May 1, 2023

5160 Views

Finding the Best Assignments in Travel Nursing

Posted on May 1, 2023May 1, 2023 by AMN Healthcare

AMN Healthcare provided this article.

A career as a travel nurse can provide you with adventure, professional development, and personal growth. With literally thousands of travel nurse jobs available across the United States, you can also choose when and where you work.

However, with so many options, such as various locations, clinical settings, organizational cultures, and compensation packages, how can you select the most suitable assignments?

The key components are focusing on your personal and professional priorities, conducting some research, and forming a partnership with a travel nurse agency that will position you for success. These means will require some work front and center, yet they can significantly affect the long haul.

Here are a few critical variables to remember as you start your journey to find prime travel nurture tasks and score your best agreement yet!

How to Find a Travel Nursing Assignment

Selecting a reputable staffing agency, such as American Mobile, and beginning work with a recruiter are the first steps in finding a travel nursing assignment. This step should include online research, requesting referrals from nursing colleagues, and conducting due diligence when contacting an agency. Before deciding if this is the right company for you, learn about the available jobs, reputation, and benefits.

From that point, the fun starts! You can make a list of your preferred travel locations and facilities—teaching hospitals, trauma centers, smaller rural facilities, etc.—before your first meeting with your recruiter. After that, browse the AMN Passport to get a sense of the available opportunities and submit an application within the app. You can likewise set your inclinations in the application to get robotized warnings.

Your travel nurse agency’s database may allow you to search assignments by contract length, location, specialty, and more. Preparing a list of assignments that have piqued your interest will help you when it comes to the next step.

Clarify your personal priorities:

You and your recruiter will be able to choose the best travel nursing assignment for your situation if you evaluate job opportunities based on your priorities. Your recruiter ought to take the time to inquire about your “must-have” and “nice-to-have” lists for potential assignments from the very beginning.

When selecting travel nursing assignments, consider the following:

Assessing job opportunities based on your priorities will help you and your recruiter identify the best travel nursing assignment for your situation. Right from the start, your recruiter should take the time to ask you several questions to help discover your “must-have” list vs. your “nice-to-have” list for potential assignments.

Some of the factors to consider in selecting travel nurse assignments may include:

Geographical location, including whether it is close to people or places you want to visit
Community profile, such as city size, climate, and type of activities available nearby
Type and reputation of healthcare facility and unit (i.e., a Magnet-designated hospital)
Clinical experience and support that may be available
The compensation package, including your travel nursing salary and benefits
Length of assignment and type of shifts available

Network with fellow travel nurses

Developing a network of travel nurses can also assist you in your search for the most You never know when a highly sought-after position might become available, and a colleague in travel nursing might recommend you for it. Making associations is not difficult to do through web-based entertainment, AMN Passport, online gatherings and gatherings, and different methods for computerized relationship building.

Be that as it may, remember eye-to-eye contact, as well. Inquire with the nurses you currently work with to see if they know any travelers who might be interested in learning more about the area and offering advice.

Update your resume

Your resume may have been overlooked if you haven’t looked for a job in a while. If that is the case, you should update it as soon as possible before submitting your complete travel nursing application. Make sure that all of your experience, certifications, special skills, and other accomplishments are up to date because your recruiter will use this information to create your candidate packet, which will be presented to client facilities. Additionally, see “Expert Advice for Writing a Nursing Resume.”)

Notwithstanding, on the off chance that you really want the additional opportunity to guarantee that your resume precisely mirrors your nursing vocation and features the things that make you stick out, don’t let that keep you away from conversing with a spotter. You can let your recruiter know that your resume still needs some work by filling out American Mobile’s quick online application as a starting point. In point of fact, your recruiter might be able to offer you some guidance with regard to making those updates.

Build a relationship with your recruiter.

As you start working with your movement nurture scout, you’ll before long find the significance of laying out a trust-based relationship. You not only want to have faith that they are thinking of your best interests, but they also need to know that you are truly qualified for the position and that you will effectively represent their business when you arrive at the facility.

Correspondence is of the most extreme significance. Staying in touch via phone, email, and text is part of this, as is being open and honest about your needs and wants. A prompt response time can help ensure that you don’t miss any chosen assignments and is always appreciated.

American Portable travel medical caretakers can likewise utilize the AMN Visa Application to rapidly find occupations of interest and speak with their spotter. The app makes submitting applications and documentation on time from your smartphone simple!

Heed expert advice and know when to be flexible.

Keeping an open mind and being agreeable to unexpected opportunities is one of the easiest ways to ensure you have a great experience as a travel nurse. Being too rigid about location or any other factor may exclude you from some amazing travel nurse assignments.

