January 5, 2022

8873 Views

Ways to Make More Money as a Nurse

Posted on January 5, 2022December 8, 2021 by AMN Healthcare

This article was provided by AMN Healthcare.

Nursing is a rewarding career that provides more than 3 million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States with various workplace choices and good salaries.

According to the 2016 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the median nursing salary for R.N.s is $68,450 per year. The job growth rate between 2014 and 2024 is expected to rise by 16 percent, higher than the average for other occupations.

Although compensation is not the primary driving factor for most nurses who enter the profession, there are several options for R.N.s who want to make extra money as nurses.

Nurses can choose immediate or long-term options, ranging from taking nursing side jobs or travel nursing assignments to advancing their education for future opportunities.

Where Do the Majority of Nurses Work?

The country’s 5,564 hospitals employ the majority of R.N.s. However, changes in healthcare delivery in recent years have resulted in earlier patient discharges and a growing number of nursing jobs outside the hospital setting. For instance, more chronic illnesses are now handled in outpatient clinics.

In addition to acute care, nurses can work in outpatient ambulatory care, community health agencies, physicians’ offices, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and other environments.

Nurse salaries can vary widely because of location, working environment, specific job responsibilities, and individual nurses’ qualifications.

How To Make More Money As A Nurse

1. Complete your BSN degree.

Research by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that 79 percent of R.N. employers prefer to hire nurses with a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) degree as entry-level employees. There also appear to be greater advancement opportunities for BSN-prepared nurses.

Magnet hospitals and those pursuing Magnet status must demonstrate that most of their nurses have BSN degrees or are on the educational path to earn this degree.

Some hospitals will offer nurses tuition assistance or student loan repayment, based on their commitment to continue their employment for a certain amount of time.

Today’s traditional and online BSN programs are designed to meet working adults’ professional and personal needs.

2. Pursue experience in a nursing specialty.

Decide on a nursing specialty that will meet your professional and personal goals, then complete certification courses to increase your knowledge and skills. Certified nurses have a better chance to earn the top pay in their field.

Some nurse specialties also offer better compensation than others, so doing some research early in your career may help you decide which path to pursue.

3. Volunteer to work overtime on occasion.

Working some overtime not only provides more money-making opportunities but can show management you’re a team member who’ll pitch in when needed. However, too much overtime can lead to fatigue or burnout, so set reasonable limits to guard yourself and your patients.

4. Get an advanced nursing degree.

Earning your graduate degree is one of the surest ways to make more money as a nurse, either as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), nurse manager, or other professional.

APRNs require a master’s degree and lead to more independent practice as either a nurse practitioner (NP), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), or clinical nursing specialist (CNS). CRNAs make the highest average salaries among all APRNs, averaging close to $160,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other career choices with master’s or doctoral degrees include working as a nurse educator or nurse researcher or climbing the healthcare administration ladder.

5. Get creative with nursing side jobs.

When deciding how to make extra money as a nurse, some savvy R.N.s find that nursing side jobs can help them achieve their goals. Such extra opportunities might include:

Working per diem shifts on one of your days off
Teaching patients how to use medical equipment at home
Providing care for homebound patients
Tutoring nursing students online
Working as a camp nurse during weekends or vacation breaks
Writing blogs or other content for nursing publications
Giving flu injections at doctor’s offices or special clinics
Teaching patient education classes

6. Become a travel nurse.

Experienced nurses with recent experience in their specialties can earn excellent compensation as travel nurses. Travelers work temporary contracts in their choice of locations around the country, and their travel nursing agency covers most of their expenses.

The shorter-term, critical staffing assignments offered by NurseChoice are some of the highest-paying jobs in the travel nursing industry. Employment benefits include a contracted nurse salary, free housing, bonuses, travel reimbursements, health insurance, 401K, and other standard employment benefits.

If making more money as a nurse is one of your top priorities, ask your nursing recruiter to connect you to the best-paying assignments.

