbers. My suspicion is that males tend to be more willing to negotiate their salary than females, but that is just my speculation.
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Being a male nurse isn’t as faux pas as it once was. It is no longer considered a female career path or a stepping stone to becoming a doctor. My husband, Skyler works with many other male nurses, and it even seems that many couples are both nurses. There tends to be a pattern that if one spouse is a nurse, then often times the other spouse seems to go back to school to become a nurse too. Heck, I strongly considered it for a long time until I finally accepted that I am just not cut out to be a nurse.
Although nursing is not for me, I can totally understand why more and more couples are opting to work the same career. Nursing is a great career choice for many reasons: the schedule (three on, four off every week), high pay considering it’s only a two to four year program in school, great benefits, and not to mention it is a very fulfilling career. Also, a travel nurse duo is dynamite! But, I digress.
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Another draw to becoming a nurse, male or female, is that it is such a varied field. It’s not just labor and delivery or your school nurse that people might think of when they think of nurses. You can specialize in OR, ER, ICU, OB, Telemetry, Medsurg, Dialysis, Home Health; the list is near endless. From those specialties you can even further specialize like Skyler has as a CVICU (Cardio Vascular Intensive Care Unit) nurse.
There is also always management if you get tired of bedside care. We even have a friend who works from home for an insurance company as an RN. And of course, you can always travel! There are hospitals (large and small, teaching and private), clinics, surgery centers, schools, etc. You can go back to school and become a nurse practitioner, a nurse anesthetist, a physician’s assistant, a doctor, etc. You get the gist.
Unlike many careers where you are locked into one role, as a nurse you have so many different directions you can go in. It is such a varied field with truly endless opportunities. Also, our country has such a shortage of nurses, you are pretty much guaranteed a job once you pass boards (or at least once you have some experience).
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I touched on this above, but another draw is definitely the scheduling flexibility. For a family, this is a great perk. I would guess this might be one of the many factors that play into the rise of male nurses. If one or both of the partners are nurses, it is so much easier to work around scheduling conflicts.
Nursing schedules can be anywhere from per diem working only a few days a month, part time working 20-30 hours per week, full time working 36-40 hours per week, to full plus overtime working 60-72 hours a week. You can work eight hour shifts, 10’s, 12’s or even 16’s. There is really no such thing as a “typical schedule” for nurses anymore.
My husband and I prefer a schedule of three 12 hour day shifts so that Skyler can be home four days a week and doesn’t have to recover from being on nights. A friend of ours prefers night shift so that she can work an opposite schedule of her spouse so that somebody is always home with their child. Others we know prefer eight hour shifts because that is what works best for them. It is so varied which is truly awesome! It ain’t your typical 9-5!
Nursing benefits are typically second to none, especially when you consider that it only takes 2-4 years of post-secondary-education to become a nurse. Pay is pretty good to just plain awesome throughout much of the country and overtime is usually a great possibility because of the nursing shortages.
Healthcare benefits are usually great, especially if you are treated at your hospital. Paid time off can be pretty awesome, often times 3-5+ weeks a year for many nurses just starting out. There are typically great retirement plans and perks to employees with seniority, etc.
All-in-all, nursing benefits are better than most other careers. As families are trying to choose careers that fit their lifestyles and goals, nursing is now an attractive option for both females and males.
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I asked Skyler and several of his friends if there is anything funny that they experience because they are a male nurse. Honestly, being in CVICU, there are several male nurses so it’s not really anything unusual. Now, I would imagine a male nurse in Labor and Delivery would have some funny stories!
The general consensus with my group of guys is that when people/strangers find out that they are nurses they always ask the most awkward questions about whatever might ail them. Keep in mind, this group of guys did what they had to do to pass boards when it comes to female issues and then have spent the rest of their career trying to forget it (haha), so they truly have no idea. If you are recovering from a heart surgery, they are who you want. Or even if you have suffered from some sort of trauma, they’re your guys. When it comes to anything regarding lady stuff, they do their best to not remember that part of school and aren’t going to be helpful with any of that.
In general, there aren’t a lot of differences in being a male nurse versus a female nurse. It’s equally awesome for both, and it’s cool that more men are choosing this career path. While discussing this article with my husband tonight he said that today there were actually only two female nurses and five male nurses on his unit – so that should give you some insight in to how things are shifting in the world of healthcare and gender roles! Being a nurse is awesome – and being a male nurse rocks!
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I am a travel nurse’s spouse. I love being a travel nurse’s spouse! It seems like there are more and more couples/families taking on this adventure together, and for good reason – it is a fun and exciting opportunity!
That being said, there are always two sides to every coin. Here is a glimpse into our experience over the past five years of travel nursing.