Honestly, it can be difficult to find an assignment that matches everything on your wish list. That’s why it’s important to be clear about any “nonnegotiable” items yet willing to listen and take your recruiter’s advice based on what they know about you and the hiring facility. If they recommend a certain assignment, there is a good reason they are doing so! And as you continue to build that relationship, you will learn to rely on their wisdom and experience even more.

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 StaffDNA

April 30, 2023

8527 Views

Decoding Travel Nurse Rates: Anticipating Increases or Decreases Ahead

Posted on April 30, 2023December 18, 2023 by StaffDNA

StaffDNA provided this article.

In the last three and a half years, bill rate fluctuations have sometimes felt a bit like whiplash. Travel nursing changed fast when the Covid-19 Pandemic hit, and the ripple effect caused by the pandemic kept making waves well into two and three years later.

Now, the healthcare industry is shifting again. Masks are coming off, visitor restrictions are being lifted, and in some ways, it feels like we are headed back to a true “normal.” But is the normal of the pre-pandemic travel nursing industry truly what we can expect to see in the coming months?

The short answer: no.

The Start of It All

Back in 2016-2019, typical travel nurse pay packages averaged around $1,500-1,700 per week gross pay. If you were licensed in California, you may have been able to find pay above $2,000 gross due to union requirements and overtime laws.

Once the pandemic hit in 2020, the whole hospital system was thrust into shock as hospitals tried to figure out how to take care of higher volumes of super sick patients seemingly instantly.

At that point, there were significant drops in certain travel specialties while others saw an incredible spike in both rates and needs. Areas like allied health and pediatrics basically hit a standstill. Kids were staying home from school and not being exposed to illnesses as frequently, and thousands of surgeries were canceled, drastically reducing the need for therapists to help rehab post-surgical patients.

Sky High Pandemic Rates

Between government aid and pure need for survival, hospitals were able to pay huge amounts to travel nurses. Gross rates for adult nurses skyrocketed to over $10,000 a week, and there were jobs in every location you could imagine.

The key thing to remember about this time is these nurses also had to deal with significant safety concerns. Vaccinations were not an option, PPE was in critically low supply, and in some places, you were lucky to have an N95 available unless you brought your own. Front-line workers were getting sick no matter their age, and there were a lot of big, scary unknowns. So yes, the money was great, but a lot of people were not willing to put their health and well-being on the line to work in those conditions, no matter what they paid.

The Second Wave of Covid Travelers

Fast forward a couple of years, and while the five-figure rates had started to dwindle, travel nurses could still expect to make close to $4,000 per week gross fairly easily, and more if you got lucky and found a place that was willing to pay for a crisis contract.

Here, we saw a second wave of Covid travelers start to enter the workforce. A lot of these nurses were people who were feeling burnt out and frustrated after working in pandemic conditions for two years, often understaffed and short on supplies. Now, however, the risk of getting sick was much lower with vaccination available, and the country had finally gotten on top of the PPE shortage, so you knew you wouldn’t be expected to take care of the sickest of the sick without proper protection.

In the last year, this has caused somewhat of a flooded market. We aren’t seeing the volume of sick patients that we had in 2020 or even a year ago, so hospitals simply aren’t willing to pay exorbitant rates to keep staffing numbers up. The “threat” of horribly short staffing simply doesn’t seem as threatening anymore.

Leveling Out

As a result, basic economics has taken over. The supply of travel nurses is much higher than before the pandemic, but contracts have taken a dip. Not only are we not dealing with pandemic-level patient numbers, but we are going into summer and coming out of respiratory season.

Hospital systems have realized that they currently have the upper hand in the market and that the supply outweighs the demand for nurses in the travel sector. This happens every year during the spring, but it simply seems more pronounced this year because rates had been so incredibly high for so long.

If you were a travel nurse before 2020, you probably know most of this already. Generally, during the summer, you would expect a dip in pay and opportunity and aim to extend if you had the opportunity at a decent location. Then, when fall rolls around and more people are sick with influenza and other illnesses, you can strategically pick an assignment that pays a premium rate if that is your goal.

How This Affects Pay Rates

So, let’s get to rates. Obviously, supply and demand have a direct effect on rates and what hospitals are willing to pay. If managers are struggling to get job applicants, they are more willing to offer a little extra money to entice you to work for them. If they are getting 50 applicants per open position, they realize they can save some money and still hire a quality candidate.

Is it fair to get paid less for doing the same job? Many could argue either way, but unfortunately, travel nursing rates have always varied based on a variety of factors, and this is where we are right now.

