For the most part the life of a travel nurse seems to be for nurse that are in the dawn of their careers before they relationships, families, and other responsibilities that force them to find permanent employment. The other time that many nurses become interested in an occupation as a travel nurse is towards the end of their careers, after their children move out of the house, leaving their parents free to pursue nomadic whims.
It happens, especially to the younger nurses, that they are working at a travel nurse assignment and find that they fall in love with the city they are in, they adore their co-workers, or they find the job so rewarding they want to keep it.
When a nurse finds an assignment that they don't want to give up is consider the contract they signed with their nursing agency. If they signed a contract that has a time line it is going to be difficult to get out of the contract and accept a permanent working position. Nurses that have long term, binding contracts with an agency will probably find that they have to work as a travel nurse long enough to fulfill their contract. Once they have worked out the terms of their contract they can go back to the hospital or medical facility that they enjoyed so much and seek a permanent position.
Sometimes travel nurses will find out that the temporary position they are currently filling is just that, temporary. For whatever reason the job was created on a one time basis and no matter how badly the travel nurse may want it at a permanent position it just isn't possible. When this happens the travel nurse has two options. They can decide if it is the hospital they like working at, or maybe they just really like the city, or perhaps they really click with their current batch of co-workers, or they feel that the job they are doing is tailor made for them (and it really might be). If they look at all their options and decide that it's the hospital or their fellow nurses that appeal to them they can apply for a permanent position in the hospital. If the travel nurse decides that it isn't necessarily the hospital, the staff, or the position that appeals to them they might want to consider looking for a hospital in a similar location.
If, after you have looked at all the options and decide that it really is the position that is making you consider exchanging your nomadic shoes for a more permanent pair, talk to your nursing agency, even if you have a long-term, binding contract, the agency will be able to keep and eye peeled and look for similar positions. If you are at a point in your life when you are able to accept a permanent position look at other hospitals across the country. Just because the hospital you were working at only offered the position on a temporary basis doesn't mean that other hospitals wont have the position available on a permanent basis.
The main reason that younger travel nurses give up their careers as travel nurses in favor of more permanent positions because they are tired of traveling, they are ready to start a family, or other members of their family need them at home. When its time to find a permanent position keep an optimistic attitude, you'll find the right position.
Travel nurse agencies fill a much needed void in a healthcare system that is already stretched too thin. As the ratio of patients to nurses keeps climbing in hospitals, travel nurse agencies are contacted more and more to fill nursing assignments, either on a short-term or long-term basis. Travel nurse agencies foot the traveling nurse's housing and travel expenses as well as assist their employees with any other issues or questions that may arise concerning licensure, benefits, and payroll. Absolutely everyone benefits from such an arrangement: the hospital receives a qualified nurse to fill a position, thus ensuring better patient care and less employee attrition; the traveling nurse receives above-market compensation and is able to see new areas of the country and meet new people without incurring any out-of-pocket costs; and the travel nurse agencies that have provided a vital service, for which they are well compensated financially, also benefit immeasurably from good will and public relations generated by filling such a pressing need.
The competition between travel nurse agencies is so fierce that it is a good idea to call several agencies, compare the benefits, and see who offers the best overall compensation package. There also needs to be a good fit in terms of personalities, communication styles, and problem-solving skills since the traveling nurse will most likely be dealing with the travel nurse agency representative by phone, fax, and e-mail.
Prior to signing up with any of the available travel nurse agencies, a nurse should ask how long the agency has been in business, confirm that the guaranteed number of hours and pay scale on the contract match what had been agreed to verbally, and get a feel for the position he or she will be filling. Good travel nurse agencies will always be able to give a good representation of the situation at the hospital and what is being expected of the traveling nurse.
Both Cdup & Grojan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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