Top Five Reasons to Consider Travel Nursing in 2021
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Working as a travel nurse is something that can be exciting, intimidating, and life changing. For many people who have only worked permanent jobs or do not know anyone personally who has worked as a travel nurse, it may seem like an impossible feat to start. However, once you take the leap most people find that it is far less complicated than they thought, and the rewards that come along with it far surpass any of the hard parts. There are a plethora of reasons why you should consider making the leap into travel nursing sooner rather than later, but today we will be covering the top five. 1. No Unit Politics As a staff nurse, my unit was inundated with drama. My manager was sent in for a review by HR due to staff and physician complaints, which turned into her losing her position. Day shift and night shift were strongly divided. And of course, there was gossip going around at all times. I was emotionally exhausted and carried a lot of this stress home with me every day. Once I started working as a travel nurse, all of this went away. I barely knew my coworkers, and we got to interact as nurses on a team rather than day shift vs night shift or this clique versus that clique. Management was minimally important to me because all I had to worry about was that my contract was honored and I was paid correctly. I was not aware of how heavily unit politics had weighed on me until I no longer had to worry about them. 2. You Control Your Pay At the hospital where I started as a new grad, I was barely making $20 an hour base pay. We had relocated to a rural town for my husband’s graduate school program, and I knew for the time we were there that my ability to increase my pay was almost nonexistent. The only way to make more money was to work overtime or pick up on days where they had to last-minute beg staff to come in for crisis pay because staffing was extra terrible. When you work as a travel nurse, you get the opportunity to see lots of different pay options across the country and choose what works best for you. Obviously, the cost of living will vary along with your pay, but the beauty is that you get to choose what works for you in terms of income and cost of living. 3. Crisis Rates Are an Option Every nurse will have a different opinion on whether or not a crisis contract is worth it. Generally speaking, these are high paying, extremely busy contracts. Sometimes, you will arrive on contract to find conditions not quite how they were portrayed in interviews. Some travel nurses thrive in this type of environment. These nurses prefer to go in, help where they can, make a chunk of money in a short period of time, and then move on to the next high need area. This is a very personal decision, but this opportunity will be less prevalent as Covid-19 cases (hopefully) start to die down as people get vaccinated. 4. You Can Take As Much Time Off As You Want In the last year, many people are feeling the extra stretch of their PTO banks. Whether you were canceled due to low census when they first stopped elective surgeries, or you have had to drain your time off thanks to a Covid exposure or sick family members–chances are if you are a staff nurse right now the prospect of taking time off is grim. As a travel nurse, you can actually take as much time off as you would like between contracts. Just because your current contract ends February 28th does not mean you have to find one that starts March 1st. Some travel nurses take months at a time off. You get to decide what you need and what works best for you. 5. Travel Nursing Can Help Relieve Burnout Lack of time off, drama at work, low pay–all of these aspects of staff nursing contribute to an overall feeling of burnout. This is why travel nursing is a great way to relieve some of those feelings if you feel like you might be overworking as a nurse. Sometimes it is not the profession itself that is the issue, but a combination of several other factors that create an overwhelming sense of dread every time you get ready for work. If this is you–consider dipping your toes into travel to see if it helps ease the exhaustion you feel with your career. Whether you are looking to make big bucks or simply ready for a new challenge, travel nursing can help lead you in the right direction. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do, you will likely question why you waited so long to begin with. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
Up and Coming Technology for Healthcare Travelers
