I just finished my first travel assignment as a nurse last week. It was an awesome experience, but there are definitely some things you need to know before you agree to your first travel assignment. Travel nursing is unlike anything else and every travel nurse assignment is different, but there are some things you can prepare for that will help your assignment go as smoothly as possible. Below I talk about everything I learned during my first assignment, and give you a worksheet to use during your travel nurse phone interview.
Oh you have no idea what travel nursing is? Let me tell you!
Contents
What is a travel nurse?
A travel nurse is a registered nurse who takes a short term contract (usually 13 weeks) that fills in the gaps of healthcare shortages around the country and even all over the world. These nurses work in units with patient populations they are familiar with and help with short staffing issues away from their home location.
What are the benefits of travel nursing?
There are tons of benefits of travel nursing! Some of them include pay, free housing, getting to travel all over the country, change of pace, and so many more! Travel nurses typically get paid more than the staff nurses doing the exact same job, AND they get to mix it up and go somewhere else every 13 weeks if they want.
How do you become a travel nurse?
In order to become a travel nurse, you need to be a registered nurse who is very confident in your nursing skills. You do not get much of an orientation period as a travel nurse, so it is important that you are able to jump right in with excellent patient care. Typically, hospitals want someone with at least two years of relevant experience, but some will accept you with just one year of experience, it just might be a little harder to find contracts.
What is travel nursing like?
The day to day tasks of a travel nurse looks just like that of a staff RN, except they don’t get caught up in unit politics and if they don’t like it they are done in 13 weeks!
Do you get paid more as a travel nurse?
ABSOLUTELY! This is one of the main things that attract people to travel nursing. Nurses use the increased pay to help them pay off their student loans from school or any other type of debt! There also is less of a pay scale based on years of experience, which makes it a great opportunity for younger nurses to make extra money after only a few years of nursing!
What is covered by your travel agency?
You might be thinking “okay yes you get paid more but it has to be so expensive to have everything change every assignment, there is no way that is worth it.” You should know that your travel nurse agency typically pays for almost all of your expenses. This includes mileage for gas money to travel to your new contract, fees to get licenses in different states, classes for BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP, and any other certifications you might need to get or renew, and even your scrubs if a contract requires a specific color! While they aren’t going to pay for your pens or mini sharpie for your badge, pretty much any major expense is covered!
This is why it is SO important that you get scrub colors and certifications needed verified in your interview with the unit manager! You can get free list of everything you need to ask in your interview by clicking the image below!
How does housing work?
This is where things can get a bit tricky. There are two options when it comes to housing for the length of your travel nurse contract. Option one is to take the company provided housing. This means that you will not have to search for your apartment or furniture yourself. You show up to your contract and everything is just set in place for you! The downside of this is you have less control over the location and amenities, and you don’t get the housing stipend. This is where option 2 comes in. Option 2 is that you can take a housing stipend where you are given a certain amount of money per paycheck and you find housing on your own. This is where you can really save up some extra money in your bank account. If you find housing that is significantly below your housing stipend, then that extra money goes straight into your pocket! Finding housing can be tricky in some locations though, so make sure to do your research in each area before deciding if you are going to take the stipend or not.
What if my contract is a nightmare?
Just like everything else in life, not all contracts are good. If you show up to your first day of work and it is nothing like you expected, take a deep breath and remember it is only for 13 weeks. In most cases, you just have to get through it and move on to your next assignment. However, if something is going against your contract, OR you feel like your license is in danger you can always reach out to your recruiter and they can attempt to get you out of your contract!
Things I learned:
Always negotiate your contract
Travel nurse companies are paid a certain amount by a hospital to fill a position by you. They use this money to run their business and to pay you. When a travel agency gives you an offer, it is usually going to be lowballed so that they can keep as much of that contract money as possible. Don’t be afraid to negotiate up for the contract, they can almost always give you a higher rate.
Get connected with multiple travel agencies
This goes along with my last point. Always have multiple travel agencies that you are working with. Even if you have one agency you prefer, you can use the offers from other agencies as negotiating power. Plus, sometimes a contract will only be available from a specific company, and you would have completely missed out on it if you had limited yourself to just one agency!
Come in with a positive attitude.
Every unit has its flaws. No job is perfect. Odds are, if they are hiring travel nurses then their unit is struggling and short-staffed. Going into your contract knowing these things can help you have a more positive attitude. Do your best to stay positive about the unit and contract throughout your time there, and try your hardest not to get involved in unit drama and negative talk. My last contract had a lot of negativity internally going on, and while I tried my best to stay out of it, sometimes it was hard! Letting yourself get sucked into the negativity can never result in positive outcomes. Remember that you are not a staff nurse there, you are just there to help.
Be confident in your nursing skills
You have to be super confident in what you do and don’t know. No nurse is going to know everything, and that is okay, but you have to be confident in what you do know! These nurses don’t know you AT ALL. They need to know that you are going to be able to take adequate care of their patients. Make sure to appear confident in your knowledge and show that you have the skills to take care of their patient population.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Remember above where I said every nurse doesn’t know everything? Don’t think you should know it all! You should be able to take care of your patients, BUT asking questions isn’t frowned upon at all! They know you are new to the environment, charting, and their way of doing things. Don’t be afraid to check in and make sure you are doing something correctly.
This also applies to your interview with a facility before your contract. Download my list of questions to ask by clicking the image below!
Know how to look up their policies to cover your own license
While asking questions is GREAT and a super quick way to get information, you need to know how to look up their hospital policies. This is SUPER important to protect your own license. Just like they don’t know what kind of nurse you are, you don’t know what kind of nurse they are. If it is something super important, ask questions, but also look it up! If you end up doing something wrong, saying “well Sally said to do it that way” isn’t going to cover your own butt!
Get it in your contract or it isn’t guaranteed
This one is super important and something I learned the hard way. I was working night shift. I assumed that most places have night shifters work a block schedule, meaning all your days in a row. Wow, I could not have been more wrong. My schedule was ALL over the place which made it super challenging to keep any sort of routine or schedule. You can get scheduling preferences built into your contract and I will definitely be doing this next time.
Even though things might look different the same concepts of nursing are the same
No matter what. Even if their policies are different, they use a different charting system, there they use an Omnicell instead of a Pyxis, NURSING IS THE SAME. A trach is a trach. The emergency care for a trach is the same. A medication does the same thing everywhere no matter where you pulled that medication from (Pyxis or Omnicell). Charting is charting no matter the system. Even if it looks different, when you break it down it is still nursing. This is one of the most valuable things I learned during my travel contract. I will definitely take this into my next contract or permanent job.
Do you have any more questions about travel nursing? Leave a comment below or email me at questions@ashleybmorgan.com and I’ll be happy to answer them! Don’t forget to download my copy of the questions to ask during your interview below.
