January 5, 2022

9421 Views

Ways to Make More Money as a Nurse

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

This article was provided by AMN Healthcare.

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

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

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

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

Where Do the Majority of Nurses Work?

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

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

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

How To Make More Money As A Nurse

1. Complete your BSN degree.

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

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

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

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

2. Pursue experience in a nursing specialty.

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

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

3. Volunteer to work overtime on occasion.

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

4. Get an advanced nursing degree.

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

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

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

5. Get creative with nursing side jobs.

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

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

6. Become a travel nurse.

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

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

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

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

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

START HERE

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

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By Grant Oster

January 4, 2022

6394 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

13679 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!)

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By Luke Smith

December 31, 2021

13091 Views

Things You Can Do to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Traveling Nurse Job

Posted on December 31, 2021January 18, 2023 by Luke Smith

Thank you for working towards a career as a traveling nurse. This is an occupation that is needed now more than ever. With COVID-19, people need medical help, and they can’t always leave their home to get it. This is truly a job that makes the world a better place.

If you are just beginning your journey. You likely need some guidance on the best way to land a traveling nurse job and the certifications you will need along the way. Let’s look at how to obtain your dream career.

Get Your Certifications

As with most medical careers, you will need the proper education and certifications to become a traveling nurse. As a general foundation, you will want to go to school and acquire either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The former is a two-year program and the latter a four-year endeavor.

Both of these degrees will teach you the technical and medical skills that you need to become a registered nurse (RN). Along with how to apply these skills to real-world scenarios. Once your education is complete, you will also need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) exam. Which really puts your skills to the test with a computer-based assessment that reviews your efficiency with every aspect of nursing. From health maintenance to physiological adaptation.

On top of your education and certifications, you will also need one to two years of experience before you can become a traveling nurse. You can get this experience in a hospital and gain the skills that you can show off on your resume. Generally, you will have your choice of specialties in which to gain this experience, whether that be in labor and delivery, ICU, or many other departments. You can also consult your school for a recommendation.

Write Your Resume and Cover Letter

Once you get the required education, it is time to put together a professional resume and cover letter to present to potential employers. Avoid using a generic cover letter. Instead modify it to the company where you are applying, including adding their address along with the person and department you are directing it towards. At the start, mention the position you are applying for and why.

Your resume and cover letter should have a mix of your past experience along with the qualifications you’ve earned up until this point. Your cover letter is a general summary, while the resume goes into further detail. Resume should include honors you received, your professional affiliations, and your best achievements thus far. When writing achievements, you want them to be specific and measurable, so an example is that you “improved patient ratings by 20% through passion and commitment.”

Your resume should include a combination of hard and soft skills. Hard skills include things you learn in schools, such as performing CPR or drawing blood, while soft skills are more like personality skills, including the ability to stay calm in stressful conditions and how to effectively communicate with coworkers and patients. As you gain more experience, continue to update your resume so you can impress future employers.

Acing the Interview

The final step to improving your chances for that traveling nurse job is to ace the job interview. Before you show up, take some time to research the hospital or company you will be working for. So you can impress when they inevitably ask what you know about the company. This also gives you a chance to ask questions. Not only about the establishment, but their values, the patients they serve, and more.

Next, take the time to research some common nursing interview questions. They may ask you about a time you dealt with a difficult patient, your most rewarding experience, or how you deal with the stress of nursing. Take some time to come up with quality answers to these questions. So you don’t hesitate when you are asked during the interview.

During all of this preparation, also make sure that your social media accounts are clean and presentable. Take down any inappropriate photos that you wouldn’t want an employer to see. Instead, add a profile photo of you in professional attire. If you want to keep your profiles separate from your professional life, then change the privacy settings so only your friends can see what you post.

As a traveling nurse, you are truly helping the world on a daily basis. Take the time to make the proper preparations and apply for these positions with confidence.

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 Elizabeth Scala

December 30, 2021

12319 Views

Make Travel Nursing Fun: 2 Secrets to Working ‘On the Road’ with Enthusiasm

Posted on December 30, 2021December 30, 2021 by Elizabeth Scala

The following is a Guest Post via Elizabeth Scala:

Travel Nursing Fun?