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Now that we have all settled into a new “normal” almost a year into the pandemic, it seems as if travel nurses are getting back into a sort of rhythm. Whether you are hustling from one crisis job to the next or avoiding them like the plague (no judgment either way) if you are a seasoned travel nurse you have likely figured out how to juggle the new challenges that have come with the last year of changes in the medical field. As travel nurses, we rely heavily on technology to make our jobs easier. We often don’t have the ability to sit down at a computer to do all of the research for each new assignment, and in the last couple of years, companies have risen to the challenge of creating apps that support travelers’ needs from the convenience of their phones. Here are a few of the best new apps for travel nurses. 1. StaffDNA App This app is fantastic because it allows you to browse travel nursing jobs without having to register with any recruiters. The StaffDNA App launched in 2020 and has taken off. You can even see pay breakdown, job locations, and estimated weekly take home for each position. The other huge benefit to this is you can sidestep waiting on recruiters. With the app, you can have complete control over what jobs you want to see and submit to, and even have the option to see details such as scrub colors required at each facility. It truly is remarkable how much information this app puts in the traveler’s hand. 2. MedVenture On a different side of the travel nurse spectrum is the MedVenture app. Founded by two veteran travel nurses, MedVenture set out to innovate how travel nurses connect and socialize. Featured in CNN Travel, this app helps you connect and meet up with travel nurses local to your contract, and also allows you to give feedback about cities and facilities. 3. Furnished Finder Furnished Finder is a short term housing platform that specializes in furnished rentals. The website is great for travel nurses because there are no booking fees or taxes charged directly to the traveler. You can simply connect with landlords, see upfront pricing, and reach out via email or directly on their app. While in the past, you would have to reach out via your personal phone number or email, the app can allow you to keep a bit of anonymity until you feel comfortable with a potential landlord. And since Furnished Finder does not collect booking fees, when the time comes and you would like to share your email or phone number, you don’t need to worry about the app editing out that information. 4. Kamana Kamana is another app founded by travelers that takes a lot of the back end work off a travel nurse’s plate. This app helps you keep track of all of your credentialing paperwork, licenses, and certifications. Rather than searching through old emails or sifting through your Google drive (or worse–carrying around a ton of paper), you can upload everything to their platform and keep it safe there. Plus, you can simply send your Kamana profile over to any recruiter who may need your information. And they send handy reminders when it is time to renew licenses! 5. MedBridge Education If you hate keeping up with CEUs or finding courses that fit your needs, MedBridge is an extremely helpful tool. This is a subscription-based CEU platform that gives you unlimited access to education. Even if you don’t need CEUs, this app is a great tool to refresh skills you may not have used in a while. 6. Keener App Bridging the gap between mental health support and nurses, Keener was designed to help nurses both connect and release any negative feelings they are having. The app includes everything from shift reflections, to self-care tips, and even videos of real nurses sharing their stories so you feel less alone after a stressful shift. 7. ShiftLife Organizer With changing shifts and sometimes even rotating schedules, it can be hard to keep track of your schedule as a travel nurse. This app helps you track not only your shifts but can also help you anticipate how much you can expect each check. This is a handy tool, especially if you like to work overtime and have varying check amounts each week. Being on the cutting edge of technology certainly isn’t a requirement as a travel nurse, but it can definitely make your life easier. Not only do apps help you access information faster, but using them to the network can also be hugely beneficial. The more people you know in the travel nurse industry, the more options will become available to you and your opportunities will grow from there. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
See What Healthcare Professionals Are Earning During COVID-19
