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The thrill of becoming a traveling nurse might come to a complete stop when you think about all the stuff you need to store, get rid of or throw away. The amount of work that is in your future all depends on whether or not you are keeping your permanent home or end your lease or sell the house.
“Honestly, a lot of my travelers keep their current home when they travel,” says Melissa Pryor, national healthcare recruiter at Sunbelt Staffing.
When you’re traveling and you have dual expenses, you’re eligible for “Tax-Free Money/Stipends,” she says.
“For those who don’t keep duplicate housing, I suggest keeping some personal belongings with a friend or family member during your travels. If they have a lot of furniture and larger items, you can look for a storage unit,” she adds.
According to lifestorage.com, the average price of a standard 10′ x 10′ storage unit in the U.S. in 2018 is $111.89, and the average for a climate controlled unit comes in at $133.01.
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“When nurses travel, they get paid more than staff nurses,” Pryor says. “I suggest to some of my travelers to look into travel nurse groups online and possibly rent out their apartment or house when they’re traveling.
There’s a ton of nurses traveling, so they could potentially help out a fellow nurse and rent their current home when they’re on assignment.”
If your parents have a free basement or closets, that could be your first answer. But Pryor has seen that most nurses keep their stuff in their current home.
For those nurses who rent out their own home when they’re traveling, she encourages them to get a lock for a closet and keep their personal belongings in there while they’re gone.
By decluttering every room, drawer, and closet, you can actually make some money. You can sell your stuff free on Craigslist. Giving it to a charity such as Goodwill gives you a tax break when it’s time to fill out your tax return.
Or you can set up a garage sale or bring it to a consignment shop or second-hand store for some quick cash. Plus the action of cleaning up your old place can give you a clear mind to move on to your new assignment without worries.
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“I always say ‘take what you’ll need’ such as clothing and small personal items. You don’t really need much. Less is better,” she says. And for those who fly to their new assignment, you really have to keep things simple because most airlines charge for each suitcase.
If there is something you really need but can’t pack it right away, have someone send it to you at your new address.
Yellowpages.ca states that if you need to pack some boxes to be flown to your designation, you should use bedding, sweaters, scarves or bubble wrap to pad fragile items. Heaviest items definitely should be packed at the bottom of the box.
To avoid homesickness, definitely pack something that reminds you of home such as a family portrait. When you get to your destination, it’s OK to go to the nearest big box store and buy some décor, dishes or other things that can make it feel like it’s your place.
A storage unit would be great or ask a friend or family member to let you store things there until you need it for a different assignment somewhere colder, Pryor states.
But don’t pack away every jacket you own. Even warm climates can have chilly evenings and rainy days. A lightweight raincoat and a few sweatshirts can carry you through.
Pryor’s biggest tip before packing or storing anything is to research the area.
“I always try to do a little research about the area and tell my nurses some fun and interesting things to do near their new assignment. That way they have a better idea of what they might need to bring,” she says.
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A new travel assignment and a new temporary home can bring joy along with some frustrations.
For many people, it’s tough getting a good’s night sleep in different surroundings. That can be for a lot of reasons – nerves for a new job, homesickness, bad mattress or “first-night effect” phenomenon.
A Brown University study last year found that one brain hemisphere remains more awake than the other during deep sleep to keep watch over your new and strange environment. Animals do similar things. Seals sleep with one eye open, for instance. The study shows that most people return to their normal sleep habits the second night.
However, it might take longer in a new place especially if you are changing travel assignments every 13 weeks or traveling to completely new places you have never been in your life. It might take some effort to get on a solid sleeping schedule for the sake of your health, safety and productivity.
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Not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to so many things in your life and job, says Dr. M. Safwan Badr, professor and chief of the divisions of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
“So many errors can be made in the medical profession especially for those who stay up all night,” he says. “There is a consensus among all professional societies that we need more than 7 hours of sleep. But it is a three-legged stool. You need nutrition, exercise and sleep for the three pillars of optimal health.”
The recent research titled Wake-Up Call: The Importance of Sleep in Organizational Life from Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Mass., reveals some interesting statistics.
Over half of people who do not get enough sleep struggle to stay focused in meetings, took longer to complete tasks and found it challenging to generate new ideas.
That’s not good news for nurses, no matter what shift you work or department you work in. Eighty-four percent of those surveyed felt more irritable as a result of poor sleep, and well over half experienced higher levels of stress, anxiety and feelings of frustration.
