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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.
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!
Being a travel nurse can be rewarding on multiple levels — career advancement, great pay, and the ability to explore the country. But, it’s not as straightforward as becoming a staff nurse. There are inherent differences and challenges that you may not be aware of.
To help you navigate the world of travel nursing, we sought out advice from a travel nurse staffing professional. Mike Wilder is a senior career consultant and team lead for Medical Solutions in Omaha, Nebraska. He’s been working with travel nurses and finding them placements for over eight years.
“In our line of work, no one candidate is the same. I talk to people from all walks of life — from those who just graduated nursing school to those with 20 years experience,” he says.
His biggest piece of advice to nurses of every age, gender, and speciality is to simply keep an open mind. It’s how you get the most out of your experience, he says.
Here are some of this other tips for those interested in travel nursing:
There are a lot of requests for assignments in Hawaii, but there are far less jobs available than other beach communities. Georgia, the Carolinas, and even Texas have some wonderful beaches, so make sure you consider those too.
Like Hawaii, California is also high on the list of placement requests, especially in the winter. But competition isn’t the only thing that might make you reconsider the Golden State for your next travel nursing assignment. “There are a lot of jobs there because of a nursing shortage, and their pay rates are the highest. But the state is notorious for taking three months for an application by endorsement to go through,” Wilder says.
Find out which locations are hiring. Begin your adventure today!
“It’s a disservice to paint yourself into being a certain type of nurse — such as one who only wants to work at a big university hospital,” he adds. “The more flexible you are, the more experience you’ll get.” So much of being a travel nurse is having a sense of adventure. Explore the opportunities that you’ll find in settings you normally wouldn’t experience otherwise. You may be surprised to discover how much you like working with children or how rewarding the ICU is.
“There are 28 states that share a nursing compact — meaning there is reciprocity that each state accepts the nurse’s license from those other states,” Wilder says. That can make the transition from nurse to traveling nurse quite fast.
However, other states have their own rules and may require you to submit an application by endorsement or pay a fee before being verified to practice in that state. For example, California, where many nurses want an assignment, is not part of the nursing compact and has an application process separate from other compact states.
Read more: Current Nursing Compact States
Also, you’ll need to get fingerprinted and wait for a background check. Some states can issue the endorsement in 7-10 days, while others take two to three months. On average, the cost for the application is $100-$250.
It can take as little as two weeks to get a nurse ready for their new job once they decide on an assignment. But, depending on other factors like how complicated the application process, you may have more downtime than expected between assignments.
On average, most traveling nurse contracts are three months. Though, some hospitals offer longer or shorter contracts dependent on needs — many have 8-week contracts to fill for maternity leave coverage.
If a nurse finds that what was promised in the contract isn’t coming to fruition at the hospital, they can contact the clinical team at their staffing agency who will step in to help with the problem. Most agencies are also flexible if there is a sickness or death that may require you to terminate your contract early.
Speak with a staffing agent who can help you understand everything you need to know.
The agency which placed you is usually the one paying you. The hospital doesn’t pay for any insurance or payroll taxes. All billing goes through the travel company.
“Everything is taken care of by us,” Wilder explains. “We even cover liability insurance.”
Every travel nurse staffing company has different offers. Most offer non-taxable housing stipends and mileage reimbursement. Some companies such as Medical Solutions reimburse for any continuing education and certification expenses, and license renewals while being a travel nurse.
The staffing agency knows all the best and safe housing options available in the places they send travel nurses. But if nurses decide to find their own housing, they can still use the travel companies’ housing departments to find locations that are convenient and in good neighborhoods.
“If the travel nurse takes housing through us, we have a very experienced housing department that finds the best housing in safe communities with a short commute to the hospital,” Wilder says.
Don’t close yourself off from those you are working with. “Try to bring the community of traveling nurses together, and explore the area as much as possible,” he says. “Most nurse work three 12-hour shifts, so that affords you time to explore the area. Don’t just immerse yourself in the job.”
Wilder says it’s all about staying adaptable, being outgoing, having fun, and learning from the experience.
“Sometimes, travel nurses settle into where their assignment is and love the area. And the hospital feels the same way about them. They decide to keep the travel nurse on indefinitely. That has happened,” he says.
