I am not currently working as a travel nurse (or bedside nurse) but I did travel nursing for two years and have spent years reading various blogs and following other travel nurses to learn more. I think if the pandemic had not hit (and I had not contracted long haul Covid) I would probably still be traveling as a nurse. I may go back eventually, but right now I’m working on healing my mental health and my long haul covid symptoms.

Anywho, I still have a lot to share about travel nursing! Today I’m sharing 5 reasons you should consider becoming a travel nurse!

Travel

I feel like one of the things that has been pushed to the wayside about traveling nursing is the travel part! During the pandemic, it seems like SO much emphasis was put on money. Especially with crisis assignments where you could barely even leave your hotel. Now, this money was life changing for people and I’m not doubting that. If you look ahead you will see I added money to this list as well. I am NOT against making money! However, the opportunity to travel and experience new parts of the country is a big draw to travel nursing!

If you want to do local travel nursing- you still can have more opportunity to travel! Time between assignments is a great way to travel and have more time off than you would with a staff job.

Flexibility

So, it’s a give and take with flexibility as a travel nurse. Often, during assignments, you have less flexibility than you would as a staff nurse. You are there to fill holes in the schedule, so you may not always have the ideal schedule. However, you have the ability to take time off in between assignment that often is a lot longer than it would be as a staff nurse. I also was able to take the month of December off the last two years and spend Christmas with my family, which is another luxury you almost never get as a staff bedside nurse. This is even more important when your family lives in a different state than you.

Less Workplace Politics

Workplace politics.. one of the worst parts of working in the hospital in my opinion. If you want to climb the ladder of a hospital and advance- that’s great! But I never had a desire to be in admin or management- I didn’t even want to be a charge nurse. It didn’t fit my lifestyle or personality. I wanted to work my 3 12s and then be done with the hospital until my next shift. I didn’t even realize how involved in workplace drama and politics I was until I started traveling and discovered what it was like to be completely uninvolved with it. It was a breath of fresh air and it was SO NICE to not hear anything about the hospital on my days off, and not hear any complaints (other than general staff talking) during my shift.

Learning Opportunities

Overall, nursing/medicine is similar everywhere. However, every hospital (and state) has a variation in scope of practice and policies. I learned how to do something new at every hospital! You also have the opportunity to learn from new people with various experiences. And this isn’t strictly related to nursing and medicine- I have worked with a variety of nurses from different parts of the world and was able to learn about their culture! It was so interesting and I appreciate the opportunity so much.

Money

Can’t write about travel nursing without mentioning money, right? I made over double what I made my last year as a staff nurse (working over time every month) in 9 months as a travel nurse last year (and only work 2 over time shifts all year.) And I am so thankful for that money (and miss making it lol). Keep in mind to take tax free stipends you have to duplicate expenses- so you will be paying for a place in your tax home state plus where every you are traveling. Or you can choose to have all your money taxed. But even duplicating expenses, you can make and save money, even during non crisis rate times.

Overall, I definitely recommend travel nursing to those who are interested. Ensure you leave your current job on good terms so you can return if and when you need/want too. Check back next week where I will share the not so bright and shiny side of travel nursing- we have to be transparent and honest, right?

Are you a travel nurse or have you been a travel nurse? Is it a goal for the future? Tell me below!

Check my other posts on travel nursing:

One Year as a Travel Nurse

My First Travel Nurse Contract: My thoughts and experiences

Travel Nurse Contract #2: Washington, D.C.