April 23, 2023

4812 Views

The Importance of Sharing Your Experience as a Travel Nurse

Posted on April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 by Miles Oliver

Travel nursing is a popular profession for many reasons. The pandemic led to a “travel nurse gold rush” as nurses were paid more to move from job to job where help was needed most. Higher pay for traveling is a big draw for many nurses, and the profession continues to be attractive for many.

Some nurses are understandably experiencing major burnout. Stress in the nursing profession is nothing new, but traveling on top of the job demands can leave these employees feeling overwhelmed and alone. Luckily, there are ways for travel nurses to connect with others and share their stories. This can aid you in your journey to becoming a travel nurse — or to continue the job you love so much in a healthier way.

Help Other Travel Nurses

Sharing your story and tips as a travel nurse can help others in the same profession. New travel nurses have much to learn that can only come from experience, but sharing what you wish you knew when starting out can help someone navigate the job more easily and successfully.

You can also share your experiences with certain locations. Acclimating to a new culture can be difficult for some travel nurses, so sharing your tips for this can be a big benefit to the travel nurse community as a whole.

Educate the Public

By sharing your experiences, you’re not only helping educate fellow travel nurses but also the public at large. While nursing is an extremely rewarding career, it can often be thankless. Sometimes, patients and their families don’t understand the struggles that their care providers are going through. Sharing your story can help foster compassion and make the travel nurse profession a little brighter, one understanding the patient at a time.

Care for Your Own Mental and Emotional Well-being

While you’re traveling and working long shifts, it’s easy to let your own well-being fall by the wayside. Recognizing your mental health needs is often the first step in getting help. Reading or listening to another travel nurse’s story, talking to other travel nurses with similar experiences, and sharing your own can highlight parts of your well-being that may be currently neglected. This way, you can work toward taking care of yourself and not feel ashamed for doing so.

Feel More Connected

Travel nursing can also become lonely at times. You’re often moving away from family and friends for extended or undetermined periods. Staying connected as a travel nurse can come in many forms. Shared experiences will help you feel closer to others in the same profession. It may also help you feel closer to other people that now get a glimpse into your daily life. People need connection, and putting your story out there can foster that for yourself and others.

There are many ways to share your experience as a travel nurse. Talk to other nurses in person or in online forums. Post a heartfelt story on social media via text post or video format. Write a guest post on a blog or start your own.

Starting a podcast about your travel nurse experiences is a great way to establish yourself as an expert within your industry. Podcasting can also be an effective way to connect with others in your profession and share your knowledge with those who may be interested in becoming travel nurses. Just be sure to fully develop your podcast angle and sketch out ideas for several episodes before you start recording.

You never know how you may help someone by sharing your story — and you’re already helping yourself. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. In fact, it can make your job as a travel nurse more rewarding because you’re less burnt out and more able to make effective decisions. It helps the public, your patients, other travel nurses, and your well-being to share your story. Find the proper outlet, and let your stories and experiences flow.

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!)

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 Titan Medical

March 12, 2023

3950 Views

Honesty is the Best Policy!

Posted on March 12, 2023March 12, 2023 by Titan Medical

Titan Medical Group provided this article.

Often times you’ll hear your Recruiter or your Account Manager say, “Honesty is the best policy.” Although it’s an age-old adage, it’s incredibly important to your success in the travel healthcare industry.

As we’ve talked about in the past, traveling away from home can be hard! So, you want everything to run smoothly and fit your needs.

We, as your recruiters and account managers, want that as well! It’s important to us to have you in a happy and healthy situation; it’s also important that we are giving the hospital the best candidate for the job. In order to make sure that you’re going to your dream placement and that the hospital is the best fit for you, here are some of the best tips we have for being honest with your recruiter:

1. Be honest about where you are willing to travel.

Of course, having a compact license or a specific state license is a big indicator of your travel capabilities. However, the more variety of licensure that you obtain, the broader your travel spectrum.

