Travel Nursing: Where to Live, What to Do, and How to Thrive

During our October 14 travel nursing event we discussed how to decide if travel nursing is right for you and how to land your first assignment, from choosing an agency to reading the fine print in the contract. ‍

What are the next steps from there?‍

We recruited three experienced travel nurses to share their insight on how to prepare for that first assignment and how to excel all the way through to the end. Brittany Greaves, Jeri Ford, and Russ Mortland share tips and tricks that will help you thrive as a travel nurse, on and off shift. 

Below, you’ll learn what to pack, how to find housing, how you can confidently navigate a new unit, and so much more. If you’re about to take your first travel assignment, read on!

You can watch the full event recordingfor more details on everything below!
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New Nursing Job, New City
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Travel Nurse Housing

Things to Think About

• Pricing
• Roommate
• Area
• Distance
• Transportation
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Short Term

• Landing
• Furnished Finder
• Airbnb
• Facebook (housing groups)
• CraigsList
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Don’t Forget

• Deposits
• Fees
• Payment schedule
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And make sure you read the fine print; you don’t want to be stuck in something you can't get out of!
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Managing the Move

Packing 

• Weather, must have, needs to go
• Focus on minimalism 
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Finances 

• Tolls, cost of living, food/home goods
• Backup plan
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Getting Around

• Route to work, stores, fun activities
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Prepare with Confidence

First Days

• Testing, credentials, HR
• Attire
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Orientation

• 1-2 days
• Come prepared
• Scavenger hunt
• Policy
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On the Floor

• Allies
• Liaison vs. manager
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Thriving During Your Nursing Assignment
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On Shift

Learning on the Job

• Be open to new processes
• Never say, “At so and so, we did it this way”
• Be flexible and a team player
• Take advantage of advanced training
• Stand up for your skill set
• Don’t get involved in politics
• Bullies: kill them with kindness (and assertiveness)
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Protect Your License

• Stand up for yourself!
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Exit Gracefully

• Leave place better than you found it
• Be prepared for an exit interview
• Praise staff when you exit
• Send a nice closing email
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Off Shift

General Tips

• Beware of expectations
• Combating homesickness
• Don’t judge based on first assignment
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The Art of Making Friends

• Do not expect people to just walk up to you!
• Don’t be afraid to be annoying
• Make friends through groups (other travelers, Facebook groups, Meetup, Bumble, etc.)
• Say yes to everything!
• Don’t be afraid to do things alone
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Create a Bucket List

• Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor, AllTrails, Trusted Community Guides, Instagram
• Restaurants, bars, clubs, sports games, concerts, event pages, tourist attractions, historical things, museums, photo ops, parks, hikes, and shopping
• Take pictures of everything!
• You truly become an unofficial travel agent!
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Thrive Financially

• Determine your financial goal
• Easy to blow through all your new found money
• Get a great points/cash credit card
• Cannot live paycheck to paycheck as a traveler!
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Finish Your Assignment Stronger than You Started!
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More Money = More Freedom

Savings

• Reserve your cost of living (x3 months) for emergencies
• Pay your future self!
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Freedom to Choose!

• Wants vs. needs
• Keep the upper hand!
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Extensions

• Benefits of short extensions
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Resume Updates

References

• Obtain new references 
• Charge or higher = better
• Letter of recommendation = key
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New Skills

• New tech/tools
• Floating
• EMR
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Unit Info

• Patient population, acuity 
• Unit size
• Staff mix
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Insurance

Coverage

• Check with your agency!
• Trusted’s policy
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COBRA

• Can elect as soon as contract terminates
• Effective last day of coverage
• You pay 100% of premium
• Good up to 18 months
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Options?

• Open Market (browse other options out there)
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Looking to Start Your Own Travel Nursing Career?

Create a free Trusted profile to access everything you need—from resume builder to job matches—to get started on your first travel assignment!