January 11, 2022

5155 Views

Banish a Bad Day: Fun and Lively Activities to Do When Feeling Down

Posted on January 11, 2022February 7, 2022 by Lirika Hart

If you feel upset or down or are just plain annoyed with life in general, you will need a pick-me-up to make your day. There are plenty of fun activities you can indulge in so as to enjoy your mood and banish your bad day. We will check out a few of them right here:

Banish a bad day:

Read a good book

When it’s cold and the days are short and depressing, few things can beat the blues, as well as reading a good book. You can always settle down in your most comfortable armchair and nourish your mind with the latest potboiler or a great action-packed western adventure. You can also spend your hours reading timeless classics with a cup of coffee close by. Before you know it, you would have gotten rid of the weekend blues.

Go to the movies

You don’t have to be a diehard movie buff to go to the movies every once in a while. Check the local listings, grab plenty of popcorn, and enter the movie world, where you will be able to forget all your worries for the next few hours at least. You can also go for a movie marathon. If you don’t want to leave your house, just get a streaming service subscription. Disney +, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. There are so many of those available. You can always select your favorite shows and enjoy yourself till you beat your mood.

Hang out with friends

If you have a hobby such as collecting stamps or even combat weapons, reach out to those who share a similar hobby. In time, you will grow to love what you do, and hours of discussing your favorite topics will snap you out of your downtime easily enough. You can go to stamp collection shows, or if you enjoy combat shooting, you can hang out with your friends at the range. It doesn’t matter what your hobby is, as long as you have friends who enjoy the same, you won’t feel down. This is why if you don’t have a hobby, just make sure you get one.

Go Camping.

This is an ideal way of being at one with mother nature. With the passage of time, you will love the moments when you caught your first fish or pitched your very first tent. Besides that, communing with nature has a unique and rustic charm of its very own. You won’t feel bad at all. Just calm and relaxed.

Get into sports

Nothing gets the blood and adrenaline flowing as much as competitive sports. You can join a track team or a swimming camp or even run a marathon. All that extra exercise will release certain hormones that will boost your mood and make sure that you are too busy to mope.

Martial arts

If you are the thrill-seeking type, go for contact sports. Boxing, Karate, MMA, and other martial arts. They will eliminate your depression easily enough because of the sheer exertion required to win a tournament.

Ride a Bike

A bike ride might just be the panacea to all your problems if you are feeling down. There are few activities as much fun as a bike ride when you are down in the dumps. You can have a race with your friends, or just paddle all over the place, taking in the sun and the fresh air, or you can even go for a high cardio exercise ride at full speed. You’ll be able to tone your body and your muscles and look better and smarter.

You can get your friends to join you as well. If you are not sure, you can also start riding an electric bike instead of a normal one. Electric bikes are far more enjoyable and make for an easier biking experience. Now you can also turn your normal bike into an electric one with the help of a bicycle motor kit for a great biking experience

Conclusion

If you are feeling down and out, just read a good book, watch movies, hang out with friends, or go for a very comfortable bike ride courtesy of your electric bike.

We hope you enjoyed this article on ways to banish a bad day helpful. Have you found ways as a travel nurse to banish your bad days? Comment them below if you would like to share.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for your next travel nurse 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 Kevin Devoto

January 10, 2022

6334 Views

7 Tips to Succeed as a Travel Nurse

Posted on January 10, 2022December 20, 2021 by Kevin Devoto

Taking an assignment as a travel nurse can be exciting and rarely dull. You will probably always feel on the move. If your passion is for helping people, but you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to stay in one environment for long, being a travel nurse could be the career for you. If you have nursing experience but decided to try life as a travel nurse, here are several tips to get you going and help you succeed as a travel nurse.

Decide Where You Want to Live

Once you know where you’re going, do some research and decide in what part of town you would prefer to live. You may enjoy living downtown or opt for a place within walking distance of work. Maybe you would like to be in a more private residential area.