While it’s great to broaden your horizons and dream of traveling to all 50 states, it’s important to be a bit realistic as well. Be honest with yourself and your recruiter about where you are willing to travel. If you’re used to the hustle and bustle of a big city and love that lifestyle, North Dakota will probably not be the best fit for you—but you have to tell your recruiter that you’re not interested in that area! Project your wants and needs at an early stage in the process.

2. Be honest about your past experiences.

It’s important to be upfront with your recruiter about where you’ve worked—and, more importantly, what you liked and disliked about each position. If you worked at a hospital that only had 15 beds and you felt you were underutilized—your recruiter needs to know that you’re up for a bigger challenge. Your job should be anything but boring!

3. Be honest about your expectations.

There’s nothing worse than getting to an assignment and finding out it’s nothing like you thought it would be. We strongly encourage you to think about any time off you’d need during the assignment beforehand; ensure that the hours being offered are exactly what you’re looking for. Make sure this is the perfect spot for you!

We are here to help you find your dream travel assignment, but we can only work with the information that you give us! Be open with us, and we will be able to find the best fit for your needs!

If you’re ready for your next travel assignment, give Titan Medical a call today at 866.332.9600, and we’d love to assist in finding your next adventure!

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!)

By Triage Healthcare Staffing

February 8, 2023

7640 Views

Decoding Scrub Style: What Nurses and CNAs Wear, Scrub Colors Explained

Posted on February 8, 2023December 19, 2023 by Triage Healthcare Staffing

Triage Healthcare Staffing provided this article.

As travelers, it’s not uncommon to have a selection of scrubs, all in a rainbow of colors. And while it’s easy to ask your recruiter what color is required, sometimes they have old or outdated information. For instance, some hospitals or units will tell recruiters that nurses need to wear a specific color, only to find out that the rules don’t apply to travelers.

That’s why we asked travelers to share their experiences. And boy, did they. Nearly 2000 healthcare travelers—most of them nurses—gave us valuable feedback on what color they wore during their assignments.

What We Asked In the Survey

To get the most out of the survey, we asked the following questions:

What kind of traveler are you?
Hospital/facility name?
City, state
Department
Scrub color
Was the department strict on color?
What year was this valid?

What Are Safe Scrub Colors to Buy?

Based on the responses, most travelers would do well to have a pair or two of navy blue scrubs—nearly a third of all nurses reported that they wore navy scrubs. Royal blue was the shade for 13% of nurses. Having a set or two of blue scrubs seems like a decent bet when you’re a traveler.

Other well-represented colors were light blue, Caribbean blue, black, gray, and galaxy blue. A few unlucky folks had to wear all-white scrubs—yikes. We’re glad we’re not doing that laundry.

How Strict Are the Units?

Sometimes your recruiter will get information from the facility that a certain color is required, only for the traveler to arrive and see that travelers are exempt. Recruiters can only go off the info they receive, which is why we asked how strict the unit was when it came down to scrub color. About 60% said their units were strict, but that means the other 40% were able to wear any color they already owned.

Let’s Get to the Good Stuff—How to Access the Scrub Color Survey?

What good is this info if you can’t access it? That’s why we’ve taken all the information and put it into an easily accessible database. Check out the what color scrubs nurses wear database and the search by the facility. The information is sorted by alphabetical order by the facility. And because some facilities might even vary scrub color by department or have more than one location, we’ve asked that too.

Using a Scrub Allowance—Yay or Nay?

Some travel companies will write a scrub allowance into your contract if you need a specific color. While there’s nothing wrong with that, here’s the real deal. Scrub and other allowances (and even lavish gifts) seem like a great perk, but the funds are actually taken out of your contract’s bill rate—and you never even realize it’s happening. In most cases, it’s better to forgo these allowances and let your recruiter know that you want that money added to your hourly rate throughout your contract.

Want to Submit Your Facility?

Have a facility or unit that’s not on our list? Fill out our short survey, and we’ll get your facility added.

Are you looking for a travel nurse agency that’s committed to treating you with respect and integrity? Check out our list of travel nurse jobs, and we’ll connect you with a Triage recruiter.

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!)