There was already a shortage of healthcare workers before the pandemic. For decades, hospitals have been using travelers who work temporary assignments to help fill their staffing gaps, while offering higher pay than traditional permanent staff positions. When COVID-19 began spreading throughout the country, the demand for travel nurses and allied health professionals skyrocketed. So did the pay packages and crisis rates. Staffing agencies have been working around the clock to help place healthcare travelers in these critical positions, but outdated processes and complex credentialing can oftentimes cause roadblocks. That is why StaffDNA launched the most advanced, self-service staffing platform to connect healthcare professionals and the facilities in real-time. With StaffDNA’s mobile app, healthcare professionals enjoy the flexibility, ease-of-use and convenience to find jobs and manage their careers from wherever they are. “For the first time, healthcare professionals have the power to pick and choose where they submit to and get notifications in real-time such as submittal updates, offer status changes and extension requests,” said StaffDNA’s founder & CEO Sheldon Arora in an exclusive interview. “When a healthcare facility extends an offer, the candidate is the first to know.” StaffDNA is the only platform in the healthcare staffing industry to provide all job details upfront and updated in real-time directly from the facilities—without ever having to register or create a profile that other platforms require. Nurses and allied healthcare professionals can use StaffDNA to view nursing jobs and pay packages anywhere in the country. Full details include hospital name, location, weekly pay and hourly rate for each job. Then easily tap “Pay Details” to see a full breakdown of each pay package (taxable pay rates, non-taxable stipends, gross weekly pay and estimated take home). Pay packages can be personalized by selecting company provided housing, travel allowance and benefit options, then the pay package will auto-adjust accordingly. Here’s an Overview of COVID-19 Nursing & Allied Job Trends & Pay Packages Travel nursing pay packages have doubled and even tripled during COVID and healthcare facilities are offering the highest bill rates the industry has seen. When the pandemic first began, incredibly high pay packages were being offered in hot spots such as New York or New Orleans, but now healthcare facilities nationwide are offering record-high rates. Even hospitals that didn’t typically use contract workers or travelers are calling for help. For example as of Jan. 25, 2021, here’s a glimpse of the highest paying states: Michigan paying up to $7,280 per week California paying up to $6,056 per week North Dakota & Wisconsin paying up to $5,684 per week Missouri paying up to $5,662 per week Virginia paying up to $5,602 per week We’re seeing a change in assignment details and expectations required by the facilities. Traditionally travel assignments averaged 13 weeks in duration for at least three 12-hour shifts per week (36hrs/week). But amid the pandemic, more assignments are requiring at least four 12-hour shifts (48hrs/week), including some up to 60 hours per week in major crisis locations. Detroit, Michigan RN, ICU paying up to $7,280/week 60hrs/week | 13 weeks Albuquerque, New Mexico Respiratory Therapist, ICU paying up to $5,453/week 60hrs/week | 8 weeks Watertown, WI Radiology, Cath Lab Tech paying up to $4,031/week 60hrs/week | 13 Weeks We’re also seeing more variety of contract lengths, anywhere from shorter 4-week assignments extending up to 16 weeks or more. As the job market remains fluid, facilities are making quick changes as their needs and demands change. Nursing specialties highest in demand during COVID-19 inherently are ICU, Medical-Surgical, Telemetry and PCU/IMC, as well as Respiratory Therapy. Jobs for surgical specialties such as OR RNs and surgical technicians vary depending on local or facility regulations for elective surgeries. One the vaccine becomes more available and more people feel comfortable returning to seek medical care, there will most likely be a surge in surgeries and demand for operating room nurses and technicians.
Update: Demand for Surgical Technicians & Operating Room Nurses Falls Short
As you may know, some states have shut down elective surgeries again, as well as certain cities and counties depending on ICU bed capacities. The COVID-19 situation remains very fluid. According to StaffDNA’s job board, which updates jobs directly from healthcare facilities in real-time, the numbers of unique jobs for Certified Surgical Technicians, Sterile Processing Techs and Operating Room Nurses remain low. However, don’t be discouraged if you submit to a surgical or operating room job and don’t hear back from the facility or the start date gets pushed or cancelled. “We recommend healthcare travelers with surgical specialties continue to apply to the jobs they see on our job board, but to keep in mind the possibility that facilities could cancel their OR needs if their ICU is overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients,” said Leah Moss, Candidate Care Team Lead at StaffDNA. “In the meantime, it’s important to keep their profile 100% up-to-date so that when jobs start moving again, there’s no delay and they can be submitted immediately.” As more people get vaccinated and COVID-19 cases stabilize and decrease, there will be a surge of surgeries and procedures and an increased need for staffing in Operating Rooms later this year. Real-time information for travel nursing and allied jobs is updated on StaffDNA’s free app—no registration required, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Check Out the App Everyone is Using to Find Healthcare Jobs