Be Flexible

If you are new to a travel nurse company, you may or may not have much freedom or flexibility to choose the area for the assignment. These companies are often good about working with their nurses when they can assist as part of revenue operations. However, the longer you are with a company, the more flexible it will usually become. Then, you can choose not only the location of your assignment but also the type of facility or a specific facility. However, it can be exciting to go places you wouldn’t normally consider.

Organize Your Life

As soon as you find out you have an assignment, you should begin preparing for your move. Ensure you have all the essential paperwork you’ll need, including health records, license information, etc.

Pack Efficiently

Most travel nurses work on 13-week assignments. Time goes by fast, so it’s probably not necessary to take everything you own with you only to have to move it again. There are some things it would likely be more cost-effective to buy when you get there rather than to carry with you.

Arrive Early

Take some extra time on your first day to get to work. You will probably be nervous, and if you’re feeling anxious from feeling rushed, it could set the mood for the whole day, especially if you end up being late. Try to arrive a bit early to make a good impression on your co-workers and have time to prepare for your workday.

Perform a Test Run

It can be helpful to perform a test run of your commute before your first day on the job. Do just as you would on a typical day of work, getting up and out the door when you predict you’ll need to to get to work in time. You may find that traffic is worse than you expected, and you need to head out 10 minutes earlier. You may find that there is a better route to take to avoid some of the heavier traffic. It helps to be as prepared as possible before your first day; because first days are already stressful without combining a totally new location to the mix. You may also want to check out the parking situation at the facility if you think there could be a problem finding an open spot.

Also, if you’re working in a larger facility, walk to your work area to figure how long it will take to walk to that destination. For example, if you’ll be working on the fifth floor of a hospital and you discover the hospital has slow elevators, you may need to take that into consideration when deciding what time to begin your commute.

Explore and Enjoy

One of the most fun things about being a travel nurse is exploring new places and meeting new people. Cultivate friendships with your co-workers and ask about recommendations on places to go in and around your town. You are likely to experience many new adventures during your time as a travel nurse. Take these tips into consideration today and begin planning for your next exciting assignment.

We hope you found this article on 7 tips to succeed as a travel nurse helpful. Do you have any tips for your fellow travel nurses on how to succeed? Comment your tips to succeed as a travel nurse below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need 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 Anna Johnson

January 7, 2022

9873 Views

Becoming a Nurse at 40. Am I Too Old?

Posted on January 7, 2022January 7, 2022 by Anna Johnson

Nursing is a lucrative career. Whether it’s your first job or you are looking to switch, it’s the most emotionally rewarding and physically devastating career you can come across. There’s a constant demand for nurses everywhere and not enough applications to fulfill the shortage. Your age shouldn’t be a causality to reject your application, but if you are not emotionally or physically fit – especially if you’ve never had any healthcare jobs – your age could be the deciding factor.

Anna is an educational freelance writer who has been helping women of age to secure their dream education and job. Anna specializes in writing about health, education, and Assignment Geek.

In this article, I’m going to educate you about the healthcare sector and whether you are still fit to take on nursing as a very demanding day job.

Why be a Nurse at 40?

Nursing is a career that, while being prospective, can soon become a nightmare for some. If you already have decided on taking nursing as your career at age 40, read on to know more about the benefits nursing delivers.

1. Diverse Backgrounds:

Nursing applicants come from diverse backgrounds and professions. While you don’t need a lot of specialized training to become a nurse, there are several nursing categories that need expertise and educational background to get into, like surgeries and trauma care, which pay well too.

No worries, being a nurse is not only about the first one to tackle the blood and bone. Taking care of recovering patients, keeping the families informed, managing others around your block all come under nursing. And being 40 means you are mature enough to empathize with the patients and take good care.

2. Looking After the Overlooked:

Nursing is a great opportunity for those who thrive by helping others—the givers.

Working as a nurse means to experience it all; all the blood and the beauty of the world. You’ll see birth, you’ll see death, but you wouldn’t ever be able to look at the clock again. If caring is your second nature, no matter the age, nursing is for you. Being able to take care of someone(or multiple ones), feeding them, cleaning them, is only going to make you regret your decision, but feed your feelings and, of course, bank account.

