10 reasons to become a travel nurse

People choose to become nurses for many reasons.  Their career goals usually involve an interest in the medical profession and their love of helping people.  Most nurses don’t start out with the idea of becoming a travel nurse but there are many reasons they should explore that option.

Here are ten reasons to consider becoming a travel nurse;

1.      Wide Range of Environments

They can choose from a wide range of environments to work in, small or large hospitals, or clinics, in rural locations or busy cities.  They can choose different patient populations and circumstances.  Or they may be able to work in distinguished research centers with innovative technology and advanced procedures.

2.      Enhanced Learning

Travel nurses gain broad experience from working in different regions of the country.  They will work with patients of different ages, with divergent conditions, and special cases.  This type of education cannot be learned in school and travel nurses gain experience faster than nurses who work at one location.

3.      Manage own Careers

Travel nurses have careers that unfold according to their own professional goals and personal plans for their life.  They can take time off between jobs to take a two month vacation, explore sights, or spend extra time with their family and friends.  Other traveling nurses describe how they had family issues that came up and they were able to take assignments, continue working, and still support a loved one.

4.      Humanitarian Aid

Travel nurses often fill vacancies in nursing shortages during periods of devastation or fill in needs at impoverished locations.  Travel nurses, at times, will plan volunteer humanitarian missions between assignments.  Organizations such at the Red Cross can be a great way to do this.

5.      Traveling Experience

Traveling nurses get to work and visit parts of the country, or the world, that they are interested in.  They may be interested in warm climates, mountain areas, or the tropics.  Because they are paid well during their assignments, they can work in, visit, and explore many locations that otherwise would not be possible.

6.      Varied Hours

Travel nurses can choose the working hours that are convenient to them; it doesn’t have to be an 8:00 to 5:00 job routine.  They can also choose to work part-time or full-time hours.

7.      Paid Housing and Living Expenses

The employers usually pay for the traveling nurses’ wages, housing costs, and living expenses.  For this reason, many travel nurses can save quite a bit of money while working.

8.      No Organizational Politics or Management Issues

Travel nurses are not members of the staff and are excluded from problems that may arise from politics or management issues.  A travel nurse’s resume will reflect frequent job changes, but by design.  Their resume indicates their flexibility and wide range of experience.

9.       Gain a Fresh Viewpoint

Nurses who have worked at a single location for a period of time, may benefit from taking a new opportunity as a traveler nurse and work for a different kind of hospital or care facility.  A new environment with different patients may give a much needed fresh viewpoint to the nurse involved.

10.     Resume Building

Travel nurses build resumes quickly broadening their areas of expertise.  This increases their ability to choose positions and wages in areas that they want.

Not every nurse will decide to take their career on the road.  But, travel nursing should be considered as an option for those who are curious.  The pay makes sense, benefits can be excellent, and your life as a nurse may be truly enriched professionally and personally.