December 3, 2025

174 Views

How Travel Nurses Can Confidently Manage a Busy Patient Load

Posted on December 3, 2025November 19, 2025 by Seven Healthcare

Travel nurses are known for being adaptable, skilled, and ready to jump into new environments with ease. Busy units and fast-paced shifts are part of what makes travel nursing exciting — they give you the chance to use your strengths, sharpen your clinical skills, and make an immediate impact.

Here are some practical, confidence-boosting travel nurse tips to help you stay organized, efficient, and fully in control during high-volume shifts.

Travel Nurse Tips for Busy Shifts

1. Set Yourself Up for a Smooth Shift

A strong start makes everything easier.

Take a few minutes at the beginning of your shift to:

Review charts and care plans
Identify time-sensitive priorities
Map out a simple workflow

This little bit of prep helps you stay calm, focused, and ahead of schedule.

2. Use Smart, Efficient Care Clustering

Clustering care keeps your day flowing and ensures patients get quality time with you.
Try combining:

Assessments
Med rounds
Quick check-ins
Basic care tasks

It boosts efficiency while helping you build a great rapport with patients.

3. Stay Connected With Your Unit Team

Travel nurses thrive when communication is clear and consistent.
Check in with:

The charge nurse
Support staff
Your fellow RNs

4. Document in Real Time

Charting as you go helps keep everything accurate and stress-free.
Simple habits like:

Adding notes right after assessments
Charting during natural pauses
Keeping a quick-reference notepad

…help you stay organized all shift long.

5. Lean Into Your Support System

If your unit has CNAs, techs, or float staff, they’re there to help your shift run well.
Delegating appropriately allows you to focus on the clinical tasks that need your RN expertise while ensuring each patient receives consistent, timely care.

6. Keep a Positive Flow With Proactive Communication

If you ever need a hand or notice an opportunity to make the workflow smoother, speak up early.
Units appreciate travel nurses who communicate clearly — it builds trust and sets the tone for great teamwork.

7. Take Care of Yourself Between Shifts

Busy days go better when you feel your best.
Make time for:

Hydration
A meal that actually fuels you
A wind-down routine
Enough rest

Your well-being is just as important as the care you give.

8. Celebrate Your Wins

Travel nursing is full of moments that remind you why you chose this path.
Each new environment you adapt to, each patient you support, and each skill you refine is something to be proud of.

You’re making a difference wherever you go.

Final Thoughts

Managing a busy patient load is something travel nurses handle with professionalism, flexibility, and heart. With a few simple strategies, you can keep your shifts smooth, your care high-quality, and your confidence strong.

Looking for your next travel nursing adventure? Seven Healthcare has nationwide opportunities with exceptional support every step of the way.

Ready to put these travel nurse tips into action? Check out The Gypsy Nurse job board to find your next assignment and keep your adventures going strong!

By The Gypsy Nurse

April 11, 2023

39423 Views

Travel Nurse Vacation: 13-Week Life Cycle of Travel Nurse

Posted on April 11, 2023May 14, 2024 by The Gypsy Nurse

Working as a Travel Nurse, most of our life is planned out in 13-week blocks. Whether we are planning for the “during a travel assignment” or the “between travel assignments,” we still schedule our lives around our contracts or our contracts around our lives. It doesn’t matter how you prefer to look at it. Whether it’s a horrible contract (because we all have had them) or a flawless one, we all start counting down the weeks, shifts, or even hours.

Many start counting down from day #1! If it’s a terrible contract, it just brings a reassurance, knowing it’s only temporary, and you have to endure X amount of days until you hit the road home or off to the next new (and hopefully better) adventure. If it ends up being a flawless contract, full of adventures with locals or fellow travel nurses, it could be a sad countdown- knowing that the fun has to end in 13 weeks, sadly.

I can survive anything! (Can’t I?)