3. Life Experience at 40:

One of the thousands of reasons why you should be a nurse at 40. Your life experience is going to throw all others out of the park. Healthcare is all about experience and knowledge. As no one trusts a doctor who doesn’t have much experience, institutions would trust you more than a teenage girl for the most critical work around a healthcare facility – nursing.

4. Getting in Nursing is Fast:

You can get your complete nursing training with 58 hours of study and 800 hours of clinical experience through ABSN – an accredited nursing bachelor program that helps you get licensed. If you have any previous healthcare certifications, credits can even be transferred from those graduation certificates onto nursing courses to complete the certification within 18 months or less.

5. Better Management of Time:

When you are taking a certification course for nursing, you ought to find yourself more engaged in studies and organizing your time. More elder nursing students often find more work-life balance when starting out professionally than the younger ones. You, being 40, are going to approach the nursing career with more maturity than anyone else.

How to Be a Nurse at 40?

Just after you’ve decided to pursue nursing, the next question comes automatically. Am I ready to be a nurse at 40? Here’s how you would know if you are ready or not.

1. Physical Condition:

You should never consider nursing as a career if you are physically unwell. Nursing, being a physically demanding job, is enough to make you unwell. If you are not in your prime condition of health, think well ahead and consider a less physically demanding job.

2. Emotional Wellness:

You would be expected to keep your head high even if the world around you trembles while being a nurse. If you are mentally not very strong, it’s going to cause a lot of trouble. Do have a very good idea of how strong you are emotionally before applying.

3. Socialize:

While in nursing school, try socializing with other students to get a good idea of what is expected of you. Discuss with your college about the transferability of previous degrees and what additional training you can do while being in college for a better opportunity in the field of nursing.

The Bottom Line:

It’s never too late to become a nurse. There always exists ample vacancies and opportunities to explore. Your length of career doesn’t limit your chance to do good for the community with the opportunity to make use of the wisdom you’ve garnered throughout your whole life.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need to find housing for your travel nurse 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 The Gypsy Nurse

January 6, 2022

5355 Views

Top 6 Affirmations That Boost Your Self-Worth

Posted on January 6, 2022May 27, 2025 by The Gypsy Nurse

Article Written By: Sherry Kimball.

Self-worth’s something that we’re all born with, but it doesn’t always stay there. It impacts how you feel, what you do, and how others perceive you. There are many affirmations that help boost our self-worth, but we’ll explore the top 6 in this post.

Self-worth and self-esteem start to drop when we get older, and life throws us lemons. After a while, it can be hard to feel good about yourself or your abilities. Positive affirmations are a great way to improve your self-worth by reminding you of the things that make you awesome. In many psychology studies, self-worth and self-esteem have been shown to improve with positive affirmations.

Self-worth is an essential aspect of one’s well-being. If we lack a high opinion of ourselves, it can be hard to take risks and do what makes us happy such as visiting one of the best dating sites to find a perfect partner. You can overcome self-worth issues over time by doing several things to make the process faster. In this blog post, we’ll discuss six positive affirmations to help boost your self-worth and make you feel better about yourself.

1. I’m Always Doing My Best

Sometimes, it’s hard to feel like you’re doing your best, and you might always be thinking about how you could have done better. It can lead to low self-worth and feelings of inadequacy. But this is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken in order to improve your self-worth. The power of thinking you’re doing your best is the key – when we believe in ourselves, it becomes easy for others to believe in us too. So if you’re looking for an effective tactic on how to self-worth yourself, start by thinking you’re doing your best.

2. I Love Myself Unconditionally

The affirmation that you love yourself for who you are is the most potent part of improving your self-worth. When you talk to yourself, what do you say? Do you tell yourself that you’re worthless or perfect? The truth is, your thoughts have power over you, and if they’re positive, they can make you feel good about yourself. Simply saying “I love myself” is a powerful statement that can make a difference in your life, boost your self-worth, and help you to start feeling better about yourself.