In 2020, StaffDNA launched an industry-first digital marketplace for healthcare professionals to find and manage jobs for travel, local and permanent positions. The staffing agency’s mobile app provides all information in real-time and there’s no registration or profile required. In an exclusive interview with Founder & CEO of StaffDNA, Sheldon Arora shares his inspiration behind launching the most advanced self-service platform that has revolutionized the industry. He discusses insights about the digital marketplace, its benefits for healthcare travelers and plans for future expansion. The number one downloaded app in the industry, StaffDNA is available in the Apple and Google Play stores. What inspired StaffDNA to launch the Digital Marketplace for Healthcare Careers®? Self-service apps have changed the way we live, but that was missing in the staffing industry—an industry that has been stagnant for more than 75 years. Healthcare professionals are especially busy caring for our communities 24/7 and lack ample time; it’s become unrealistic for them to have to rely on recruiters and 8-5 business schedules. So we created a new self-service staffing model built on the best, first-of-its-kind mobile technology that’s completely integrated with Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software end-to-end; everything occurs in real-time. Our mobile platform is entirely automated—for healthcare candidates, staffing agencies and employers. With StaffDNA, healthcare professionals have complete control and flexibility to find and manage jobs themselves, on their own schedule that fits their lifestyle. For example, they can view all jobs and details directly from the hospitals including the charting system, cancellation policy, floating requirements, scrub colors and more. There’s the ability to personalize pay packages depending on needs such as travel allowance, housing and benefits for medical, vision and dental benefits. They can see everything without having to register or create a profile—it’s truly transparent. For the first time, healthcare professionals have the power to pick and choose where they submit to and get notifications in real-time such as submittal updates, offer status changes and extension requests. When a healthcare facility extends an offer, the candidate is the first to know. What has the response been? Within the first five months, StaffDNA has signed on more than 2,500 clients. We received more than 100,000 unique mobile app downloads in less than 6 months and are currently averaging 20,000 new downloads per month, making us the number one downloaded app in the industry. We’ve opened 23 states during COVID-19 when offices were closed and working remotely, and we will be operating in all 50 states by end of 2021. The feedback we’ve received since launching our digital marketplace has been unbelievable. In fact, other staffing agencies are using our platform to verify their job details. While hospitals are using our platform see that their jobs are posted and giving us remarkable feedback. What are its challenges? With the self-service model, professionals have to do a little more work themselves and pay more attention to where they’re submitting themselves to (such as the size of the facility, charting system used, unit size, Trauma Level, etc.). Just because it’s an online platform doesn’t mean you don’t need to have the proper team and talent in place. Our experience has shown that you still need the fundamentals of a staffing organization such as recruiters and client advisors, but in a different approach. What has been the impact of Covid-19? Pre-Covid, healthcare facilities were already facing staffing shortages. Now, the demand for travel nurses and allied health professionals has skyrocketed more than ever. More people are leaving their staff positions to join the temporary healthcare staffing world because of the incredibly high pay packages being offered. Because of the high demand from COVID-19, several other companies have entered the online nursing platform space. But they may not have the functionalities such as mobile technology or ATS integration, so the user experience is very different. Plans for the future? StaffDNA has a very exciting outlook for the future. We’re currently adding more geographic locations and expanding to more professions and specialties. We’re also planning to add more industries beyond healthcare such as IT, construction, industrial, etc. Stay tuned.
Is Travel Nursing for Everyone?