Are you looking for your next or first travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Need to find housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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 Emily Bryant

December 24, 2021

5227 Views

An Expert’s Guide to Being a New Travel Nurse

Posted on December 24, 2021December 27, 2021 by Emily Bryant

Calling myself an Expert

Ok well calling myself an expert might be a bit of a stretch, but I have done this eight times in about two years, so the feeling is more familiar to me than to most people. It only takes about one week of being a travel nurse to hear just about every question you will ever get asked again since people seem to stick to the same twenty questions no matter which region, culture, or age group you are interacting with. What has been your favorite location so far? How does housing work? Do you get paid more? How do you get insurance? Can you travel anywhere you want? What agency do you use? How did you decide to choose this profession? Where are you going to travel to next? Can you take lots of time off? Is it hard?

Answering the Questions

I have answered these questions on repeat so many times that I sometimes want to pull out a prerecorded audio file of myself answering all these questions and hit play and walk away because I wish there could be some more interesting questions thrown in every once in awhile, but that last question always makes me pause and think. Is it hard? For about the first year or so of traveling, I would respond with a chipper “not really, the fun outweighs the difficult aspects.” Or maybe I would even squeak out a “there are some minor challenges, but I wouldn’t call it hard by any means.”

What I would tell every traveler

But if I have learned one thing on this journey that I wish I could tell every traveler out there, I think it would be that it is OK to admit that the process is hard. Travel nurses by nature are more independent than the average human, but that doesn’t mean that we need to put on an act pretending that we have it all together and that we don’t need any help. This life is hard. Starting over is hard. Making new friends is hard. Not understanding a new hospital’s process is hard. Subjecting yourself to new relationships is hard. Constantly engaging in small talk is hard. Being away from family is hard. Having no control over your shifts is hard. Leaving friends right when you make a connection is hard. Never feeling settled is hard.

It is worth it!

Don’t get me wrong, traveling is absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, better than ice cream worth it. The experience is incomparable to just about any other career option out there and has provided some of the sweetest memories I could have asked for, but I experienced a degree of freedom when I allowed myself to voice the words “yes, it is hard. Constantly being the new one and the one saying goodbye is hard.”

People love to help

However, one of the sweetest things I have learned in starting over 8 times in two years is that people love to help, but we oftentimes have to ask. In our independent and sometimes harsh stance, we can take while subjecting ourselves to new experiences, we build up walls around ourselves pretending to be ok and acting as we will just figure this out on our own. Well, let me tell you that just end you up alone in all your endeavors with a bitter outlook on life. In “The Power of Vulnerability,” Brene Brown talks about the freedom and joy that vulnerability can bring to your life by simply allowing people into the real nitty-gritty details of your life, not just the Instagram-worthy moments. People, especially nurses, are wired to want to help. Sometimes it just takes a simple statement that you are lonely and would love to be more involved with people in order for coworkers or strangers to welcome you into their social lives.

She talks about being truly and authentically yourself, no matter what the situation is. Her mantra has been one of the most powerful tools for me in this journey. She recommends that when you walk into a new or uncomfortable place, simply whisper to you on repeat “don’t puff up, don’t shrink down. Be authentically you.” I cannot tell you the power in those words. It is absolutely amazing the peace that saying brings me when I can repeat that in my head while walking into a new assignment.

We hope these tips for being new as a travel nurse help you along your journey! Do you have any tips for being new as a travel nurse? Comment them below.

Calling myself an Expert

Answering the Questions

I have answered these questions on repeat so many times that I sometimes want to pull out a prerecorded audio file of myself answering all these questions and hit play and walk away because I wish there could be some more interesting questions thrown in every once in a while, but that last question always makes me pause and think. Is it hard? For about the first year or so of traveling, I would respond with a chipper “not really, the fun outweighs the difficult aspects.” Or maybe I would even squeak out a “there are some minor challenges, but I wouldn’t call it hard by any means.”

What I would tell every traveler

It is worth it!

Don’t get me wrong, traveling is absolute, 100%, without a doubt, better than ice cream worth it. The experience is incomparable to just about any other career option out there and has provided some of the sweetest memories I could have asked for, but I experienced a degree of freedom when I allowed myself to voice the words “yes, it is hard. Constantly being the new one and the one saying goodbye is hard.”

People love to help

We hope these tips for being new as a travel nurse help you along your journey! Do you have any tips for being new as a travel nurse? Comment them below.