3. I’m Thankful for Every Day of My Life

It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of life that we forget to be grateful for all the good things happening. Living an extraordinary life means being thankful for every day in our lives, no matter how they start or end. When you wake up feeling grateful, your self-worth will increase, and it’ll have a positive effect on absolutely everything you do.

4. I’m the Author of My Own Happiness

Do you feel like your life is a constant struggle? Do you often find yourself angry, sad, and frustrated with the world around you? If so, it’s time to take charge of your own happiness. You might not know this, but your joy is in your hands. You can’t expect anyone else to do it for you. Improving your self-worth starts by taking responsibility for your own emotions and satisfaction. So do you engage in anything good that makes you happy to boost your self-worth?

5. I Strongly Believe in My Dreams and Visions

Many people have dreams and visions that they never take the time to pursue because they don’t believe in themselves. One of the best ways to boost your self-worth from work is believing in your dreams and visions. The truth is that you don’t need to be perfect or know everything about your objective before you start pursuing it. All you need is a little faith and determination, and then all of the steps will unfold in front of you. Believing in your dreams will boost your self-worth and provide a sense of purpose to life.

6. I Love My Body

Gratefulness is a powerful force that can help us boost our self-worth and live happier, healthier life. And if you’re going to be happy and obtain self-worthiness, why not start with loving your body? You might be surprised how much loving your body does for you all day and every day. Being grateful for your body is a great way to relieve yourself from insecurity and improve your self-worth and self-esteem in the process. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but by focusing on all the great things about your body, you’ll start feeling better about who you’re inside and out.

Conclusion

Positive affirmations are a powerful way to boost your self-worth, change your mindset, and shift your focus on what you want in life. When it comes to affirmations, you can’t just say one sentence or think about it for a few minutes, forget it, and expect a change in your self-worth and -esteem. Affirmations must be repeated over time until they become your self-worth foundation and a part of who you are.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse adventure? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for your next 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 AMN Healthcare

January 5, 2022

8947 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 Grant Oster

January 4, 2022

6050 Views

7 Easy Hobbies for Travel Nurses

Posted on January 4, 2022December 8, 2021 by Grant Oster

Travel nursing has its pros and cons, but the biggest pros of all will always be the hobbies you get to do. Wherever you go, to the mountains or the islands or the tropics, you’ll get a chance to pick up new hobbies or try another form of a hobby you already do. What are 7 easy hobbies for travel nurses you’ll find in almost every city?

Cooking a local dish

Let the locals introduce you to the dishes they like to eat. It might be a new way of roasting fish or a different kind of barbeque spice mix. The best part about learning how to make a local dish is that ingredients are usually easy to find in the area, and you don’t need to exert yourself to find spices, mixes, or sauces you need for the dishes.

Learn from a local instead of a recipe. Let them teach you how to cut the meat, how to choose the vegetables at the market, how to wait for the right level of oven heat. If you’re feeling adventurous, bring your favorite ingredients from your own home and create some fusion dishes while you’re at it!

Biking the city

If you anticipate being in a city for a while, buying and then pawning a secondhand bike might be the best way to go. You could also bring your own foldable bike right there with your luggage, ready to unleash your restless wheels on whatever city you find yourself in.

Why bike? First, you automatically get some exercise in. Travel nursing can keep you up on your feet your whole shift, but good old-fashioned cardio with a cool wind and no patients can be a restful hobby. Second, you get to explore the city without worrying about getting back to your home when your legs get tired of walking. And you might cut down on too much extra shopping!

Visiting antique shops

Maybe not necessarily antique shops. Hole-in-the-wall secondhand stores and pawn shops usually do as well. The best part is that what you find is probably not what you could easily pick up in any souvenir shop. And if you’re very lucky, you’ll find something with a little history to it that someone can tell you about.

Not sure where to start? Markets are always a fun area. Rather than going to large shops, look for smaller stores and little stalls with their own unique sets of wares. You might not find classic antiques, but the search might yield handcrafted or personally designed items that are better to bring home than a generic souvenir.

