If you are wondering if travel nursing is for you, or you are already a nurse and looking for a change, you may have a lot of questions regarding being a travel nurse.
One of the main questions we get asked is if you can be a travel nurse but in your home state or city. So, let’s cover all of the bases and find out if this is true, and if travel nursing is for you.
What Is A Travel Nurse?
A travel nurse is basically a nurse without one fixed position. Travel nurses are hired by healthcare organizations and providers when they have staff shortages, or when they are in high demand (see also ‘What Is A Scab Nurse?‘).
A travel nurse is therefore a trained, skilled professional that will take on temporary nursing roles when they are in need. In these cases, they may pick up work in clinics, medical facilities, in hospitals, or in patient care.
As a travel nurse, you would be required to jump into roles and assignments in an understaffed healthcare environment.
Therefore, you would need to provide all of the care, responsibilities and duties required but in a fast paced setting.
You may not have the time to be briefed by nurse staff within the facility, and you would have to learn all of the specific details about patients and their needs on the go.
Travel nurses will typically sign a contract, and go fill a temporary position wherever it is needed. These positions could be for a matter of days, weeks, or months.
When the contract is fulfilled, travel nurses (see also ‘Best Places For Travel Nursing‘) can either choose to extend the stay or pick up a full time position, or to move to a new location and find different opportunities elsewhere.
Some of the pros of travel nursing as opposed to fixed positions is that you can achieve competitive pay, you can choose the location, you’re not stuck in one place for long periods of time, you can travel the country or go international, and you can select the hours, shifts or days that you need to work in that location.
Other perks are things like bonuses, dental coverage, medical coverage, retirement plans, travel reimbursement and complimentary housing during your stay.
For many nurses, the flexibility and choice is what draws them to travel nursing.
Can You Be A Travel Nurse In Your Own City Or State?
While the premise of travel nursing is to move around a lot to various locations wherever nurses are in short supply, you may be wondering if you can be a travel nurse within your own city or state, in case you don’t want to move home etc.
The short answer is yes, you can be a travel nurse in your own location.
Some don’t consider travel nursing because they are under the impression that they would have to leave home, leaving behind friends and family and travel out of state or across the country to their job.
However, this is not always the case at all.
As long as healthcare environments are looking for nurses, and have open positions, you can apply to be a travel nurse in your area. This is often referred to as local travel nursing.
Local travel nursing is the perfect option for those who want to remain close to home, but also have the opportunity to explore different settings, and work in different places.
The only gray area is when it comes to filing taxes and stipends.
As a travel nurse, you’ll often get benefits such as travel expenses and overnight accommodations, but you will not need this depending on how close to home you are, so you will need to consider that when filing your taxes.
How Long Can A Travel Nurse Stay In One Place?
There is a one year limit rule when it comes to staying in one place. As a travel nurse, you can extend your assignment multiple times, but it must not bypass one year in total.
After this time has passed, you will either need to find a fixed position and no longer work as a travel nurse if you want to stay or move on to the next location.
Can Travel Nurses Choose Where They Go?
The answer to this is yes, as a travel nurse you can pick where you want to go and what assignments you want to do.
You may need to work with an agency, who will help you find work, and help you find roles that suit your needs and requirements, however, you are never forced into a position.
You can choose the positions, the environment, the length of the contract, and you can negotiate pay if you need to.
How Much Does A Travel Nurse Make?
The average salary of a travel nurse varies according to location, state, experience level and company in which the nurse works. However, we can get an average salary for you.
For example, on average, travel nurses will earn around $117,500 per year, but starting salaries can begin at $78,500 and rise all the way up to $170,700 per year depending on the level of experience gained.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects that travel nursing will only grow, as there is a serious shortage of nurses due to the number of nurses either retiring or choosing other roles due to pressure and stress placed on medical professionals.
Summary
In summary, as a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to work in a range of locations, environments and move around a lot. You can see the country, or even the world while doing what you love.
However, many believe that you cannot be a travel nurse in your own city or state, but this is not the case.
You can be a local travel nurse, and you can pick up work wherever it is needed. However, you cannot stay in one environment for longer than a year without moving on or going elsewhere.