What the Future Holds

Going forward, a few things will likely happen to the travel market. Travel nurses who were only traveling for the sake of very good rates or only for crisis rates will likely reconsider their plans for the future. For those who were traveling and returning home regularly, lower rates might mean it’s not worth it to keep traveling away from home. A large number may decide to return home to staff jobs rather than trying to make travel nursing work with a lower rate.

For those travelers that are looking to keep working as travel nurses regardless of rate changes, this could be beneficial. As some travelers leave the workforce, jobs will once again be more difficult to fill, and hospitals will have to adjust rates accordingly.

It is impossible to predict exactly what travel nursing pay will look like six months or a year from now. However, a fair estimate would probably be that rates will be lower through the summer months and then pick back up again in the fall.

Will Travel Nursing Rates Ever Hit Pre-Pandemic Rates?

It seems unlikely. Short-term housing prices are higher than they were pre-pandemic, not to mention travel and living expenses. Hospitals will have to pay more than they did in the past to make it profitable for nurses to duplicate expenses and pay for travel.

What you can likely expect is rates above pre-pandemic numbers, but don’t expect to see those $10,000 weekly packages any time soon. Aim to minimize your tax home expenses as much as you can if you want to make the most of travel nursing income, and think about whether you are traveling for profit or for fun. Sometimes the perks of being a traveler outweigh being a staff nurse, no matter the pay rate!

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

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 Favorite Healthcare Staffing

April 28, 2023

5740 Views

Inspiring Future Nurses and Healthcare Professionals

Posted on April 28, 2023April 28, 2023 by Favorite Healthcare Staffing

Favorite Healthcare Staffing provided this article.

Did you know that the healthcare field is expected to face a nursing shortage? The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be over 200,000 openings for RNs each year through 2031. Many of these openings will result from the need to replace nurses who retire. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “by 2034, there will be 77 million people age 65 years and older compared to 76.5 million under the age of 18,” making it the first time in U.S. history that older people are projected to outnumber children. With the aging population and increased need for geriatric care, it’s essential for the younger generation to get hands-on experience and explore jobs in the healthcare field.

By attending career fairs and summer nursing camps, children and teenagers can gain valuable insight into the world of healthcare and potentially pave the way for their future careers. By 2030, over a million nurses will have retired, and with the right tools, we can help inspire future healthcare professionals.

Healthcare Job Fairs

Exploring healthcare careers can be an exciting and educational experience, especially when attending healthcare job fairs. Kelly Grebe, Colorado Director of Business Development, recently attended the “Get into the Guts of Healthcare” career event hosted by the Northern Colorado Health Sector Partnership. During the event, 8th-grade students had the opportunity to explore careers in medicine and immerse themselves in the world of healthcare.

**Kelly Grebe, Director of Business Development – Colorado**

We asked Kelly why events like this can provide value to the younger generation, and she said, “I think it’s important for kids to begin exploring all career possibilities at an early age, educating themselves about different paths they can take that align with their skills and their values.”

At the event, students participated in interactive healthcare learning opportunities hosted by industry partners such as Favorite Healthcare Staffing’s Colorado Branch. With events like these, career fairs provide a unique opportunity to gain valuable insight and education in the healthcare field. Kelly says, “I think events like an interactive career fair give kids the knowledge and hands-on experience to motivate them and grow their confidence. It demystifies the work and hopefully helps them realize that they can do the work.”

Kelly described her time at the career fair as rewarding. “I had students come through in small groups, and I shared information about Favorite and the possibilities for travel healthcare positions. It was interactive, so I worked with the kids on using a pulse oxygen machine and then had them do brief deep breathing exercises to see if they could change their heart rate or oxygen level. The kids loved it.”

Summer Nursing Camps and Healthcare Programs

Another great way to experience the healthcare field is through attending summer nursing camps. These immersive programs offer hands-on experiences designed to equip students with the skills necessary to provide top-notch patient care, practice in state-of-the-art simulation labs, and even get CPR certified. Just ask Carter, a University of Texas at Austin student whose time at Ascension Seton Medical Camp set him on the path to a job in the healthcare field.

**Carter, University of Texas at Austin Student**

Corey Shepard, Carter’s mom and Senior Vice President at Favorite, noted that attending this summer camp “drove Carter’s passion to help others and pursue a career in nursing. After nursing school, his plans are to pursue a CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist) path.” Corey also emphasized the importance of these programs, noting that they give students invaluable real-life experience and a leg up in competitive healthcare programs. “These programs provide a great hands-on experience and give insight on what your future career feels like and validate the path you want to pursue,” Corey said. As you explore summer nursing camp options, keep in mind that they fill up fast – so start doing your research early on!