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life When I first became a travel nurse, I was adamant that everyone who had the ability to work as a travel nurse, should. If you had two years of experience, no major familial or medical problems that would hold you back, and no major career goals that would be affected, you should 100%, without a doubt, be a travel nurse. To me, travel nursing was the best way to get a well-rounded experience as a nurse. The career path allowed nurses to see different ways of doing things, experience new hospitals, and get pushed out of their comfort zone. I felt (and still feel) as if travel nursing made me a better nurse, so naturally, I felt like every nurse should want to experience this. I remember about six months into travel nursing, my best friend reached out about potentially traveling as well. She had just hit her two-year mark as a nurse, was not satisfied with the unit she was on and wasn’t sure what the “next step” was for her in her career. I quickly connected her with my recruiter, gave her all my best beginner tips, and was so excited for her to hit the road. A few months went by and…nothing. I kept checking in, seeing how it was going, and she gave me a rough timeline of what she was thinking. And then never actually took the leap. I was so disappointed. I truly thought she had made a terrible mistake and was holding herself back in life. Shortly after that, my husband was able to hit the road with me as a traveling physical therapist. I was ecstatic. We would be able to go on so many adventures together, experience the United States, and hopefully pay down some debt along the way. Those first few months as a travel duo–were tough. To say the least. The paperwork portion of travel physical therapy absolutely stressed him out. He hated applying for licenses, talking to all the state boards, and keeping track of what felt like endless pages of paperwork. I personally think the paperwork is fairly easy, but to my husband, it felt overwhelming. Then he was thrown into his first assignment. My husband is very self-critical and always wants to make sure he is doing a good job wherever he works. His first position was in a nursing home, he was the only physical therapist on staff, and the supervisor was a fill-in person because the original Director of Rehab had quit suddenly. He got zero feedback on his job performance and minimal support. It was less than ideal for his work style, to say the least. As an experienced travel nurse at this point, I did my best to encourage him. I reassured him that even if he wasn’t getting positive feedback, in the travel world a lot of the time no news is good news. I kept joking that if they really hated him, they would have canceled his contract. He was not amused. The next assignment for him proved to be about the same. Fast forward to the end of that stretch and we were six months into our travel healthcare experience as a couple and he was not even sure he wanted to be a physical therapist anymore. Two tough assignments put a pretty bad taste in his mouth, and it was hard to know where to go from there. Watching my husband go through this experience made me realize–some people just aren’t as happy working in the travel nurse environment as others might be. While there are personality types that could care less about direct feedback and are fine doing what they know to be right, some others may just struggle in that type of environment. Ironically, my best friend is very similar to my husband in this regard. She likes to be very informed on policies and procedures and hates feeling like she might not know how to do something. There is nothing wrong with this–in fact it makes her a better nurse because she is thorough and pays attention to details. However, it probably doesn’t make her the best travel nursing candidate. So now if someone were to ask me if travel nursing is for everyone I would say–probably not. Do I still think every nurse needs to experience more than one working environment. This simply makes you more well-rounded, and may even improve your skills and help you learn new tips and tricks. However, this could mean picking up a PRN job locally or taking a different full-time job where you would get full orientation and feel more comfortable in your role in the new unit. While there are a lot of reasons that you might be a good candidate to be a travel nurse on paper, there are a lot of internal pieces you will need to examine to know if this career path is really one that fits your personality and work style. Don’t feel bad if it doesn’t feel like the right career fit for you, even if your friends swear up and down it is the best thing that has ever happened to them. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
Tips for Making Friends on Your Travel Nurse Assignment
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Reaching out to new people can be scary at first, but more than likely the travelers in your area also want some new friends to hang out with. By making the first move, you could be opening yourself up to a brand new, awesome friendship! 1. Try to Connect During Orientation While a lot of orientations are being modified due to Covid, some hospitals are still doing a socially distant version for travel nurses. These days are usually short and sweet, so the best way to make connections here is to be direct. After engaging with a fellow travel nurse, simply say “I think it would be great if we exchanged numbers, in case we need to get in touch later or if we need someone to have a post-shift beer with”. Sounds cheesy, but it will usually do the trick. I would say 99% of the time, the other traveler will be thankful you reached out and appreciative that they have a reason to exchange numbers with someone locally. 2. A Little Facebook Stalking Also Works I promise this is not as creepy as it sounds. If you are a little nervous to reach out in person, or you simply do not get the chance, try to find a few travelers you met in orientation on social media. I have found that most travel nurses have a wider array of friends than people with permanent jobs might, so they are probably fine with a friend request even if you don’t know each other well. You could also just use this as a way to reach out and start a friendly conversation without actually sending a friend request! 