Even getting an extra half hour to hour sleep can help tremendously.
For those travel nurses who have problems sleeping in a new place at least for the first few days, here are some ideas to try for restful sleep:
Avoid caffeine beverages at night, keep bright lights out of the bedroom especially your cell phone, wind down an hour before sleep, and go to bed earlier if you aren’t getting enough sleep, Badr says.
Your bedroom can be the biggest catalyst for you getting a great sleep, says The Better Sleep Council.
Even in a rented apartment as a travel nurse, there some important things you can add, fix or remove to help you get through those unsettling first nights in a new place.
Choose room-darkening blinds or drapes for your sleeping time, especially if you work nights and sleep days. But let the sunshine in during the rest of the day. Make sure your sheets are comfortable and clean, and your pillow isn’t lumpy or too stiff.
If you need to block unwanted noise coming from an adjacent apartment, just buy a fan at your local big box store.
If you like the sound of the ocean but live in the Midwest or mountains, you can buy a CD or find a smartphone app with sea, woods or other soothing sounds.
The Better Sleep Council also suggests that an air purifier, air conditioner or small fountain can be great white noises to distract strange noises in a new place.
Earplugs also work wonders.
The Better Sleep Council reveals that the ideal bedroom temperature for sleeping is around 65 degrees. Also, if you have too many comforters, pillows and blankets, you might be too hot and feel stifled. You can also get a cooling gel mattress pad or pillows with the same concept.
Making exercise whether it be just walking, running, swimming, dancing or anything else that gets your heart pumping and your body sweating can actually promote better sleeping. Just don’t do your activity too close to your sleeping time, Badr says.
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As every travel nurse knows, all that time away from home can begin to wear on you. You may even begin to forget why you started the journey in the first place. Sometimes, you just need a little inspiration, a reminder to rekindle that sense of adventure you had in the beginning.
These five books will not only bring all the romance of the road back, but they’ll make you a better human being. After all, this is literature – the stuff great dreams are made of!
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Along with our favorite books about the road, we’ve also included a couple that are a bit more practical in nature. These page-turners will help you get through any rough patches you face along the way.
1. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
The quintessential story of the American road trip, Kerouac’s telling of freedom, generosity, and longing established him as the voice of the Beat Generation. His jazz-like prose captured the heart of the 50’s underground movement and proves to be an inspirational work with lasting importance.
2. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Don’t let the diminutive size of this novel fool you, its depth and heart are larger than books ten times its length. A fable about following your dreams, it centers on an Andalusian shepherd boy who longs to travel in search for riches. Ultimately, his journey leads him to something of far greater value.
3. Travel Nurse’s Bible (A Guide to Everything on Travel Nursing), David Morrison
This comprehensive guide to travel nursing manages to provide a wealth of useful information in an enjoyable, easy-to-read manner. It covers every aspect of travel nursing including qualifications, personality traits, staffing agencies, and even tax considerations. The author also offers personalized assistance to anyone seeking a travel nursing career.
4. Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet by Heather Poole
Not surprisingly, flight attendants share a lot of the same experiences as travel nurses. This hilariously charming account will not only give you an insider’s view from the jumpseat, but will keep you entertained as you navigate yourself through the friendly skies.
5. I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse by Lee Gutkind
This incredible collection of personal narratives reveals the diverse and dynamic lives of nurses in many different stages of their careers. Working in the frontline of patient care can be as stressful as it is rewarding, and the reflections of these writers can help you when you’re struggling against burnout or bureaucracy.
Nurses are often an inspiration to those around them — so much so that people tend to forget that they could use a little inspiration themselves. What books help keep you inspired?
I think it’s safe to say that every nurse has the ability to be an effective leader. Below I have described some great ways that you can get more involved in your unit, while demonstrating your leadership abilities.
Get involved in your unit’s committee and see where you can lend a helping hand. If your unit does not have a formal committee or gathering, start one. Talk with your unit manager and discuss some of your ideas. This could be a great opportunity for you to get involved with your team and demonstrate your leadership abilities. Start a journal club where you can discuss monthly topics or recent evidence based practices that are apical to your unit. Get involved with your units safety team where you can help identify weak areas in policies and assist on making them better. Find your passion and join a committee, they are the easiest and most effective ways to get involved with your unit.