One benefit of travel nursing is that we live and survive by the mentality, “I can do anything for 13 weeks”- good, bad, or horrible. You are never more than 13 weeks away from that sometimes much-needed break from nursing. Considering the high level of burnout in nurses, that break between contracts is an invaluable perk. Working staff, our threshold of ‘dealing’ with things had to be high.

We had to maintain a positive attitude and go to work every day, sometimes dreading dealing with a difficult co-worker. As a travel nurse, you can survive knowing that you only have to deal with that difficult staff member for 13 weeks, and you may never have to see them again. However, most likely, there could be a difficult staff member at the next travel assignment. You never know. Going in with a positive attitude and knowing that there could always be, and usually will be, some things that are not ideal, but you CAN survive anything!

Holidays- to Work or Not to Work

Holidays can be an exciting time, full of family and tradition. Many travel nurses choose not to travel during December because they want to be home for Christmas. That is the beauty of life as a gypsy nurse; you can decide if you want to work over the holidays or not. That holiday could be Christmas, July 4th, or even Mother’s Day. You can decide and create the perfect scenario that fits your life and your wishes.

We are lucky to pre-plan our lives 13 weeks at a time; no forms to fill out, requesting off, or dreading the schedule being posted to see if your request was granted. I know travel nurses who work out their contracts so that the contract ends before the holidays, and they do not accept a new one until after the holidays are over. Travel during the holiday season is a nightmare, as is attempting to see all of my family members, so I prefer to travel during the holidays. It’s just less stress for me that way. Those who live in one of the ‘serious’ winter states, such as Michigan or Indiana, prefer to be on a contract in Arizona or Hawaii during the winter.

Back-to-Back Contracts, Or Mini Vacations

By living life 13 weeks at a time, travel nurses can choose if they will work back-to-back contracts or if they will take time off between contracts, and if so, how much. That’s the beauty of travel nursing! You are not restricted by how much time off you have available in the time pool or what you might have earned from your employer. Travel nurses do not have to be limited. You can take as much time as you need/want off between contracts. Some people take 2 weeks to rebound and recoup from work. High school or college graduations? Family vacations? Maybe your first grandchild will be born, and you want to be there for the first 6-8 weeks to help out. Travel nursing affords you the flexibility to pre-plan around and in between contracts.

Avoiding Boredom

Some people get bored easily; if that is you, then travel nursing might be the right path for you. Thirteen weeks is the perfect amount of time on the job to avoid boredom. Most people dream of having the luxury of getting to pick and choose where you live for 13 weeks.

People not in the travel nurse profession often ask, “What is it like living life 13 weeks at a time?” Here is a brief synopsis of the feelings that most travel nurses and I have:

Week #1 Excitement/Fear/Introductions.

The first week will usually fly by as you attend orientation and try to find your way around the facility and back and forth to work. Locating amenities like a local grocery store, gym, post office, etc. Simple tasks like remembering everyone’s names are difficult for me for the first several weeks!

Week #2-4 Learning curve.

With every new job comes the angst of learning your routine and new policies and procedures. The amount of time varies from person to person. I’ve found that my average is 2-4 weeks.

Weeks # 4-6 Finding your rhythm

For me, weeks 4-6 are when I begin to fall into a good groove on the job. I can finally find most of the supplies and know how to contact the physicians and the pharmacy. I have found my confidence and can lose some of the ‘newbie’ jitters. This is also the time you can usually start to get to know the staff. During the weeks prior, I usually have no extra time to concentrate on getting into my own routine and learning where everything is. I finally have time to breathe, slow down, and say hello to co-workers. This is generally when you realize that your contract is already half over!

Weeks #6-10: Sightseeing mode kicks in!

Work has gotten easier, I am into my routine, and my level of mental exhaustion has tapered off. This is when I start to get antsy and have to get out and see things! I recommend that you take a weekend to explore nearby touristy stops and try to schedule walking tours of the city. Make plans with co-workers or other travel nurses to meet up for dinner or drinks. This is the best time to get out and enjoy being in a new city.

Weeks 10-13 Short-timers start to kick in.