Below we’ve compiled a list of camps that offer a wide range of educational opportunities. From traditional classroom learning to interactive healthcare simulations, there’s something for every student. Explore the possibilities and find the perfect program for your future healthcare professional today!

Summer Nursing Camps

B.E.S.T. Summer Medical Academy

Location: Tampa, FL

Enrollment Dates: Jan 16-March 6

Program Duration/Dates: 2-day camp, June 4 – June 5

Level: High school, 10^th-12^th grade

Estimated Cost: $750-$1,250

Website

The B.E.S.T. Summer Medical Academy gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in a variety of medical-related fields, such as learning medical procedures, watching surgeries, shadowing health professionals, volunteering in hospitals, interacting with patients, and more. Included in the cost of the camp, attendees will be provided with a set of B.E.S.T scrubs, a medical kit, B.E.S.T sourcebook, and a B.E.S.T t-shirt. Although the registration period for this camp has passed, be sure to keep it on your radar for next year!

National Student Leadership Conference on Nursing

Location: Washington DC

Enrollment Dates: Contact the NSLC for more details

Program Duration/Dates: June 17 – June 25, June 29 – July 7, July 11 – July 19 & July 23 – July 31

Level: High school, 9^th-12^th grade

Estimated Cost: $3,795

Website

The National Student Leadership Conference focuses on patient care and provides students with the tools necessary to provide high quality patient care and a hands-on experience to different challenges that nurses face daily. Students will also get to learn from leaders in the healthcare community through exclusive guest speakers. Unique to the National Student Leadership Conference, students can earn college credit by enrolling in supplemental online courses. Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours.

High School Nurse Camp by Liberty University

Location: Lynchburg, Virginia

Enrollment Dates: Registration opens March 1st

Program Duration/Dates: 3-day camp

Level: High school

Estimated Cost: $300

Website

This High School Nurse Camp hosted by Liberty University provides students with the ultimate opportunity to experience nursing through a biblical worldview. Attendees will be presented with hands-on learning experiences in the School of Nursing Simulation Center. The cost of tuition includes daily meals, camp scrubs, a stethoscope and a camp shirt.

Introduction to Nursing Program by Adelphi University

Location: Garden City, New York

Enrollment: Closes May 31, 2023, at 4:30

Program Duration/Dates: July 9-July 29, 2023

Level: High school

Estimated Cost: $3,000-$5,200

Website

Students will examine and consider the profession of nursing and the various roles of a Registered Nurse. Attendees will participate in educational simulation experiences in a state-of-the-art Clinical Education and Simulation lab, understand different areas of clinical expertise and earn CPR certification from the American Heart Association. This will aid the students in exploring the importance of professional values and ethical behavior, the nurse-patient relationship, critical thinking and reasoning, as well as communication with patients and healthcare professionals.

Summer Nursing Camp by Oklahoma City University

Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Enrollment: Closes May 6, 2023

Program Duration/Dates: June 28-30

Level: High school

Estimated Cost: Contact OKCU for more details

Website

Camp Kramer Way is an opportunity for high school students who are interested in nursing to experience realistic patient-care scenarios. This camp fosters a learning environment where students are challenged to think critically and holistically. Attendance is free for up to 20 students and camp participants will stay two nights in the university’s housing facilities where all meals are included free of charge.

HEALERS by UAMS Health

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Enrollment: Closes March 31, 2023

Program Duration/Dates: June 5 – June 16

Level: High school, 11^th-12^th grade

Estimated Cost: Contact UAMS Health for more details

Website

This program allows students to ask questions about a variety of medical careers directly from professionals in the field to potentially jumpstart their career in medicine. Students will also learn how to administer first aid, Basic Life Support, demonstrate a better understanding of medical terminology, demonstrate increased awareness of health issues and gain experience in a clinical setting. Although this year’s registration has closed, mark your calendars and prepare for next year’s camp experience!

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Junior Volunteer Program

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Enrollment: Closes April 7^th, 2023

Program Duration/Dates: June 12-23, July 10-21

Level: High school, 9^th-12^th grade

Estimated Cost: Contact Arkansas Children’s Hospital for more details

Website

Students can also choose to volunteer their time at local hospitals to gain real-life experience in the healthcare field. Arkansas Children’s Hospital offers a junior volunteer program for high school students aged 14-18 to support their mission of making children better today and healthier tomorrow. Volunteers should be interested in entering the healthcare field and willing to have a hands-on learning experience. This year, they are also offering a summer program that will provide students with getting immersed in various hospital settings, all with the common goal of improving the patient’s and family experience and engaging young adults with opportunities in healthcare. Although enrollment for the summer program has closed, Arkansas Children’s Hospital also has a year-round volunteer program.

