2012 will be a big year for us. We have started a web design business and two travel blogs. Additionally, we are considering the purchase of a large motor home so that we can become permanent travelers. That right there lets you know how we feel about travel nursing, but let’s go back to the beginning.

We became full-time travelers in October of 2011 and were recently asked about what led us into this lifestyle.  Was there a firm decision and moment of clarity that set our feet on the road? Sure, but it came after finally acknowledging the existence of, and giving in to, our own gypsy natures.

There is also a depressing aspect of our journey that, in my opinion, follows the decline of American manufacturing. As a maintenance electrician, I have witnessed the fall with my own eyes. I was one of the last to go as I watched Cessna Aircraft cut 10,000 workers in Wichita. Thus, with broken loyalty and fresh wounds, I quit my next job two months before they shut the plant down and absorbed the business into another facility. I couldn’t watch it happen again, but as you can imagine, it did.

Long story short, it was time for a career change. At some point during all of this, I went back to college for Web Design and started taking classes online.

Looking back, I can see that we were already “amateur” road warriors. In our 17 years of marriage, Melissa and I have moved 14 times and have lived in 7 cities. I literally dragged the poor woman all across the Midwest while I went from one manufacturing plant to the next.

What we learned is that dodging lay-offs and continually working for struggling companies places a huge burden on the entire family. The sad truth is that we have only been able to work the same hours for 6 of the last 18 years, and take one vacation per decade. It hurts because, after shopping, sightseeing is her passion in this world.

I can see now that we were damaging her resume while trying to maintain high wages and provide for the family. Because of this, Melissa has worked for seven different hospitals in the last five years prior to taking her first travel assignment.  We can joke about it now and refer to it as “travel training”.

As the situation and our emotions were heating up, here is a picture of where we were at:

• We had sold our last home 2 years earlier.
• Our current lease was coming up.
• Junior had gone off to college recently, so we were empty-nested.
• My “new” job required us to go days without seeing each other.
• Most importantly, Melissa was fed up with our lives and lack of adventure.

For as long as it takes Melissa to make a decision, the world sure moves when she finally does. Maybe she was just waiting for me to throw in the towel. I still don’t know, but here is how it went down.

I came home from work one day and said, “I give up. Manufacturing no longer provides an acceptable future. It’s time to deliver pizzas or something until I graduate.” She must have seen it coming because her reply was several steps ahead of me. She says, “Well, I have been speaking with a nursing recruiter lately, and I want you to be my Sherpa. You can finish college, take care of everything, and drive me to work every day while I make the money.”  Since Cessna took all my manly pride during my first layoff, all I said was, “do you want me to wear an apron?”

We were packed and headed for the mountains two weeks later and have slept in the same bed at the same time every day since leaving. Feels kind of like being married for a change.

My normal routine is to take an assignment in the fall that ends sometime in December, and then take Christmas and New Years off. But, this is dependent on beginning and ending an assignment at the right times. Some people cannot afford to take time off between assignments so that their last contract of the year ends before the Holidays. If this is the case, you should try to extend the contract on any assignment that ends in the last few months of the year so that it will take you up to the time you wish to have off (for most, the week of Christmas and New Years).

For example, let’s say you were offered a thirteen week assignment starting in late August that would have you finishing up in late November. If you could not afford to take off from November until the start of the next year, you would then be forced to accept a new thirteen week contract starting in November, which would then have you working through the Holidays. Unless, you extended your assignment ending in November.

By extending your assignment ending in November by a few weeks, you would be able to work right up until the week of Christmas. Of course you would need to approach your manager about this about a month before your assignment ended to discuss this option. I don’t believe I have ever had a problem in extending my assignment by a week or two and even an extra month when I wanted.

Next week we’ll discuss a few final ways to make sure you are off for the Holiday shifts that are important to you.