Travel nurses are in high demand. Meet your next employer now.
For some, the greatest attraction of travel nursing is the adventure of visiting new places, making new friends, and enjoying unique experiences; for others, it’s the high salary that makes it worthwhile. One thing is for sure, traveling can be expensive, but doing so as a travel nurse can help you rake in some seriously big bucks.
Many would argue that high pay is just reflective of a high cost of living; however, a substantial contributor to this is the high cost of housing. In this regard, travel nurses are in luck because most travel nursing agencies will pay for housing or include a stipend commensurate with local housing costs.
Here’s a list of states with the five highest salaries for nurses, along with highlights and cost of living in each state.
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The Golden State boasts some of the best weather in the country, along with the highest salaries for nurses. The hourly rate for RNs in California averages $48.68.1 Meanwhile, the demand for nurses is higher than most states because California law requires specific nurse-to-patient ratios.
California is ranked as the third most expensive state to live in.2 And while it has a very high cost of living, housing costs are the main factor, eating up an average 33% of a resident’s income.3 Since your travel nursing agency pays for your accommodations, this affords you a significant boost in spending power.
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The cost of living in Hawaii is the highest in the nation.2 Despite this, everyone still wants to live here, and can you blame them? With its beautiful beaches, tropical climate, and rich local culture, Hawaii is a travel nurse’s dream. Like California, a relatively disproportionate amount of Hawaiians’ income is spent on housing, putting travel nurses in a strong financial position.3
The majestic scenery and pristine waters of Alaska will have you reveling in all its natural beauty as you cash in on the high demand for qualified nurses. Paying an average of $42.55 per hour,1 Alaska is a veritable gold mine. Additionally, housing costs are 38% above the national average,3 making your housing allowance even more valuable.
One of the earliest proponents of the organic, sustainable, and “slow food” movements, Oregon has established itself as a mecca for quirky, progressive creatives, offering some of the highest wages for RNs with an average of $40.29 per hour.1 Though the housing costs are relatively high,2 Oregon beats out every other state on this list for food and other living expenses.3 In fact, transportation costs in Oregon fall below the national average and gas stations are mandated to pump your gas for you4.
The New England state that is home to so many significant moments in U.S. history is also one of the few states whose law mandates a specific nurse to patient ratio in hospital ICUs. With the hourly wage for nurses paying an average of $43.331, you’ll be making history of your own as you explore the Boston Harbor, visit Plymouth Rock, enjoy music at world-famous Tanglewood, visit Emily Dickinson’s home, or walk along the roads of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride.
Though it ranks as the 4th most costly state to live,2 housing costs can be as high as 50%5 of a normal resident’s income; luckily, you won’t be just a “normal” resident.
There are many benefits of being a travel nurse, and the earning potential in these five states could make those benefits even better. Best of luck exploring your options in these locations that will give you more bang for your nursing buck!
Explore new frontiers. Find out where travel nursing can take you.
Sources:
1. “Occupational Employment and Wages for Registered Nurses.” US Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS.gov. May 2015. Web. Accessed Jan 2017.
2. “Cost of Living Data Series.” Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Missourieconomy.org. Oct 2016. Web. Accessed Jan 2017.
3. “What percentage of Household Income is Spent on Rent in Each State?”. Overflow Data. Overflow.Solutions. Oct 2016. Web. Accessed Jan 2017.
4. “Why can’t Oregonians pump their own gas? Let us count the reasons.” The Oregonian. Blog.Oregon.Live. Feb 2012. Web. Accessed Jan 2017.
5. “Housing puts heavy burden on many in Greater Boston.” The Boston Globe. Bostonglobe.com. May 2015. Web. Accessed Jan 2017.
Travel nursing is a fun and exciting adventure! It’s the best time I’ve ever experienced during my nursing career. But what happens when something goes wrong? What happens when the adventure turns south…really quick?
In this article I will discuss some typical issues you may come across in travel nursing and how to fix them.
Start your travel nursing adventure here!
My number one rule when traveling has always been: be prepared, do your homework, and plan ahead. If you simply do this, you will eliminate 99% of all the bad things that could happen to you.
