The nursing industry is filled with a variety of career options that can sometimes seem like you have total choice of how you plan out your future. Whether you enjoy working with geriatric patients or the littlest infants, you can feel good about your choice to help people improve their health and wellbeing. Once you complete your education and obtain your license, one of the first decisions that you will need to make is where you want to work. During your time in nursing school, you might have heard about people who take travel nursing positions, and you may be wondering exactly why someone would want to change locations every few weeks or months. When you are wondering what are the benefits of a travel nursing career, you may already be feeling the call to go out there and experience the perks that come with being flexible with your decisions on a position.
Enjoy Greater Personal and Professional Freedom
Nurses work long hours, and it is easy to begin to feel as though you are trapped in a position that requires you to spend so many hours in the same place. Travel positions help you to avoid that feeling of stagnation since you get to do something new every couple of weeks. Most travel nurses report that they love being able to freshen up their outlook by transferring to a new location from time to time. You’ll also find that traveling helps you to enjoy special freedoms. For instance, you might be able to choose from more options regarding your work location and the hours that are involved.
When you visit a staffing agency for travel nurses, you’ll find that there are often many positions available in different parts of the country. You may decide that you want to sign up for an assignment that lets you explore a city that you’ve always wanted to visit. Alternatively, you might choose an assignment because it is located near family or friends that you want to spend time with when you are off of work. If you love extended vacations, then this allows you to balance the need for work with your enjoyment for traveling. Keep in mind that you can also choose to take time off between assignments. Since you are only committed to completing the current assignment, you can opt to take a couple of weeks off before your next one if you desire. This type of freedom is rarely found with your typical nursing position.
Build a Unique Skill Set That Gets You Noticed
The patients that you serve rely upon you to keep your skills fresh. In addition to your continuing education courses, you also learn from the people that you are around every day at work. Moving to a new location from time to time introduces you to a whole new team of medical professionals that can all share their skills and knowledge with you.
You’ll also find that professional development comes from simply being put in a position where you must learn to adapt to new challenges. Learning the policies that are in place in a new work environment and figuring out how to get along with different personalities all help you to round out your education with real life experiences. Travel nurses are also in high demand for permanent positions later on since employers know that they are adaptable to changing situations.
Receive Financial Perks
You might have entered the nursing field to help people, but the truth is that everyone needs to make money. Travel nursing positions offer varying levels of pay, but they are typically higher than one might receive within a fixed position. This is because health agencies prefer to offer perks for people who are willing to jump in to help fill positions during a time of need. A few perks that you might receive include the following possibilities.
- Housing assistance
- Travel and moving expenses reimbursement
- Funding for continuing education and training
Being able to move to new locations also helps you to plan your personal finances. For instance, you might choose to work in an area with a lower cost of living if you are trying to save up for a house. You can also choose to work at a facility that is within walking distance of where you temporarily live. Either way, you can enjoy saving more of your income for the future.
Does a travel nursing career seem right for you? Give our agency a call at 651-622-1219 or send us an email at [email protected]. We can help you find a position that is rewarding and beneficial for your future.