Despite the allure of opportunities, travel nursing’s rapid growth has caused some confusion about the industry.
Many companies offer an array of appealing roles for travel nurses. You’ve probably heard that travel nursing is a great way to earn more money, expand your skills, and, y’know— travel extensively. Despite the allure of opportunities, travel nursing’s rapid growth has caused some confusion about the industry. Nurses often go into travel nursing with or hesitate to switch to traveling because of false assumptions about the lifestyle and qualifications. We want to explore some of those common myths and misconceptions of travel nursing and break down facts from fiction.
1. Only young people want to be a travel nurse
Here’s the thing— saying you’re too old to travel sounds like an excuse in our book. If you want to do it, get out there! Age is nothing but a number, my friends. What agencies and facilities care about is experience. As long as you have at least two years of it— you are golden.
Though there is a perception that only the young and free like to explore, the flexibility that travel nursing offers can be attractive to everyone at any stage of their nursing career. Especially those who have experienced a life transition, like kids leaving the nest or a desire to get out of their comfort zone after years of a steady position at a facility. Experienced nurses are in high demand and more likely to be able to handle crises at their facilities.
2. Only single people can be travel nurses
Again, this simply isn’t the case. Is it perhaps easier to work out the logistics for one person? Of course, the same is true of many things in life. However, it’s more than possible if you’re willing to take the time to work things out.
Whether it’s an entire family or a single furry friend, all can take the journey with you. If you plan to travel with family members, let your recruiter know. Your recruiter is a trusted advisor and might even be able to provide solutions for things you hadn’t thought of, like in-house laundry units or the proximity of parks, restaurants, and other entertainment children will enjoy.
3. You MUST change assignments/ move every 13 weeks
The myth that travel nurses always have to move frequently is another reason many steer clear of this career path. Travel nursing is about bringing options to the table. While the typical traveler does take on a new contract every 13 weeks or so, it’s often because they decide to, not because they have to.
Most assignments will provide the option to extend, and it is common for an assignment to be renewed multiple times. Many travel nurses choose to extend when they want to stay in a specific location or request help from their host facility.
4. Jumping across a range of assignments looks bad
This depends; it boils down to how you’re doing it, though generally, many assignments point to a successful candidate. Varied experience can look even more impressive on a resume because it signifies a well-rounded candidate. It demonstrates that you have worked at many different locations with diversified systems and patient populations and can offer a wide span of knowledge. Just clarify your traveling specialty in your resume, so it doesn’t look like you are job hopping.
5. Travel nurses don’t qualify for health insurance
This persistent myth understandably keeps many aspiring nurses from considering travel nursing a viable career choice. Many believe that travel nurses don’t qualify for health insurance or will have to pay for their own coverage, which is more expensive. However, while travel nurses are not eligible for benefits through their host facility, most agencies provide their employees with excellent benefits packages from top-rated carriers. These typically include health insurance, referral bonuses, continuing education reimbursement, free CEUs, and more.
You’ll need to check the details of your contract, as coverage will vary from agency to agency. Nevertheless, at agencies like Blu Med, travel nurses are eligible for group health, dental, and vision insurance like any other employee because they are 100% just as much a part of the team.
Become a Blu Med Traveler
Ultimately, your experience in travel nursing is what you make it. Whatever rumors you hear about the travel nursing industry, be sure to research and find out for yourself.
We hope we’ve addressed some of your concerns about trying travel nursing. But we know you might have more. Talk to one of our experienced recruiters today about how Blu Med can help you go into each assignment prepared.