An experienced nurse, on her first travel assignment, emailed me to ask if there were any legal remedies that would allow her to break her contract without being assessed any fees from her travel company. She went on to explain that on her assignment, the workload was too heavy and that anytime she needed help or had a question, no one seemed to be around. She added that she was afraid that they might put her into a situation that she was unable to manage. Was this from a nurse with only a year of experience? Less than five years experience? Try over two decades worth of nursing knowledge. If a nurse with this much experience can get rattled on her first assignment, imagine how you might feel with just a few years worth under your belt.  

While most facilities that utilize travel nurses are not new to the game, there are some that are not as experienced in dealing with temporary staff. Add to that the fact that most facilities have the expectation that a travel nurse will be able to function independently, with little or no orientation at all, and you can see how you might find yourself out on your own.

The reason that facilities use travelers is because they are short for staff. With the expectation they have of receiving an experienced nurse, they are not going to devote much staff time to training someone that should be able to “hit the ground running”.

That is not to say that they should not be available to answer questions or give assistance when needed. But, a traveler should expect to have to occasionally seek out answers on their own. If no one is available to tell you what color tube to use for a CBC, then call the lab to find out. If no one is available to tell you on what schedule to place a TID medication, call the pharmacy to ask. Self sufficiency is a must-have characteristic of a travel nurse.

Most of the questions you have on an assignment should be of the nature, “When do you draw your AM labs?” or “At what time does this facility schedule daily Coumadin doses?” and NOT, “How do I change a PICC line dressing?” or “Can you start an IV for me?”. The later of these are things you learn to do before embarking on travel.

Use your first year to gain all the experience you can, and even then, consider gaining another six to twelve months of experience. Despite the number of contracts dipping this year because of the recession, travel nursing will still be there when you are ready to take that first travel nursing assignment.

Sure you can always rely on the permanent nurses at the hospital where your travel nursing assignment is, which is great. As locals they probably know who to go to and who to stay away from, but for those times when they are not around or you don’t have a chance to do your own research, then check out Angie’s List. It is a consumer review site where actual people like you, not anonymous marketers in disguise, review local services like:
 
HOME
Carpet Cleaning
Electrical
Handymen
Heating & A/C
Housecleaning
Painting
Plumbing
Remodeling
Roofing
Windows

OUTDOOR
Bicycles
Fencing
Landscaping
Lawn Irrigation
Lawn Mower Repair
Lawn Treatment
Lawn & Yard Work
Mulch & Topsoil
Pool & Spa Service
Tree Service

HEALTH
Dentists
Dermatologists
Elder Care
Hospitals
OBGYN
Ophthalmologists
Pediatricians
Plastic Surgeons
Primary Care
Psychiatrists

AND MUCH MORE…
Catering
Child Care
Dance Instruction
Fitness Centers
Hair Salon/Barbers
Jewelery Sales & Repair
Limousine Service
Manicures/Pedicures
Massage Therapy

You do have to pay but the cost is not all that much ($20 a year at the most or $2.60 a month) really. If you are career travel nurse, it is just another service you need to make your travel nursing life easier. 

They have a quick tour and an extensive FAQ section you can take a look at before you decide if it is for you, but I definitely recommend taking a look if you are not one of those fortunate travel nurses who have zero of life’s little problems on their travel nursing assignments.

Top Resources Online for Travel Nurses

1. Highway Hypodermics – Many travel nurses find this one to be an excellent resource. You will find free information on the top ten companies, referral services and travel hospitals. Connect with others by reading some amazing nurse stories and learning from the travel nursing blog.

2. TravelNursingCentral.com – This website provides a great deal of support and advice for professionals in the field of travel nursing. You can help others like you by submitting your evaluations of hospitals and other facilities, which you have visited throughout your career. You can find information on the best hospitals and much, much more.

3. Healthcare Traveler – This site is an awesome resource for travel nursing job opportunities as well as advice from other therapists, technologists and nurses who travel. Read some great stories from others in the traveling healthcare field to get inspiration and motivation in a job that you love.

4. PANTravelers.org – This website is the official site for The Professional Association of Nurse Travelers and is a great place to find reliable and unbiased information that all travel nurses will benefit from throughout their career.

