Most people think of travel nursing as something that only young, unmarried nurses do. But the truth is, travel nursing has many benefits at any stage in your career. Travel nursing could be an excellent option if you’re thinking about a change of scenery or want to experience different parts of the country (or even the world).

Here are just a few of the benefits of travel nursing:

1. See New Places

One of the best things about travel nursing is that it allows you to see new places. If you’ve always wanted to travel but never had the opportunity or are just curious about different parts of the country/world, travel nursing is a great way to do it. You can choose where you want to go and how long you want to stay there. Texas is a popular location for travel nurses for many reasons. First, it’s a big state with many diverse locations, so you can find the perfect match for your interests and skillset. For example, you may want to stay at the Marriott Odessa near the hospital and several museums. Second, the cost of living in Texas is relatively low, so you’ll be able to save money while working. And finally, the people in Texas are known for being friendly and welcoming, so you’ll feel right at home while exploring everything this state offers.

2. Earn More Money

Travel nursing is an excellent option for nurses looking to boost their income. Travel nurses typically earn more money than staff nurses, and they also have the opportunity to see different parts of the country (or even the world). Travel nursing can be a great way to experience various types of hospitals and help you make new friends and contacts. If you’re thinking about becoming a travel nurse, be sure to do your research and choose a reputable agency. Once you’ve found the right agency, you’ll be on your way to earning more money and seeing new places.

3. Get Experience in Different Settings

Another benefit of travel nursing is that it allows you to gain experience in different settings. Travel nursing is an excellent option if you’re looking to broaden your skillset or try something new.

4. Meet New People

Travel nursing is a great way to see new places while also doing the vital work of caring for patients. Many travel nurses choose their assignments based on location, so they can explore new cities or states while they work. In addition to getting to know a new place, travel nursing is also a great way to meet new people. You’ll meet other nurses from all over the country (or world) and make new friends. Travel nursing can be a great way to see the world and meet new people, all while doing meaningful work.

5. Take Time Off When You Want

Being a travel nurse affords you a unique level of freedom regarding your career. If you want to take some time off between assignments or even take an extended break for personal travel, you can do so without worrying about losing your job or benefits. This flexibility can be a great perk for those who want to see more of the world or have family obligations that make it challenging to maintain a traditional nursing career. Of course, taking extended breaks can also make it difficult to advance your career, so weighing your options before making a decision is essential. But for those who want the freedom to choose their adventure, travel nursing may be the perfect fit.

If you’re considering becoming a travel nurse, now is the time to do it. Many great opportunities are available, and the benefits are hard to ignore. So what are you waiting for? Start your search today!

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

This article is the second in a series of articles we’re calling “Truth in Travel Nursing.” Designed to provide reliable information to travel nurses, we hope these articles help clear up what we feel are some common misconceptions in the travel nursing profession today.

Tips to determine your best Travel Nursing Pay options:

Hey Gypsies! We’re here to help shed light on some more myths and misunderstandings about your travel nursing pay options as part of our ongoing “Truth in Travel Nursing” series. As we covered in Part 1, there’s many components that make up a solid travel nurse pay package. It is important that travel nurses consider the full picture when comparing compensation packages. This means uncovering the full scope of benefits and pay options. So, as part of our effort to better equip you, we’ve compiled these important tips designed to help you make the best choices for your financial well-being and the Gypsy Life!

Licenses and Certifications

We all know we need a nursing license for each state where we work. This includes permanent, new or renewal licenses, and temporary nursing licenses as offered by some states.

You may also get hit with certification costs for BLS, ACLS, PALS, and NRP and any other advance certifications required by the facility. Since certifications are nationally recognized you won’t have to obtain new certifications for every state where you work, but these certifications typically expire every two years and fees must be paid for renewal.

Unfortunately, licenses and certifications can easily add up to over $1,000 – yikes! Gypsy nurses will have to comply with the specific requirements of each assignment to begin work. Be sure to check if your agency offers reimbursements for these expenses and how those benefits are paid out. This is an often-overlooked benefit when you are comparing packages; it’s not in the travel nurse pay rate but it is a part of the package!

It’s best to know in advance if you have a license or certification that’s going to expire during your next contract so the terms of reimbursement can be discussed upfront. And while some agencies will pay these fees directly, it’s best to stay organized and save all of your receipts.