Traveling is fun. No doubt about it. In fact, one of my ‘heart’s desires’, ‘big money whys’ or vision work is: to travel.

My vision boards are full of pictures of places I’d like to go, cut-outs of maps for trips I’d like to take, and so forth. What’s a vision board? Great question- in a moment, I’ll share more detail.

When I travel, I’m always learning. I immerse myself in the culture by finding interesting people to talk to, visit with, and share space. I love hearing about and seeing the world from their perspective. Even when I travel locally, I always come home a brand new woman, filled with a refreshed energy for life.

So what’s this got to do with nursing? Especially if you’re traveling for work?

Here are two ways to bring this enthusiasm for travel to travel-nursing and make travel nursing fun!

Let’s start with vision boarding.

The conventional way to create a vision board is to get an armful of magazines, a blank larger poster board, and an open mind and heart. What you want to do is flip through the magazines, looking for words/photos/images/colors/anything that jump out at you.

Cut out pictures of things you want to be, do, and/or have in your life. Take words and/or sayings that inspire. Make it pleasing to your eye because what you do next with the board is the most important part.

You can also do a vision journal. Write out your vision of what you want to be, do, and/or have in the first person, present tense, as if it’s already happening to you. You can do this daily, every so often, or weekly. It’s up to you!

When you have your vision, you want to own it. As I wrote about the journal, you want to experience it as if it’s already happening. This is key. So once you have your board (or whatever sort of vision creation you’ve made), you want to visualize the things on the board as though they are already yours. Feel them when you bring strong emotion to anything. Your much more likely to receive it!

A second way to bring enthusiasm and energy to travel-nursing is through those lasting relationships you make.

I’m just coming back from a conference, which I’ve attended every September for three years now. And every single fall, I have a new vitality for my work! What’s happened is I meet new, exciting, and supportive people at this event.

I come home with heart-based connections I can call upon when I am down, frustrated, or lost. It’s always great to know that guidance, mentorship, and help are just a phone call or email away.

As you travel through nursing (quite literally in your case), be sure to invest the energy, effort, and time into building supportive relationships. And if you ever feel lost in a new place you’re at… you can always turn to this ever-growing space of virtual support.

The Gypsy Nurse has created an awesome space for travel nurses here on this blog. Other nurse entrepreneurs have done the same in their field. Even me, I’ve created a virtual conference for nurses that helps us to refresh, renew, and re-energize our passion for our work!

Please click HERE If you would like to submit your story to The Gypsy Nurse.

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By Medical Edge Recruitment

December 29, 2021

6190 Views

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

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

This article was provided by Medical Edge Recruitment.

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

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

Desire to Seek New Adventures

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

Want To Make Connections

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

You Love Your Freedom

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

You want to Build your Resume

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

Desire to Make More Money

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

START HERE

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

Works Cited

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

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

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By CareerStaff Unlimited

December 28, 2021

7035 Views

8 Steps for Resetting Your Nursing Career in 2022

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

This article was provided by: CareerStaff Unlimited.

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

Step 1: Take stock of what’s important.

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

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

Step 2: Clearly define your goals.

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

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

Step 3: Prioritize your personal satisfaction.

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

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

Step 4: Update your CV, stat!

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

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

Step 5: Work on your network.

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

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

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

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

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

Step 6: Learn a new skill.

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

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

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

Step 7: Be ready to deal with change.

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

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

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

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

ONE MORE CAREER TIP: GET STARTED TODAY!

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

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

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

START HERE

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

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By Lirika Hart

December 26, 2021

7849 Views

5 Steps to Reaching Your Fitness Goals This New Year

Posted on December 26, 2021January 16, 2023 by Lirika Hart

Many of us make fitness goals in the new year but achieving those goals is another struggle entirely. This article has been put together so that you can discover the five steps that will help you reach your goals. There are so many benefits to having fitness goals that you want to reach – not only will you look better, but you’ll also feel better and be healthier from the inside out.

