Is Travel Nursing for You?
While many of us enjoy living in the same state and neighborhood indefinitely, others prefer to move around, to explore different states and live in many different places. If you are not intimidated by change and find living in different areas of the United States exciting, then travel nursing offers you the opportunity to do just that. A survey performed by several travel nurse staffing companies including AMN Healthcare was completed by over 1,200 travel nurses and it clearly showed that respondents were satisfied with their positions as travel nurses.
The survey explored issues such as professional satisfaction and the reasons for choosing employment as a travel nurse. The conclusion of the survey is that nurses are very satisfied with traveling, are being respected and valued for their professional services, and are eager to share their experiences with fellow colleagues. When it comes to being accepted in the workplace, the study showed that 98% of travel nurses were welcomed by their clients and over 75% of nurses felt accepted by unit managers, doctors, and other nurses working on the assignment units. An additional survey was administered to over fifty hospitals and health care facilities which employ travel nurses. Almost 70% have stated that travel nurses are an essential part of their facility proper operation and staffing. These results are very encouraging for new nurses looking at different employment options since it clearly shows that travel nursing has become accepted, and for many employers, a necessity.
What is the Average Traveling Nurse Salary?
Traveling nurse salaries vary depending on experience, facility, specialty, and state but on average one can earn an hourly wage of $30 to $40. A registered nurse working full time (approximately 40-hours per week) can make from $70,000 to $100,000 per year. Do not forget about the excellent benefits which are an essential part of any travel contract. Travel nursing agencies offer medical insurance, 401K benefits and reimbursement for relocation, utilities, housing and food, as well as a sign-on and renewal bonus.
What Holds You Back from Travel Nursing?
Some professional nurses seem to shy away from travel nursing after working on their first assignment. Are travel nurses given unfair assignments and duties when compared to permanent nursing staff? More than 30% of nurses have listed increased job responsibilities as the primary reason of dissatisfaction with their assignment, however, 55% have claimed their job duties were no different than those of permanent RNs. Too much paperwork was another drawback listed by respondents. Travel nurse jobs have additional forms and paperwork that must be filled by the employee with every new assignment, and requires good negotiating skills when contract terms are discussed. Travel delays and accommodations seemed to be other concerns voiced by travel nurses although increased hourly pay was a welcomed reward for many of them.
Advantages of Travel Nursing
We all take decisions based on a careful review of the pros and cons of a situation and choosing to become a travel nurse is no different. What made the survey respondents select travel nursing? The primary reason was the traveling and the opportunity to experience life in different parts of the country. Nurses hired for assignments receive bonuses and usually benefit from having the agency pay for their traveling expenses, utilities, and hotel bills. An assignment is rewarded with a generous bonus which depends on the length of the job, and can be up to $3,000.
Travel was such an important reason that more than 53% or nurses selected this as a primary attraction offered by their job. Another 52% of the respondents replied that being free of long term employment commitments and having a flexible schedule was the motivating factor for going into travel nursing. This response was closely followed by almost 50% of respondents selecting increased hourly pay, and 30% voting for the chance to make new connections and network with a large number of people. Travel nurses are experiencing not only personal but also professional and career enhancing benefits when they select a traveling lifestyle. Over 80% of survey respondents have made life-long friends and 60% have seen and liked areas that they seriously consider relocating to in the future. The assignments give nurses opportunities to grow professionally by experiencing different healthcare facilities and being part of a multitude of environments in contrast to working for the same facility and on the same unit as non-travel nurses do. Permanent positions seem to be less rewarding than travel nursing positions as illustrated by the responses of over 52% of surveyed nurses. A large number of respondents enjoy their positions so much that they have and continue to recommend travel nursing to other nurses.