Top Benefits of Being a Travel Nurse (That You Won’t Get Going Perm!)
Healthcare is an ever-evolving industry, and it’s hard to know the right move for your career as it shifts. Given the current changes in the healthcare travel world, you may wonder if a career in travel is still worth it and if it can help you reach your personal and professional goals.
If you ask a healthcare traveler why they chose this career, you’re bound to get a wide variety of answers. They know first-hand how exciting and fulfilling life as a travel nurse or allied healthcare traveler can be – and they are often eager to share their experience with others who wonder if it’s the right career choice for them. After all, there are many perks to a career as a healthcare traveler, many of which you can’t find in a perm position.
Perks of Travel Nursing
From flexibility and exciting adventures to opportunities for growth and networking, travel nursing offers a unique and rewarding experience for those who choose it. Here are some of the best perks of being a travel nurse.
Flexibility
Go where and when you want, and leave the politics behind
One of the biggest benefits you get as a travel nurse is flexibility. You are in control of your schedule and where you choose to take your next travel assignment.
As a perm staff nurse, you can be limited to a rigid schedule set by your nurse manager and working for one facility – and that’s not always bad. But what happens when you don’t get along with your nurse manager or the facility or unit isn’t quite what you thought it would be? What do you do when you get tired of the office politics that can come with perm positions?
When you’re a traveler, you’re only on assignment for a certain amount of time, usually 13 weeks, and then you get to move on to your next assignment. No more putting up with a toxic work environment and searching for a new job in your free time. No more anxiety over management changes or attending required inservices.
If you take a travel assignment that checks all the right boxes (great nurse manager and staff, perfect location, best-in-class facility), you can talk to your recruiter about extending your contract. You can also let your recruiter know you want to return to the facility on a future assignment!
More time off
As a healthcare traveler, you have the freedom to decide how much time off you take between assignments. While it is not paid time off as you will find with perm positions, it is entirely up to you how much time you get to take off. With paid time off in perm positions, you have to accumulate your PTO hours before you can use them, and you must request your time off and get it approved by a manager.
Travelers can take as much time off as they want, which can mean visiting family and friends or taking a bucket-list vacation. They know their next assignment starts when they decide it does. Perm will never offer the time-off freedom that comes with travel!
Assignments that fit your lifestyle
Another way travel offers flexibility is the ability to find you assignments that fit your lifestyle. Many travelers can travel with friends, partners, families, and even beloved pets! Great recruiters, like the ones you find with TNAA, want to know your needs and wants are, so they can help you find assignments that will maximize your happiness and allow you to continue the lifestyle you’re accustomed to.
No Required Overtime
Perm nurses are often required to work mandatory overtime for their facility — mandatory means you can’t opt out. For many nurses, this unwelcome requirement cuts their time to unwind and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
As a traveler, you are not required to work overtime. Your hours are set in your travel contract, so you know exactly what your schedule will be. That gives you plenty of time to enjoy your new destinations and the hobbies you love to do in your downtime!
Less Burnout
No overtime, more time off, and flexibility mean less burnout for travel nurses. Burnout can happen for several reasons, including the demands placed on healthcare professionals and challenges within the health systems. In a 2020 study, almost two-thirds of nurses had experienced burnout.
The flexibility and other perks that come with a career in travel help alleviate a lot of the stress that leads to burnout. With the freedom to take extended time off between assignments and complete control over which assignments you take, you can help avoid feelings of burnout and stress.
Opportunities for Adventure
It may seem obvious, but we can’t emphasize this enough: travel healthcare means adventure! If you enjoy travel, exploring new places, and trying new food or activities, the travel lifestyle has so much more to offer than perm positions.
Imagine taking an assignment somewhere you’ve always wanted to explore and getting 13 weeks to experience it all. You’ll immerse yourself in the area so much more than you can through a traditional vacation experience!
Plus, you may fall in love with somewhere you least expected to. Travelers are often surprised to find the destinations they love the most were in places they had never thought of traveling before!
Advanced Clinical Skills
As a traveler, you’ll work with a wide variety of nurse/unit managers, clinicians, patient populations, facilities, and technologies. This variety helps you build and expand your clinical and leadership skills faster than you can in perm positions. With perm positions, you are limited to a few managers, the technologies available at your location, and a more limited patient population.
Many travelers find that the adaptability and advanced clinical skills they gain through travel help them stand out as candidates for future travel assignments. Even if you eventually decide to take a perm position as your lifestyle shifts, your travel experience will give you an advantage over other candidates and help you adapt quickly to new facilities and units.
Expanded Professional Network
Building your professional network is another fantastic perk of travel nursing. The managers and staff you work with on assignments can become solid references for future assignments or jobs. Plus, building your network opens doors for future opportunities and helps you stay current with the latest healthcare trends, treatments, and technologies.
Lasting Friendships and Relationships
Beyond the professional contacts, many travelers form lasting friendships and relationships with the staff they work with. Many TNAA travelers have formed deep connections along their travels that continue well beyond the end of their assignments. Some travelers even decide to embark on assignments to the same places together, becoming each other’s travel buddies!
Learn More With TNAA’s Masterclass
If you’re a current traveler thinking about going perm, don’t put away your traveling shoes just yet! Register for our masterclass for an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of staff vs. travel careers.
We’re ready to show you that perm positions aren’t the answer to a shifting travel landscape!
This masterclass is available on demand – register now to request access to the recording.
TNAA’s Unparalleled Support
When you travel with TNAA, you’re traveling with an agency that has your back every step of the way. Housing, credentialing, benefits, sick leave…we’ve got you covered. See for yourself why we’re the number one traveler-rated travel nurse agency!
Join the celebration and start your journey to earning your $10,000 bonus by talking with your recruiter.