This is why I have found that things can become monotonous for me. I’m feeling the pangs of boredom kicking in while I am at work. That certain co-worker is beginning to grate on your nerves. Your frustration level is starting to increase. You might even begin to become frustrated with the lack of __________ (fill in the blank) on the job. You know what I mean. It’s going to be all the little things you did not have time to focus on during the first nine weeks because you focused on finding that all-important rhythm.

But there is good news!

This is generally when you begin planning and searching for the next travel assignment so that you can start all over again for another 13 weeks! You will start chatting with your recruiter and seeking the next adventure (or planning for that much-needed time off). Either way, your thoughts will be focused on the ‘next 13 weeks.

If you’re like me (and most travel nurses) and get bored easily, thrive on change, adventure, and the unknown…maybe you should try living life 13 weeks at a time.

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!)

By The Gypsy Nurse

September 19, 2022

16568 Views

A BRIGHT SPOT IN HEALTHCARE: TRAVEL NURSES REPORT HIGHER JOB SATISFACTION

Posted on September 19, 2022September 20, 2022 by The Gypsy Nurse

New Study Shows 30% are more satisfied today than before the pandemic;

85% plan to continue their travel nursing careers

BOCA RATON, Fla. – September 19, 2022 – Burnout, turnover, and low morale have all taken a heavy toll on the healthcare profession in recent years. But for travel nurses, the pandemic appears to have increased resilience and galvanized the community, according to a recent survey. The study, Voice of the Travel Nurse reveals that 85% of travel nurses intend to continue in their careers. In measuring their satisfaction levels, 50% are as satisfied today as they were pre-pandemic; 30% say they’re more satisfied today.

Voice of the Travel Nurse was conducted by an independent research firm and commissioned by The Gypsy Nurse, the largest and most active online community of travel nurses in the world. The organization provides a variety of career resources to more than 500,000 followers and members across its digital channels. More than 1,000 travel nurses were surveyed.

“We commissioned this study to gain a more thorough understanding of travel nurse perspectives,” said Steve Curtin, CEO of The Gypsy Nurse. “By knowing what drives – and erodes – their satisfaction, we can provide better resources to the travel nurse community, and to the healthcare facilities and staffing agencies relying on these professionals for critical roles.”

Curtin will present the findings in detail on September 20 in Las Vegas at TravCon ’22, the yearly conference for travel health professionals. (More details on the conference are below.)

Additional Report Highlights

Current satisfaction: 79% of travel nurses are satisfied or very satisfied with their current role.
Compensation: Competitive pay attracts travel nurses to the profession, but once they’ve established themselves as travelers, factors other than money take on greater significance in retaining them.
Satisfaction drivers: Flexibility and the ability to make a difference in multiple healthcare settings are among the top factors contributing to travel nurses feeling fulfilled in their work.
Other contributors: Healthcare facilities in which travel nurses work and staffing firms that arrange their contract assignments also contribute to satisfaction, with facilities having a slightly more substantial impact.

Room for Improvement

The study pointed to several areas for enhancement. For uncommitted travel nurses – those who are uncertain or unlikely to continue their travel nursing careers – they noted the following areas as troublesome:

Patient ratios: 33% are dissatisfied with patient-to-staff ratios.
Treatment: 33% are unhappy with how they’re treated compared to staff nurses. More than one-quarter (27 percent) are dissatisfied with how they’re treated by hospital staff.

Communication is a central issue as well. Among committed travel nurses – those who plan to continue working in travel – only 64% received regular communications from their healthcare facility. When rating their experience with staffing agencies, 72% noted their agency keeps them informed regularly.

Making Meaningful Change

Curtin noted that while cultural changes cannot happen overnight, leaders should begin work now to identify issues so they can rectify them. “Organizations that take time to honestly evaluate their work culture and make necessary improvements will attract more talent,” he said. “It’s imperative for travel nurses to be viewed – and treated – as part of the core team, not a separate group. Leaders who integrate travel nurses into their organizations and keep them informed on key issues will enhance their culture and attract the best talent in the travel community.”