Keep in mind that there are many programs and volunteer opportunities to choose from that will help inspire future nurses and healthcare professionals! A good starting point would be to check with your local colleges, universities, and hospitals to see what programs are available.

Due to the nursing crisis, the rise in demand for healthcare professionals has created a need for qualified and well-trained individuals. Attending healthcare job fairs and summer nursing camps can offer the younger generation valuable insight into the different aspects of healthcare. With the knowledge and skills obtained from these programs, young adults can be inspired and better prepared to take on future roles needed in the healthcare field.

With hundreds of job openings available nationwide, Favorite can help find you the perfect position. Get started by searching our current job openings and connect with a recruiter today!

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

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

START HERE

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

By Gifted Healthcare

April 28, 2023

20981 Views

Why Nurse Certification Is Important for Travel Nurses

Posted on April 28, 2023September 29, 2023 by Gifted Healthcare

This article was provided by Gifted Healthcare.

Nurse certification is a formal process that tests your clinical knowledge, judgment, and experience in a subject or nursing specialty. Certification is the perfect way to accelerate your travel nursing career, increase your salary, and boost your confidence. It’s also a great way to attain personal growth as you strive to live your best nurse life.

This post will cover the basics of nursing certification and explain why each is so important for travel RNs and clinicians who want to take the next step in their travel nursing careers.

The Benefits of Nursing Certifications

The world of travel nursing is vast, and there are many excellent job opportunities available across the country. But on a basic level, earning a nursing certification can significantly boost your career. See below for the benefits.

Better Travel Nursing Assignments

Becoming certified means you have validated, specialized skills in your RN specialty. The more skills you have, the more marketable you are as a per diem or travel nurse. Earning nursing certifications will improve your prospects of getting the travel nursing assignment you want and also make more travel nursing assignments available to you.

Higher Pay & Career Advancement

This also offers the opportunity for upward mobility once you have landed an assignment. The more responsibility you have as a nurse, the more you get paid.

In addition to higher salaries, nursing certifications command recognition and respect within the healthcare world. Your certification proves that you have worked hard to learn a valuable and specialized skill, which makes supervisors and teammates more likely to depend on you and invest in your professional growth.

Personal Growth

Aside from the professional benefits, earning a nursing certification also provides the opportunity for personal growth. The confidence boost from achieving a hard-earned goal can make a real difference in how you feel, which leads to better performance at work and better care for your patients.

Basic Certification Requirements for Travel Nursing

Two basic certifications are required to be a travel nurse: Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

However, earning additional nursing certifications will dramatically increase your standing in the job market as well as your earning potential.

Important certifications include Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN), Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN), Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) Certification, and many more.

Find a list of common nursing certifications here.

How Do You Know You’re Ready to Become Certified?

Plenty of preparation is required to become certified. Check to see if you meet the eligibility requirements, like meeting the minimum years of experience providing care for a specific patient population.

For example, to become certified as a critical care nurse (CCRN) or progressive care nurse (PCCN), you do not need a formal education to apply. But it is helpful to prepare with any available prep courses, study materials, and practice tests so you can get ready for certification. If you’re acing the practice exams for the certification you’re trying to earn, that’s a great sign you’re ready!

However, becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) requires additional formal education like a master’s or doctoral degree.

For more information on preparing for the certification process, visit the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) website.

Important Nursing Certifications

While there are many different types of nursing certifications, several highly-regarded ones are common and could be a great place to start. See below to learn about a few different important nursing certifications.

Wound Care Certification (WCC)

Wound care nurses provide care for patients dealing with acute and chronic wounds, assisting with the development of their treatment plans and taking measures to prevent infection.

Click here to learn about the requirements for the WCC certification exam.

Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification (CMSRN)

On any given shift, a MedSurg nurse could care for a patient suffering from an animal bite, a patient with diabetes, a patient recovering from a transplant, and a patient with asthma. MedSurg nurses also may carry a heavier patient load than other specialties, often handling 5-7 patients at a time. They are trained to recognize and understand a large range of medical conditions.

Learn more about becoming Med-Surg certified at the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses’ website.

An individual must be a registered nurse (RN) with a current U.S. license, have practiced for at least two years as an RN in a medical-surgical setting, and accrued 2,000 hours of practice within the past three years to be eligible for medical-surgical certification.