By The Gypsy Nurse

January 6, 2023

80084 Views

Ensuring Stability: Guaranteed Hours for Travel Nurses Explained

Posted on January 6, 2023December 18, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

In travel nursing, one of the most misunderstood and undervalued benefits is the travel nurse guaranteed pay or hours. Agencies use the terms quite often. However, their definitions can vary drastically. What’s more, it’s up to you, the travel nurse, to decipher and ensure realistic expectations.

One of the greatest concerns when going on a travel nurse assignment is whether you will be working enough to support yourself and cover all the uncertainties with your new experience. You might wonder what happens if there is a low census. What if I don’t get scheduled as often as expected? The pay protection benefits many agencies claim to provide are supposed to be “insurance” so that you don’t find yourself in a tough financial spot. However, not all agency pay protections are equal. The Gypsy Nurse team has researched some common misconceptions. We explore your options and help you to navigate this important topic.

The Reality of Travel Nurse “Guaranteed” Pay

Of course, travel nurses want some type of “guarantee” arrangement to ensure that they can count on a steady income. But what may not be immediately obvious is that agencies also seek this protection from the facility. It costs them money to recruit, place, and pay travel nurses. Once a travel nurse is placed, both the agency and the nurse want assurance that the hospital will pay and fulfill a contract. No one makes money if hours are not worked.

Furthermore, census predictions are not always correct. Hospitals seek the maximum amount of flexibility. The hospital wants some allowance in variance in the number of hours they will contractually agree to guarantee the agency (which impacts hours worked by the traveler) in order to better manage their costs. A majority of agreements allow the hospitals to cancel some number of shifts — a typical allotment in today’s market is up to 3 shifts within a 13-week period. Some even allow the hospital to cancel one shift a week.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that agencies do not want to pay nurses for hours they cannot bill the hospital—neither the nurses, agencies, nor hospitals want to lose money.

Although the agency’s contract with the facility may say one thing, the benefit they provide you, the travel nurse, does not have to reflect word for word the terms of that agency-hospital contract. Agencies may repackage this “guarantee,” and in some cases, they actually provide the travel nurse a better benefit than the facility is giving them (which can result in a direct cost/loss to the agency). This is why paying attention to the details of your agreements is so important.

Top 10 Things to Ask Your Agency About Your Contract’s Pay Stipulations

To get the most protection possible around your pay, look for answers to these questions as you evaluate your agency and contract:

How is your guaranteed pay applied? Biweekly, monthly, length of the contract?
Are you assured a certain amount on your paycheck, even if your shift gets canceled?
Will you get paid regularly each check/pay period, or must you wait until your travel nursing assignment ends?
How do low census situations impact your pay?
What happens to your contracted hours if you call in sick?
How many shifts in what time period is the hospital permitted to cancel, and what is the allowed call-off policy?
What is your obligation regarding make-up shifts?
Is floating required to secure your guaranteed hours? How far must you travel?
If you are called off for low census or missing shifts for other reasons: How does this impact potential bonuses in your pay package?
How do hours of work affect your living expenses stipend?

Choosing Higher Rate vs. Guaranteed Hours – Some Example Scenarios

Two Agencies offer a travel nursing assignment with 36 hours per week for 13 weeks; for a total of 468 hours. The pay packages differ as follows:

Agency A offers an hourly equivalent of $38 per hour but no protection if low census occurs (true travel nurse guaranteed pay)
Agency B offers guaranteed pay when shifts are canceled due to low census but pays $2 an hour less, so $36 per hour.

Let’s do a few calculations to see how these offers really stack up.

Scenario 1: If no hours are canceled during the travel nurse assignment:

Agency A	Agency B
468 hours X $38 = $17,784*	468 hours X $36 = $16,848

* You would have been better off by $936 with Agency A ($17,784 – $16,848 = $936) since they had a higher hourly equivalent and low census protection never came into play.