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 Dan Matthews

December 8, 2021

7838 Views

How to Step into Leadership Roles with a Travel Nursing Background

Posted on December 8, 2021November 29, 2021 by Dan Matthews

Nursing today is different than it has probably ever been. Today, professionals are being called to respond to a pandemic that has ravaged our everyday lives. For many, this has led to burnout and a desire to jump into a new career path altogether. For some, it has created opportunities they hadn’t previously considered.

Travel nurses, in particular, are some of the most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Demand for nurses to fill in is at an all-time high, which has allowed many to travel wherever they want at a much higher price than previously expected. The demand has actually encouraged more and more nurses to leave their steady day job and opt for traveling.

Nurses that have been in the business of traveling for some time now have long struggled with some of the challenges faced by a nurse that is “new.” Many feel as though there is never a great opportunity to provide leadership even though they may have decades of experience under their belt. Fortunately, there are ways to help travel nurses step into a greater leadership role no matter their current position.

Putting Knowledge to Practice

As many travel nurses know, the experience of working in a variety of different hospitals across the nation provides a lot of insight. Chances are they’ve seen floors that are run efficiently and effectively while providing some of the highest quality and most attentive care to patients. Likewise, they have probably also seen some real disasters where one nurse or leader is effectively dragging down the whole team leader to all sorts of problems.

This experience puts travel nurses in a unique position to learn what works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, it gives them a powerful opportunity to see what great leadership looks like and build a network of mentors that can provide advice on becoming a nursing leader. It can also give you a chance to adapt your nursing style to be more like those that you’ve seen become highly successful.

As the experience adds up over time, travel nurses suddenly find themselves in the position to offer advice on where positive changes can be made in any given nursing unit. They can become problem solvers who lead from whatever position they are in. Great leaders aren’t necessarily those who strive to be in the spotlight. Rather, some of the most inspirational leaders many of us know are those who work quietly in the background to bring about positive change without drawing attention to themselves.

Moving to Make Change

For some travel nurses, stepping into a greater leadership role will ultimately mean making a move into a more permanent position. Hanging up the travel bag and settling down onto a regular unit may be quite a bit of an adjustment, but it can provide the opportunity to put in for leadership roles that will give a more active role in the day-to-day management of other nurses. It could be the perfect opportunity to put all of the leadership skills learned over the years into action.

Other travel nurses may find that their role in making an impact can be bigger if they leave nursing for a different hospital role altogether. For instance, some may choose to go into medical administration. This is a realm that many travel nurses likely know a bit about and could offer positive solutions to — after all, many must deal with new hospital administration staff every time they move to a new location.

Still, other travel nurses may find that they have more of a business background they could put to use. Surprisingly, many hospitals need people with some experience in business management. Hospitals are large businesses, after all. The experience of working as a contract employee over the years could benefit travel nurses as they step into a greater leadership role within the hospital system.

***

Travel nurses have some of the greatest leadership potential. Many have experience in a variety of hospitals and have had a chance to see the good and the bad as well as learn from some of the very best leaders they’ve come across. Even if they don’t choose to stay in nursing, many travel nurses have the ability and experience to lead in other hospital roles that could make a significant difference in the quality of care and overall workplace happiness of the local hospital.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Have your assignment but still need housing? Click here to search our housing page.

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 Frank Hamilton

August 30, 2021

8649 Views

A Complete Guide to Market Yourself as a Travel Nurse

Posted on August 30, 2021August 17, 2021 by Frank Hamilton

The pandemic triggered the demand for travel nursing professionals. But at the same time, it created fierce competition among specialists. Finding a decent job is no longer as easy as before, as travel nurses have many new requirements.

How to overcome tough competition in the labor market and become one of the first to receive the best offers? What is possible to do? Use the following tips to promote yourself as a nursing professional.

Top 5 Tips To Market Yourself As A Travel Nurse

Against the background of increased demand and competition, you have to improve your qualifications and get new experience within the framework of your career. It is time to learn how to promote yourself in the labor market properly. Get started with the following tips to find the best jobs in travel nursing.