But let’s say you didn’t do your research and you signed up with the first travel company you could find. You were so excited that you signed the first contract they put in front of you, and rushed off to your first travel assignment. Upon your arrival, you discover that your housing location won’t allow your best friend, your dog, to stay with you. You may have also failed to recognize the travel time between your housing and your work location making your drive to work over 45 minutes everyday.
Honestly, housing issues are a very typical mistake with first time travelers and it’s usually a quick fix. Simply partner up with your travel company and see if they can help you out. A good travel nursing company will do everything they can to find you new housing, or work with the apartment complex to accommodate you. You should always have a say in where and how the travel company accommodates you, in respects to housing.
Always, always read your travel contract before you sign it. This point can’t be stressed enough. You would think that this is a no-brainer when it comes to travel nursing, but all too often, nurses forget to read the fine print and their travel nursing dream becomes a nightmare. Remember, if you signed it, you are bound to it.
Some nurses get so focused on the destination or the pay, they forget to make sure key details are in their contract. I remember talking to a new travel nurse who was assigned to work in a different unit than what was promised to her. She was working in a float role rather than her desired unit of choice. I told her to read what her contract said. Sure enough, when she went back and looked at the contract, it stated that she signed up for a floating role with different hours than what she wanted. This happens sometimes and unfortunately there is not much you can do about it when it’s that late in the game.
In this situation, you can reach out to your travel company and explain that this is not what was discussed, and they can contact the hospital and see if they can work something out.
Travel nursing is supposed to be a “win” for everybody, but sometimes key details about the location and assignment don’t get mentioned. That’s why it’s important to make sure your needs and wants are in the contract, including the unit you will be working on and the guaranteed shift times/hours.
Speak to a staffing agent about new travel assignments today.
Yes, even in travel nursing you can get sent home due to low census. The difference between travel nursing and a regular job back at home is accumulating PTO. Some travel nursing companies offer PTO while others might not.
Travel nurses are usually the first to get sent home without pay or floated to other units because of low census, which can be extremely frustrating. As a travel nurse, you are a temporary worker and they would rather send you home or float, before doing that to one of their regular employees.
One way to combat this is to have certain circumstances in your contract. In my contracts, I have a maximum number of low census times allowed per month. If the hospital exceeds the certain number of times they send me home due to low census, I still get paid. It’s a nice thing to have in your contract because it guarantees your hours and pay. It was actually pretty nice to get sent home and still get paid for a full day’s work.
When it comes to travel nursing, 99% of the time, it will be an enjoyable experience. That is, if you take your time and pick the best travel nursing company for you, be prepared for anything, do your homework, and plan ahead. If not, there is a good chance you will become a perfect example for my next travel nursing horror story article.
Start your travel nursing adventure here!
There are two types of travel nurses; those who can couch surf and those who can’t. In travel nursing, housing tends to be a big deal no matter which type you are. Whether you are taking company housing or setting up your own living arrangements, finding shelter that isn’t a dump can be challenging from a distance. For those of you who prefer to find your own place, not to worry, the internet and social networking sites have come to your rescue.
Discover new travel assignments here.
Prior to starting your housing search, it is important to know the location of the hospital where you will be working. I don’t recommend being more than 10 miles away from your facility. It’s probably a good idea to understand the traffic patterns as well. If you have to take a major highway to work during rush hour, you may want to reconsider your housing location.
Research the various neighborhoods located within your city by visiting the local police department’s website to see local crime statistics, read the local online newspaper and look through a local real estate agent’s website for the safest neighborhoods. It’s also important to network prior to your assignment. Tell everyone and their mother, literally, where you will be traveling to via email, social media or just in conversation. It is amazing what information you can obtain just by asking. After you have done your research, it’s time to determine what kind of traveler you are.
See the country while getting paid – find open assignments here
If you are someone who is more particular about where you put your feet up, I would recommend contacting furnishedfinder.com or travelingnursecorporatehousing.com. These two companies list furnished apartments, condos and houses and work specifically with travel nurses so they understand the industry. There are great pictures and descriptions of the location and amenities as well as reviews. The benefit to choosing one of these websites versus using your company housing is that you will have a choice on where you stay.