5. NURSEZONE.com – Another great resource site for travel nurses. You are able to learn more about a career in travel nursing and learn about the amazing pay and awesome benefits. This site features a number of links and is a great place to find job opportunities in traveling healthcare.

6. Travel Nursing.com – Here is one of the best places to learn about travel nursing including information about pay, benefits and jobs in the industry. This site features, among other things, a great FAQ page that all nurses will find helpful.

7. Travel Nursing Magazine – This self-proclaimed leader in travel nursing resources provides you with information on travel nursing and so much more.

With resources like these at your disposal, you are sure to be on your way to living the dream as a successful travel nurse for a very long time.

Mary Ward is a blogger and enjoys writing about medical career  topics, such as how to choose among radiology technician online schools, job and education tips, and more.

My initial response is that no one can MAKE you float. A charge nurse or a nursing supervisor might tell you that you have to float, but in the end, it is always your decision whether or not to accept.

The reason I am touching on this is because, one, I know of many travelers that have accepted a float to a unit in which they were uncomfortable, and two, I have been placed in that exact position myself. Most of the time, the traveler comes through the shift unscathed. However, what would happen if that were not the case?

When practicing nursing, especially as a traveler, YOU must always be the sole protector of your license. A charge nurse or supervisor mandating a float is simply looking for staff to fill their immediate need. It is your responsibility to let them know if you do not have the experience necessary to practice safely in the environment in which they wish you to work. When it becomes tricky is when your objection falls on deaf ears.

Let’s look at the following scenario:

Your charge nurse comes to you and says that you need to float to the pediatric unit for the night (my own worst nightmare). You are expected to take a patient assignment, but are assured that you will receive “stable” patients. You tell the charge nurse that you have never worked with peds and don’t feel comfortable with the float. She then tells you that travelers are always the first to float and that you MUST report to the pediatric unit to work (not a very nice situation, but one that might sound familiar to many travelers out there). What would you do in this situation?

First, remember that there is a difference in the things that we MUST do and the things that we AGREE to do. First, clearly state the reasons that you do not wish to float. It is not simply that you don’t want to have to float, but that you feel uncomfortable with your ability to deliver safe care in an environment in which you have no experience. In a perfect world, that should be all that needs to be said. However, we all live in the real world where it is seldom perfect.

If your rationale does not change the mind of your charge nurse, work up the chain of command and contact the nursing supervisor. Once again, clearly explain the reason that you do not feel that it is safe for you to float to that particular unit.

If the nursing supervisor does not agree, then you have a few options. Unfortunately, the option most often chosen is to go ahead and accept the float; I would strongly discourage this. I know I worked hard for my nursing license and I assume you did too. Exactly how many times in your career do you want to put your license on the line and just cross your fingers hoping that nothing bad happens?

The next option is a bit of a bluff, but one that I have used successfully. If you have told the nursing supervisor your objections, and she still insists that you float, tell her that it is under HER responsibility that you are doing so. Inform her that to cover yourself, you will need to fill out an incident report in which you formally document that you informed her that you did not have experience in this area and believed the float to be unsafe. Tell her that it will then be HER responsibility should anything “bad” happen because you were made to float to a unit outside your scope of practice. In my instance, this was all it took for the supervisor to realize that her unsafe request might have grave consequences and she relented.

However, if this does not work, you must understand that filling out an incident report will probably not absolve you of responsibility if something bad were to happen. It’s simply an effort to make the nursing supervisor accountable for a decision that she probably already knows is a bad one.

If everyone is still insistent that you accept the float, then you have a tough decision to make. You can try going further up the chain of command and speaking to your unit manager or even someone in administration. However, if neither the charge nurse nor the nursing supervisor has listened to your reasoning, I don’t know that you will find sympathetic ears any higher up. You may simply have to refuse the float and accept the consequences. Even if those consequences were to be the termination of your contract, you will be able to secure another contract; if something bad happened while you were practicing in an area in which you had no experience, would you be able to secure another license if yours were revoked?

