You always dreamed of being a nurse.
And while you love what you do, you can’t deny the fact that you’re starting to go a little stir-crazy doing the same thing shift after shift.
You’ve got friends on the road who are touting the praises of their nomadic lifestyles, and now you’re wondering, “What are the benefits of travel nursing? And are the perks of being a travel nurse worth it?”
In this guide, we uncover the benefits of travel nursing and give you the information you need to make the decision that’s perfect for you.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Traveling Nurse?
- Should I Become a Travel Nurse?
- What Are the Benefits of Travel Nursing? 12 Undeniable Perks of Becoming a Traveling Nurse
- Considering Joining the Ranks? 4 Reasons Why You Should Travel With Trusted Nurse Staffing
What Is a Traveling Nurse?
A traveling nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who is hired to work on a contract basis to fill short-term medical staffing needs.
Traveling nurses can accept assignments in a wide variety of health care settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Clinics
- Outpatient facilities
- Schools
- Correctional facilities
- Mental health offices
- Insurance companies; and
- In-home care
While a typical travel nurse contract is 13 weeks, assignments can range anywhere from 4 weeks to a year.
Traveling nurses meet an array of needs, and they may be called upon to:
- Cover for hired staff who may be out for health-related or personal reasons.
- Cover for staff who may be taking time off for the holidays.
- Meet critical staffing needs in specific specialty areas.
- Add additional nursing staff during the flu season.
- Provide extra staff during a medical technology upgrade.
- Offer additional support during busy seasons, such as pandemics or natural disasters.
Are you considering joining the ranks of travel nurses? Find your dream travel nurse assignment on Pronto today!
Should I Become a Travel Nurse?
You may be thinking, “This sounds great, but is travel nursing really worth it?”
As you consider whether hitting the road as a travel nurse might be right for you, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you want to expand your professional skills?
- Are you ready to break free from your normal day-to-day routine?
- Do you have a sense of adventure?
- Do you love to travel?
- Have you always wanted to see the country?
- Do you enjoy meeting new and diverse people?
- Would you like the opportunity to try your hand at some new areas of nursing?
- Are you interested in making quick money?
If your answer is “Yes” to most of these questions, you may be ready to start packing your bags to begin a career as a traveling nurse.
What Are the Benefits of Travel Nursing? 12 Undeniable Perks of Becoming a Traveling Nurse
A job as a travel nurse is loaded with benefits, many of which are quite different from traditional nursing positions.
Here are just a few of the perks that go along with being a travel nurse:
- A flexible schedule
- Top-pay
- Getting to choose your geographical location
- Selecting your healthcare facility
- Avoiding the headache of workplace politics
- Meeting new people
- Working in a variety of settings
- Learning to adapt
- Meeting new people
- Avoiding burnout
- Learning new skills
- Padding your resume
Perk #1: You’ll Have Flexibility
A great thing about being a traveling nurse is that you get to choose where you’d like to work. You can choose the time frames in which you want to work, too.
Do you have a family reunion in July? No problem. You can take the month off.
Maybe your sister is due with a new baby in October. Just take a break between traveling assignments, and you can arrive at your sister’s house right along with the stork.
When you’re a travel nurse, you can schedule time off any time you want to and make your job work along with your life.
Perk #2: The Pay Rocks
A traveling nurse’s salary has the potential to be higher than that of a stationary nurse and averages $68,218 per year. In some locations, they may earn up to $82,461.
That’s nothing to sneeze at.
And as you gain additional experience, work overtime hours, or have a specialty that is in high demand, that number can shoot up even higher.
Travel nursing is a surefire way to fill your bank account, and fast.
Perk #3: You Can Choose Your Medical Facility
One of the cool things about travel nursing is that you get to choose your assignment.
That means you can select the type of position (provided it’s within your qualifications), and in many instances, the exact medical facility where you will work.
If you’re dreaming of going Grey’s Anatomy style and working in a big, bustling hospital, that’s likely an option.
On the other hand, positions are generally available in smaller medical facilities, too, if that’s more your speed.
Perk #4: You Can Pick Your Geographical Location
Another benefit of travel nursing is the opportunity to choose the part of the country where you want to work.
Have you always wanted to visit the Big Apple? Choose an assignment in or near New York City.
Is beach life more your thing? Look for an assignment in California, Florida, or Oregon.
Maybe you’re ready to be a little closer to home and want to take a traveling position in your hometown. Yes, you can do that, too!.
With travel nursing, you have 50 states to choose from!
Perk #5: You Get To Avoid Workplace Politics
When you’re in and out of an assignment in 13 weeks or so, you can avoid becoming embroiled in hospital politics or management issues.
As a travel nurse you get to go in, focus on patient care, do your job, and leave.
And since your travel nurse paperwork is taken care of through your agency, you’ll also avoid getting involved in the potential bureaucracy of the internal staff.
Perk #6: You’ll Meet New People
Another one of the awesome benefits of travel nursing is the opportunity to meet new patients who come from a wide variety of cultures and walks of life.
When you are on assignment, you’ll be working alongside a diverse line-up of health care professionals who will likely be instrumental in expanding your personal and professional horizons.
And who knows? You could find a new best friend, love interest, or maybe even connect with someone who has a positive impact on your career.
Perk #7: You Can Change the Scenery
Is your day-to-day work routine starting to feel a bit mundane?
Great news! Travel nursing can change all that.