As nursing shortages are expected to increase sharply in the near future, Curtin emphasized that recruiting and retaining nursing staff is a shared responsibility among healthcare organizations and the broader community. “All of us must advocate for safe work environments, better communication, and greater recognition for current and future nurses. To build a workforce that can support our healthcare requirements moving forward, educational institutions, government agencies and the private sector must all work with the healthcare community to advance the nursing profession.”

About The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is the world’s largest community of travel nurses with an audience of more than 500,000 members across multiple channels including TheGypsyNurse.com and TravCon, the leading healthcare traveler conference. The organization builds awareness of travel healthcare career options and offers travel healthcare professionals the knowledge, tools, and social connectivity required to build successful careers supported by a community of like-minded professionals.

Earlier this year, The Gypsy Nurse acquired TravCon, the yearly conference for travel healthcare professionals. TravCon ’22 will be held at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas from September 18-21. The conference is the largest in-person gathering of healthcare travel professionals in the United States. It enables attendees to earn continuing education credits, connect with other healthcare professionals, and be recognized for their contributions and work over the last year.

For more information on TravCon ‘22, visit https://travcon.org/. For more information on The Gypsy Nurse, visit https://www.thegypsynurse.com/

# # #

For a full copy of the report and/or interviews with Steve Curtin and travel nurses:

Maureen Carrig

maureen@carrigcommunications.com

650/520-0780

travel nurses report travel nurses report

By The Gypsy Nurse

August 15, 2021

9920 Views

5 Easy Ways to Make a Space Feel Like Home

Posted on August 15, 2021August 15, 2021 by The Gypsy Nurse

This is a guest post by: Kelly Holland.

It can be hard to travel for work when feelings of homesickness arise. Staying busy with a job is great, but you are sure to have downtimes when your temporary living space feels different than home. Consider these 5 easy ways to make a space feel like home while working away from your comfort base:

1. Add Familiar Landscapes

There is no better way to remind you of home than to have a picture, drawing, or painting that reminds you of the landscape back home. Surrounding your new space with a picture of something that you loved back home, whether it be a building, skyline, or main street, will all help with making your new space feel that much more like home. Seeing these familiar places will bring comfort and add a sense of belonging even if you aren’t living in the same area.

2. Incorporate Favorite Plants

Just one or two plants native to your home location will help make your new space feel more inviting. If you didn’t bring any plants with you, consider purchasing a few from a local store or ordering some seeds online. Things like a favorite flower or even dried stalks of wheat will add beauty to your new space as well as help keep you connected to your native home wherever your job may take you.

3. Add Creature Comforts

There is nothing like coming home after a long day at work and snuggling up in something comfortable. Make sure that your new space is filled with comfortable pillows, throws, and a set of extra comfy pajamas that will go a long way in helping you wind down and relax after a busy day. Consider purchasing a few different blankets, one for your bed and one for the couch, to always have something cozy nearby to wrap up in and forget about the day.

4. Print Out Pictures

We know that you have plenty of pictures on your phone. But they can be hard to appreciate and look at when stored in a device. Consider using an easy picture printing app that will help you print those favorite pictures to have in your new space. Hang pictures of family, friends, and a favorite pet on the fridge to bring those familiar faces into your everyday life. Purchase a few nice frames for special pictures that you want to showcase in your new space. Even create a gallery wall that will help your new place feel even more like home.

5. Add Scent to Your Space

Does lavender always make you think of your sister? Or perhaps the scent of home-baked cookies from the oven brings back great memories from grandma’s kitchen? Consider incorporating these favorite scents into your space to make it feel more like home. Walking into your new space after a long day and being engulfed in scents from back home will help bring comfort without even realizing it. Other ways to add scent include purchasing a favorite perfume or cologne that a loved one wears. To be reminded of that person even if they aren’t physically there.

