Travel Nurse Tips: 3 Myths You Need to Ignore!
Getting answers to all of travel nurse your questions can be a daunting and time-consuming task and not to mention… there’s a plethora of information floating on the web that can be misleading, confusing or straight up FALSE. So if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with where to start, you’ve landed in the right place.
If we haven’t virtually met already, I’m Sarah Gaines AKA the travel nurse bestie you’ve always wanted.
You can find the story of how my travel nurse journey started here. But to make a long story short… After 10 years as an L&D nurse, completing more than 20 travel nurse contracts across the US and helping thousands of nurses within the Six Figure Travel Nurse Community — you can definitely count on me as an expert you can trust.
There’s a ton of misconceptions about travel nursing and I made way too many rookie mistakes at the beginning of my career which why I’m here to provide you with the insight I wish I knew before I started. So, let’s start with the most common MYTHS you should ignore.
travel nurse Myth #1
Myth: “Travel nurses have no benefits.”
One of the most common things that holds nurses back from starting their career as a travel nurse is the fear of losing all their benefits especially health insurance. But here’s what you need to know….
FACT: MANY TRAVEL NURSE COMPANIES PROVIDE BENEFITS PACKAGES
The type of benefits will vary depending on the agency but most packages include things like: insurance options, PTO, sick time, 401k and more.
As a travel nurse, you also have the option to opt out of the company insurance package. Why would you choose to opt out of the company provided insurance? The biggest con about company provide insurance is that there is likely to be gaps in coverage when you’re not working. This typically means, when your contract ends – so does your coverage.
FACT: IF YOU WANT TO AVOID GAPS IN INSURANCE COVERAGE AS A TRAVELER, PRIVATE INSURANCE MAY be the best option for you
If you’re anything like me, taking a month or two off for vacation after every contract is a must! But not having insurance during time off is not a risk I’m willing to take (trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way).
So if you want to prevent gaps in coverage during your time off, you can choose a private insurance plan that covers you all year round (even when you’re not on a contract). The best type of insurance plan will be different for each person but if finding an insurance coverage is the only thing holding you back from travel nursing, I got you!
You can connect with my insurance advisor here to set up a free consultation, review insurance options and find the best plan for you and your family. Parita was able to find me a plan with great coverage and no… it’s not wildly expensive either! LOL
Travel nurse myth #2
Myth: “New grad nurses should travel to gain experience!”
Travel nursing is a great way to get experience at different facilities all across the nation and you can even leverage travel nursing to build your skill set across different specialties BUT… a travel nurse assignment is absolutely not the place for a new grad nurse. Since travel nurses are hired to fill staffing needs, the units that hire us are typically severely understaffed which means there’s no time to train and they cannot provide the proper support a new grad needs to thrive.
So, if you’re a new grad RN with less than 1 year of experience or a nurse with 1+ years of experience but limited skills, I wouldn’t suggest jumping into travel nursing just yet.
Fact: If you jump into travel nursing too soon, you could end up being completely in over your head during your first assignment which isn’t safe for you or your patients.
Wanna know how to set yourself up for success as a travel nurse? The first thing you should know is that one year of experience is the bare minimum but if you want to increase your chances of landing the most sought-after contracts (great location and even better pay), I talk about what steps you can take in this blog post here.
Travel nurse myth #3
Myth: “It’s impossible to travel nurse with kids.”
This myth also makes me cringe! Because I know it’s coming from someone who's either never been a travel nurse or they’re a travel nurse who’s unaware of their opportunities. One of the biggest benefits that comes with travel nursing is that you instantly gain the freedom to create a lifestyle that caters to your priorities and the flexibility to build a career that works for YOU. With nearly every travel nurse assignment (excluding rapid response assignments that keep you sequestered in a hotel), you have the option to choose company-provided housing or you can take the housing stipend and choose your OWN housing which means…
Fact: You can travel with your 7 kids, 3 baby daddies, 5 cats, 4 turtles and 2 dogs… it really doesn’t matter🤣
But seriously, don’t let other people’s limitations limit YOU. Traveling with family is absolutely possible, how you choose to do it is up to you. Here’s a few things to consider before traveling with children:
Do you want your kids to stay at home or come with you?
What are the ages of your children? Are they in school yet?
If they’re not in school yet, will you need to hire a nanny or bring along support?
If they are in school, is online education or homeschooling an option?
Is your partner able to come with you and help take care of your kids while you’re working?
Want to hear from other nurses who are currently travel nursing with kids? Check out the comment section in my Instagram post here!