What You Can Expect from Travel Nursing

Read One Travel Nurse’s Amazing Story

Everyone needs healthcare, and that means nurses can find work across the country or even the world, if they have the right qualifications. If you love traveling and being on the road, you might feel right at home as a travel nurse. You’ll get to work for different healthcare facilities and providers all over the country, giving you the chance to meet new people and learn from new experiences. Learn more about what it means to be a travel nurse.

What Does It Mean to Be a Travel Nurse?

As a travel nurse, you’ll be working for a travel nurse company, which connects you to jobs all over the country, usually at healthcare facilities with a nursing shortage. These jobs may last a few weeks or the better part of the year, depending on the facility’s needs. The travel nursing company can provide you with housing, including a fully-furnished apartment, a stipend for food, new uniforms, and anything else you might need to do the job at hand.

This allows you to be in control of your own schedule. Once you’ve started working for a travel nursing company, you can accept or reject as many jobs as you’d like. You’ll need to stay on your toes, as the details of these jobs may change, including the length of stay.

Salary Expectations for Travel Nursing

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a registered nurse is $70,000 a year or $33.65 an hour. Travel nurses typically make more than stationary nurses, but it all depends on how many jobs you accept and where the jobs are located. Different states pay nurses different rates. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Oregon are among the highest-paying states for nurses, with some RNs making as much as $100,000 a year. Taking jobs in states like these will help you earn more as a travel nurse over the course of a year.

If you’re willing to take a job at the last possible second, you’ll be compensated for your flexibility. Last-minute jobs tend to pay more than those that have been on the roster for months. These jobs are usually the result of sudden departures, national emergencies, and other staffing changes. The more flexible you are with your schedule as a travel nurse, the more money you’ll make.

Read About the Adventures of One Travel Nurse

Level 1 Trauma RN Christian Ramos (@liveyourbestlyfee) recently talked about his decision to become a travel nurse, writing on social media, “Earlier this year after close to six years I left my last staff position. I was looking for a change of scenery and although I was terrified of the logistics of travel nursing, I did it. The day I had my first phone interview I walked into my managers office and gave my notice. Two weeks later to the day I was landing in Kauai, Hawaii and my journey as a travel nurse began.”

From Hawaii, Ramos went on to Guam. He went on to say, “I knew I was very fortunate to have scored my first assignment in Hawaii. I always say nursing is nursing anywhere you go but the people are what make the experience. After my assignments there, I was blessed with an opportunity to come to Guam; this experience has also been life-changing in many ways. In the short time that I’ve been traveling, I have learned so much about myself, I have gotten comfortable with the uncomfortable, and most importantly I have grown as a person in ways I never imagined.”

If you’re looking to change up your routine like Christian Ramos, consider becoming a travel nurse! Discover your best self and contact Host Healthcare for more information today.