If you can’t find anything you like on these websites, then you can broaden your search by browsing through vacation rental sites such as airbnb, homeaway, Tripping.com, or Flipkey.com. You will find fully furnished houses and apartments on these sites. The transfer of money is secure through the websites and there are usually plenty of reviews. The most important part of renting from these websites is to make sure you have a good property manager or owner who is responsive to your needs. You can contact them directly through the website with any of your questions before booking. You can also go as far as to Google their name to look for complaints.
Speak to a staffing agent about new travel assignments today.
If you don’t want to pay the extra money to go through a booking website, or don’t mind sleeping on someone’s couch, you can always turn to Craigslist. As most of you may know, Craigslist can be sketchy and unreliable. I have personally used craigslist in the past and know of many travelers who use it, so I can say that it’s not all that bad. If you are that concerned about the property, you can always fly out in advance to check it out or have a friend or family member who lives in the area swing by for a visit. If you are not finding anything trustworthy on Craigslist, you can also contact a local real estate agent who may know of some locals who rent out places for short term contracts.
If contacting strangers or working with booking websites isn’t your thing, it may be wise to visit a travel nursing forum like or the Gypsy Nurse Facebook page to get recommendations from some of your fellow travelers on where to stay.
I personally found it easier and less stressful to have my company find my housing for me; I wasn’t overly concerned about making extra money and always had good experiences with company housing in the past. Finding your own housing takes some time to get used to. Reading reviews and having a good rapport with your leasing agent or property owner are very important. You may have one bad experience here and there but on the flipside, you won’t be in that housing situation forever.
RNs can make up to $2,300 per week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!
We’ve all experienced it—looking through Facebook or getting text messages from Mom and Barkley, the family dog—that dreaded homesickness. That longing for one’s home, those family and friends you left behind. It happens to the best of us, whether we’ve been gone for years or for a couple days.
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But adventure awaits, and there’s also no greater feeling than embracing something new and trying something different. It makes us who we are, it opens our minds. So that homesickness needs to be tackled, and here are some pretty simple ways to help fight that nostalgic mood you’re feeling:
1. Keep busy: Everyone gets the blues once in awhile, especially in a new city. Remember to stay positive and focus on how this experience can help YOU. Explore your new home! When you’re playing tourist, you don’t have time to think about what you’re missing at home. Stay active, hit a new trail or join a new gym. Say yes when someone invites you to join them on an adventure. Set up skype dates or FaceTime your family and friends. The more you do, the less likely you are to spend time dwelling on what you’re missing.
2. Make your home your home: Bring your favorite photos with you, as magnets or coasters, photo albums, digital frames. Bring your favorite pillow or blanket. Fill a shoebox with little knick-knacks or gifts from friends that you can place around your new home. Buy some candles, and treat yourself to a bouquet of flowers every week. When your home is your sanctuary, it’s hard to want to be somewhere else!
3. Make some plans: Invite your friends or family to visit during your days off to explore your new home with you. Camping on the coast, catching your favorite band at a brand new venue, wine tasting in Napa Valley…don’t limit yourself to just working and explore your new city. Explore what else the area has to offer. And don’t forget to make plans for your next assignment, where else do you want to go?
4. Embrace the new: New city, new friends, new things to try…new you. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to surf, and how convenient is it that your new position is in Los Angeles? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to take cooking classes – how wonderful that Seattle has great cooking classes at Pike Place Market? It doesn’t hurt to try out something new, and imagine what you’ll learn about yourself along the way.
5. Practice the art of solitude: Let’s face it, sometimes doing something by yourself is better than doing it with someone else. I constantly treat myself to movie dates, going at off-peak hours without worrying about being late (sorry but I love the previews) or if the movie choice is good for everyone. Go do something that you want to do, and enjoy yourself while doing it. Spending time alone is a great way to grow, both creatively and personally.
Travel nursing does not have to be a lonely experience, where you yearn to be home at every moment. Your adventure becomes an adventure based on how you interpret it. Sure, there’s no place like home. But there’s also a world to explore.