Backpacking in the local park or trail

There’s more to every city than its clinic and hospital, and sometimes the best thing to do is to get out of it for a while. Research and discover any local parks or hiking trails that can give you a nice, long walk if there are spaces for overnight camping, even better. If camping is your thing, you might already be carrying around your own backpacking gear to make it easier.

If you are an animal-lover or dabble in trees and flowers as well, backpacking will give you a chance to experience different kinds of environments across terrains and countries. Every time you need to move, you can look forward to a new backpacking experience.

Taking a long bus or train ride

Sometimes it’s the movement that matters more than the destination. This might be a weird thing to do for a travel nurse—aren’t you always on the move? But the truth is, you’re always on the move with a purpose, and that’s not any kind of vacation. But if you can find a park or tourist spot that’s quite a ways from the city, a long bus or train ride might hit the spot.

If you don’t particularly want to get out of the bus or the rest stop, go ahead and book yourself a round-trip ticket. Run the whole circuit, go down for coffee and snacks or just stay in the same bus if it’s also your ride back. Let the destination-less movement keep you going.

Trying a local hobby

What are they into where you’re going? Surfing? Skiing? Baking? Karaoke? See what the national sport or hobby is and give it a try. You might not end up actually surfing every day, but a couple of lessons might be fun. Friendly locals can give you a shot and help you understand why they love the hobby so much.

Like with local dishes, let the locals tell you what they love to do. Tourist books and websites can only go so far. When you bike around the city or as you meet your local colleagues, learn a little more about the culture and bonding activities that the locals enjoy. Who knows? They might enter your list of hobbies to hold on to!

Exploring art and photography

One thing is for sure: as a travel nurse, you’ll rarely find yourself in the same place in the same season. Or, you might get to live out 4 seasons of every year in a different place. When it comes to the vastly changing scenery, it becomes hard to explain how different places feel without another medium to help us.

If you have an eye for color and beauty, you might want to brush up and polish your art and photography skills. It might be as simple as mixing color palettes to match what you saw that day. It might be as complex as an oil painting or a beautifully rendered photo. Either way, it gives you an outlet for all the different scenes and skies you see as you travel.

How do you choose your hobby?

It depends on you! You might want a hobby you can carry with you anywhere, like a folding bike or a set of paints. You might want to pick up a hobby in each city you end up working in. Either way, as a travel nurse, there are so many opportunities wide open. Which one are you going to pick?

Check out our top city picks for 2022!

Are you looking for your next travel nurse adventure? Click here to view our job board. Are you trying to find housing for your upcoming travel nurse 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 Medical Edge Recruitment

December 29, 2021

5966 Views

Tap into your Inner Gypsy: How to Decide if 2022 is Your Year to Travel

Posted on December 29, 2021December 21, 2021 by Medical Edge Recruitment

This article was provided by Medical Edge Recruitment.

Written By: Brittany Davie, Recruitment Consultant, Medical Edge Recruitment

The year is almost over. You’ve probably already created your New Year’s Resolution list and plan to publicly announce each resolution on social media. On that list are probably a few things that would make 2022 YOUR year. Making more money, traveling, and making new friends are likely at the top of the list. Are you ready to start scratching a few things off? Keep reading to discover if you should tap into your inner gypsy, take your career on the road, and become a Travel Nurse in 2022.

Desire to Seek New Adventures

Gone are the days where you get only one week to visit another city or state. If you desire to seek new adventures, you can decide where you want to visit and for how long as a travel nurse. With an 8+ week travel contract, you can ski in Colorado Springs, walk down the strip in Las Vegas, visit Disney World in Orlando, or see the Statue of Liberty in New York. In one year, you may be able to visit all four of these places and then some. You get to determine where your next adventure lies and how long you want to enjoy it.

Want To Make Connections

When experiencing new places, new people come into the picture, and who wouldn’t want more friends? If you want to make meaningful and memorable connections, not only should you see the world, but you should also meet its people. If we didn’t learn anything else during the Pandemic, one thing we did is that we humans need real live, personal connections. Talking through a screen is not enough. Traveling allows you to meet new people with a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The locals will tell you where all the “hot spots” are and inform you of the best their city has to offer. Your visit will be more memorable by being connected to people. You will return home with stories to tell of the people you’ve met and the places you’ve seen. The next time your friends want a break from their city, you will be their new go-to guy or gal for their next adventure.

