Travel nursing is an amazing opportunity, it is something Logan and I absolutely do not regret! However, the lifestyle of a travel nurse can feel pretty unstable. I think it’s important to talk about some of travel nurse challenges you may face.

5 Challenges Travel Nurses Face 

1. Time Away from Family and Friends 

Since travel nursing requires you to be away from home for at least 13 weeks, you will spend a lot of time away from your family and friends. Being away from important people can be challenging and you might feel lonely being in a new city for the first time. 

The hospital you work for might schedule you with your shifts grouped together but as you are there to fill the department’s needs, this might not always be the case. You might not be able to return home and visit as much as you think. 

I have been lucky with my assignments that I could request grouping my shifts for the most part, but when I was working 40 hours instead of 36, I only had two days off between most shifts. I wasn’t able to go home at all for my first contract.

You have to make an effort to go out and connect with other staff and travellers so you don’t feel as lonely being away. Having your friends and family come and visit is also a great idea!

2. Moving Often  

Since assignments are usually 13 weeks at a time, you will find yourself moving around a lot. 

You may be offered to extend your current contract, and it is beneficial if you like the hospital/ city you are in. But in some cases, you might not have the option to extend.

It can be stressful, but you should prepare to sign a new contract, pack up, and move to a new city every few months.

Even if you choose to stay in the same state you might still go through the process of finding contracts different hospitals that might not be close to where you live.

It’s a hard feeling sometimes “living out of a suitcase.” We have become expert packers and are also learning to become more minimalistic. My husband and I are always planning our next destination, usually a month or 6 weeks in advance.

3. Working With Minimal Orientation 

Orientation for a travel nurse is usually one day of general hospital orientation followed by two shifts with a preceptor. I am currently on my third travel contract, and for each of those experiences, my first week always consisted of orientation.

Of course, this varies from hospital to hospital, and I have heard some people only get one shift or just a few hours. Logan is in New York and received a single 12 hour shift of orientation.

You have to hit the ground running with very little time oriented, which can be overwhelming. This is why it not recommended for new graduate nurses to travel right out of school, as you are expected to be independent and have a solid foundation and skill set.

You should be confident in your skills and open to asking many questions as you orient yourself to each facility. 

4. Travel Nursing Costs

As a Canadian, the cost to become verified to work in the USA will run you a few thousand dollars. You must get CGFNS certification, US nursing licenses, NCLEX fees if you still need to write the exam and many other smaller costs that add up quickly! 

After the costs of getting started, you have to take into consideration moving costs, scrubs, certifications etc. Your travel nurse agency helps cover some of those costs in some capacity, but you must pay them upfront first. 

We love travelling with Host Healthcare as they offer excellent compensation for some of these fees. Read more about Host Healthcare here.

5. Job Instability 

The last challenge of being a travel nurse is job insecurity. Yes, travel nurse pay is higher than you would get as a staff nurse, but you are not guaranteed work. 

When you sign a 13-week contract, you can get cancelled at any point before or during your assignment, and you will get no compensation. Cancellations can be for endless reasons, such as staffing needs changing, budget changes etc. 

Along with the risk of getting your contract cancelled, you can have your rate dropped at any point. 

I struggled to find an assignment after my last contract. The previous hospital did not extend us past our contract dates. I was planning my life around staying longer. It took me about a month to find a new contract. I didn’t start a new position until almost two months after I was done with my last assignment. 

It is also important to have an emergency fund while travel nursing, as your contract can be cancelled at any time and you may be left jobless. Having emergency savings will help alleviate the financial stress of being between jobs.

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Conclusion 

We can’t only talk about the good things in travel nursing as, in reality, there are pros and cons in the lifestyle of a travel nurse. It’s important to be transparent about the travel nurse challenges you should expect to face during this journey. 

I would not change this lifestyle for anything now, and I love what I do! I am in my third city in the USA now and am excited to continue exploring new places. 

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If you are ready for the challenges that may come your way read out 5 Reasons Why You Should Travel Nurse and visit our Travel Nursing Essentials!