January 11, 2022

5147 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.

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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:

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

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By Sancket Kamdar

January 9, 2022

10393 Views

The Most Effective Portable Workout Equipment 2020 – Our Top Choices

Posted on January 9, 2022January 9, 2022 by Sancket Kamdar

Working out feels like a chore when traveling. But going without exercise for even two days in a row gets a real fitness enthusiast very anxious. You can’t carry your heavy dumbbells in your bag, obviously. What then?

Just cardio! Yes, 30-40 minute cardio, 3-4 days a week, allows for muscle maintenance and strength gain maintenance. Cross-fitters don’t mind swapping their cross-fit equipment with some high-level cardio using compact yet effective travel workout equipment.

With the right travel exercise equipment, you can avoid missing your workout sessions and start your mornings pumped up even without a gym when you’re away for a vacation or a business trip. We have made some top picks, some compact portable workout equipment that can challenge the fittest athletes. Check them out.

Water Weights –

Water weights are one of the most portable exercise equipment, but only when your travel setting allows it. If you happen to have a pool or a water body where you’re traveling to, you can go for water weights that are made of foam and plastic so that they can be heavy in the water.

Underwater workouts are quite effective if you combine the enhanced resistance of water weights with the natural guided underwater motions. If you’re planning to just swim, you can carry other compact travel fitness equipment, such as foam ankle and wrist weights, to increase resistance in your exercise.

Resistance Bands –

Foldable and super compact resistance bands are the top choice of travel exercise equipment for many fitness professionals and even cross-fit athletes. From simple resistance exercises to tough session goals, workout bands can cater to almost anything since the resistance they create can replicate the standard dumbbells.

You can get single resistance bands or check out some challenging ones where you can insert more than one band in a single hook for more resistance. You can also get one with adjustable resistance.

Ab Roller –

We meet a lot of fitness professionals, especially cross-fitters who just don’t leave home for a vacation without a portable, lightweight ab roller. After all, it’s a great piece of workout equipment for triceps, back muscles, improving pulling strength, and core muscles, including abs. It’s perfect for high-power upper body workouts and isn’t also so much weight to carry, which makes it a travel essential for fitness ninjas.

Core Sliders –

When talking about portable travel equipment, we can’t miss the core sliders for two reasons:

One – they are small, light, and easy to carry. And two – they are great for strengthening and toning the chest, arms, glutes, and legs. With some simple exercises such as body saw, slider mountain climber, single-leg knee tuck, plank jack, etc., using core sliders, you can complete your exercise session equally effectively when you’re out traveling.

Speed Ropes –

The last and important one – speed rope. A speed rope is a must-have travel workout equipment when you can’t go for a full-fledged workout but don’t want to lose all the progress. Speed ropes are designed to be faster than ever to help you work harder and train better. Moreover, speed rope exercise is good for improving footwork, agility, coordination, endurance, and quickness, which is why it should be a part of every fitness enthusiast’s regular workout routine.

Moreover, we are all guilty of those extra calories we consume when on trips or vacations. With a speed rope, you can burn calories and fat quickly.

With these super-effective portable workout equipment, you can continue your fitness regime without a break and also compensate the guilt of gorging on all the delicious food on a vacation that you just can’t say no to. I hope this was helpful!

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

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By Timothea Bradley

January 8, 2022

6511 Views

10 Tips For Keeping a Balance Between Life and Nursing Work

Posted on January 8, 2022January 16, 2023 by Timothea Bradley

It turns out that nurses are the most popular and wanted professionals in the whole healthcare industry. Nurses have a very important job that not every person can handle. Sometimes, nurses can’t even keep the balance between life and work. As a result, it burns them out.

But there is a way to distance yourself from your everyday work. The tips below will help you to balance your work and life so that you won’t burn out. You can get the needed rest while you finish work, and it won’t affect your life.

Tips for balancing life and nursing work.

Deal with Conflicts Immediately

It might surprise you, but dealing with conflicts right away is a great way to clear your mind when you are at work or home. For example, something happened at work, and instead of solving the conflict, you go home and keep thinking about how to solve it. The best idea is to deal with the conflict immediately. Whether it’s a conflict with a friend at home or a work conflict, it won’t let you relax or focus on work.