Critical Care Certification (CCRN)

A critical care RN provides care for patients with serious or life-threatening injuries and medical problems. Because of the severity of their patients’ conditions, critical care nurses receive specialized training that allows them to remain alert and perform under intense pressure.

Learn more about Critical Care certification at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ (AACN) website.

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 Amare Medical Network

April 26, 2023

4431 Views

Savings Unleashed: Nurse Discounts for Registered Nurses and Beyond

Posted on April 26, 2023December 19, 2023 by Amare Medical Network

Amare Medical Network provided this article.

By Jaclyn Neilly, BSN, BA, RN, Director of Clinical Services at Amare Medical Network

Being a nurse is hard work. We are put through it shift after shift and hardly get any recognition at times. However small, there are some silver linings or perks that come along with working in healthcare, especially nursing. With Nurses Week (May 6-12) approaching, let’s look at some places that offer these discounts.

ID.me is an excellent resource for verifying and locating a wide variety of discounts up to 50% off year-round for nurses, including vacations, shoes, and apparel. Most cell phone carriers also have a discount for nurses through ID.me.

Some of these discounts include education, clothing, shoes, entertainment, and many more.

Check out these other year-round discounts for nurses:

Each year for Nurses Week, places like Dunkin, Starbucks, Applebee’s, Chipotle, and Chick-fil-A (just to name a few!) offer discounts and freebies to nurses. As the time gets closer, check to see what is available near you.

There may also be local small businesses that honor nurses and healthcare providers, like restaurants, barbershops, and hair salons. These may require a little more digging for you to locate, but they are well worth it.

At Amare Medical Network, we show our nurses how much we appreciate them each year during Nurses Week by sending them gifts. Thank you for your dedication to providing care worthy of a million smiles

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

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

START HERE

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

By TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

April 24, 2023

3813 Views

Things That Shocked Me My First Year as a Travel Nurse

Posted on April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 by TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

TNAA-Travel Nurse Across America provided this article.

Going from staff nurse to travel nurse comes with a lot of new experiences. It’s easy to get in your head and talk yourself out of a good thing when you don’t know what to expect. However, ask most travel nurses, and they’ll tell you to go ahead and do it scared because there are a lot of worthwhile experiences coming your way.

Travel Nurse 101’s Brandy Pinkerton and TNAA ambassadors share what shocked them during their first year as travel nurses and how they grew from the experience.

Having the Same Goal But Different Methods

Brandy with Travel Nurse 101

I was shocked at just how different facilities/units do things. There’s more than one right way to do things as long as you are being safe and achieving the same goal. Don’t ever say, “At my old hospital, we did it this way,” unless they ask you.

Lesson Learned

You’re likely used to doing nursing procedures a certain way based on what you were taught at your home hospital. When you become a travel nurse, expect to learn different methods that achieve the same result. Learning these new processes will only help you grow your skill set!

Being Flexible & Adapting

Kristy K.

The shock for me was how quickly jobs wax and wane. At the start of my first contract, there were tons of jobs posted, but just a few months later, there were so few that I was scared about how to keep traveling. When I first started traveling, I had no money, so going without a contract for a while would have been devastating. So learning how to adapt to take jobs, you aren’t really interested in location/shift/money-wise just to make ends meet can take a toll on you mentally if not prepared. But you have to learn to be open to it to make it work and pray that the contract won’t be so bad. It’s only 3 months, right?! With time and saving properly while on contracts, I’ve learned to keep a nest egg so I don’t have to rush into anything.

Leah T.

I knew I wanted to travel to certain areas. Sometimes it didn’t work out to go to one of those places at a certain time of year, and I got bummed about that. I learned to be more flexible (which is something I love that travel nursing changed in me), have multiple backup plans, and that things always seem to work out.

Lesson Learned

There are busy and slow seasons in the travel nurse industry, but being flexible will help you have consistent work and allow you to explore new places that lead to your favorite experiences.

Adjusting to New Environments

Ally F.

When I first moved to Dallas, I was in a hotel for the first week while my apartment got ready. I took my dog for a walk. After I got back, the desk asked where we had walked, and they looked at me, shocked. They said, “Don’t walk too far. It’s not safe.” Didn’t think anything of it until that moment.

Grace P.

So, I’m geographically challenged. I took my first assignment out in Reno, Nevada. Here I was, thinking I’ll be out West, and it will be beautiful and warm. Now, this was in January. Little did I realize how close I was to Lake Tahoe and just how much snow I was going to have to drive in. And I’m an Alabama girl and hadn’t dealt with snow like that since I was way younger. So there’s that. 😂

Lesson Learned

You might be a small-town nurse headed to a big city, or you might go to an area that has natural hazards you aren’t used to experiencing. We’ve all been there! Researching ahead of time can take away a lot of the anxiety.