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When we first discussed travel nursing back when my husband Skyler was still in nursing school, we always knew it was something we would do as a team. We didn’t know exactly what that would look like for me at the time, but we knew we wanted to live this adventure together.
As our travel dream finally came to fruition, it became clear pretty early on that it wasn’t going to be realistic for me to get a job outside of the home. Luckily, I have a home-based business which allowed me to work from anywhere which was great for us so I didn’t have to get temporary jobs that would have tied us down on his days off. We were traveling for the adventure as much as for his career! Here are a few of the many perks of traveling as a couple:
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I have to admit, there weren’t many challenges for us in terms of traveling together. It was our dream so we made it work and loved it. For us there were really only a few challenges we faced that specifically pertained to traveling together:
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That is about all I can think of on the negative side. There are of course some challenges that will arise as you go, but the benefits of traveling together far outweigh any challenges. I know everybody’s situation is different, but try to find a way to make it work and make the best of it! It is a fun adventure that we will always look back on with the best memories!
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I would say that one of the questions I get asked the most about travel nursing is, “how is health insurance handled?” There are a few options for insurance coverage as a traveling nurse which can be overwhelming so this is something you should discuss in detail with your recruiter.
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When my husband and I first started traveling we tried using our travel nurse agency’s provided insurance, but that did not work well for us for several reasons:
I did some research early on and found that we could find better coverage for far less money on our own. The caveat to that was finding a company that would cover us as we moved all across the country. After doing our research and making a few phone calls, we found that the best answer for us was a policy through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield because they are in all 50 states. They were able to write our policy out of our home state, but we were still covered when we traveled.
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Most travel nurse agencies also offer a reimbursement of some sort if you provide your own insurance, usually around $150 per month. With that offsetting our cost it was a far better deal to provide our own insurance and not have the hassle of changing it with each assignment.
However, there is one catch to this. Our situation is unique in the fact that we got our own insurance lined up five years ago, before Obamacare. This means we are locked in at lower rates than most people who are currently trying to get their own coverage so I’m honestly not sure if this is still a feasible or affordable option anymore. It is definitely still worth looking into if you feel like having your own policy is the best option for you and your family.
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I don’t want it to sound like I am knocking agency provided insurance benefits because for many people this is probably the best solution. For instance, if you only need to insure yourself this might be an excellent option, especially if you plan to be loyal to one agency. However, the one thing you should be aware of is that not all agencies provide coverage. If agency provided insurance is important to you, make sure you seek out a company that offers this benefit and ask a lot of questions up front, such as:
Because of Obamacare, we have noticed that many companies have really re-vamped their insurance benefits and many recruiters are still confused by all of the changes. Make sure you speak with their benefits specialist and ask questions until you feel that you understand enough to make an educated decision on what is the best solution for your situation.
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I know very little about this option other than the fact that I know that it is a possible option. I am a member of a few online travel communities and insurance questions are asked in these groups frequently. Many fellow travelers have found medical cost sharing programs to be a good solution for their family. From what I understand it can help to keep costs down but to still meet the requirements to be covered. There are many medical cost sharing programs to choose from so be sure to do your due diligence if this is the route you choose to go with.
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Q: Do all staffing companies offer health insurance?
A: No. While many do, every company is different when it comes to what they cover and even if they offer health insurance at all.
Q: What is typically covered?
A: Again, this varies greatly by company and you really need to ask each agency the specifics about their policy options. From what we have experienced, travel nurse coverage is nothing like the typically great coverage nurses are offered when working as a staff member for a hospital. Travel nurse benefits seem to be much more basic with higher fees and less coverage.
Q: Are family members covered?
A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. From our experience you can cover your family members at your own expense, but not all companies even offer that.
Q: When does coverage start/end, i.e. does it start on the first day of assignment and end on last?
A: I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but again, it varies. From what we have noticed since Obamacare took effect, most policies do not start on day one anymore and some actually extend past the last day. Each company varies greatly so ask your agency how they handle this.
Q: Is extended coverage an option, i.e. if you commit to a particular staffing agency for multiple assignments.
A: Yes, this is probably the easiest way to use company provided health insurance. If you stay with one agency and follow their guidelines for remaining covered, it should be quite simple to avoid lapses in coverage.
Q: What do most travel nurses do for health insurance in between assignments?
A: It depends on the nurse. We have our own private policy so we are covered whether we are on an assignment or not. Some agencies will keep your insurance benefits active as long as you take another assignment with them within X amount of days. Some however, do not so be sure to ask!
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Are your health insurance coverage options as a travel nurse clear as mud now? It is honestly just one of those things each individual/family has to work out for themselves since everybody’s circumstances are so different. What works perfect for us might not work at all for the next family. While circumstances and options may vary greatly, here are a few tips that work in all situations:
Good luck navigating the world of travel insurance! It can be a bit confusing at first but just be patient and diligent and you will figure out what works best for you.