When you’re a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to change things up after each assignment.
Do you want to explore the West Coast? Start with an assignment in Seattle and work your way down.
Does it sound like fun to go from the ocean to the mountains? Not a problem.
Are you a museum buff? You can always take consecutive assignments to visit:
- The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
- The Getty in Los Angeles
- Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico
- The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle
- The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, and The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago
Travel nursing gives you options, keeps it fresh, and lets you kiss boredom goodbye.
Perk #8: You’ll Learn to Adapt
It takes gumption and spunk to be a traveling nurse, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to exercise your personal and professional flexibility as you become an expert at adapting to a variety of situations.
On the road, you’ll have the opportunity to practice valuable life skills such as:
- Cultivating the ability to think quickly and outside the box.
- Becoming comfortable at finding your place in new and different medical situations.
- Navigating the many personalities that make up medical personnel.
- Learning to communicate with a wide array of people who may be outside your cultural background.
And each new assignment will add even more skills to your tool belt that will prove to be indispensable in both life and in your career.
Perk #9: You’ll Avoid Burnout
According to a 2023 Zippia study, 2.7 million nurses report experiencing feelings of burnout.
A major benefit of choosing a career as a travel nurse is that it’s a great way to keep burnout at bay, since you have the option of choosing your:
- Location
- Medical facility
- Length of assignment
- Housing
- And more
You’ll get to keep on doing what you love most — caring for people — while getting to experience new faces and places.
Perk #10: You Can Help More People
Chances are that you went into nursing because you have a passion for helping those in need.
As a travel nurse, you will have the opportunity to help even more people than you would in a stationary nursing position.
That’s because travel nurses are frequently sent to the locations in the greatest need, so you may be working with individuals who:
- Have been affected by a natural disaster.
- Are in the throes of a global pandemic.
- Are isolated by in-home or nursing home care.
- Are trapped in a cycle of poverty.
You are able to put your skills to the best possible use by practicing front-line nursing as you care for those who are desperate for your professional skills.
Perk #11: You’ll Pad Your Resume with Experience
As a traveling nurse, you will have the unique opportunity to explore the nursing profession in a variety of settings that you might not otherwise get to experience.
Your resume will sparkle, and you’ll stand out from your peers.
Employers know that travel nurses’ resumes reflect more than just experience in multiple locations. Traveling nurses are renowned for being top-notch employees that exude qualities like:
- Adaptability
- Resilience
- Quick thinking
- Dependability
- Excellent communication
- Flexibility
- Team work
- Critical thinking
- And more
Perk #12: You Can Decide Where You Want To Settle
Whether it’s years down the road or just around the corner, one of these days you’ll decide to find a permanent location to call “home.’” And when you’ve had the chance to travel the country, making the decision about where you want to land becomes so much easier.
Working as a traveling nurse gives you the chance to “test the waters” before committing to a move.
Maybe you don’t love big city life as much as you thought you would, and the suburbs are the place for you. Or you might decide your heart is in small-town medical care and decide to settle in a more rural location.
Whatever you decide, comparing parts of the country and different cities by way of your assignment choices is the ideal way to decide where you want to establish a permanent residence before you need to make a commitment.
Considering Joining the Ranks? 4 Reasons Why You Should Travel With Trusted Nurse Staffing
At Trusted Nurse Staffing we are ready to help you take the leap into travel nursing.
But why should you choose to travel with us? For starters:
- Every new travel nurse receives a special welcome-box, complete with cool swag from the Trusted Nurse Staffing Store.
- As one of our nurses, you’ll receive full, prepaid health insurance. Plus, you’ll get a loaded HRA card so that the cost of insurance comes out of our pocket, not yours.
- We provide each of our nurses with dental and vision plans and offer options for both low and high deductibles.
- We have an entire department specifically devoted to quality assurance. This means that we are constantly striving to provide you with the best travel nursing experience possible.
But that’s not all.
Here are a few more perks of becoming a travel nurse with Trusted Nurse Staffing.
#1: Housing, Meal, and Travel Allowances
At Trusted Nurse Staffing, each of our nurses receives a stipend for housing, meals, and travel.
And great news. All allowances are tax-free as long as they’re used for duplicate expenses.
#2: Loyalty Program
Trusted Nurse Staffing also has a cool loyalty program.
As your employment with us continues, you accumulate points that you can redeem for more than 300,000 awesome prizes, including:
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Appliances
- Gadgets
- Books
- And more
#3: Flexible Contracts
Trusted Nurse Staffing offers a wide variety of contract styles that are a perfect fit for any need you might have.
Our flexible contracts cover the entire range, from per-diem to up to 52 weeks in length.
And if you complete an assignment that you love, the option of continuing is possible as long as it’s a good fit for both you and your current facility.
#4: 24/7 Access to Your Recruiter
What if you have a question about your pay or your housing arrangements?
Don’t give it a second thought.
Another one of the perks of being a travel nurse with Trusted Nurse Services is that you will have access to your recruiter:
- 24 hours a day
- 7 days a week
- 365 days a year
Since we are a smaller company, you’ll always find someone on the other end of the phone that knows your name.
We take pride in being available to answer and address any questions or concerns that may arise any time our nurses call.
At Trusted Nurse Staffing, our goal is to help you to be happy and successful in the best career on Earth.
Use the Pronto job search to find available travel nurse assignments today!