Experiencing Loneliness

Debbie S.

The shock for me on my first assignment was being away from home and family for 13 weeks.

Staci S.

The loneliness of that first assignment can really be triggered after a hard shift. Find some activity in the community to help build relationships or some sort of local connection. I joined a local gym on my first assignment, and that really helped me have an outlet, as well as make friends in the area.

Lesson Learned

Having a great support system that you can tap into – whether that’s video calling your loved ones back home, making new friends on assignment, or using your agency’s support teams and resources – makes a huge difference in your day-to-day life and overall career.

Finding an Agency That Guides You To Success

You want to take on this new adventure as a travel nurse, but navigating the changes that come with it – from experiencing a new city and work setting to being away from your friends – can feel overwhelming. It’s imperative when researching agencies that you find the one that offers benefits, recruiters, and support teams that can guide you on your journey and can align your career path with your overall personal and professional goals.

Some agencies might have industry experts, like a clinical support team, that can walk you through difficult work situations, or they might have benefits, like free mental wellness resources that you can use whenever you need guidance. Having an agency that will support you makes all the difference when you’re taking on this new venture as a travel nurse.

*Travel Nurse 101 is an online community run by Brandy Pinkerton, who uses her experience in travel and flight nursing to provide resources and encouragement to those wanting to take on the career. TNAA reached out to Brandy for quotes due to the nature of the subject. For more about Brandy, you can follow her updates on Instagram and Facebook.

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

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

START HERE

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

By Miles Oliver

April 23, 2023

5294 Views

The Importance of Sharing Your Experience as a Travel Nurse

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

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

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

Help Other Travel Nurses

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

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

Educate the Public

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

Care for Your Own Mental and Emotional Well-being

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

Feel More Connected

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

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

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

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

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

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

START HERE

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

By Staffmax Healthcare Staffing & Recruiting

April 20, 2023

3389 Views

6 Items Travel Nurses Need to Pack

Posted on April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 by Staffmax Healthcare Staffing & Recruiting

Staffmax Healthcare Staffing and Recruiting provided this article.

Article was written by: Julie Hesseltine, RN, CNO, and Sr. Recruiter for Staffmax.

The excitement within her had her heart beating at a rate not even three IV doses of Labetol would have been able to easily control! Yet here she was. After years of working at the bedside, she had chosen to pursue her dream. Nothing was going to stop her. Her kids were grown. She had no pets. Nobody to answer to except herself. The oil was changed, new wipers were on the windows, tires were at the proper pressure, and the car was filled with as many plastic totes and bags as she could squeeze in. She had just enough room to set her purse and a small cooler in the front seat beside her. The house was locked. The bills were paid. The alarms and security were set. She inserted the key in the ignition and was off to new beginnings.

As you read this, you might ask yourself what were in the plastic totes and canvas bags that she had gently at first and, in the end, forcefully shoved inside her car. What does a traveler need to take? My daughter tells the story of a travel nurse from Florida who came to Nebraska during the winter months. My daughter has a room she rents out and has had a lot of success doing this, having also made lifelong friends as she pursues her doctorate degree. But one nurse truly made her laugh. “I threw in anything that looked warm.” I’d been there upon the arrival of this particular new renter as she was an old travel buddy of mine. The floorboard and front passenger seat were just as full as the rest of the space in the car. She may have packed too much stuff. I thought as I helped her unload.

In the excitement of one’s first travel position, miles away from home, we sometimes forget that we are likely not moving away from home for good. Just for a travel nurse assignment or two. We don’t need the kitchen sink, just the usual necessities, and a few other items. The most important things to take with us are merely the basics.

6 Items Travel Nurses Need to Pack

Healthcare

Medicines and insurance cards. Phone numbers of your physician and dentist.

Financial information

Credit card, debit card, cash, banking information, and phone numbers to all credit card companies in case something happens. Don’t forget your computer and the charger.

Travel paperwork

I always encourage my travelers to have information on their phone, on an external hard drive of some type, saved on a cloud, and a hard copy. Keep a copy of every document you were asked for when you went through your onboarding. Add to this as you continue to travel. I kept a hard copy of everything in a folder, in plastic sleeves, and easily within reach. Throw in the diary or journal so you can write down interesting details about the journey you are on.