Create a Quality CV

The first place to start is to update and rewrite your CV. Most likely, you have gained new skills and experience when dealing with the challenges 2020 made us face. Many people forget to update their resumes from time to time, especially when they have constant work. But for the travel nurses, keeping your resume up-to-date is a must-do.

Do not forget to add new certificates or knowledge of foreign languages. Any international experience will be a great point in your CV. Highlight your traveling nurse experience, plus describe the challenges you have faced and the ways you overcome them.

Create Your Site

The next step for successfully promoting yourself as a specialist is to think about creating your own website. It will be something like a business card or an online resume. You can also run your blog to share your expertise, use-cases, and stories to showcase yourself as a nursing professional and personality at once.

Remember about SEO promotion, as it will help your site reach the top of the search results. Accordingly, your site will be better discoverable and findable by those in search of travel nursing services.

As for promoting your blog, consider using guest posting to reach your target audience and improve your website’s position in the search result. All you need to do is find sites that accept medical guest posts and write some valuable articles that will link back to your website. Find more details here about medical blogs that accept guest posts and how to collaborate with them. By the way, you can discover more about this topic on a medsnews.com website as well.

Use LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the best platforms that allow people to find new business connections. Medical service is no exception, which means that you can find travel nurse agencies with top salary offers within this social network.

There you can post your resume and link to your website. It is noteworthy that there are many HR managers on this site, and they are in constant search of the specialists they need. Therefore, creating a profile on this platform is a potential opportunity to receive tempting offers even without additional promotion effort. But if possible, you should devote your time to updating your Linkedin profile and connecting to those who can offer you a job you are looking for.

Find a Recruiter

One of the best ways to stop worrying about your career is to make a connection with a reliable recruiter. As noted earlier, you can find a suitable one on LinkedIn and stay in touch all the time. The new job opportunities can appear unexpectedly, and there are always a lot of applicants for a vacancy.

Therefore, friendly relationships and ongoing communication with recruiters are a good idea for those who want to remain attractive to employers and be the first to receive the best offers. Some specialists keep in touch with several recruiters so that you can follow this tactic as well.

Follow Nursing Ethics

Another important piece of advice for travel nurses is always to follow the rules of medical ethics. As one of the points, it’s about always being positive about your customers. The main thing is to never complain to your new employer about your experience, especially if this experience was negative. Try to turn negative situations into positive experiences. Focus on the ways you dealt with them and the skills you gained in the process.

Moreover, travel nursing companies are always looking for specialists who know how to care from a medical perspective and a human one. Therefore, politeness, calmness, and a positive attitude are needed for those who want to promote themselves as great specialists and get the best jobs offers.

The Bottom Line

Travel nursing services are in great demand. Make sure to show your future employers you are serious about taking care of people – your professionally created CV, website, and well-developed LinkedIn profile can already say a lot about you. Also, don’t forget about making a good impression as a personality and a human since your personal qualities are no less important than professional ones.

With the market as hot as it is right now for travel nurses, it is more important than ever to know how to market yourself as a travel nurse. We hope you found these tips helpful. Have you found ways to market yourself as a travel nurse that has helped you on your travel nursing journey? Comment them below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Already have your assignment but need housing? Click here to view our housing page.

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 Janet Warton

August 18, 2021

140457 Views

Things That Every Travel Nurse Should Always Bring With Them

Posted on August 18, 2021August 13, 2021 by Janet Warton

The high number of COVID cases in the country has left many healthcare facilities understaffed. Travel nurses have been filling in the gaps throughout the pandemic, with 40,000 to 50,000 professionals deployed across the country daily. They generally work 13-week contracts, but these are often extended because of the continuing demands.

Every time they’re assigned to a new location, they’re often provided lodging with basic appliances and living essentials. However, there are some things that travel nurses should always pack no matter the scenario, particularly the following:

Important documents

Important travel nursing documents include various paperwork such as proof of vaccinations for certain illnesses, your social security card, and required certifications for your specialty. Of course, you shouldn’t forget your nursing license, credentials, and contract either.

Personal documents like your birth certificate, driver’s license, and insurance will also come in handy in case of emergencies. Aside from having the original copies or photocopies of these documents, you can also consider having digital versions of them in case you need to produce them or send them to offices remotely.