You Love Your Freedom

There is nothing better than having the freedom to choose when and where you want to be at any given moment. If the weather, facility, or overall environment is not necessarily your cup of tea, you can always change your scenery. You can determine how long of a commitment you want to make, whether that is as little as 8 weeks or as much as 24 weeks. If you would like a break before starting the next assignment, there is no need to put in a request for time off and cross your fingers that it is approved. You can decide to take a week or two break before the start of your next assignment.

You want to Build your Resume

Gaining experience in different facilities increases your knowledge and earning potential. For every facility you contract with, you will gain useful skills, exposure to new systems, experience with state-of-the-art equipment, awareness of additional procedures, and familiarity within other sectors of health care that you may not otherwise become familiar. All the above will give you bragging rights that will make for an exceptional resume. As a travel nurse, you will show the next hiring manager you are full of industry knowledge, are adaptable, dependable, and an overall asset to the facility.

Desire to Make More Money

Can you use some extra cash? Maybe you have your eye on a new car, want to pay off debt, or just want to see your bank account grow. According to Travelnursing.org, you can make as much as 30% more than if you stayed local as a travel nurse. Some people can even double their current hourly rate by providing care in CRISIS facilities. If you are concerned about the potential cost of traveling, keep in mind that most staffing agencies offer some form of stipend or incentive to assist you in your travels, including transportation and housing, which allows you to take home as much money as possible.

Conclusion

Take another look at your New Year’s Resolution list and see if this list aligns with yours. I bet that at least three of the above are resolutions you have for 2022. If that is the case, tap into your inner gypsy by becoming a travel nurse, and make 2022 YOUR year!

Medical Edge Recruitment is the premier travel nursing recruitment agency specializing in providing top talent to clients in the healthcare industry. We connect clinical and allied providers to their ideal opportunities, focusing on building long-lasting relationships through honesty and transparency. Adventure awaits; let us show you where you can go in 2022!

We hope you enjoyed this article on tapping into your inner gypsy. Have you recently tapped into your inner gypsy? Was the experience good? Are there any tips or pointers you would give others thinking of tapping into their inner gypsy? Comment them below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need 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!)

Works Cited

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.travelnursing.org/why-travel-nurses-make-more-money/

Brusie, C. (2021, July 28). Travelnursing.org. Retrieved from https://www.travelnursing.org/why-travel-nurses-make-more-money/

By CareerStaff Unlimited

December 28, 2021

6667 Views

8 Steps for Resetting Your Nursing Career in 2022

Posted on December 28, 2021December 27, 2021 by CareerStaff Unlimited

This article was provided by: CareerStaff Unlimited.

A new year is here, and for many health professionals, that means a time to seek new career opportunities. While some are content to find an assignment in the same setting — or even the same building — many others have a bigger change in mind. For those of you looking to take your nursing career in a new direction in 2022, here are a few things to consider.

Step 1: Take stock of what’s important.

Before you begin your search for a new nursing career path — or, at the very least, before you make a decision to accept a new assignment—make sure that you’ve taken the time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished in your career so far (or haven’t, as the case may be).

That means taking a real consideration of what’s worked and what hasn’t in your career up to this point. Have you enjoyed working in the type of facilities you’ve been assigned to, or is it time for a change? You may discover that something you’re struggling with is something you can fix — i.e., the setting or facility type or the size of the town you work in.

Step 2: Clearly define your goals.

“The research is clear,” writes Ashley Stahl at Forbes, “people who set goals are more successful.” Stahl goes on to outline some advice for setting and sticking to goals — specifically, making sure it’s specific and clear by putting it in writing.

And now that you’ve taken stock of your past, you can be more specific in your goals for the future. That’s very important, Stahl notes: “If your career plan is to one day become a manager, that’s great,” she writes. “But it’s also vague. Get even more clear by setting goals like ‘manage a team of 5 or more senior employees by January [2022].’ This goal just got much easier to visualize.”