3. Find a Fun Public Outing for a Group It is a lot easier to make plans with a group of people you don’t know well if you have a solid outline of what you will actually be doing. This can help eliminate any awkwardness or discomfort that comes with getting to know someone new. This time of year it is great to look for local holiday displays or events. Even with Covid, a lot of communities are finding ways to have socially distant events or promoting more outdoors–you might just have to bundle up! While you don’t have to have a rock-solid “itinerary” planned, a general layout for the time is a good idea. That way if conversation hits a lull or one thing turns out to be a bit of a bust, you can move on to the next activity. 5. Find Area Specific Travel Groups While there are a lot of general travel nursing groups out there, you would be shocked at how many city-specific groups there are as well. Particularly in larger cities like Phoenix, Seattle, and San Francisco, you can find Facebook groups specifically for that area. These are great because if you want to get a group together you can simply post an open invite there and likely get a decent turnout. My best tip for this is to simply pick a time and date–trying to find a date that will accommodate multiple nursing schedules can be a pain. 6. Ask Your Recruiter If you find yourself in a situation where you are the only travel nurse on your unit, it can be tricky to figure out where to go to meet friends. In this case, try reaching out to your agency or recruiter to see if they have any other travelers on contract in the area! Even if they don’t personally have anyone on contract there, they may have a coworker who does. You just never know, so it doesn’t hurt to ask. 7. Attend the Traveler’s Conference Networking is a huge part of having a successful travel career, and also helps with the loneliness that can come with the travel nurse lifestyle. One way to meet a whole bunch of travelers at once is to attend the Traveler’s Conference, also known as TravCon. This is an educational conference held every September in Las Vegas. Typically it attracts close to 1500 travelers from all specialties. There is food, educational breakout sessions, and a ton of opportunities to meet other people you can connect with the rest of the year. I realize a lot of this article almost seems like a series of bad dating tips–but please rest assured that social norms are just a little different when you connect with fellow nurses who have also moved hundreds of miles away from home with no real connections or friends nearby. Get out of your comfort zone a little bit, reach out to new people, and do not let your fear of rejection stop you from sparking what could be a lifelong friendship! Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Working as a Travel Nurse
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Travel nursing is such a world of its own. It is hard to understand just what the career will be like until you experience it first hand. You can do all the research, talk to all the people, and plan as much as you want, but I would bet your travel nurse career will still take some twists and turns you did not expect. No matter if you work as a traveler for one contract or ten years, the lifestyle and perspective changes you and is guaranteed to have a lasting impact. When I first started out on my travel nurse journey, I had no idea how transformative it would be. Four years later, and I am still thankful for the experience, and pleasantly surprised on how the job has carried over into the rest of my life. It may make you consider moving away from home permanently. I come from a very close-knit family. My mom, brothers, and I have always gotten along and made the point to spend time with each other regularly. I also have a huge network of close friends and family in my hometown. I never, ever thought I would be tempted to leave permanently. That was the point of travel–I got to live in and experience new cities but ultimately would come back home. Until the new cities showed me what my hometown was lacking. I had always loved the great outdoors, but travel nursing introduced me to mountain trails and new landscapes. I realized that no matter what suburb I lived in back home, nothing could mimic the landscapes of the Western United States. Now, my husband and I have actually seriously talked about relocating to Arizona at some point, which I would have never in a million years anticipated five years ago. Travel nursing will boost your confidence. Even if you don’t feel like a confident person when you start out, travel nursing will naturally give your personal confidence a boost. Whether it is driving cross country by yourself, navigating a new city with zero guidance, or just the fact that you will be working on a nursing unit with minimal orientation, travel nursing will show you how resilient you can really be. You will learn how smart you are on your own, how strong your clinical skills are when put to the test, and how outgoing you can be even when you are feeling shy. These skills are so helpful no matter where you go from there, and a beautiful part of what travel nursing can bring to your life. You still need to be diligent with your money. When I first started working as a travel nurse, my paychecks doubled compared to my staff job. I figured that a year in and I’d be debt-free, and we would then knock my husband’s grad school debt out of the park. However, the travel lifestyle brings with it its own set of expenses. In order to see friends and family, we usually took around two months of the year off with no paid vacation. Our cars were being driven a lot more, and our “beater” that had gotten us around locally died our first out of state assignment. Plus, there are new restaurants to try, weekend trips to explore, and local experiences that cost money. While we still made significant headway financially, it was not at the speed we first anticipated when we started traveling. You will lose touch with friends. Like I mentioned before, I had a close circle of friends back home when I started my travel nurse