First-aid kit

You may be working in a health facility, but having your own first-aid kit also ensures that you have emergency supplies for when something happens outside of work, like in your lodging. This should be a health essential for you.

Your first-aid kit should have band-aids, bandages, cold compress packs, tape, gloves, thermometer, and a thermal blanket, among others. Vitamins and other over-the-counter medications should also be in the kit. If you have prescription pills, pack a full supply and take a copy of the prescription in case you’d need refills.

Ergonomic accessories

When you’re constantly moving from place to place, ergonomics may be the last thing you think about. But it’s actually especially important in situations like when you’re sleeping in an airport or cramped in a van. Ergonomic accessories help prevent aches and pains by keeping your body in a neutral position.

Ergonomic accessories reduce stress, tension, and pressure on certain body parts, particularly weight-bearing joints. A travel neck pillow provides neck and head support while relieving the pain and discomfort that comes with sleeping in an upright position while traveling. Meanwhile, an ergonomic keyboard supports the wrist, hands, and fingers – perfect for long hours typing up health reports. They’re shaped to relieve pressure and reduce the tension in the wrist tendons.

Clothes

Depending on how long you’ll be staying, you won’t have to take a lot of things from your wardrobe. Aside from the length of your stay, another thing you need to consider is the weather. If you’re being assigned to one of the colder states, like Maine or Wyoming, then bring heavier scrubs, some thermal underwear, and thicker clothing. Your travel wardrobe should contain casual outfits you can mix and match, work clothes, lounge/gym clothes, and one or two pieces of formal ensembles. As for footwear, bring your trusty sneakers, together with slippers and dressy shoes.

Packing the right items can be challenging for new travel nurses, but you’ll be able to form the perfect strategy as you get assigned to more locations. Start with these essentials and go from there.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse job? Click here to search our job board. Do you have your next job secured but need housing? Click here to search our housing page.

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 Dan Matthews

July 26, 2021

9030 Views

What You Need to Consider Before Choosing a Nursing Specialty

Posted on July 26, 2021July 12, 2021 by Dan Matthews

There are more than 100 nursing specialties to choose from, whether you’re still a nursing student or years into your travel nursing career. If you’re passionate about a certain area, it’s never too late to make a change.

But, the overwhelming nature of choosing a specialty might be holding you back.

Some specialties focus directly on dealing with patients. Others are more “behind the scenes” or managerial. Which one is right for you? How can you be sure you’re going down the right path? What if you want to travel and use your skills and knowledge to help others across the world?

Let’s dive into a few things you should consider before choosing a travel nursing specialty and how your choice will impact your travel nurse career.

What is Your Passion?

Before you factor in anything else, consider what you’re most passionate about when it comes to travel nursing. Where do you find the most joy in helping others? If you love helping people but consider yourself somewhat of an introvert, you might want to think about the following specialties:

Nurse educator
Private duty nursing
Forensic nursing
Informatics
Legal nurse consultant

You don’t need to see patients face-to-face to help them and be an outstanding travel nurse. Technology has made it possible to do a lot of behind-the-scenes work that is just as crucial for patient care.

On the other hand, if you love being amid real patient interaction each day, your specialty should involve something more hands-on. You might even feel most passionate about a certain area of the body, like the heart, or gastrointestinal system. Honing your skills and learning about specific conditions like Transposition of the Great Arteries or reflux and GERD will allow you to help patients experiencing specific types of pain and discomfort.

Ask yourself what aspects of your job you like the best, and what makes you feel most fulfilled. No matter what you choose, you should feel content and happy at the end of each shift.

How Do You Want to Work?

Doing something you love isn’t always enough to be fully satisfied with a specialty. You also have to consider how you want to work (and where). Do you feel more comfortable in a fast-paced hospital setting, or would you prefer working from home? If you want t o work remotely, you could become a:

Clinical appeals nurse
Health informatics specialist
Nurse abstractor
Nurse auditor
Nursing instructor

Working remotely as a nurse will also allow you to travel. But, doing so can require licensing agreements to work in multiple states or even countries. So, consider the time and effort you want to put into traveling the world and helping others. It can take 2-4 years to officially become a travel nurse, but working from home throughout that time can help you to get your feet wet.