The variety of living in Los Angeles versus a small Cape Cod town; or San Antonio versus Boston, or Washington state wine country versus Washington D.C. can be intoxicating – our country is so versatile. From big bustling cities to small quaint towns and everything in between; this is why we travel. We get to experience it ALL!
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My husband and I both grew up in very small towns in Missouri. Especially at the beginning of our travel nursing journey, all of the excitement was in experiencing living in large cities for the first time. However, as time has gone on we have ended up with quite the variety of assignments ranging from a 52 bed facility to a 927 bed facility – and everything in between.
I would say that hospitals in almost all (if not all) major US cities use travel nurses quite frequently. There seems to always be travel nurse positions in NYC, LA, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, etc. The facilities in these cities are often large as well and commonly part of a large hospital system with several sister facilities and/or a teaching hospital.
Smaller towns and smaller facilities are also in abundance, but probably more sporadic. For instance, as a traveler at any given time you can say I want a job in Los Angeles and there will be options no doubt. However, if you want something in your hometown of say, Joplin, MO – that can be pretty hit or miss. There are assignments there sometimes, but not on an ongoing basis that you can count on. Plus, when there is a position available it might literally be ONE position, not several. In LA you can typically weed down the assignments based on unit, shift, pay, etc. But in the smaller towns/facilities it’s more of a take what you can get type of scenario.
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The major differences between larger and small cities are pretty obvious. Larger facilities are typically used to seeing lots of travel nurses whereas smaller ones may not get that many. I wouldn’t say that means one is more traveler friendly than the other though, it all depends on the facility and people there. Getting called off is more likely to happen at a smaller facility though, for obvious reasons. They don’t typically take as many or as extreme cases and therefore don’t always stay as full.
The smallest hospital my husband (Skyler) has worked at was in a little beach community on the edge of Cape Cod, MA. The main thing he says was different working there versus many of the other facilities he has worked at was that since they didn’t have much experience working with travelers we had a few issues with them disregarding his contract. Most issues involved scheduling. Their idea of having a traveler was to use him when/wherever they needed him, be it a 4 hour evening shift or a 16 hour shift…yeah, it was nuts! He is used to working 12 hour days, period. So that was an interesting situation, but very atypical. He has worked at other small facilities with zero issues. One small hospital in Washington was probably one of the best to work with schedule wise actually. So again, I think it has much more to do with the facility and manager versus the size of the hospital/city.
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Q: Does one pay more than the other?
A: I don’t think there really is a good rule of thumb regarding pay in travel nursing. I feel like it can be all over the place, honestly. However, in general, larger cities/facilities tend to pay more than smaller ones. That being said, sometimes a small town that is undesirable to most, especially if it’s during their bad weather season, can pay more. One thing we have found to be true though is that states where nurses are part of a union do tend to pay travelers more.
Q: Are there certain specialties that are more common for travel nurses in either a big facilities vs smaller facilities?
A: Yes. Highly specialized positions will typically not be offered in smaller towns/facilities (CVICU, NICU, Neuro ICU, etc.). Small hospitals generally can’t support such specialized units. This is probably why we have taken more assignments in large cities (Skyler is a CVICU nurse).
Q: What are the housing differences?
A: Housing in small towns is typically quite a bit cheaper than it is in large cities (although your housing allowance should reflect that). However, smaller towns tend to have fewer housing options. In a large city you will have lots to choose from. But in a smaller town there might not even be an apartment community. You might even have to live in a different town and commute. We have never taken an assignment in a super small town where there were zero options. However in Cape Cod our company rented us a house because there were no apartment communities. It was pretty awesome though actually!
Q: Is there a difference in cost of living?
A: I’m sure there is somewhat, but I don’t feel like it affects a traveler too much if your agency is providing housing. I feel like housing is where cost of living is felt the most, and so if that isn’t an issue we don’t really feel the effects of cost of living too much. It is typically going to cost more to eat out or maybe even to get gas or groceries in a larger city, but for us at least it isn’t so significant to persuade our decision either way.
The debate of big versus small, when comparing travel nurse positions at least, is a matter of personal preference. Skyler and I tend to prefer the larger cities, or if it’s a smaller town one that is very close to a large city. However, another ex-traveler I know specifically sought out small communities. And to that effect – we almost always choose warm locations, and they almost always chose the mountains. As you are trying to decide what assignment to take, get online and do a little bit of research and/or speak to the nurse manager at the facility about what there is to do in the area, the size of the hospital and unit, the housing market, etc. Get a feel for the area and hospital to help you make your decision on what is right for you.