Clothing

A couple of good pairs of pants, a few pairs of jeans, 5-10 tops, uniforms if needed, and a few pairs of shoes. You are going to be spending a large amount of time in your uniforms. There is likely no need to pack your entire closet. How many seasons will you be confronting before you come home? Remember, right now, we are packing only the necessary items. At least one nice outfit for a night on the town on your day off.

Toiletries

Hair dryer, curling irons, electric razors, hair gel, makeup, personal towels, etc. You may want to add some of your own bedding and a favorite pillow.

The rest of the totes

Now that you have the basics packed and loaded look around and see what else you would like to take with you. The more minimalistic you learn to become on these travel nurse assignments, the more likely it is that you will leave your apartment on your days off and do what you set out to do; become the explorer and traveler who embarked upon an adventure into the unknown to see new sights and meet new people. Be certain you make time to taste the local cuisine, visit an art museum, or go to a concert or a sporting event. And take your camera with you everywhere!

That nurse who rented the space from my daughter? Charlene went back to Florida for a week-long visit with her parents in the middle of the contract. Her camera was filled with pictures of her adventures. You’ve probably also guessed that she went home with a car full of stuff she really didn’t need. Upon her return, she had laughed at all that she thought she needed the first time, realizing that she wasn’t moving in. She was merely staying until the next adventure! May you all be blessed in your travel adventures and make the best memories!

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

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

START HERE

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

By Lindsay Gantz

April 19, 2023

8239 Views

How to Not Lose Access to Mental Health Treatment As A Travel Nurse

Posted on April 19, 2023November 10, 2023 by Lindsay Gantz

Are you excited to start travel nursing but unsure how to maintain access to mental health treatment? I was ecstatic when I accepted my first travel nursing job, but little did I know the choice would soon cause me to lose access to my beloved therapist of 3+ years. This sent my mental health spiraling. Travel nurses can avoid my same predicament with a little planning ahead. Here are some ways travel nurses can maintain access to mental health treatment while on assignment.

Ask Your Current Therapist About Telehealth

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many practitioners have started offering telehealth to clients. If you have a therapist now, depending on the state they are licensed in, they may or may not be able to practice across state lines (for example, if they are in New York and you accept an assignment in Georgia). It is important to ask your therapist if a move will impact their ability to work with you. Many will make exceptions if you tell them your move away is not permanent.

Avoid Gaps in Your Insurance Coverage

Another big reason travel nurses lose access to mental health care is when their insurance status changes. This is a broad topic, and there is no “right” choice for any travel nurse when it comes to choosing insurance coverage. No matter what, keep your mental health coverage needs in mind when deciding. If you decide to use your agency’s insurance, beware of gaps in coverage between assignments. You can also ask your therapist if they will accept self-pay if they cannot accept your new insurance.

Find Out About Employee Assistance Programs

Many travel nurse agencies realize the huge toll working in healthcare takes on our mental health. Often, agencies will give nurses access to Employee Assistance Programs (or EAPs) that allow nurses between 5-10 free visits with a mental health professional. This can be a huge benefit to nurses who switch agencies and may not always have the same health insurance. EAPs can also help you quickly book an appointment with a new therapist when you move to a new state.

Call Your Health Insurance Company

When you move states, sometimes a quick way to land a new therapist is to call your health insurance company directly and ask if they can help you find a qualified mental health professional. Rather than Googling and searching yourself, concierge services at insurance companies might speed up the process of booking an appointment.

Try an Online Therapist

Online therapy also exploded after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Many travel nurses use services like BetterHelp, Cerebral, and Talkspace to maintain mental health coverage. Some services accept health insurance, and some only allow self-pay. Know that these services will also ask you what state you are in because many of their therapists are restricted to practicing only with clients in the same state.

Use Prescription Delivery Services

A great way travel nurses can keep up with mental health medications is by using prescription delivery services. Your pharmacy might offer prescription delivery (like my CVS pharmacy did, for example), or those who qualify can try online services like Hers, which allow you to connect with a prescriber and get medications sent to your door.

Remember the Importance of Self Care

While it is crucial to have access to mental health treatment and therapy as a travel nurse, I also cannot underestimate the importance of self-care. Travel nurses can engage in self-care activities such as meditation, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and connecting with a support system.

Travel nursing can lead to a lot of big, exciting changes in your life. That said, you should take steps to ensure that this does not include changes in your mental health routine. You will only love your travel nursing assignment more if you are thriving and at your best mentally.

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

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

START HERE

How to Find a Travel Nursing Assignment

Clarify your personal priorities:

Network with fellow travel nurses

Update your resume

Build a relationship with your recruiter.

Heed expert advice and know when to be flexible.

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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