Scenario 2: If 36 hours are canceled—a very common canceled shift policy of one shift per month:

Agency A	Agency B
(468 hours – 36 hours = 432 hours) x $38 = $16,416	468 hours X $36 = $16,848*

*You would have been better by $432 with Agency B since the hospital exercised its right to cancel 36 hours.

Scenario 3: If 72 hours are canceled—a very common canceled shift policy of one shift per two weeks:

Agency A	Agency B
(468 hours – 72 hours = 396 hours) x $38 = $15,048	468 hours X $36 = $16,848*

*You would have been better by $1,800 with Agency B since the hospital exercised its right to cancel within 72 hours.

The Gypsy Nurse Summary: Smarter Choices Add Up to More Money

Many agencies promote a travel nurse guaranteed pay, guaranteed minimum pay, or guaranteed hours in a contract. However, the terms of these promises can vary considerably—and whether intentional or not—mislead travel nurses with regard to pay.

Consider these key points with every contract:

Look for an agency that offers the travel nurse guaranteed pay. Even if the hospital cancels a shift due to “low census.”
Find a plan that provides dependable income and protects you from pay gaps. Accounting for situations where you are ready to work but the shift gets canceled.
True travel nurse guaranteed pay should guarantee you’ll make a certain amount of gross wages. This should reflect what is stated in the summary of your travel nurse assignment details. Additionally, this safeguards you against lost wages due to low census.
Timing matters. This means no matter what happens with your schedule at the facility, and the agency will pay you during the pay period you earned it.
Do the math—don’t assume a higher pay rate outweighs the benefits of guaranteed hours.
Think in terms of each paycheck. Know how situations will impact your finances on a weekly basis, not just the entire contract duration.

In Conclusion: Leverage every advantage when negotiating a pay structure

Do your homework
Understand all the details and fine print
Ask for protection against low census call-offs
Get it in writing

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!)

By Sadie Brooks

October 4, 2022

4461 Views

How to Manage Stress and Anxiety as a Traveling Nurse

Posted on October 4, 2022October 3, 2022 by Sadie Brooks

Traveling nurse is a good career option, but there are some disadvantages. In addition, some advantages include the possibility of traveling around the world, gaining practice, helping others, and a good salary.

Besides all these advantages, there are also disadvantages of this job. The job of a traveling nurse is one of the most stressful jobs nowadays. Every job carries a certain amount of stress, but this one is often much more than the average. Everyday pressures at work lead to anxiety. During the working day, traveling nurses encounter patients in serious conditions, death, filling out a lot of documentation, problems in the team, etc. Moving often and getting used to a new environment also increases stress leading to anxiety. In that case, there is a feeling of discomfort, tension, worry, and stress. A large number of traveling nurses face this problem. To avoid this problem, traveling nurses must regularly practice some routines and thus decrease stress levels and anxiety.

Keep reading to find out how to manage stress and anxiety as a traveling nurse.

Get enough sleep

According to the latest research, people need to sleep from 7 to 9 hours every night. Sleep has been proven to reduce stress levels and is therefore very important. If we do not have enough sleep, it leads to fatigue, grumpiness, and irritability.

Traveling nurses often find themselves in stressful situations, and thus they must sleep regularly. They often have to stay awake late if they work the night shift, so sleep is necessary to ensure patient safety. Therefore, it is crucial that traveling nurses go to bed on time and have enough sleep. Thus they can perform their duties smoothly and reduce their levels of stress.

Eat regularly

Due to their busy schedule, traveling nurses often do not get to have regular meals and eat rarely. That leads to being often hungry, which affects their mood and increases stress.

To avoid such situations, try to always have some food with you. Prepare food in advance, so you are not hungry in case of unforeseen situations. Try not to skip a single meal a day.

Include supplements along with your regular diet. For your body to function normally, it is necessary to take in supplementation. It is important to choose natural supplements such as amp supplements, with which you will naturally establish proper body functions and improve your health.

Exercise regularly

Regardless of the work traveling nurses do and the miles they cover while at work, they must have some physical activity outside of work.