Your new space should be a place of refuge. Where you can come in after a day at work and enjoy your time to unwind, consider placing family pictures throughout the space. As well as pictures of a favorite landscape to make your space more like home. Adding scents from home as well as favorite plants will help create a more inviting space as well. Finally, make sure that your home is filled with comfortable pieces that will help you relax. This can include; blankets, throws, and pillows as an easy way to make a space feel more like home.

Looking for housing while on assignment?

Check out our Housing Section

By The Gypsy Nurse

June 26, 2021

14796 Views

Tips For Reducing Housing Costs on Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment

Posted on June 26, 2021November 10, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

Hey Gypsies – we all know that several different factors can make a huge difference in a travel nursing assignment’s success. One of the major ones is how you approach housing and housing options. Travel Nurse Housing Costs can be a major financial factor. Most agencies will provide you with a few housing options, and you will need to figure out what’s best for your and your unique situation. Cost is always a factor in the travel nursing housing equation, so we’ve pulled together these 4 tips for reducing housing costs on your next travel nursing assignment.

Opt for a housing stipend

Unless you’re completely new to travel nursing, you may want to consider taking the housing stipend over agency-provided housing strongly. Agencies may choose pricier accommodations for nurses to uphold a quality reputation. But with the flexibility of a housing stipend, you can choose your price point and pocket the difference. This also allows you to set the duration of your stay. Many agencies will match your move-in and move-out dates to the dates of your assignment. With a stipend, you can move-in early or extend your stay if you want to stay longer.

Beyond savings, picking your own housing lets you select which part of town you want to experience and which housing amenities matter most to your lifestyle. You may be able to lower your travel nurse Housing Costs by cutting out conveniences you don’t care about.

Save yourself from the hassle of coordinating a U-Haul rental and moving your needed belongings to each new city. The average travel nurse assignment is 13 weeks, but it can be as short as 4 or 5 weeks. The easiest solution is to rent furnishings and housewares — or find housing with these included.

The price of renting might initially dissuade you, but the potential long-term savings pay off. This option allows you to avoid the risk of damaging any of your valuable furniture or personal possessions. You won’t have to spend time and effort on renting a van and scheduling movers. You also don’t have to worry about your existing items fitting into every space you rent. Every apartment or house you rent has its own available space and room dimensions. Leave that coordination to the professionals and cut your travel nurse housing costs.

Plan to cook your meals at home.

It seems like a small choice to make, but this can have a huge impact over the course of your assignment. Eating out is both expensive and unhealthy in comparison to preparing your meals at home. When dining out, the average meal costs $12.75 in the U.S. That’s more than $1,000 a month!

Plus, cooking food in your own kitchen can make you feel more at home while you’re living in a new place. When you’re choosing housing for your next assignment, make sure it comes with a full-sized kitchen, or at least a kitchenette, with the necessary kitchenware to be your own chef.

Especially with rapid response and crisis assignments, sometimes you need to find housing fast. But travel nurses always need to be aware of sketchy rental situations as, unfortunately, there are some housing scams out there. Stay diligent in vetting every agreement before you sign a lease.
Some common red flags to watch out for include:

Any price that seems too good to be true.
A property manager who communicates with you only via email.
A landlord who doesn’t ask for any background info.
A landlord or property manager who says they’re in another country and wants money wired to them.

The easiest way to avoid these scams is to rely on a trusted temporary housing provider or your agency to find and secure your housing. Work with housing experts who have access to an inventory of trusted, vetted properties. You won’t have to stress or do any of the work to find quality housing that you can trust.

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!)

By Medely

May 11, 2021

6709 Views

An Interview with Angie Nasr, Medely Co-Founder, and CNO

Posted on May 11, 2021April 14, 2021 by Medely

This article was provided by Medely.

Her journey to better healthcare staffing

Currently, Medely is honoring Inspirational Women. And, what better way to celebrate than with a woman and mother who made the transition from full-time DON positions at multiple facilities to co-founding a new company.