career. While I still love these people and catch up when I can, I had three years of missed birthday parties, nights at the bar, or tailgate get-togethers. Inevitably, you just can’t be present as much as you were before you traveled, so there is a distance that seems to grow between you and your friends. Now, the beauty of this is you will likely figure out who your closest people are. My husband and I found that our quality rather than the quantity of friends grew. We learned to prioritize our time at home with the people that mattered most, and those same people have continued to show up when it matters. You will build a new network of people in all corners of the United States. The flip side of this is as you move around and meet new people, your extended network will grow. I have friends living in St. Louis, San Francisco, Hawaii and even Guam right now. Travel healthcare workers like to flock together, and the mutual understanding we all have for this lifestyle makes it much easier to maintain a long-distance friendship. It is really neat knowing that if we decide to take a road trip or travel to any part of the country, we are likely to find a friendly face ready to meet up. While parts of travel can be intimidating or even a little sad, in the long run, the growth you experience in this career is something that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Taking the leap of faith, trusting in yourself, and getting outside of your bubble at home is a valuable life lesson, and something every travel nurse will tell you was worth it. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
Staying Active During a Winter Travel Nurse Assignment
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life While taking an assignment in one of the northernmost states is not everyone’s idea of fun, sometimes the winter rates will be enough to make you think twice about trying to avoid cold and snow. For my first assignment out of state, my husband and I ended up in the middle of Wisconsin, lured by the promise of a very generous pay package. We were lucky enough to arrive in the middle of August, and the fall up north was definitely beautiful. However, when winter hit in mid-October, it hit hard. Snow was almost constantly on the ground, the sky was continually varying shades of gray, and getting out of the house was hard not only due to weather, but because there was essentially nothing to do outside before ski season started. This was the first time I had experienced any sort of true seasonal depression. I’m not sure if rotating shifts contributed, but overall I just felt myself fall into a funk by the time November hit. I started taking Vitamin D (no idea if this truly makes a difference, it was just a recommendation from a coworker), but I really struggled with staying active outside of work. Most people would agree that going outside for a walk or some activity in single-digit temperatures is not the typical idea of “fun”. However, I learned quickly how important it was to move, even when the weather outside was telling me to hibernate on the couch with a fuzzy blanket. Here are a few of my best tips to keep moving even if you are in the middle of the snowy north all winter long: 1. Take advantage of “warm” days. There are bound to be some days that are ever so slightly warmer than others, even if “warm” isn’t your typical standard. At the very least, the sun will likely shine a little more on some days than others. This is your chance! Make a point to get outside on these days when they come, even if they are unexpected. Rearrange your schedule, take a stroll on your lunch break, or go for a brisk walk after work. Anything to get your blood flowing. Invest in a few good quality winter items. Every travel nurse needs a good winter coat. This is one item that you can splurge on and use for many years to come (especially if you don’t use it every single winter). Look into some higher quality brands and buy something that will keep you warm on the days you do go outside. I also recommend a good pair of boots and gloves. Having the basics to protect you from cold wind or frigid temperatures will help motivate you to get outside in colder weather. 2. Try a new activity. Even if it seems that all of your favorite outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, or strolling around shopping are out of the question during colder months, you might be able to find a new activity that you can master. Obviously snowy climates are a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding. There are also other activities like snowshoeing, ice skating, and snowmobiling. This is one of the best parts of travel nursing–getting to try something new you wouldn’t experience back home! 3. Don’t underestimate mall walking. I’m dead serious on this one. A friend of mine recently shared that when they had their baby over the winter months and she was feeling cooped up she would simply head to the mall with her stroller and walk around people watching. I loved this idea! Sometimes you don’t necessarily need to do anything specific–you just need to get moving and out of the house. Look for a local indoor mall, a Super Target, or even a Costco or other large warehouse store. Grab a cup of coffee, and just take some time to browse. 4. Look into online fitness classes. There are obviously a lot of different options for this, but one of the positives I have seen brought on from the Covid 19 pandemic is that so many studios are now live streaming their workout classes. This is even better than downloading a workout in my opinion, because you actually get the feeling that you are in a group setting which can be nice. If you are a beginner, I also really enjoy the website Yoga Download, which has tons of light workout or stretching options for all levels. So there it is. Your friendly reminder that no matter how cold it gets, no matter how gray and ugly it is outside, just do something. This has been a tough year for many people, and movement is imperative for keeping up our mental health. Even if it’s something light and easy, I highly, highly recommend finding a simple way to keep active this winter. Your body and your mind will thank you. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.
