Before making the decision and leap into traveling nursing, you need to weigh your options. Of course, this is a fruitful career when it comes to the amazing salary, the opportunity to travel, and gaining experiences in different departments, but you want to ensure that you can handle the pressures it comes with. Here are the pros and cons of travel nursing.
Pro: The Opportunity to Travel.
A lot of nurses see this as a big plus. They get to see the ins and outs of different facilities, nursing homes, or client’s homes. During down time, nurses like to sight see, indulge in the culture of the location, and of course, try different foods that are native to the area. Also, you get to meet new people, make new friends, and obviously explore the area with these people. For anyone who loves to travel, help people, meet new people, and experience new things and places, this is the job for you.
Pro: Nurses can Potentially Make More as a Travel Nurse
The salary for a travel nurse can be a handsome one. But be sure that you realize that, yes, you could possibly make more money, but it isn’t given. There are different variables that will determine if you make more money or not.
If you live in a state where the salary for a registered nurse is less than the national average, there is a good chance that you will make more. So, if you live somewhere where the salary is larger, you could lose money.
Tax-Free Money as a Traveling Nurse
As a traveling nurse, you receive tax free money for lodging and meals; which is a significant percentage of most pay packages. The advantage to this is your pocket more money while avoiding payroll taxes.
What most don’t realize is that you must maintain a “tax home.” To maintain a “tax home,” you need to still pay a mortgage or rent. As a traveling nurse, of course you need a place to return to when taking some time off for yourself, but many people think that because they are traveling for work, there is no need for a home, but to obtain the tax-free money, you need to prove that you are paying into your “tax home.”
Pro: Avoiding Hospital Politics
Avoiding hospital politics is a blessing for most nurses; say goodbye to unit meetings, committee meetings, etc. Your job as a traveling nurse is to provide the best care at different facilities that are having an issue with staffing, in need of a nurse with a specific specialty.
Pro: Broadening Work Experience
When traveling as a nurse, you want to use this opportunity to gain experience in different departments. The more versatile you are, the better assignments you will get. When working in different facilities you will learn different procedures, equipment, processes, goals, and challenges. You’ll also gain experience in large hospitals, small hospitals, trauma hospitals, teaching hospitals, etc. This will make you much more employable.
Pro: Professional Networking Opportunities
As you visit and work with different facilities, be sure to professionally network with other nurses and doctors. These people can be usable in different situations in your future. They can also help you grow in your career; using these people as references is a great way to build your professional circle.
Con: Being Away from Family and Friends
A lot of nurses see this has one of the hardest downfalls of the job. Being on the road and in new places is hard enough. Now, take away seeing family and friends; it can be difficult. Having a strong support system is the best way to combat the feeling of missing home. Calling your family and talking to them daily, is the best way to handle the situation.
Con: You’ll Move a Lot as a Traveling Nurse
It’s in the title; traveling nurses, travel and they travel a lot. It is all part of the job. Being away from home is tough and moving around and living out of a suitcase can be difficult, but with the benefits, pay, and growth opportunities, it is worth it.
Conclusion
Before jumping into a life altering decision, be sure that you are ready for all the pros and cons of becoming a traveling nurse. It takes a lot of commitment and determination to move around as frequently as traveling nurses do. But with every job there are cons, but the pros make up for them. TLC Nursing is a perfect place to start your traveling nurse career. They offer competitive pay, great assignments, and are great to work with. Be sure to check them out.