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I have a huge passion for fixing problems, especially in healthcare. I think every unit has an opportunity to grow. As times change, we often develop weak areas within our organizations. Often times these weak areas are overlooked due to everyone being so busy. So take a moment during your shift and take a look around your unit. What are some potential problem areas or what is an old process that could be updated? Maybe it is a better way of organizing your unit’s glucometers or maybe it can be developing a new buddy system for taking breaks. Whatever it is, fixing little issues like this on your unit impacts the team in a huge way. It also gets others thinking as well, which can spur a whole lot of new ideas.
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When I was traveling as a nurse I loved and respected hospitals that promoted healthy work environments. I think this truly shows teamwork and leadership at its core. We are all a team and we need to step up and encourage /support each other. If you see another nurse struggling, simply ask if you can help them with anything. Even if they don’t want your help you are being kind and showing that you support the team.
You can also support a healthy work environment by participating in your unit’s mentorship program, or taking on a few student nurses during your shift. This will clearly show your leadership abilities by leading new nurses into the profession. If your unit doesn’t have one, create one! I was very blessed to have worked with and been mentored by some amazing people in my career. They taught me a lot that I am truly grateful for. Take the opportunity to do the same for others and participate/lead the next generation of nurses. Who knows, one day they may be asking you if you need any help.
If taking part in a unit council meeting or developing new unit policies is not your thing, perhaps you could try leading your unit in a healthy fit club, or host a local walk for charity. There are so many options and sometimes your hospital may already participle in certain programs, so talk with your unit manager and see if you can start a unit team and get everyone together. Sponsoring or joining a charitable walk can be a lot of fun and inspiring for staff members, all while getting a little work out in.
These are a lot of fun and you can lead the way by planning local outings for everyone. One unit I use to work on would go to a different restaurant styled theme every month. So after work, everyone would kick back, relax, laugh, eat, cry, and get to know each other a little bit more. It was a great feeling to be able to get away like that after a busy day. It also brought us all closer together.
These are just a few ways a nurse can get more involved in their unit. I encourage you talk with your leadership team about your concerns and any new ideas you might have. The first trait at being an effective leader is being able to communicate. So talk with your team and see how you can get more involved together.
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The term “nurse burnout/fatigue” is unfortunately very common within the nursing profession. Burnout, according to The Free Dictionary, is described as “a mental or physical energy depletion after a period of chronic, unrelieved job-related stress characterized sometimes by physical illness.”
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That sounds like a typical 12 hour shift for some nurses. I think as nurses we can all imagine how this syndrome might affect each and every one of us at least once in our professional lifetimes. I would like to say that traveling to tropical destinations as part of your job is an easy fix to preventing burnout/fatigue, however, as many of you may know, travel nursing comes with its own set of difficulties.
If we take a look at some of the common causes of burnout/fatigue, for example – shift work, emotionally demanding patients and families, increased work load, constantly changing healthcare environment/new technologies, constant demands from administration and most important, not being able to manage stress, we can quickly assume that avoiding this phenomenon can be extremely difficult no matter where you work. The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) has made one of its organizational goals to help nurses incorporate self-care practices into their daily work life to help combat nurse burnout. The AHNA recommends:
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I found the lack of supportive work environment very challenging when I first started travel nursing. There are many instances when you will be second guessed and made to feel incompetent; you might have to defend yourself for decisions you have made regarding patient care; your skills might be questioned. This type of environment may lead to a lower self-esteem and absenteeism from work, which are some of the many consequences of burnout. I think it is very important to choose a travel assignment at a hospital that is used to having travel nurses; the administration and staff nurses tend to have systems in place to help support travelers and are usually more trusting of a traveler’s professional abilities. Having a good relationship with your travel company is also vital when it comes to building a support system. The beauty of being a travel nurse is that you are no longer required to get caught up in all of the politics that comes with our profession. You are simply there to take care of your patients and that alone makes up for many of the other obstacles.
Finding a strong support system in a city you have never been is very difficult unless you plan on spending more than 3 months there. I recommend keeping in touch with your closest friends and family members on a weekly basis. It is also a good idea to connect with other travel nurses in your orientation week to establish connections early on in your assignment. Good nutrition and exercise are most likely established over time. I have witnessed many transformations as travel nurses have become strongly influenced by the healthy culture of one city and it changes their lives forever. There is something to be said for being alone in a big city that invites you to come out of your shell. Don’t be afraid to explore new experiences with new people. I found joining small studio fitness gyms to be the easiest way to meet new people; there is typically no membership involved and they usually workout in groups.
Burnout/fatigue is a serious issue amongst the nursing profession. Failing to learn how to manage your work-related stress can lead to dire consequences including; mental/physical exhaustion, emotional emptiness (compassion fatigue), bitterness and cynicism towards patients and families, health consequences such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, poor eating habits, drug or alcohol problems, or leaving the profession altogether. Preventing burnout can be as simple as taking a step into the break room for a few minutes to do some deep breathing exercises or joining a yoga class. Don’t let burnout ruin your travel nursing experience or your career; self-care is just as important as patient care!
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When people think of nursing, the first words that usually come to mind are blood, urine, stool, vomit, and sputum. People often wonder how we do our jobs. What they don’t realize is that dealing with bodily fluids is the easiest part of this gig; it’s the emotional side that gets to you.
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In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of being a nurse is managing your own emotions and those of complex patients and their families. Managing emotions was not taught to us in nursing school and probably wasn’t a part of our nursing orientation either.
What you may have noticed is that managing your emotions does not come easy, at least not to everyone. It is a learned behavior that also comes with experience.
The ability to identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of others is known as emotional intelligence or EI.
According to a study conducted in Boston with more than 20,000 executives, it was found that EI was twice as important as technical skills and cognitive abilities in determining leadership ability.
It was also found that successful staff nurses tend to have average or above average EI. Because the evidence overwhelmingly supports the idea that developing your EI is essential to becoming a happy and successful nurse, it is essential that we take the steps necessary to get in touch with our emotions.
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The first step to becoming emotionally intelligent is to be able to identify your own emotions and know what your “buttons” are.
If you know that drug-seeking patients tend to get on your nerves and you find in report that your next patient has drug-seeking behavior, then now would be a good time to recognize the need to calm and prepare yourself prior to entering that patient’s room.
Maybe take some deep breaths. Some evidence shows that something as simple as smiling at a patient can lighten the mood.
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The next step would be recognizing emotions in others.
If you walk into a room and the patient who is normally talkative, is instead being quiet, has a tense posture, or is fidgeting, these may be signs that the patient is angry.
Instead of taking this anger personally, it is important to investigate the source of the anger by listening. Recognize if you are becoming defensive. Maybe you are tense or breathing faster.
Take this moment to take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and listen. After they are finished venting, acknowledge their feelings, express regret about the situation by apologizing, validate their complaint and ask the patient what you can do for them.
The third step would be developing empathy. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines empathy as “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions; the ability to share someone else’s feelings”.
As an ICU nurse, if I actually experienced everyone else’s feelings every time, I would be emotionally exhausted. The idea here is to convey to the patient that you understand their situation even if you don’t necessarily feel it in your heart or agree with it.
I recently had an experience during an orientation where a patient’s sister stated that she did not want a new nurse to take care of her sister. The nurse who was mentoring me sat down with the sister and listened to her story. Apparently, this patient has been in and out of the hospital multiple times since she was a child and her sister was right there with her. It wasn’t anything personal towards me, it was just the sister protecting her loved one.
I have found the best way to be empathetic is to imagine a scenario that truly puts you in the other person’s shoes. What if that was you in that bed or someone you loved? If this is difficult for you to imagine it may be wise to use “scripting” to help you find phrases that convey empathy such as “if I were in your position, I would feel the same way.”
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If you have a patient that is just too much to handle, it’s okay to cry – just do it in the break room. And it’s perfectly fine to just walk away.
Let your charge nurse know the situation and use it as a learning experience. Your nursing profession is a long journey full of plenty of opportunities to practice your patience and improve your emotional intelligence. Take the time now to research ways to improve your EI.
Find a leader or mentor you can observe interacting in emotionally challenging situations. Identify behaviors that you need to work on and practice self-awareness both at work and in your personal life. Seek feedback from others who have experience dealing with complex patients and actively seek to unlearn old behaviors and replace them with new ones.
Learning to recognize and manage your emotions not only benefits your professional life but your personal life as well. Finding happiness in nursing is not impossible. With a goal in mind and a well thought out plan, you can achieve nursing Nirvana.
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This is it! It’s time to get on the road. You turned in the 7,000 single pieces of paperwork and gave your two-week notice. Fingerprints: check. Drug screen: check. Cancel cable and internet: check.