Alternatively, you could jump on the telehealth train. It has become increasingly popular thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, telehealth is very clearly here to stay, making healthcare more accessible for almost everyone.

The future of telehealth is mobile, which can allow you to check up on patients right from your phone with nothing more than a strong Internet connection. You can work with patients hundreds of miles away and provide them with the care and attention they need.

When you combine the aspects of travel nursing that you love, the type of environment you’re interested in, and consider the time and effort it can take for various certifications, you can narrow down your nursing specialty relatively quickly. Keep these considerations in mind if you’re thinking about a specialty, and know that no matter what you do, you’ll be making a difference.

By Gifted Healthcare

July 16, 2021

8029 Views

5 Ways To Improve Your Communication Skills as a Travel Nurse

Posted on July 16, 2021July 15, 2021 by Gifted Healthcare

This article was provided by Gifted Healthcare.

Communication is an important part of both travel nursing and personal life. Communicating effectively will help you excel at work and in travel nursing interviews and may improve the existing bonds you have with friends and family.

We’ve created a list of tips for improving your communication skills to help you thrive as a travel nurse and beyond.

Read on to learn more on ways to improve your communication skills!

What Is Effective Communication?

First, we need to define what effective communication looks like. While it may sound simple, effective communication is a process that involves far more than the exchange of information.

An effective communicator understands the emotional content of the message and the intentions of the person they are communicating with while maintaining self-awareness and respect for the speaker.

1. Focus on Listening

Listening is probably the most important part of communicating effectively. “Active listening” is the process of fully concentrating on the message being communicated rather than simply “hearing” what is said.

Active Listening is a way of engaging in conversation that requires effort and concentration; it shows the speaker you are invested in what they are saying. To actively listen, the listener pays attention to the speaker’s verbal and nonverbal language, acknowledging the speaker’s opinion without expressing judgment.

These strategies lead to more successful and mutually beneficial interactions. Here are a few tips for active listening:

Focus closely on the message being communicated, without distraction.
Encourage the speaker to communicate fully, openly and honestly.
Monitor non-verbal language/cues.
Ask questions, paraphrase, and summarize to enhance your understanding of the message and show your concern.
Avoid judgment or jumping to conclusions.
Don’t interrupt or start thinking of a response before the speaker is finished.

Active listening takes practice to do well, but awareness is the first step! To learn more about active listening, check out this article by Heart Matters.

2. Read Nonverbal Signals

Did you know that a significant portion of communication is nonverbal? Reading nonverbal cues is an essential part of effective communication, so it’s important to maintain sensitivity to this part of the process.

According to Verywell Mind, nonverbal communication includes:

Facial expressions
Gestures and movements
“Paralinguistics” – tone of voice, volume, pitch, inflection
Eye contact
Body language and posture
Haptics, or communicating through touch

3. Manage Your Emotions

Nursing can be a fast-paced, stressful job. When we are under stress, it is more difficult to maintain self-awareness and manage our emotions. However, this is a key element of effective communication.

When our emotions are unmanaged, we can misunderstand what people are saying or misread their body language. We also tend to display confusing body language ourselves or jump to conclusions that are untrue.

When you must communicate in a stressful situation, focus on remaining calm and avoiding knee-jerk reactions to what is being said.

4. Be Confident and Assertive

While it’s important to manage emotions and be an engaged listener, remaining confident and assertive while communicating will improve the clarity of your message. According to HelpGuide.org, “being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in an open and honest way, while standing up for yourself and respecting others.”

Remember, being assertive does not mean being hostile or aggressive toward other people.

In addition, don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are confused about the message. Asking for more information to clarify certain points is a good thing – it will help you understand the speaker and show them you care about what they are saying.

5. Be Willing to Compromise

Compromise is an agreement in a dispute that is reached by both sides making concessions.

If you are involved in a conflict or disagreement, try to reach a conclusion that reduces the chance of future conflict. Compromise is not always pleasant, but it is the best way to ensure successful communication in the future.

We hope you found this article on ways to improve your communication skills helpful. Do you have any tips to help fellow travel nurses with their communication skills? Comment them below.

Are you a travel nurse looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to visit our job board. Have you found your assignment but need housing? Click here to view our housing page.