Step 3: Prioritize your personal satisfaction.

When you’re setting your goals, don’t forget to consider your own satisfaction, on the personal as well as the professional level. If you’ve been developing the right kinds of skills and experience but not really feeling happy or fulfilled, then you want to consider why that is — and do what you can to correct it.

Thanks to the possibilities of virtual care and the huge demand for nurses and clinicians pretty much across the board, there are more opportunities than ever. That means that you’ll have more chances to move into a new environment. So, think about what really makes you happy — everything from the size of your team to the city you work in — and work on adapting your career to that standard.

Step 4: Update your CV, stat!

As important as it is to keep your CV as updated as possible, we know it’s also time-consuming. But make no mistake: If you’re seeking a new clinical or nursing career opportunity, it’s essential to revisit your CV, stat. You don’t want to miss a great opportunity because you had to quickly create a new CV before you could apply!

But the idea isn’t just to make sure this important document is up to date, but that it also best reflects your skillset. For instance, if you have experience working in a specific type of facility like an educational or correctional institution, that can be a valuable item to highlight. Doing so demonstrates not just clinical skills but also your versatility and ability to work in a variety of settings.

Step 5: Work on your network.

With every assignment you work, you’re meeting new people and making new relationships. Besides the basic fulfillment of making friends, this is also part of building a professional network that can, in turn, provide essential benefits like endorsements, recommendations, and referrals.

Today, networking has taken on new dimensions thanks to LinkedIn, the social networking platform for working professionals. Most people who work in healthcare have at least a basic presence on this important site. Many hospitals, health networks, and recruiters are active on LinkedIn, so taking the time to build your profile there is far from wasting time on social media.

On top of that, those who take time to cultivate their presence on LinkedIn often have a real advantage when competing for the jobs that they really want. If you keep it updated, it can also double as your CV or resume too, and the work you put into one can also be used to the benefit of the other.

Our experts offer up these additional tips for networking on LinkedIn:

Use professional photos on your profile that best portray who you are and your profession.
Keep your headline short and laser focused on what you do, and what you can offer a potential employer.
Join groups to find insider and trade info on valuable topics or certifications.
Follow influencers and thought leaders to learn more about what interests you in your profession.
Follow your “dream job” company or facility and their social feed — seeing what types of articles they share and how they interact with their community can help you get a sense of the kind of culture you want to work within.

Step 6: Learn a new skill.

A great way to ensure that you land the clinical or nursing career opportunity that you want is making sure you’re offering something of value to a new employer or facility. This could be getting a new certification or even working in a different facility type.

For instance, if you plan to work at a hospital again later in your career, spending a few months on assignment in a different type of setting like a skilled nursing facility could give you new skills and sometimes a higher level of compensation. Having already clearly defined your goals, you should also have a pretty clear idea of the specific skills you’ll need to realize them.

Because of the pandemic, acute care skills and ICU experience is, particularly in demand. But at all times, employers seek skills like management, communication, and critical thinking — all of which can be demonstrated by taking CE courses that support them. Being clear about this on your CV and during your interview will also help show initiative and leadership — two more skills that are always in.

Step 7: Be ready to deal with change.

Remember, if you’re taking the active steps to reset or even shift your nursing career, you have to be ready for some life changes that may come as a result. If you’ve done a good job of planning and setting your expectations for personal happiness, that change should be welcome.

But change isn’t always predictable, as we’ve all recently learned. Chances are that, no matter how well you’ve planned your career path, you’ll come across speedbumps. To succeed requires pressing on in the face of doubt and uncertainty to face the future you really want. It can be hard, though, so be ready!

Step 8: Stay up to date on industry trends and developments.

Finally, you’ll want to make sure you’re up to date on what’s happening in the industry to make sure you find the opportunity that best suits your needs and preferences. A great way to do that is by following CareerStaff on LinkedIn, as we noted above. And another great way is here at the CareerStaff blog.