Travel nursing can be a wonderful profession, but it certainly requires independence above what is normally required of a healthcare professional. Often, YOU are the only one safeguarding your license and you have to be willing to stand up for yourself, especially when placed in a potentially dangerous situation. Above all else should be the desire to deliver your care in a safe manner.

Please feel free to leave a comment below for others to read if you have had a similar experience while traveling.

Sorry fellas, this magazine looks geared toward women with articles like “advice on hair, skin, nails, makeup, and more tips by and for nurses,” but there is still a lot valuable information in it for you, particularly in their Work and Money sections. And there is a great article on Male Nurse Myths that I think they could look into expanding into its own section. 

The one thing I like is how easy the site is to find your way around and since it is all online (at least as far as I can tell) it is great for travel nurses, so you don’t have to worry about cancelling or changing subscriptions every three months.

Although it is not aimed at travel nursing specifically it does have some content aimed at travel nurses like a checklist for your first day on a travel nurse job. Check this newnursing magazine out and let me know what you think.

Hello everyone. I wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about a new section starting here on TravelNursingBlogs.com, “Ask a Travel Nurse”. This section will primarily be driven by you, the reader. Whether you are just starting your first assignment, or have been traveling for years, everyone eventually runs into a situation or problem where they could use a little advice.

While I certainly have not encountered every situation out there, I have had some rather interesting predicaments in my fourteen years of travel. I have worked in large teaching facilities licensed for over 1000 beds and small rural hospitals that have had a nightly census under 50 (in the entire hospital). I have arrived on assignment to find trashed housing, had contracts cancelled or terminated, worked in facilities facing strikes, and even had the CEO of a major travel company fly me to their home office to discuss ways the company could improve traveler services. Believe me, I’m not bragging; I just trying to illustrate that I’ve had to deal with quite a few unique situations in my years of travel.

Last year I turned my years of experience and love of writing into a how-to book on travel nursing entitled, “Travel Nurse’s Bible (A Guide to Everything on Travel Nursing)”. This year, I am continuing to help those interested in travel with my writings posted on this blog as well as monthly columns in Healthcare Traveler Magazine.

So once again, what would you like to read on this blog? Send me your questions, comments, or even suggestions for topics you would like to see covered here. And more importantly, have fun in your travels!

 David Morrison R.N.
david@travelnursesbible.com

When you’re on the road, you can’t really worry about improving your house to increase equity. You don’t worry about job promotions or raises. You live from assignment to assignment. It’s that simple.

So if I can leave you with one last piece of advice for your travel nursing career, it would be this: learn to enjoy the journey.

• When you’re traveling to and from assignments, enjoy the drive. Don’t just try to get from A to B as quickly as possible. If you’re driving through Wisconsin, stop at a farm to pick apples. If you’re driving through California, detour to a state park on the beach and take a private walk along the coast of the Pacific. If you’re driving through Arkansas, stop at the welcome center and enjoy a free cup of coffee, a roaring fire, and all the information you could ever want about The Natural State. Driving from assignment to assignment can either be a boring task or a relaxing vacation.
• When you’re on assignment, take the time to soak in the culture of wherever you are. Each state, each city, each town is different. Eat at local diners, hike the state parks, and visit an art gallery featuring local artists. Very few people get the opportunity to spend three months at a time in various cities across the country. Learn about the history of each place. Meet as many people as possible.
• Finally, enjoy your rare time at home. It’s so easy to fall into the world of to-do lists when you finally make it back home. Between unpacking, repacking, car tune-ups, and the long lists of people to visit, time at home can quickly become nothing more than a stressful stop on the way to your next destination. Don’t let it be that way.

With all of its challenges and trials, traveling has still been the most rewarding and fun experience of my life. I wouldn’t trade this time for anything. Enjoy it.

Courtney
Adventures in Travel Nursing

We are sad to say that this was the final article in Courtney’s Guest Series. We hope to have her back some time, but in the meantime visit her blog Adventures in Travel Nursing to read more of here great insight into the travel nursing life.