Exercises, light walking, running, walking, and intense exercises are excellent ways to get rid of stress and anxiety. That way, you will get more energy, which is good for both – your body and mind. Therefore, set aside a part of the day you will devote yourself to exercise or some other physical activity. That way, you will be less anxious and get rid of unnecessary stress.

Practise meditation

As a traveling nurse, you will often find yourself under a lot of pressure, which leads to stress and anxiety. One of the excellent ways to get rid of stress and anxiety and thereby improve your mental health is meditation.

Through meditation, you will learn to calm your mind and get rid of the thoughts that constantly worry you. This is a great way to have a good quality of your life. Therefore, enroll in a meditation course and get rid of unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Get well-organized

If you are well-organized, the job of a traveling nurse will be able to pass without stress and anxiety. Good organization will greatly facilitate both your work and travel.

Considering that you travel very often, you should start making a list of things you need for your trip. It is crucial to be well-organized to complete all the duties before the shift and avoid stressful situations. Plan your day on time, so you can achieve everything and that you don’t accidentally forget something in a rush. In this way, you will avoid stress and feel relaxed.

Wrapping up

The job of a traveling nurse has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages are traveling around the world and gaining work experience. On the other hand, it is a responsible and challenging job that brings stress and anxiety with it. To avoid this, try to sleep enough, eat regularly and healthily, use supplements, practice meditation, get well-organized, and exercise regularly. With a few tricks, you will easily manage stress and anxiety while working as a traveling nurse.

We hope you found this article on how to manage stress and anxiety as a traveling nurse helpful. Do you have any tips on how to manage stress and anxiety to share with your fellow travel nurses? Comment them below.

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!)

By TheraEx

September 19, 2022

3552 Views

How to Achieve a Work-Life Balance as a Travel Nurse

Posted on September 19, 2022September 19, 2022 by TheraEx

TheraEx Staffing Solutions provided this article.

Working as a nurse can be exciting and rewarding. Nevertheless, every nurse who has ever been on staff at a hospital or medical facility knows how stressful and demanding their job can be at times and how easy it is to fall victim to burnout. Many nurses find that their unpredictable work schedules and rigorous job duties prevent them from maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Travel nursing offers nurses the chance to escape from their day-to-day routine and allows them to explore new opportunities in different locations across the country. In addition to engaging in new workplace experiences, travel nurses also have the opportunity to enjoy a new and exciting lifestyle while exploring new activities and adventures.

There are a handful of small changes you can implement to help improve your work-life balance as a travel nurse gradually. We have a few tips to help you get started.

How to Achieve a Work-Life Balance as a Travel Nurse

Choose Travel Nurse Assignments That Suit Your Needs

The best part about travel nurse assignments is that you get to decide what will be the best assignment for you. Whether it’s location, desirable working hours, or high pay, there will always be an assignment that fits your needs. Think about what matters the most to you. Why did you decide to become a travel nurse? Was it to make more money, explore new fun and exciting locations, or create meaningful memories with your friends or family? Choose assignments that will help you achieve these goals.

It’s also important to note that it is okay if your needs change over time. You might miss family (if you decide to travel on your own and they stay back at home) and want an assignment closer to home. Or you might have an adventurous streak and want an assignment in a region with plenty of activities and things to do.

Set Limits and Stick to Them

Most nurses go into healthcare because they have an innate yearning to help people, but it’s also important to place reasonable limits on yourself while doing so. Try to do your best each day to stick to a set schedule and leave when your shift is done. While there will always be patients to care for, your personal time is just as valuable. By actively maintaining a set daily routine, you can go a long way toward establishing a healthy work-life balance that will leave you feeling less stressed at the end of the day.

Leave Work at Work

In your profession, there will be many times you are exposed to situations that will stick with you and will weigh heavily on your emotions. On any given day, a nurse may play a part in a particularly tragic or emotional situation, and those situations can affect you long after your shift is over. In order to have a happy home life, you will need to do your best to block out work events after you leave for the day. If you spend all night dwelling on the what-ifs and could-have-beens, not only will your home life suffer, but you’ll also feel mentally drained.

