Is Travel Nursing a Good Fit for You?
Deciding to be a travel nurse takes more consideration than simply thinking, “I love to travel so I’ll be a travel nurse.” Many more factors go into this career than simply a love for seeing and experiencing new places. Travel nursing is not for everyone, but it is an exciting and rewarding career for some! Now here’s the real question, how do you know if it’s for you or not for you? Here are some things to examine before you jump into a travel nurse position.
Availability
Do you have a large family or significant other that isn’t willing or capable to travel? If so, travel nursing might not be the spot where you flourish. Having lots of kids and a spouse or significant other who has a stable job in one spot may put a major strain on your life if you were to start traveling for your career. Not that you can’t have a significant other or a family and still be a travel nurse, but this is something you should discuss with them before making this decision.
Personality Type
Are you a person who is easy-going? Flexible? Do you make friends easily and adapt to new surroundings well? Or are you more of a homebody? These are great questions to ask yourself because becoming a travel nurse would be difficult if you don’t enjoy new surroundings or find yourself being an introvert more than an extrovert. If you are a self-starter who is confident and strives in new situations, travel nursing would probably suit you well!
Prerequisites
If you have made it this far and think travel nursing is for you, then you should know a few universal prerequisites that you will need to complete to start your adventure. Most specialities require one year of experience. Some specialties might require more, so make sure you are researching what you are interested in to make sure you have that experience. Lastly, you will need to be licensed in the state that you are seeking a travel nurse position. Since traveling is the main part of the job, you might want to get licensed in a few states that you are sure you would like to live/work in to save time and be able to move from place to place with ease.
If you answered a resounding “YES” to all of the above, then travel nursing is probably right up your alley! There are many perks to becoming a travel nurse, such as having a flexible schedule or getting to explore new territories, but it all won’t be worth it if you are wishing you were at home. Make sure to evaluate your personality type, goals and what makes you happy to really decide if travel nursing is a good fit for you! Happy traveling!