I enjoyed sitting down with Angie Nasr, former DON and current CNO of the Medely healthcare staffing technology platform and marketplace. She and her team work to build a better way to connect per diem and assignment professionals with ASCs, hospitals, clinics, and facilities in need.

An Interview with Angie Nasr, Medely Co-Founder, and CNO — Angie Nasr, CNO and Medely Co-Founder

Mary Rose Avila: Thank you for meeting with me today, Angie. I appreciate you taking your time to fill us in a little bit on your journey to where you are today and your plans moving forward.

Angie Nasr: Thanks, glad to be here.

MRA: To start, can you tell us a bit about your background and history?

AN: Sure. I am a registered nurse, and I graduated from Loyola University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I took my first job at UC Irvine, actually in the NICU. After transferring to UCLA, I was soon worn out from working nights, weekends, and holidays and looked for a job that better fit my preferred schedule. I signed with an agency to pick up shifts until I figured out my next move.

I ended up taking a job in an outpatient surgery center, my first time working with adults. I was thrown in the fire, which is a great learning experience, and was soon made the Director of Nursing. The Doctors and facility leaders expressed great confidence in me and my abilities, although I felt somewhat unsure I was prepared to take on this elevated role.

But, it made me learn really fast, and I am a very resourceful person by nature. I knew how to leverage our resources, often using Google. Additionally, I reached out to DONs and other healthcare leaders in my network to draw on their expertise and insights. Over several years, I moved onto larger facilities and really learned the ropes at multiple Outpatient Surgery Centers. But, I always had an issue with adequate staffing for our cases. I continually had to call other nurses that I knew of to work shifts and cases we couldn’t cover for staffing.

Making the Transition

MRA: I can probably imagine that one of the most significant issues with finding staff was your time. Because, as I imagine, every second you’re on the phone or trying to connect is the time taken away from your cases and your patients. As you discovered the need for better methods using technology, how did you help Medely launch? What was it like in the beginning?

NS: It was a transition and labor of love, for sure. My co-founders and I worked for a year to launch Medley. I still had my full-time job and would work nights and weekends setting up the clinical operations infrastructure. I was screening and onboarding Nurses to the tech platform and marketplace during my lunch hour. The work was hard, but it was so rewarding to see the vision become a reality.

I would perform all the in-person interviews [for the healthcare pros] after work to ensure they were competent, experienced nurses. We started with positions in surgical services, primarily Circulating, PACU, and Pre-op RNs, as those were the most in-demand. Soon we expanded to Surgical Techs and several other positions in the ASC setting.

Finding Inspiration

MRA: As you know, Medely is celebrating Inspiring Women. In asking many Medely staff who their personal Inspirational Woman is, several said you inspire them! How do you feel about that?

NS: Well, I’m shocked and honored! I would have thought of a celebrity or someone who won the Nobel Peace Prize or even a more famous person. I feel sort of floored that they would name me!

MRA: Who would you say inspires you?

AN: My personal Inspiring Woman, and I know it sounds cliche’, but I would say, my Mom. She came here from a foreign country and worked my entire childhood. I remember Mom always being such a hard worker, even to this day. No job was too big or too small for her, and she taught me the value of being an independent woman.

Moving to the future

MRA: What’s your favorite thing about Medely? And, finally, where do you see Medely heading into the future?

AN: For me, my favorite thing is just seeing this dream come to fruition and that facilities now have a way to book someone easily. It’s something we never had at our fingertips. Before, I would have loved to sign up for this tech app and dive right in. That’s a huge opportunity to have that on-demand workforce. Of course, I love how to customize it, build a favorites list, and book short or longer-term jobs. It really allows healthcare professionals to come into a facility and bring new ideas, culture, and practices with them.

Our vision for Medely will continue to evolve as a technologically advanced workforce management platform. We will continue to focus on the customer experience and provide a simple way for facilities to book pros. Likewise, pros get to earn more while experiencing the freedom and flexibility they deserve.