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 Medical Staffing Options

July 14, 2021

7617 Views

8 Important Tips for Travel Nurses

Posted on July 14, 2021July 12, 2021 by Medical Staffing Options

This article was provided by Medical Staffing Options.

There are many incentives for travel nurses, including higher pay, new career opportunities, and the experience of traveling to various locations. Despite these advantages, travel nursing can take a toll on one’s emotional, physical, and mental health.

Whether you are an active travel nurse or are interested in taking your nursing career on the road, the following list can help make your adventures as a travel nurse a pleasant experience. The following information reveals 8 important tips for travel nurses.

1. Become Informed on Each State’s Licensing Requirements

Each state has its own rules as to whether new licensure is required for travel nurses. There is an agreement created by the National Council Boards of Nursing that allows nurses in certain states, deemed compact states, to practice in other compact states with obtaining an additional license.

Many states who are not part of this agreement normally allow for nurses to obtain a temporary license. To become informed regarding license laws, travel nurses should visit the Board of Nursing Website for each prospective employment opportunity.

2. Vehicle Care

With all the stress of life, it is easy to forget to properly maintain your vehicle. This is a critical concern for travel nurses, as they put extensive miles on their vehicles, which can result in extensive damage if not maintained.

Keep records of your regular vehicle maintenance, including oil changes, tire replacement/rotations, and check your fluids regularly. Neglecting to do so can result in costly damages to your vehicle.

Some travel nurses prefer to rent a vehicle, although this can be an expensive decision.

3. Don’t Overpack

This is one of the most common mistakes made by new travel nurses. It can be tempting to overpack in fear that you will not have enough items, but it will be a regrettable decision. Packing too many unnecessary items is not a feasible decision when moving every few months on average.

Important Things to Note:

If your things do not fit in your vehicle, leave them behind.
Only pack clothes that are relevant to your job location.
Find affordable, furnished housing options
Pack enough scrubs

One of the best tips for travel nurses is living minimally is the most practical and appropriate lifestyle for this career choice.

4. Avoid Tax Complications

Every state has different laws in place for state taxes. Be sure to keep financial records to avoid complications. One of our top tips for travel nurses is it is in your best interest to hire a tax professional to avoid complications.

5. Stay in Touch with Family and Friends

The sole complaint for many travel nurses is that life on the road can become lonely. This is not good for one’s emotional or mental health. To combat this issue, it is crucial that nurses keep regular contact with their family and friends back home. This can be achieved through regular phone calls, skype, zoom, or other virtual applications.

6. Be Sure to Consider Factors, Including Health Insurance

Reliable health insurance is a common complaint for many travel nurses. Lack of insurance opportunities and lapses in coverage can threaten one’s health and financial security.

The best way to avoid any issues with health insurance is to work with a staffing agency that provides its employees with coverage. The team of knowledgeable professionals at Medical Staffing Options provides travel nurses with full-time healthcare coverage, a rare benefit in the world of travel nursing.

This will provide you with peace of mind, knowing that wherever you may travel, your health coverage is secure.

7. Prepare For Politics

We’re not talking about the 2020 election, but hospital politics. 99.5% of the time, most hospital staffs are grateful for the help. Over the last year, staffing has been difficult because of a myriad of reasons – turnover or nurse burnout, to name a few. Travel nurses are able to bridge that gap, and the other nurses are happy for the relief. There might be one or two nurses who may harbor negative feelings towards travel nursing – the perception being hours or positions being stolen. That’s okay. All you need to do is the job you were brought on to do and excel. You know what they say, “Kill them with kindness.” You might be able to change their perception, but you may not. Just keep the lines of communication open and always be helpful to all staff.

8. Seek the Services of a Staffing Agency

Finding the right job opportunities can be difficult for travel nurses. If you are considering the transition to travel nursing or need help finding your next nursing opportunity, a recruitment agency that specializes in travel nursing can help.

Contact Medical Staffing Options Today for More Information

Travel nurses are in high demand, and there are employment opportunities around the country. Reach out to Medical Staffing Options (https://www.msotravelnursing.com/) today if you are interested in experiencing all that travel nursing has to offer. Let Medical Staffing Options connect you with the best nursing jobs available and provide you with the resources you need for success.