Accept Certain Things

Nursing is a difficult job since it requires some level of empathy. You need to accept the fact that certain things can’t be changed. You don’t have to think about certain things or situations all the time since it impacts your well-being. If you keep thinking about different situations that you can’t change, it will burn you out. Accept that you can’t change everything. It’s normal, and don’t let these thoughts bug you.

Define Your Life Goals

Yes, you are a nurse, and you want to help people. But is it the main life goal? You aren’t just a nurse; you are also someone else. For example, you can be a parent or a child, a wife or a husband; you could be someone’s friend, loved one, etc. Figure out what you want to achieve in life so you can find peace and move towards accomplishing your goals and finding your place in life.

Healthy Lifestyle

A lot of people underestimate the role of a healthy lifestyle on their mental health. There is even a saying – a sound mind in a sound body. It’s extremely important to lead a healthy lifestyle to make sure you feel good. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym or stick to a strict diet to achieve great results. Just make sure you have time to do some exercise, even walking in a park works. And eat healthy and nutritious food.

Make It Simple

When a habit is too complicated, we drop it. But when we can’t leave something, it annoys us and makes us feel bad. If your work life is too complicated, then you should simplify it. For example, download and install all the necessary apps that you need to communicate with your patients. It’s sometimes easier to message someone or reply than have a phone call. Same with everyday life, make it simpler, so it won’t make you feel exhausted.

Time Management

It could be difficult to manage time at work and your personal life partially because it requires some sort of a schedule. If you don’t have a schedule to which you stick, it could easily burn you out. For example, show sympathy to your patients, but don’t spend all of your work time with just that 1 patient when you have others. Otherwise, you will have to use your free time to take care of other patients. Time management is very important, so try working on a schedule.

Develop Bonds

Bonding with your family members, friends, or partner is a step towards healthy relationships. The nursing job might take away some time that you spend with your loved ones. Make sure to set time when you spend time with people you care about. No job or other things should take away from you these moments.

Exercise

When your body is stronger, your mental health is also stronger. When you have a break, you can go on a walk. You may even go to a cafe to have a meal rather than drive in there. If the hospital has a gym, then you could consider using it. It would be very beneficial for you.

Take Breaks

You can’t help someone if you won’t take care of your needs in the first place. Make sure to have breaks in between visiting your patients. They don’t have to be too long, they should be sufficient for you to take care of your needs and have rest. Taking breaks makes sure you are in shape to help other people.

Get Enough Rest and Sleep

Sleep and rest are two basic needs of every human being. Without satisfying them, you can’t help anyone. You will be the one needing help if lack of rest and sleep develops into depression, insomnia, or some other illnesses.

Also, try to stick to positive moments in your life. Even if you have a conflict with someone, or you had an argument, don’t let negativity bug you. Try calling positive moments of the day. For example, you saw a happy mother who just had her newborn.

There is always more positivity than negativity in life, but people choose to remember negative moments. Be one of those individuals who go through positive moments of the day rather than negative situations.

We hope you found these tips for keeping a balance between life and nursing work. Do you have any ways you find balance between your personal life and work life? Comment them below.

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

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

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By Anna Johnson

January 7, 2022

9861 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!)

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Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

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—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

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By The Gypsy Nurse

January 6, 2022

5353 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!)

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

“Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!”

—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

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By AMN Healthcare

January 5, 2022

8943 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.

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By Grant Oster

January 4, 2022

6044 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!)

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By Keerthana Krishna

January 2, 2022

12455 Views

Top 10 Details to Include on Your Nursing Resume This Year!

Posted on January 2, 2022January 16, 2023 by Keerthana Krishna

Creating your perfect resume is not that simple! Yes, I have been there, you have been there, we all have been there! For a vacancy of 2-3 job openings, there may be 200+ candidates to compete for! Who knows what will be their eliminating criteria or what they are looking for in a candidate? And if you are applying through an online ad, chances are 76% of resumes are rejected by Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Apart from the usual resume format of Contact details, resume summary, skills/certifications, professional work experience, and education, what makes your resume stand out from many applicants is the extra information you are providing to your recruiters!