Create a Bucket List and Take Time for You

One of the easiest ways to improve your work-life balance is to build time for yourself into your schedule. Create a bucket list of the things you would like to do and pick assignments that will help you complete them. Maybe you’ve wanted to go whale watching in Alaska, watch the sunset on a Florida beach, or explore a California amusement park. Maximize your off-hours by doing things you enjoy and bring you a sense of adventure or relaxation. Most nurses want to do what’s best for their patients, so it’s time to start thinking of yourself as a patient and focus on giving yourself what you need to live a fulfilled, happy, and healthy life.

Just remember that one of the greatest perks of being a travel nurse is being in charge of your career and the decisions you make. You can come and do your job and leave when your contract is over without having to worry about the stresses of a permanent job. This alone is a huge step in taking care of your mental health and allows you to enjoy a healthy work-life balance.

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!)

By Fastaff Travel Nursing

September 2, 2022

3270 Views

Tips From a Recruiter – Handling Illness & Other Curveballs as a Traveling Nurse

Posted on September 2, 2022August 31, 2022 by Fastaff Travel Nursing

Fastaff provided this article.

Let’s set the scene: You’re cruising through week one of your 13-week travel assignment feeling confident and excited for the opportunities that await. You’ve familiarized yourself with the ins and outs of the facility and your new coworkers, and you extend the highest-quality care to all your patients.

Then, on the second week of your assignment, you get sick.
Or you’re needed to aid in a family emergency.
Or you need to call out of work for an unexpected reason.

What now?

Travel nursing comes with its own set of unique challenges, and handling those challenges when you’re a traveler can be overwhelming, as many nurses aren’t clear on the process.
We asked one of our Fastaff recruiters how nurses can best handle these situations and effective communication tips to make the unexpected a little easier.

“I would always suggest that an RN call their manager or scheduling at the facility to ensure they are aware of the situation, and they can plan ahead for scheduling. They should also alert their recruiter so that we can communicate on our end (but still need to message directly to the facility because sometimes there are delays in communication with the game of telephone we play, and it’s important that the manager have as advanced notice as possible in order to find someone to cover their shift).
“If it’s a family emergency, it’s best if they can just let everyone know when (approximately) they expect to return – so that the facility can plan.” – Melissa Donahoo, Fastaff Recruiter.

We strive to have the recruiter + nurse relationship built on trust and communication. What it comes down to is simply communication – no matter what arises, open avenues of communication can pave the way for a seamless resolution so you can get back to serving patients across the nation.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. If housing is an issue, we have you covered with our housing page. 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!)

By Medely

August 31, 2022

5113 Views

Where to Find Free Activities on Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment

Posted on August 31, 2022August 31, 2022 by Medely

Medely provided this article.

Moving to a new community for a travel nurse assignment is always an exciting time. It can also be busy, lonely, and expensive! Hosted activities can help you enjoy your downtime, get to know a beautiful city, and make a few friends along the way. But how do you find good options that don’t cost a ton?

As a travel nurse or allied professional, you don’t always have a lot of time to settle in. In this post, we’ll look at six ideas to help you put together a list of free (or cheap) adventures so you can start exploring quickly.

Where to Find Free Activities on Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment

1. Start with the things you love most

How do you spend your time when you’re not busy working in healthcare facilities? This is an obvious starting point, but for that same reason, it can be easy to overlook—especially when everything about your travel assignment is unfamiliar.

Focusing on your biggest interests can offer fresh ideas as you navigate a new community. Here are a few potential venues to check out:

Love the outdoors? Check Facebook or your nearest sporting goods shop for promoted events with a local hiking club.
Enjoy a heated game of Catan or Monopoly? Ask the local gaming store if they host a regular board game night.
Does working with yarn help you relax? Search Meetup.com or nearby craft shops for knitting or crochet groups that have open events coming up.
Are you a trivia fan? Check out nearby pubs and cafes to see whether any of them hosts a weekly or monthly trivia night.
Are you always volunteering for something? Get in touch with a local charity that supports a cause you’re passionate about or see if there’s an organization that helps place volunteers wherever they’re needed most.