We hope you found these tips for travel nurses from Medical Staffing Options helpful and help you along your travel nurse journey. Are there any other tips for travel nurses we missed? Comment any tips you have for fellow travel nurses below.

By Hannah Quirk

July 13, 2021

14904 Views

Nurturing Excellence: Requirements for Neonatal Travel Nurses in NICU

Posted on July 13, 2021December 18, 2023 by Hannah Quirk

When I was in nursing school, I remember when I first discovered my passion for caring for babies. I was at a clinical in Pittsburgh, PA, at the women’s hospital, and I knew that NICU nursing was for me. It is all I have ever done since graduating from Duquesne University in 2016. I thought I had found my dream job, but then I began hearing about travel nursing. What if you can still be a NICU nurse, help families and their babies, and travel all over the country and explore on your days off? I was sold.

What does NICU stand for?

A lot of people ask me, “What does NICU stand for?” NICU is the neonatal intensive care unit. I have also had people ask me, “So, do you like change diapers all day?” The answer to that is yes, but being a NICU nurse is so much more than changing diapers. In the NICU, we see babies who are born at 23 weeks of gestation to about 40 weeks of gestation. Babies can stay in the NICU for a few days, weeks, months, or even years. We commonly see babies who are there for prematurity, which is often accompanied by many other complications. Babies who are not premature can also come to the NICU. Some of the most common diagnoses seen in the NICU include sepsis or infection, respiratory distress, heart defects, hypoglycemia, other blood sugar imbalances, poor feeding, genetic disorders, and many others. The babies that I have taken care of come in all different shapes and sizes. I have taken care of a one-pound newborn baby, and I have taken care of a thirteen-pound newborn baby.

Typical NICU assignment

A typical assignment for a NICU nurse can be anywhere from one to three patients, depending on their acuity. A NICU nurse is responsible for taking and recording all vital signs, monitoring the patients for any sudden changes, feedings, mixing milk and formula, administering medication, starting and maintaining IVs, changing out IV fluids, performing blood draws, educating family members, helping new mothers learn to breastfeed, being a patient advocate, and yes, changing diapers. Oh, and, of course, finding time to chart on your patients!

Each hospital is unique.

I have been travel nursing since 2018 and have taken six different assignments. Each hospital has been unique, with different policies and procedures, but the basics of NICU care have remained the same. Once you sign a travel contract, you have to complete the requirements as you would for any job. Some of the requirements include submitting your vaccination records, providing proof of a recent negative TB test, providing proof of a negative drug test, providing proof of any certifications such as NRP, and completing any modules or competencies that the specific hospital requires. It is usually a whirlwind getting everything completed, but you are never alone, and your agency will help you through it. Once you get to the hospital, you typically have one day of hospital orientation, including training on the hospital’s charting system. Then, you typically get two days on the unit to learn where everything is and how they do things.

Before becoming a travel nurse, you should be confident in your skillset, be open to learning new ways of doing things, ask questions if you do not know something, and be flexible, adaptable, and helpful. So far, as a travel nurse, I have worked both days and nights. I have worked many weekends. I have not gotten my first pick of my schedule. I have been floated to other units (including adults during COVID). And I have had many busy assignments. It is not always as glamorous as social media can sometimes make it out to be. However, it is so worth it! I have learned so much over the past three years. I have learned new skills, been exposed to many different cultures, worked with many different people and personalities, learned to speak up for myself, and learned not to sweat the small things. I have also visited nine new national parks, climbed Half Dome, hiked rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, tasted wine in Napa Valley, lived on the beach, went on a hot air balloon ride in the desert, and experienced more adventure than some people do in a lifetime. If you are interested in becoming a NICU travel nurse, do it! It will be the greatest experience you will ever have.

Are you looking for your next or first NICU travel nurse assignment? Click here to view open NICU travel assignments.

We hope you found this information on a day in the life of a NICU nurse helpful and informative. Keep an eye out for more articles on other travel nurse specialties. Are you a travel nurse who would like to share their story in a day in the life article? Please comment below or email our content department by clicking here.

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

START HERE

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