Getting burnt out from your nursing job is practically inevitable. It can be physically and emotionally demanding to the point that you dread waking up and coming to work. Many nurses that are fatigued or frustrated with their jobs feel like they are stuck in a rut and have no opportunity for growth. Routine tasks can turn mundane and the small world of a hospital can feel like a prison. Even if you love your landau scrubs free shipping and the nursing profession itself, working day in and day out in the same place, with the same people, and doing practically the same tasks over and over can be taxing. For those who wish to see more and do more but still want to make use of their nursing experience and diploma, travel nursing is a wonderful and exciting opportunity to expand your horizons and make you love your profession a second time around.

Travel nurse profile

A relatively new nursing career opportunity beginning in the early 80's, travel nursing has exponentially grown in recent years. The trend began in California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona to supplement the nursing workforce during the winter months whenever there were significant increases in patient population. Since then, a demand for travel nurses has increased to counter staff shortage problems, supplement the workforce during peak seasons, and work as substitutes for nurses undergoing training or new education. Travel nurses usually work for a short-term contractual basis and travel from one location to another for a designated time. They are employed by physician clinics and hospitals to fill temporary shortages due to absences, maternity leave, or illness in the nursing staff. The length of assignments depends on the facility's needs and the nurse's availability-it can be as short as a few days up to several months, with an average of about 13 weeks employment.

Reasons to work as a travel nurse

Those who opt for a career in travel nursing do so primarily for the travel opportunity and the chance to work in different settings and with different people. These are the more adventurous bunch that are not too concerned with job security and are more inclined to experiencing new things and new journeys. Most nurses who choose travel nursing usually do not have a family that ties them to obligations and are likely to be young and single. Travel nursing allows great flexibility that allows you to choose as much or as little as you want. Similar to a freelancer, you can control the number of assignments you want to accept and book. It is also a great way to assess different working environments and situations before finally settling down full time.

Reasons not t work as a travel nurse

Unfortunately, in times of recession or cutbacks, the first one to go in a hospital workforce is the temporary staff including the travel nurses. Permanent and clinical staff is obviously more secured in their job than travel nurses, who are more easily expendable. Traveling frequently can also be disorienting and fatiguing and it is not for everyone.