MAR: I think that makes a lot of sense. I certainly appreciate your time and have learned a lot myself.

AN: Thanks for the opportunity to share my story!

Angie Nasr had a long journey from an RN looking for a flexible work-life balance to a new DON, quickly learning the ropes to the CNO of one of the largest on-demand healthcare platforms available. Other women can learn from her experience by working on their terms or taking the dive as a leader in a growing company, despite all their other obligations.

We hope you enjoyed reading this interview with Angie about her transition from nurse to CNO. Do you have any questions about the transition that wasn’t answered here? Comment them below.

By The Gypsy Nurse

October 9, 2020

6750 Views

Benefits of Being a TGN Member

Posted on October 9, 2020May 19, 2021 by The Gypsy Nurse

There are many benefits to being a member of the Gypsy Nurse website. In this article, we will go over these benefits to help you understand these benefits and how to use them better.

Find nursing colleagues, connect, and privately message nurses.

Find fellow nurses in your new assignment area, nurses in the same specialty, or even nurses you have worked with in the past. Add them as a friend to keep in contact by messages or by using our 1-1 private video calling, explained below.

Connect with nursing friends with 1-1 private video calling.

This feature allows you to video chat with nurses you have connected or friended on our website. This is an easy way to connect in a more personal way than chat, text, or email. This is a secure video chat room that only you and the person you invite or invited can enter. A password is required to enter. Making this a secure chat.

You can use this feature to personalize the alerts you get. When creating your job alerts, you can decide what specialties or job types, locations, or keywords you want to be alerted to when they are posted.

Save and “favorite” multiple jobs for future applications.

With this feature, you can save jobs that may be a job you would be interested in applying to in the future. This feature is excellent if you are not quite ready to commit but want to have it available and not have to search out the job again.

Rate and review travel nurse agencies.

On TheGypsyNurse.com, you can easily find, rate, and review travel nurse agencies. Agencies are easy to search on our Agencies and Facilities page. Just use the search bar on the right side. Results will appear as soon as you start typing. Click on the agency or healthcare facility you are looking for. Once on their page, you will find their reviews, or you can leave a review.

Rate and review healthcare facilities.

Much like rating agencies, rating and reviewing healthcare facilities is very simple. You go to our List of Hospital page and search for the hospital you are looking for. Once there, you can read the reviews (if there are any) and leave a review.

Access our Travel Nurse Events Calendar to be notified of industry or agency-sponsored events in your area.

Our event calendar is a great place to find industry events. These are in-person or virtual. There are a wide variety of events posted. Keep checking back as events are added frequently.

Privately direct message with other nurse connections on our platform.

By connecting with other nurses on our website, you can privately message them. Because you must be connected to private messages on TGN.com, you won’t get unwanted messages from strangers.

Easily find convenient and affordable housing near jobs of interest through Furnished Finder.

Finding housing has never been easier! Use our housing page to search for housing in the location of your next assignment. All the listings in that area from Furnished Finder will appear in your search.

Have a travel nursing question? Directly and privately ask a Gypsy Nurse Mentor

If you question travel nursing, you can directly and privately reach out to a Gypsy Nurse Mentor. These can be questions about contracts, experience, advice, or any travel nursing-related question. Go to our Ask a Travel Nurse page, enter your information, and submit. Your message will be answered as soon as possible.

Submit your guest articles via your profile and it may be published

Always wanted to write for The Gypsy Nurse but now sure how to reach out? Use our Submit an Article page to write an article. We will review it and let you know if and/or when we will publish it. This is a great way to get more involved with TGN.

We are constantly working to add resources and member benefits to TGN.com to help travel nurses on their journey. Keep checking the site as new features are being added. Are there any features or benefits you would like to see on TGN.com? Comment them below.

By The Gypsy Nurse

July 19, 2020

11689 Views

Guest Article: Preparing our family for travel – Sarah Owens, RN

Posted on July 19, 2020March 21, 2022 by The Gypsy Nurse

With so many travel nurses posting questions about how you travel with your family, kids, pets, etc., we thought this would be a great guest article to post and give you some insight on how one travel family is getting ready to do just that.