ONE MORE CAREER TIP: GET STARTED TODAY!

If you’re ready to start a new clinical or nursing career path, there’s no better time to start than today! You can search all available jobs here or submit a quick application here. Good luck in your search and in achieving your new career goals!

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need to find housing for an upcoming travel nurse 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 Melissa Rissler

December 25, 2021

11736 Views

Things I’ve Learned in my 3+ Years of Travel Nursing

Posted on December 25, 2021December 26, 2021 by Melissa Rissler

One of our readers shares things learned about travel nursing from her 3+ years of experience.

Along the way, travel nurses pick up tips and tricks that make being a travel nurse easier or more efficient. Below you will find a fellow travel nurse’s tips learned along the way.

The Contract

Get your nursing license in hand before accepting a contract!
Please take pictures of all testing/ vaccination papers so you have them with you. Especially current flu shot if you don’t want to be forced to wear a mask!
Contracts are between you and the agency, NOT THE HOSPITAL! The agency has a separate contract with the hospital.
Verify how payroll is handled before orientation. Do you clock in? Do you fill it out on paper and fax It? Does the hospital send in your time?
Make sure you have guaranteed hours in your contract.
Ask if orientation week is included before your start date!! You don’t get a full 36 during orientation for some assignments, but you still want your stipend and hours!!!
Don’t take less than $20/hour!!!!!
Don’t take less than $1500. TAKE HOME a week. Anything less is not worth your time.
Have enough emergency money set aside just in case of cancellation.
Additional travel nurse contract tips.

During the interview

Discuss requested time off during your interview, not after!!!

Ask about orientation testing DURING YOUR INTERVIEW!!!! Most recruiters won’t know if you have to take a pass/fail EKG test, but the unit manager you interview with should.

Housing

Do not sign a lease or pay a large down payment on your housing until A.) You have seen the property. B.) you have made it through the 1st week of orientation. Extended stay hotels are a good option. There are horror stories everywhere of people who have paid money for housing and found they were canceled early or had to pass tests that they couldn’t pass and were not allowed to work.

If possible, get an RV of some sort… nothing better than coming home to your own bed!!! Usually

During the Assignment

Have fun and explore! Go on an adventure! Try new foods! My kids and I check out places that featured Diners, Drive-ins, and dives in just about every city we have traveled to. There is a pit BBQ place in Baltimore in the parking lot of a strip joint across the street from an adult bookstore in a very sketchy area, BUT THE FOOD WAS AMAZING!!!!

Be flexible… very, very, very flexible!!

Try not to do the “well at my staff job we did…” or ” at such and such hospital we did….” you don’t work there anymore, and it makes you look bad to the permanent staff. Unless patient safety is at risk, then, by all means, correct the issue!!!

We hope you found these tips about travel nursing helpful!

Happy Travels!!

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

START HERE

Banish a bad day:

Read a good book

Go to the movies

Hang out with friends

Go Camping.

Get into sports

Martial arts

Ride a Bike

Conclusion

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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Decide Where You Want to Live

Be Flexible

Organize Your Life

Pack Efficiently

Arrive Early

Perform a Test Run

Explore and Enjoy

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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Why be a Nurse at 40?

1. Diverse Backgrounds:

2. Looking After the Overlooked:

3. Life Experience at 40:

4. Getting in Nursing is Fast:

5. Better Management of Time:

How to Be a Nurse at 40?

1. Physical Condition:

2. Emotional Wellness:

3. Socialize:

The Bottom Line:

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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1. I’m Always Doing My Best

2. I Love Myself Unconditionally

3. I’m Thankful for Every Day of My Life

4. I’m the Author of My Own Happiness

5. I Strongly Believe in My Dreams and Visions

6. I Love My Body

Conclusion

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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Where Do the Majority of Nurses Work?

How To Make More Money As A Nurse

1. Complete your BSN degree.

2. Pursue experience in a nursing specialty.

3. Volunteer to work overtime on occasion.

4. Get an advanced nursing degree.

5. Get creative with nursing side jobs.

6. Become a travel nurse.

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!)