There are many opportunities to save money at tax time. This is one of those times you need to invest to save. Find a reputable tax expert who has experience and credentials to deal with your situation as a traveler.

Far too often we listen to people without knowing the facts.

If you question a deduction and need another opinion phone the help line at the source. Internal Revenue Service and each state have a help line. Most people who run these help desk are very informative. If you phone and are not happy with the service, call again and ask for a supervisor. Always keep names and dates when you call.

It is very important to learn the facts when it comes to taxes. Each person’s situation is different. Avoid evil things happening to you at tax time by dealing with the facts and getting professional advice.

From John and Janet http://www.travel-nurse-coach.com

There is no doubt still a nursing shortage, there wasn’t a sudden influx of a million nurses to the workforce. No, what has happened is pretty simple. When the economy started to decline and layoffs began, the nurse spouses of the laid-off worker did the only natural thing they could and picked up extra shifts, reducing the number of unfilled shifts normally filled by travel nurses. Couple this with the fact that due to the economy people are delaying treatments and more of those who are getting treatment are not as able to pay as they have been in the past. This lack of revenue for the hospitals means that on top of all this they are delaying much needed expansion to deal with the undelayable increase in patients which will be seen as more and more of the baby boomers retire (one of the major contributors to the nursing shortage, which remember still exists). This delay in turn means a slow down in the number of new positions at a hospital, positions that have typically been filled with travelers at the beginning until perm staff can be recruited and trained.

OK, that was the bad news. Now the good news.

First, this is only temporary, the economy will turn around.

Second, there are still a ton of travel nursing positions available, but as a travel nurse you will need to be more open to what locations you are willing to take an assignment in. The coasts were some of the hardest hit by the economic downturn so there are going to be less jobs there right now, the more you move to the middle of the country the less impact the economy has had and that is where you will find the majority of the travel nursing jobs for the time being.

Third, a majority of the nurses working extra shifts (you may be one of them at the moment) will tire and suffer burn out from being overworked and not having enough help. When they are no longer so willing to work the extra shifts then those jobs will open back up. Possibly with even more open jobs as those nurses themselves decide to take travel assignments.

Fourth, this delaying of treatment is just that, delaying, eventually they will need to deal with it and visit the hospitals again.

What does this mean for you? What can you do right now?

A great article at PanTravelers offers some more insight into the economy and lays out some things you can do as a travel nurse to survive during this economic crunch. Some quick highlights of it include:

• Seriously consider extending your contract.
• Be professional because there is a lot more competition for the travel nursing jobs right now.
• Be more flexible. This is no time to be picky, whether it is pay, location or benefits. 
• Take this as a chance to grow professionally as a nurse, add a license, maintain and add certifications.
• Be choosy about the travel nursing agency and check on their financial standing
• Stay aggressive and in control of  your travel nursing job search., look at multiple travel nursing companys.
• Talk to other travelers , you will get wind of open jobs and the status of travel nursing companies that way.
• Be financially sound yourself with at least a 13 week an emergency fund.

These were just a few quick overviews of the article; it is definitely worth reading. Do you have any other advice you would offer?

Another huge benefit of forums is to learn about all the different travel nursing companies, the benefits and travel nursing pay they offer and the way they treat their travelers out there from nurses who have actually worked for them. You will find some nurses who are loyal to one or two companies and others who have worked for a lot of different companies. Both typs of travelers offer valuable information for any nurse looking into traveling for the first time or just looking for a new travel nursing company to travel with.

At this previous TravelNursingBlogs.com post I listed some of the really good travel nursing forums out there. I am sure there are others out there too and would love to know if there are any more you visit that I should add to the list.

Not only do the reports at TravelNurseReports.com offer great advice and address issues raised by other travelers like you, but they also stay very current and address real problems and issues, instead of cookie cutter reproduced articles a lot of sites use. Definitely worth checking out.

