If you want to work in a career where you can help others and make a real difference while enjoying numerous benefits and progression opportunities, nursing could be an excellent option for you. But while nursing is an important and highly rewarding job, it can get a little repetitive. If you’re the type of person who enjoys trying new things and going to different places, becoming a traveling nurse might be the best choice for you.
Travel nurses work in various settings around the country and might even have the option to travel the world, which makes it the perfect choice of career for a nurse who doesn’t want to stay in the same place. Here are some of the top reasons to consider becoming a travel nurse.
See New Places
The clue is in the name – as a travel nurse, you’re never going to be stuck in the same place. If you’ve got the travel bug and don’t feel ready to settle down in just one area, working as a travel nurse can be the opportunity that you need to continue seeing more of the world while working on your career. And with various international qualifications for nurses, you don’t have to limit your travels to the US alone. There are various opportunities to work as a travel nurse around the world whether you’re helping out in short-staffed healthcare organizations or working in areas that have suffered a crisis in pop-up hospitals and clinics.
Meet New People
If you are a social butterfly and love making new friends, travel nursing could be the ideal profession for you. Since this job requires you to move around to different locations a lot, there is always the option to meet new people. You’ll be working with different colleagues in every setting, and there’s always the option to go out and experience the social spots in your new location in your downtime, too. As a travel nurse, you certainly get plenty of opportunities to make long-lasting, strong friendships.
Career Progression
Working as a travel nurse gives you a unique perspective on healthcare in different areas of the country, or even around the world. After gaining experience as a travel nurse, you will have built a strong repertoire of skills and experience that will put you in a very strong position for career progression. And with online advanced degree programs now available for nurses, studying to advance your career while you travel to various locations with your job has never been easier. These online DNP nurse executive programs are the ideal choice for travel nurses who want an option to gain an advanced qualification as they work in different locations.
Learn New Skills
Unlike working in the same setting, moving around as a nurse gives you the chance to work in a wide range of diverse job environments. As a result, you will get more chances to learn new procedures and gain a wide range of different learning experiences. As a travel nurse, you will often go wherever the work takes you, which could involve working in a different setting every time. Perhaps one month you’ll be working in an outpatient clinic, the next in an ER, and the next in a temporary hospital at the site of a crisis. As a travel nurse, you’ll not only learn various professional skills that will help you become more well-rounded in your work, but you’ll also improve many essential transferable skills along the way, such as the ability to adapt quickly to change.
Job Opportunities
While there are plenty of opportunities for nurses who travel if you ever decide that you want to stay in one place, working as a travel nurse will certainly open a wide range of job opportunities for you. Since by then you may have worked in a wide range of healthcare settings, you will definitely have plenty of contacts that you can turn to if you have decided to find permanent work and want to settle down almost anywhere. And the skills that you build as a travel nurse can seriously improve your resume, making you a top candidate for a wide range of nursing careers wherever you decide to go.
Avoid Burnout
While travel nursing can be just as demanding as any other career in this field, it comes with the additional benefit of exploring a new destination every time you take a job. Often, travel nursing can feel like you are taking a series of working vacations, which can improve your energy levels and help you avoid getting burned out and exhausted. With every new job comes a change in scenery, new people to meet, and a different climate, so it’s no surprise that most travel nurses decide to do this job because of the adventure side of things.
Earn More
The opportunity to earn more money is just another main reason why many travel nurses decide to take this route. As a travel nurse, you’ll get to visit a wide range of different destinations with all your travel expenses covered, and many nurse companies that employ travel nurses will also provide free or very cheap accommodation for you. Some travel nurses can make more than $100,000 for just 36 weeks of work. Combined with the savings that you make on travel and housing, and it’s no surprise that nurses are choosing this route for the financial benefits.
Freedom
Travel nursing gives you a lot more freedom than a typical nursing career. Instead of turning up at the same department of the same hospital every day, you can often decide for yourself where you would like to work next, with options to consider all over the country and even the world. Travel nursing gives you the freedom to satisfy your desire to travel and see more of the world without putting your career goals on hold.
Choosing between traveling and furthering your career is not a decision that travel nurses have to make. With the option to work wherever you go, travel nursing is a great way to do both, with plenty of extra benefits to enjoy.