1 – Make a plan

It is so important that you know what you want to achieve and have a plan in place to help you get there. First of all, you need to answer the question, why am I doing this? Looking good is awesome but the first and foremost reason should be your health. Set a TRACKABLE target on what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to be able to run a marathon by a certain date or perhaps you want to fit into a dress size. From there you can come up with a plan in whatever way works for you. Whether you track everything you eat, your workouts – or a combination of both.

2 – Put small changes in place

5 Steps to Reaching Your Fitness Goals This New Year

It is important that you don’t try to do too much too fast. You should start by incorporating small changes into your life and build it from there. You are not going to suddenly go from a couch potato to a health guru. Some things that you should start doing include drinking more water and eating more fruits/vegetables. You’ve probably heard that a million times before but it is very effective in reaching weight loss/fitness goals. From there, you should be incorporating more protein into your diet. There are so many healthy foods out there so do your research and don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen.

3 – Use a bicycle regularly

Cycling is a great way to build up your exercise regime, especially if you have not got your body moving for some time. You can get affordable beach cruisers and use them around your neighborhood. In addition to helping you lose weight, cycling will help you build muscle in your legs and butt. Beach cruisers are simple but really effective and they burn a ton of calories. Using a bike is also a great way to build your stamina, which is really important if you move up your fitness a level, which you can read about in the next point.

4 – Find an exercise that you love

If you make yourself do something that you absolutely hate physically, you are not going to stick to it and your fitness goals will become absolutely impossible. There are so many different types of exercise out there so it’s important that you find something you enjoy.

Whether that be dancing, swimming, running, aerobics, exercise classes at your local gym or something else entirely. Perhaps there is a sport you are interested in trying? When you find what it is that you love, it won’t even feel like exercise at all and you will reach your goals before you know it.

5 -Don’t weigh yourself too often

The average person can fluctuate around five pounds in weight PER DAY. Checking your progress purely by the number on the scale is not a good idea, particularly when you are working out. Stick to weighing yourself once a week at the very most and instead, track your progress in other ways. This includes the way that your clothes fit you, taking measurements on certain areas of your body can also be more accurate. Photos are also a really good representation of how your body has changed over time. If you are holding onto weight, stay consistent and they will drop off eventually.

Conclusion

By following the tips that have been mentioned in this article, you are guaranteed to reach your goal. Keep in mind that getting in shape is a slow and steady process – there is no race to the finish line. Eating healthy in addition to regular exercise (classic bikes are a great way to get around), is the best way to go about it. Start today and you will soon see some inspiring results!

We hope that these fitness goal tips help you to reach your fitness goals this year! Here is a great article with Easy Workouts for Travel Nurses.

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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“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 Melissa Rissler

December 25, 2021

12120 Views

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

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

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

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

The Contract

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

During the interview

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

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

Housing

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

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

During the Assignment

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

Be flexible… very, very, very flexible!!

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

We hope you found these tips about travel nursing helpful!

Happy Travels!!

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

START HERE

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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Where Do the Majority of Nurses Work?

How To Make More Money As A Nurse

1. Complete your BSN degree.

2. Pursue experience in a nursing specialty.

3. Volunteer to work overtime on occasion.

4. Get an advanced nursing degree.

5. Get creative with nursing side jobs.

6. Become a travel nurse.

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

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

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Cooking a local dish

Biking the city

Visiting antique shops

Backpacking in the local park or trail

Taking a long bus or train ride

Trying a local hobby

Exploring art and photography

How do you choose your hobby?

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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Honors / Awards / Volunteer Work

Language

Professional Affiliations and Memberships

Detailed Education Details

Certifications and Nursing License Details

Computer Skills

Facility Details

Unit Details

Availability

Accomplishments and skills in your working history

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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Get Your Certifications

Write Your Resume and Cover Letter

Acing the Interview

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Travel Nursing Fun?

Let’s start with vision boarding.

A second way to bring enthusiasm and energy to travel-nursing is through those lasting relationships you make.

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