Medical Records

Travel nurses are also required to provide medical records as part of the travel nurse portfolio, prior to starting an assignment. If you don’t have a current proof of acceptable results you will need to arrange these tests—often times at the facility where you will work. These can include drug screen, TB exam, a physical exam, X-rays, and an MMR titer report. Depending on the requirements, these tests can easily add up to several hundred dollars – yikes! So, be sure to include this to your discussion list with the agency, to ensure you understand:

How much of the fees are covered
When they are paid or reimbursed
Policies around providing you with copies of all results so that you can use for future assignments.

This is another overlooked benefit when comparing packages; it’s not in the pay rate but it is part of the travel nurse pay package!

Insurance

You may want to secure your own medical benefits to ensure you will have continuity of care. This makes it easier if you switch to a new travel nurse staffing agency. Having your private insurance means you can take your plan with you. This also allows you to have a more predictable “Schedule of Benefits.” Changing agencies and changing providers can often mean different co-pays, deductibles, coverage limits, and other variables. On the downside, you may end up paying more for less coverage. Agencies likely receive discounts for purchasing in volume. Be sure you look at the total picture. Don’t choose on the cost alone. The terms of coverage are important. Make sure that the package you select includes catastrophic coverage.

Bonus Pay

Some agencies offer various bonuses to travel nurses. And while these are not typically big dollars, or a primary reason to choose one agency over another, the extra income is always cool!

Most bonuses are designed in such a way that the agency is essentially passing on some of their savings to the traveler. Furthermore, some are designed as an incentive and many are in collaboration with the facility. The savings are realized in terms of recruitment costs, license fees, medical test, certifications, and training.

Here’s a few examples of bonuses you can ask about for your next assignment (just remember that bonuses are taxed at a higher rate than base compensation):

Extension bonus– what if you agree to stay on for another contract period?
Retention, rebook bonus, “Loyalty”– what if you agree to stay with the agency and take a new assignment in a different area?
Completion bonus– does the hospital offer any incentive pay to the agency for a completed contract?

Do Your Homework

Here’s a check list of what to ask your recruiter when evaluating your next pay package:

What portion of your hourly rate is taxable versus non-taxable?
Do you qualify for tax-free per diems?
Are there licenses and certifications needed and how are they paid?
What medical records must you supply, how quickly, and who pays for them?
Does the company provide insurance options to you and when are you eligible?
How do hours worked affect your living expenses stipend?
Are there any bonuses available?

Do you have questions on Pay that we can help answer? Post your questions in the comments and maybe you’ll find your in-depth answer on our next post in this series.

Looking for your Next Travel Nurse Adventure?

Tips to determine your best Travel Nurse Pay Package options

Many components make up a travel nurse’s pay package. When comparing pay packages, don’t just look at the numbers. Travel nurses should dig deeper to see what other benefits are provided. Those additional benefits and bonuses can result in thousands of realized dollars on each contract.

Whether you’re ready to take on your first contract in travel nursing—or perhaps you’ve been at it for a while—determining the best compensation package can be daunting. With so many variables and agencies making promising claims, it’s important to understand what will work best for you and your financial well-being. As part of our ongoing “Truth in Travel Nursing” series, The Gypsy Nurse team has compiled the following first key steps in what to look for in your travel nurse pay package.

Hourly Equivalent

Several factors impact the hourly rate offered for travel nursing assignments. These include:

location: or the region and cost of living where the assignment is located
nursing specialties
timing: how quickly you can start the assignment
even some general supply and demand factors

A travel nurse’s pay will generally consist of two main components:

The regular, taxable hourly rate
The non-taxable reimbursements for housing and meals/incidentals. These are also called stipends, subsidies, allowances, or per diems. These reimbursement payments are meant to cover meals and lodging costs resulting from the duplicate costs of living away from home for the job. Note that you will not receive a housing subsidy if you take company housing.

While sometimes the taxable hourly rate can seem low, agencies structure pay packages to be tax-efficient for the nurse. The less money that goes to a taxable hourly rate and the more that goes to the non-taxable subsidies, the better the net pay for the nurse. This cannot be very clear. Let’s look at some variables and what they may mean for your situation.

Take a Closer Look at Your Taxable Rate

The taxable hourly rate calculates several benefits should you need to use them. Unemployment, workers’ compensation, and disability payments are based on taxable income. Taxable earnings are also where social security contributions originate. Therefore, if you are nearing retirement, lower taxable earnings could significantly impact your future social security payments. In addition, if you need to borrow money for a home or auto loan, the lender will determine your loan amount qualifications from your taxable income.

Take a Closer Look at Non-Taxable Amounts:

Higher non-taxed reimbursements will make your net paycheck increase. At face value, this is appealing. However, it may not be quite that simple. The tax code allows tax-free stipends only while working away from one’s tax home. In many pay-package discussions, the aspect of “per diems” comes up. Here is some further information to help clarify:

You must be eligible for the tax-free per diems. Do you qualify?

There is a widespread myth that if you live (tax home) more than 50 miles away from your assignment, you are entitled to, eligible for, or guaranteed the per diems completely free of taxes. IRS Publication 463 states that you can accept tax-free stipends if “you need to sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away from home.” There are no guidelines, no specific distance given that would constitute your need to sleep or rest. Therefore, if a traveler prefers to drive 70 miles each way to work and back each shift, they do not qualify for tax-free lodging allowances. Why? Because they are commuting. Further, if you commute or are within a “commutable distance,” you don’t qualify. There are no duplicate lodging expenses to reimburse.

The Per Diem amounts

The General Services Administration (a federal government agency) sets GSA Per Diem Rates. These are “the maximum allowances federal employees are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on official travel.” Although designed for government employees, these rates are also applied by the IRS to private sector employees. The travel nurse industry uses these in determining per diem rates. Therefore, these reimbursements are paid free of taxes. Above all, you mustn’t assume you will be paid the exact current GSA table rates. Here are three GSA realities:

GSA rates are the maximum amounts that can be reimbursed without the requirement to turn in receipts. There is NOT a requirement that these maximum amounts be paid out.
GSA rates are based more on short-term hotel housing, which tends to be pricier than the longer-term housing used for a typical travel nurse assignment.
Bill rates are what determine what travel pay and per diems will be. Very rarely is an agency bill rate high enough to pay out the GSA table maximum amount and retain a profit.

Stick with The Gypsy Nurse as we continue to evaluate additional factors that ultimately make up your compensation and your paycheck. We’ll continue to explore more benefits, total package value, guaranteed pay, low census protection, and more in our next article.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

The benefits of travel nursing vary depending on the person. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what you want to get out of your travel nursing career.

To help guide you, we’re going to help you nail down what perks you want most in your travel nurse career. In order to effectively communicate with your recruiter, it’s important to know what is most important to you!

Remember that handy list on why you want to travel from Step #1? Let’s turn that page over and make another list. Brainstorm your personal wants and needs. Don’t worry about making it perfect right now. Just jot down everything you can think of that you could want or need out of travel nursing!

What You Can Get Out of Travel Nursing

When looking at your personal desires and considering what you can get out of travel nursing, it’s important to decipher between a need and a want. Needs are more pressing, while your wants should be items that feel more flexible to you.

Examples of Wants:

12 or 8-hour shifts
Teaching facility versus non-teaching
Small or large hospitals
Location
Overtime availability
100% guaranteed hours (Many people think every travel nursing contract has guaranteed hours–but a lot have some level of a call off policy)
Types of housing available

Examples of Needs:

Salary
Shift
Time off during your contract for non-negotiable events (weddings, baby showers, etc.)
Health insurance
Start date

As you can see, some of these items could go on either list. So, how do you determine what benefits you really need to glean from travel nursing?

You will have to weigh the pros and cons.

Let’s walk through some example scenarios:

You might want to start on September 1st but need to be finished with a contract by a certain date due to a family event in a different state than the contract.

You might want to be in California but most importantly need to be somewhere on the West Coast because your daughter is expecting her first baby.

Now that you have a brainstorm list go back through it and highlight items that are true NEEDS. This list can also change over time! When you are ready, you can return to the introduction or move forward or back using the article links below.

Here are just a few of the benefits of travel nursing:

1. See New Places

2. Earn More Money

3. Get Experience in Different Settings

4. Meet New People

5. Take Time Off When You Want

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

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Tips to determine your best Travel Nursing Pay options:

Licenses and Certifications

Medical Records

Insurance

Bonus Pay

Do Your Homework

Looking for your Next Travel Nurse Adventure?

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Tips to determine your best Travel Nurse Pay Package options

Hourly Equivalent

A travel nurse’s pay will generally consist of two main components:

Take a Closer Look at Your Taxable Rate

Take a Closer Look at Non-Taxable Amounts:

The Per Diem amounts

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

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What You Can Get Out of Travel Nursing

Examples of Wants:

Examples of Needs:

Ready to start your travel nurse career?

Find your Next Gypsy Nurse Contract right here on The Gypsy Nurse!

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