Honors / Awards / Volunteer Work

Have you won any awards? Did you receive any honors regarding your work? If you think including your special awards, honors, achievements and volunteer work will add a plus point in this recruitment, then don’t wait to create a new section to add these details. This will tell your recruiter in a few words that you were excellent in your work area.

Language

According to TalentNeuron, employers are considering bilingualism as the second most required skill in the nursing field. Being a bilingual or multilingual nurse within the healthcare industry has its tremendous advantages because such skilled professionals in this industry are a prized asset to any medical team. As a bilingual nurse, knowing another language can be a huge factor in times of emergency situations. List every language you know by speaking, writing, and reading format.

Professional Affiliations and Memberships

Recruiters might want to know if you belong to any professional memberships or associations! Some recruiters may consider this as your commitment to providing and honoring your skills! Therefore, if you belong to any affiliations like the American Association of Critical care Nurses (AACN), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) or Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) include its details on your nursing resume. You might want to consider the following as the affiliation name, date of admission, units held by you and a short description of your role.

Detailed Education Details

Do you have a degree in ADN, RN, BSN, MSN or ASN? Or any other special nursing degree? Include the nursing degrees you have earned on your resume or the job opportunity would go for those who have included this particular kind of information. If your GPA is below 3.0 it’s better if you could avoid including the grades on your resume!

Certifications and Nursing License Details

There are plenty of people argue that as a matter of privacy nurses should not include their nursing license details on their resume. Nonetheless, as a matter of fact, nursing license numbers are publicly accessible. Using the basic information available on resume anyone can easily obtain a nurse’s license details from the state’s Nursing Board. Therefore, if you could provide the certifications and nursing license details to the recruiter it could give you a top hat among your competitors.

Computer Skills

Do you have any particular skills which you think will be a great asset to your nursing career? Are you good at electronic medical recording or e-prescriptions? If you think this will make an impact on your recruiter’s mind, do add them to your resume! You can include your computer skills in your summary or can create a separate section to list your computer skills. Or you could also mention this skill in your job description.

Facility Details

Including various facility details in your resume tells your recruiter about your work experience in a nutshell. Example,

Facility Type: Designations like Assisted Living Program, Short Term Acute Care, Long Term Acute Care, Acute care Hospital, Life Care Communities, Nursing Facility, etc.

Trauma Designation: Add the trauma center level (I, II, III, IV, or V)

Magnet Status

Unit Details

Unit details also tell your recruiter about your work experience in a few words. Match your previous job details with a recruiter’s perspective! For example, if the recruiter’s requirement is “Emergency Department” and you have worked before in an “Emergency Room” section, then go with the “Emergency Department” in your resume. Never lie in your resume about your skills and qualifications. If you haven’t worked in an emergency department, do not lie and include this in your resume!

Availability

Everyone knows that it doesn’t matter what your degree is, whether its MSN, ADN, LSN, or RN to BSN nursing program or any other degree you have taken, all fields work round the clock. You could include the shifts you are willing to take, whether you are available to work during holidays, and also mention that if the job requires you to relocate, you are okay with the relocation or not. Because you may never know if the recruiter has any other unadvertised job openings that you might qualify for!

Accomplishments and skills in your working history

Include the skills and accomplishments you have received for your work, and let them speak for you! Your achievements will tell your recruiters that how excellent were you in your work. If you have too many achievements to include in your resume only pick relevant and best achievements and skills. And also remember to conclude your resume in a maximum of two pages.

We hope you found these nursing resume tips helpful. Do you have any nursing resume tips to share? Comment them below.

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

START HERE

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

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

“Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!”

—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

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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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Water Weights –

Resistance Bands –

Ab Roller –

Core Sliders –

Speed Ropes –

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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Tips for balancing life and nursing work.

Deal with Conflicts Immediately

Accept Certain Things

Define Your Life Goals

Healthy Lifestyle

Make It Simple

Time Management

Develop Bonds

Exercise

Take Breaks

Get Enough Rest and Sleep

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: