New places. New people. New work environments. Expanding career options. Enjoying flexibility. Time off between gigs to explore new places and enjoy your life…
Oops! Caught yourself daydreaming again, didn’t you? How many times has that happened in the last month?
If you’re finding it harder and harder to enjoy your work as a nurse or if you’re experiencing signs of burnout, stagnation, or general weariness of your current job, no doubt you’ve wondered if travel nursing is a viable career path for you. Maybe you already have a great job, but you’re in a season of life in which adventure is calling you to get out there and try something new.
We’re happy to say that in 2024, travel nursing remains an exciting and promising career path, one from which you will gain innumerable benefits, as well as the adventure of a lifetime. Every day Trek Healthcare Staffing connects medical professionals just like you with meaningful work in hospitals and clinics across the country. These are some of the reasons our nurses love what they do.
Travel nursing is a wise financial decision.
What you can earn as a nurse depends on a wide variety of factors, including your credentials, your level of experience, and the clinic or hospital in which you work. All things considered, the average salary for a registered nurse in Nebraska is $73,510 annually. Across the nation, RNs earn an average of $89,010.
Now, let’s compare those pay rates to travel nursing salaries. In the top-paying travel nursing states, you can earn the following by working for just forty-eight of the fifty-two weeks in a year.:
Nevada: $2,486 per week = $119,328 per year
Alaska: $2,471 per week = $118,608 per year
Maine: $2,448 per week = $117,504 per year
California: $2433 per week = $116,784 per year
New Jersey $2412 per week = $115,776 per year
National average: $2058 per week = $98,784
While these salaries are impressive, keep in mind that they are typically not the only benefits of travel nursing. As you negotiate your contract, inquire about reimbursement for travel expenses or additional licensure that may be required. Learn about the housing provision, whether that be through a physical apartment for your use or a stipend to offset the costs of finding the place of your choice to live.
Even if you choose not to make a long-term career out of travel nursing, doing it for a few years can help you progress by leaps and bounds toward financial goals…or perhaps even an earlier retirement.
Travel nursing expands my skill set.
If you’ve been in nursing for very long, you know the department’s structure and function is different everywhere you go. Because of this, you’ve learned ways to do (and not to do) the tasks of your workday. As you travel to new hospitals, learn new operational systems, and interact with different staff, you’ll discover ways of getting things done that you’d never considered before. You’ll further develop soft skills and hone your patient care practices as you learn to work with diverse people. Additionally, when you sign up to work in a new unit or medical setting, you’ll gain new experiences and insights that will easily transfer toward all of your future endeavors.
Travel nursing leads to personal growth.
Learning to navigate a new city (or small community) is an exciting challenge. As you overcome obstacles and watch yourself succeed in a new environment, you’ll gain confidence, resilience, and experiential knowledge of interesting locales across the country. You may have the opportunity to try new cultural experiences, learn local lore, and gain fresh insights that help you become wiser and more enlightened.
Travel nursing builds my professional network.
In each placement, you’ll meet doctors, hospital staff, other nurses, and more, all of whom can become lifelong connections. You’ll make friends, discover subsequent opportunities, and notice how the whole world starts to feel a little smaller.
Travel nursing enables me to do valuable work where it’s appreciated.
A travel nurse is a bit of a superhero, coming into an overworked, understaffed unit, rolling up his sleeves, and getting to work. His very presence helps to relieve the stress and pressure the permanent staff are feeling. Because of the urgency of his work, he is well compensated–not only financially, but also in terms of appreciation from and connection with his team.
Travel nursing is good for my mental health.
One of the most vexing challenges of the healthcare profession is the toll caring for others’ needs takes on our caregivers’ health. A change of scenery, a fresh start, and downtime between contracts can do wonders for your mental health. Instead of feeling trapped in an endless cycle of trying to meet overwhelming needs, which leads to burnout, you get to choose the contracts and placements that suit you. You’ll go into the work knowing the beginning and the end of the contract, and that is empowering. The time between contracts is a perfect opportunity to take care of your own needs, rest, and recharge.
Travel nursing is a great choice for YOU!
2024 is a great time to explore travel nursing. Which of these potential benefits resonate most strongly with you?
If you’re interested in growing your career and expanding your world through travel nursing, the healthcare staffing specialists at Trek would love to talk with you. We can answer your questions and help you find the right placement for an exciting and rewarding career. Join the estimated 1.7 million traveling nurses from all walks of life who are saving lives and improving patient care across the country. Give us a call today.