Hi, my name is Sarah; my husband Chad and I travel with our three kids. They were 9,6, and 3 when we started in April and 7,4, and 1 when we first started considering and planning for life as a traveling family. We often talked with the kids about living in different apartments in different towns and moving every three months. We made lists of what we wanted to see and got the kids involved in making that list. We made a list of our fears and made a plan of action that we would take to actualize any of those fears. This let the thought of it soak in. It got them excited and calmed their fears.

Next was the biggest job of all, scaling down on all our stuff. We did this several times and continue to do it as we discover how little we truly need. We drive a 4 Runner and have three kids and a large dog, so space is limited.

Then we needed to consider our education plan. As homeschoolers, we knew we wanted to continue homeschooling the kids, but unlike when we stayed in one place, we would not have the weekly support of our homeschool group. Also, we wanted to integrate our current assignment and all its historical and scientific offerings into the kid’s education. After all, that is why we are traveling, beginning with.
To keep in touch, the kids have the addresses and phone numbers of their friends, and we FaceTime family frequently, which has made a big difference, and so far, we have heard very little about the kids being homesick.

There have been many benefits of traveling with the kids already—bonding as a family, a well-rounded education, and an expanded world view. We are traveling for our kids, not just with them.

NOTE: Want to learn more about the travel adventures of this travel nurse? Sarah and her family have a blog all about their experiences! Owens Endeavors

By The Gypsy Nurse

January 6, 2019

8839 Views

Travel Nurse Stories From the Road: Caring and Doing What Feels Right

Posted on January 6, 2019February 3, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The following is a Guest Post via Lynnette Marshall (Mack)

Sometimes as a nurse or a travel nurse, it’s not the big things but the small things that make the most difference when caring for patients. The following story from one of our fellow Travel Nurses shows exactly this.

One night I had a trauma patient with his girlfriend at the bedside. He had been there a while, and she wouldn’t leave his side. She was still there on my 3rd night, and I noticed that she never had anything to eat. I offered her tea, coffee, or a soda, and she said invariably-“I’m ok.” It kept nagging at my mind that she was broke, with no way home.

“I’m Ok….” When I got a break, I told another nurse I was going to get her something. The nurse said, “no, don’t do that.” So, I ask the girl, and she said, “I’m ok.” I bought her a sub and chips and a drink and a cookie at subway. She accepted graciously, and I never thought about it again.

At Christmas, I took my family to IHOP for breakfast, and a slightly familiar face ask if I remembered her. I said, “You look familiar, but I can’t place you.” She said-“I was in your ICU, and my BF was in an MVA. I had been there a week and was broke and so hungry. You just somehow noticed and brought me food. It was the nicest, most caring thing, and I’ll never forget it”.

“You look familiar, but I can’t place you”

I thanked her for saying that and told her it was nothing. I just felt she needed it and did it. She insisted on treating my rather large gathering to free desserts. I was so touched that she remembered and did this. Sometimes our intuition is right, and it was heartwarming that she remembered, and it had meant so much. That’s what it’s all about. Bringing comfort to those who need it.

About The Author:

I am a 30 yr veteran of the nursing field. I have worn many hats but have always lived by the motto – You are never too busy to be kind. I am now a Traveler in ICU, and my Gypsy soul is finally being nurtured. I have found the greatest joy of my life in the little things that make us compassionate caregivers, and nursing fulfills a need in me that nothing else can.

Travel Nurse Tips for Busy Shifts

1. Set Yourself Up for a Smooth Shift

2. Use Smart, Efficient Care Clustering

3. Stay Connected With Your Unit Team

4. Document in Real Time

5. Lean Into Your Support System

6. Keep a Positive Flow With Proactive Communication

7. Take Care of Yourself Between Shifts

8. Celebrate Your Wins

Final Thoughts

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