Your entire life is packed snugly in the back of your car and the travel snack bag is sitting in the front seat with you.
Next stop – your first assignment!
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Move in day is my favorite! I’m a nester. I love getting out the stuff I haven’t seen in a week and putting it in just the right spot in my new home away from home.
For your first assignment, it’s important to spare some room for a few picture frames from home and maybe your favorite wall hanging to make the space yours.
Getting to know your new area is a fun first-day adventure. Drive to the hospital, scope out the parking and your new Starbucks, check out your the grocery store and Target. If you decide to save grocery shopping for day, two you’ll get the opportunity to try out a new restaurant or happy hour – Yelp will be your new best friend.
If you travel with a pet, I’d also suggest you scope out the nearest vet, or at least the nearest 24/7 emergency clinic (I guess you should do that for yourself too, ha!). It never fails that one of my pups gets into something they shouldn’t at the most inopportune moments. Like midnight on the night before my first day on the unit. That’s not exactly when I want to be scrolling through vet reviews on Yelp (See? New best friend).
Before you get to your new hospital, your recruiter will give you First Day Instructions. Reading and knowing this info well beforehand will really help ease first-day anxiety.
They’ll typically include where to park, hospital orientation dates and times, what building on what day, and what to wear (Spoiler Alert: this will always be scrubs – even if it’s not. Unless you enjoy being a fancy pants. Then by all means, bring dress clothes).
First day of hospital orientation varies by hospital. Some require travelers to go through the entire general nursing hospital orientation where the onboarding process is very similar to new grads or new full-time employees and is a week long. Other hospitals just require some online modules, a few hours with HR for paperwork, and then maybe some computer training and/or skills lab.
After the hospital orientation/onboarding hoopla travelers usually get 2-3 days of orientation on the unit with a preceptor. This is the most important part, you learn where stuff is in the supply room and all the codes to the doors, oh, and also how they do nursing care. I like to take over from the very beginning of day one.
Starting over in a new unit is hard. You don’t know anyone, how the unit runs, which person is going to share your off-the-wall sense of humor. If you didn’t have social skills before, you’ll definitely be acquiring them travel nursing.
I’ve found that if you come in with a good attitude, willing to work hard and help out your new coworkers will welcome you with open arms. People are usually curious and want to know all about where you’re from, where you’ve worked before, why you wanted to go into travel nursing.
It’s not hard to strike up a conversation and keep it going. Plus, you’ll be running around asking a million questions during your first shifts on your own. That’s a great way to remember everyone’s names and faces. I’ve left almost all of my assignments feeling like a part of the team. When people find out you’re leaving, a lot of times they won’t even know you weren’t permanent staff in the first place.
On the other end of that spectrum though, there are going to be one or two times where you feel like you were just the hired help (Reality Check: you are the hired help). A lot of the units you’ll be going to have nurses that are already tired and overworked. Although they know you’re one cool cat and appreciate your help, they might not always show it.
It’s mind-boggling how fast years can fly by (those high school reunions sure have a way of reminding you don’t they?).
Three months goes by at lightning speed. At the beginning of the assignment, the end seems forever away. Yet, one minute you’re getting ready for your first day of orientation and the next it’s your last shift on the unit. All the faces that were once strangers are now friends and you can finally find the tape measures in the supply closet.
When I think about my very first assignment it feels like yesterday, yet here I am five years and 13 assignments later, getting ready for my next new adventure.
We all know what they say about opinions. But alas, that is what this article is about, my opinion on the top 5 states to travel to. However, I’m going to go ahead and pull the experience card. I may not have been to all 50 states for this to be 100% accurate but I am about to start my 15th assignment and my 5th year of traveling, so I do know a few things and want to share them with you.
So without further ado, here are the top places for travel nursing – from an actual travel nurse’s point of view.
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This probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Once you get past the craziness that is the licensing process, California is easily my favorite spot to travel to. California has everything you could possibly want from a travel assignment – great pay, stunning beaches, lush forests and mountains, and so many things to do you couldn’t get bored even if you tried.
In northern California you can expect to make about $45-50 per hour, and that’s not even including any type of housing, housing stipend, or meals reimbursements. You’ll also find cool summers, fun in San Francisco, and the picturesque Redwood National Park.
Southern California will satisfy your Mexican food cravings, help you work on your tan, and allow you to finally learn to surf, an activity not limited to summertime. Southern Californian hospitals typically pay around $30-$35 per hour not including housing or meals.