Open-invite social events can be a fun thing to do on a Saturday night, but they can also be an intimidating way to meet people beyond other medical professionals. Using niche interests to find activities like photography walks, language exchanges, and book clubs means you’ll already have something in common.

2. Find the most popular attractions online

Travel websites, such as Travelocity and Expedia, can point you toward popular attractions and locations. Checking Google is automatic—but you can do a more focused search with fewer ads and distractions using Google’s Travel Planner. Go right to the Things To Do search for a list of local hot spots.

3. Visit the tourism office

The local tourism office has the most up-to-date information about upcoming activities and events such as carnivals, festivals, and public performances. Chances are they have a great website, too, but there are a few good reasons to visit in person:

You can ask about free activities and get a straight answer! You won’t have to scan multiple websites to find the info you’re looking for.
You’ll typically find a collection of printed flyers and seasonal publications that shine a spotlight on events, holidays, and activities over the next few months.
There may be “hidden” coupons or discount cards for residents that don’t show up on travel-focused sites. For example, some cities offer low-cost tickets or free entry times for museums, parks, and other public facilities.

Most importantly, the people who work at the tourism office can offer personalized recommendations and honest advice to answer your most burning questions about life in the area.

4. Look for a free walking tour or make your own

Guided walking tours, often offered “by donation”, are a fun way to learn the stories that have shaped a city and get tips for places you should check out next. Get an introduction to the downtown area or take an architecture or art tour to gain a fresh perspective of your surroundings.

What can you do in smaller cities that don’t have the demand to support regular tours? Try a DIY approach!

Open your favorite maps app and make your own route by pinning features such as public gardens, museums, art galleries, or public walking paths.
Pick a theme and go on a scavenger hunt for things like statues, street art, historical signs, cool buildings, or incredible restaurants to visit in the future.
Look for audio travel guides through websites such as Audible or the Libby app (which can be accessed for free with a library card).

5. Use popular apps for ideas and inspiration

Use information from popular apps and websites to create a customized list of adventures—and consider inviting a new friend or colleague to go with you!

Which apps should you check out?

Social networks are a rich source of information and TikTok has become a particularly great travel guide. Search hashtags for your new city, county, and state to see what comes up!
Exercise-tracking apps like MapMyRun and Strava can help you find top nearby routes for activities such as running, walking, or cycling.
If you prefer getting into the wilderness instead, download the AllTrails app. Their filters can help you find hiking trails with the right difficulty and length.
This might be the perfect time to discover Geocaching if you haven’t already. Geocaching is a GPS-driven treasure hunt for caches all over the world.
If you appreciate the weird and wonderful, Atlas Obscura can point you toward bizarre monuments, haunted ruins, and other unexpected locales.

6. Connect with locals

Nothing makes it easier to start feeling comfortable than a few new friends. Sites and apps such as Nextdoor, Couchsurfing, and Meetup can help you find friendly acquaintances as well as your nearest neighbors. Find these and other recommendations on our list of smart apps for travel nurses and allied pros.

Another great way to connect with people in your area is through Facebook Groups. Search for groups in your assignment location such as New To Austin 20/30s (NTA) or Sacramento what’s going on!—they’re full of people just like you who are:

Trying to figure out life in a new place
Looking for recommendations and advice
Hoping to meet people to have fun with

You don’t have to meet anybody in person if you don’t want to. Being active on these sites gives you a place to ask questions and learn from others with as much—or as little—commitment as you prefer.

Adjusting to a travel nurse assignment in a place where very little is familiar can be as engaging as it is stressful. Make time for self-care, fun, and socializing outside of your new travel assignment! Use these ideas to start filling your calendar and, before you know it, you’ll feel more settled and ready to share this amazing location with friends and family who come to visit.

Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. If housing is an issue, we have you covered with our housing page. 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

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How To Start Sharing Your Travel Nurse Experience

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

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

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Scenario 3: If 72 hours are canceled—a very common canceled shift policy of one shift per two weeks:

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