10. The Dark Knight & Iron Man. The most fun I’ve had at a movie in a long time!
9. My 1987 VW Jetta – Don’t fail me now!
8. Manchester United winning the Premier League, European Cup and Club World Cup. Best soccer team in the world!
7. My friend Mike making into the WK12. He’s going to go places!
6. Finishing my first ever video “production” (Restless Nurse Syndrome). Don’t worry, there will be more?
5. My job. With the state of the economy and such… I am thankful to be in the place I am with this great company.
4. Meeting that someone special.
3. Seeing my Aunt Kaethe… One last time.
2. All my friends and fam. Kind of had to mention them.
1. Buying my first house! Never saw it coming, but now I can’t imagine life without it.

So there, I did it! Please share with me what you’re thankful for this year or whatever kind of list you want to come up with. I’d love to see what you come up with! I do hope you have something to share and if you don’t, well you might be suffering from what some may say as the doldrums. This may be especially apparent in your job as a traveling nurse, but don’t worry, there are ways to make it better. Here’s a great little article I found on how to get yourself out of that rut. Are you feeling stuck?

Well, that’s all I have for you in 2008. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading TravelNursingBlogs.com through the year. Come back and read us again in 2009! From all of us at TravelNursingBlogs.com and Medical Solutions… Have a safe and joyful New Year’s!

• Interview for the travel nursing job as soon as you can. You don’t want to lose the position to a nurse who was able to interview faster.
• Remember that just because you are in high demand as a nurse that doesn’t mean you can afford to sound unprofessional or casual during the travel nursing interview process.
• Follow up with your travel nurse recruiter after the interview. They will want to know how it went and if you’re still interested in the travel nursing job.
• When you are doing the interview set all distractions aside and focus on the interviewer.
• Remember that being a flexible, team player is one of the most sought after traits in a travel nurse.
• Be sure to ask questions (I would plan them in advance) and keep in mind that you are interviewing the facility as much as they are interviewing you. You want to make sure it is a good fit for your nursing career goals.
• Be prepared for your travel nurse interview. Take the time to research the name of the hospital and research it online so there are no surprises in the interview.
• Smile when you talk it will change the tone of your voice during the interview. Hiring managers need to know that you will be able to fit in with the rest of the unit.
• Have your goal in mind, which is to present yourself as a competent, reliable and skilled nurse, before the travel nursing interview takes place.
• Make sure you practice the interview first. Knowing what you are going to say ahead of time will make your answers sound smoother, eliminate the umms and awkward pauses and make you look like a better communicator. Just be sure to stay spontaneous and not sound robotic.
• Be prepared for the travel nursing interview by finding a quiet place to do it with minimal distractions.
• Have a bottle of water on hand so your throat doesn’t dry out from so much talking and have a pen and paper on hand to write notes or any new questions you come up with.
• Also have all the materials about the hospital close by and write down the name of the person doing the travel nursing interview.
• Nothing is worse than calling someone the wrong name during an interview.
• Make sure you know what the next step is in the travel nurse placement process, and if you want the job make sure to state that fact and follow up with your recruiter immediately after the travel nursing interview to let her know how it went.

What other tips do you have for fellow travel nurses?

TravelFitness.com
HealthyTravelNetwork.com
ExpertVillage.com
EmaxHealth.com
ChristineColumbus.com
WorkoutsForYou.com
60in3.com
RoadWarriorTips.com

There were some bits of advice that I had never thought of before, but i think could be very valuable for a travel nurse. For example one traveling nurse talks about calling her housing complex ahead of time and asks to talk to people who live there. With the importance of good housing to a travel nursing job, this is a brilliant piece of advice.

Another great piece of advice that was very insightful was to make sure the company has experienced recruiters that can steer you clear of travel nursing assignments that are a bad fit for you. You should really feel confident about your recruiter and believe that

As you can see from just these few examples, this list is pretty good, so I would definitely recommend checking it out. Do you have any do’s and don’ts you would add?

Some of the pieces of advice that immediately come to mind as applicable to travel nurses are to be prepared and ready to learn. Go check it out. What advice would you have for travel nurses looking to make a great first impression?