How to Shut Your Brain Off While Working as a Travel Nurse
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life There has been a ton of advice for self-care and working as a nurse during the pandemic. Now, more than ever, nurses need to take time to themselves and be conscious of what they are absorbing when they are not at work. The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed a lot about our jobs, and with new information being presented seemingly on the daily, it can be hard to turn off work mode when you go home. The news, social media, and even going out in public can trigger a range of emotions and thoughts. This is why it is so important to figure out how to avoid some of these triggers and be conscious of what you “let in”. Spend Time Somewhere Without a Mask Hear me out. I am 100% pro-mask for the sake of protecting everyone around us. However, I don’t think you will find anyone on this planet who would claim to love having something covering their mouth and nose every time they leave their home. When you are off work, try to find somewhere secluded or even just make a point to go on your porch or balcony and enjoy being outside or out in the world without a mask. Your skin and your mental health will thank you. Take a Social Media Break At work you are likely being constantly bombarded with COVID precaution updates, or on high alert about being exposed unknowingly. The constant worry about COVID-19 is stressful and adds an additional layer to our already stressful jobs. Then when you get home, you see COVID on the news, COVID on social media, and signs or notices everywhere in public about COVID precautions. Make a point to get away from all the COVID talk. Sign out of social media for 24 hours, only watch Netflix or Hulu, and do your best to avoid thinking about the pandemic for a hot second. If friends or family bring it up, kindly tell them you are avoiding the topic for a period of time, and do your best to change the subject. Learn More About Mindfulness Most nurses (especially travel nurses) are the go, go, go type. We like to stay busy and make a point to have something to do most hours of the day. This can be a huge contributor to feeling like we can’t just turn our brains “off” and relax a bit every once in a while. In times of high stress, being able to do this is even more imperative. And while it may not come naturally to some people, the practice of mindfulness is something that can be learned. Do not be discouraged if you struggle with clearing your mind or being more self-aware at first–I promise it gets easier! There are a couple of apps that are great for learning mindfulness. One is called Buddhify. It costs a few dollars but comes with a ton of downloadable meditations in all different styles and lengths–you can find them as short as five minutes or even twenty minutes or longer! The Shine app is also a great place to start for a daily dose of gratitude, reflection, and a short meditation. There is quite a bit you can do with the free version, and each day has a specific theme that it follows. Have a Ritual to Leave Work at Work There is actually something useful about having a post-work ritual to switch your mind from one mode to the next. If you are headed home for a stretch of shifts off, consider having a routine that you implement to signal to your brain that it is “off work”. This could be as simple as taking a long bath or shower after your last shift. And I’m not talking about a quick rinse-the-work-germs-away shower. I mean a long, shave your legs, maybe do a face mask, and just enjoy the warm water shower. Some other ideas for a post-work ritual could be going on a walk, ordering takeout from your favorite local restaurant, or scheduling some time to chat and catch up with a friend back home since you don’t have to worry about falling into bed and being ready for work in less than twelve hours. While the issue of self-care in nursing has been something that a lot of people have begun to harp on about in the past few years, now more than ever it is important to care for yourself mentally and spiritually. Take the time to implement habits and routines that allow you to just be you. Not a nurse, not a traveler in the middle of a pandemic. Just a person who deserves time to rejuvenate and turn down all the noise we deal with on a regular basis. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.