Never fear snow bunnies, no matter where you are in the state of California, you are within driving distance of beautiful resorts and great skiing. Not mentioned yet are the many amazing hospitals you’ll have the opportunity to work at. A few of the award-winning hospitals are UCLA Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai, UCSF Medical Center, and Stanford. If you plan your assignments right, you can have an entire year of sunny 70 degree weather.
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An entire article could be written about all the things New York City has to offer. Tons of history, prestigious hospitals, and something to appeal to every single person in the world. No matter what time of the year you go, you will never run out of things to do . Central Park in the summer is great for biking, running, and sightseeing. In the wintertime, cold weather calls for indoor activities like going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, seeing a Broadway show, eating at any of the top-rated restaurants, or take advantage of some of the greatest shopping in the world.
Traveling to NYC will give you the chance to work at New York Presbyterian Hospital and NYU Langone Medical Center where you can expect to bring home approximately $45 per hour. With everything NYC has to offer, money is the last thing on my priority list.
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When I think of Colorado, the following things come to mind: professional sports, the great Rocky Mountains, and delicious craft brew. The city of Denver is known for the Broncos and Rockies, however it is also known for its variety of microbreweries and craft beer. If you choose to partake in the adult beverage and consider yourself a “beer snob” or “connoisseur” then Denver is the place for you. If that’s not your scene, fear not, the Rocky Mountains run the entire length of the state and offer miles of hiking and biking trails, skiing, scenic drives, and historic mountain towns.
Denver is home to University of Colorado Health System and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Depending on specialty one might expect to make approximately $30 per hour here that you can put right toward your ski lift ticket. Not convinced yet? It’s a compact state! Yep, no need to apply for licensure if your initial license is compact.
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Full disclosure: I am a native Texan. However, I’ve spent most of the last 5 years out of state so I feel like I can be mostly unbiased at this point. Texas is hands down one of the best places to be during the wintertime. If kayaking, standup paddle boarding, or paddle boating in January and February sounds like a good time, Austin is the place for you. Austin is also known as the live music capital of the world and hosts many live music festivals like Fun, Fun, Fun Fest, South by Southwest, and Austin City Limits. Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio are also mild winter options for those who are tired of those northern snow storms or have never lived north of the Mason-Dixon.
Texas is home to Baylor University Medical Center and Houston Methodist Hospital – both highly esteemed in the medical community. In Texas you’ll take home $20-$30 per hour. Don’t be discouraged by the lower hourlies, the cost of living in Texas is a lot lower than California or New York so your money will go further there. It’s also another compact state!
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This one might seem a little bit out of left field. As far as I know, it doesn’t make any top lists of places to visit in the travel nurse world. That’s too bad, because it is such a great state. Before traveling to Baltimore, Maryland I had no idea where it even was on a map. I found out it’s a lush, green state, full of history and great opportunities. My favorite thing about Maryland is its rich history. The cities of Annapolis and Baltimore date back to the 1700s and you can still eat and drink in places that have been in existence for over a hundred years.
Maryland is also right in the middle of the east coast. If you’re the type of traveler who likes to get good bang for your buck, Baltimore is it. In 3 hours or less, you can drive to New York City, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, and beachy Ocean City, Maryland. Washington D.C. is just an hour train ride to the south. So just one assignment in Baltimore can get you to all those amazing cities. Maryland is also great for outdoorsmen and women. Maryland’s outer banks have lovely beaches and Assateague State Park where you can spot wild horses in their natural habitat. Further inland, you can take advantage of the many state parks for hiking, mountain biking, and waterfall hunting.
Let’s not forget the biggest selling point for travel nurses, Johns Hopkins Hospital. It’s one of the best hospitals in the nation and it’s the only hospital I’ve been back to twice. Hourly rates in Maryland are $20-$30 per hour depending on what hospital you work at and what company you’re traveling with which is true for each state. And once again, Maryland is a compact state.
Related: Current Nursing Compact States – What You Need To Know
These are but a humble traveler’s top 5 states for travel nursing. The second I get back from Alaska or Hawaii, it’s possible this list could change, but I’ll stand by it for now. Also, it’s important to note that ten of the hospitals I mentioned hold spots in U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2016-2017. My favorite 5 states are rich in history, adventures, and great medical care. Please do yourself a favor and travel to all of them! Twice!
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.
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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.
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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.
