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𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕 𝙽𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝙽𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚛 It’s hard to believe that my journey to becoming an advanced practice registered nurse is over. I am officially a licensed Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and I am now working! My journey as an APRN has only just begun. I believe that we all have that hunger within us. A need to do more, be more, and feel that we are fulfilling our destiny with the limited time we have here on earth. Too deep?!? Haha. As I have said in previous blogs, I never knew my journey would lead me to this moment in my nursing career and I'm telling the world about it. I was never a writer, but I love to share my thoughts, experiences, and advice about this crazy journey called, “Started from the bottom now I’m here”, LOL. It is hard to believe how far I've come: CNA, LPN, RN, and now APRN. I feel that the journey is far from over and that it is just beginning because I have found a new sense of determination. I now have the capability to do so much more and that is why I share my journey with you. To inspire, motivate, and tell you the things no one else will because some of you do not have the mentorship I did. I want to mentor whoever is willing to take their nursing career to the top. Excuses are not allowed here. I only accept pure determination to be the very best you can be and more. There will be setbacks, those are expected. You can not allow those setbacks to be your permanent excuse to stay behind when so many of us are pushing forward. DO know, you can be your best at the level in which you feel you are most fulfilled. That can be as a CNA, LPN, RN, APRN, or any job. The level of success I want you to feel is the internal sense that you are completely content with where you are in your journey. ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕣, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕠 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕦𝕤𝕙 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕? Where are all my nurses at? What is your goal in nursing? Are you a CNA because you knew you’d always have a stable job in healthcare or because you wanted to help people? Are you wanting to continue your education to become a licensed practical nurse, LPN, or registered nurse, RN? Maybe even APRN? Whatever your reason may be, think of what impact you can have and will have on other people’s lives. EVERYONE can do ANYTHING with their license. By anything, I mean work anywhere. You can work with any patient population, children, teens, pregnant women, or adults of all ages. You can change your environment as well, you can work in a school clinic, hospital, cruise ship, airplane, or for yourself. Nursing has an endless amount of avenues you can take, it is a matter of you finding what you're passionate about. ℙ𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖. 𝕀𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖. 𝕀𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕦𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕨𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕚𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕨𝕖 𝕕𝕦𝕘 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟 𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕖𝕕 - Travel Nurse Missa As for my current situation, it’s officially official. I am the Clinic Director of a Medical Clinic that offers unique laser cosmetic services to the Tampa Bay and surrounding areas. I perform: Botox Body sculpting Laser skin rejuvenation with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Laser hair removal Laser tattoo removal Finding a job as a new grad was not easy, but I stayed determined to find the right position for me. I love that I no longer work 12-16 hour long hospital shifts. I am no longer working major holidays and begging for time off. I no longer have to care for patients that are sick and dying. No more high levels of emotional, physical, and mental hospital stress where I am not appreciated and working with minimal staff. No more worry about what my day will be like and what will come through the door. What I can say is that my journey as an ER nurse over many years has given me a feeling of dread, because when I thought of work, I never knew what would happen that day. For some, that is very exciting and I loved it for a while but 17+ years later, I was ready for change, stability, a calm work environment, and to just be happy. Now that I have a clinic to oversee, I feel empowered and excited to be in a new role that I have control of. I feel internally awakened by this new adventure and not at all dreading the clinic life. My patients are scheduled and I can plan my day in advance. I feel excited to come to work, and what’s best is that it doesn’t feel like work, isn't this what we all want? As we individually venture down different paths, it will be interesting to see where you find your place of content and how long you’ll stay there. This is a place to speak up, ask for advice, vent, discuss, and agree to disagree. My forum is open to all who want to chat about any topic including nursing, healthcare, careers, education, and everything in between. No matter where there this journey in nursing leads me, I will forever be Travel Nurse Missa. Being a travel nurse made me stronger than I ever thought imaginable and I thank travel nursing to my success because it pushed me to chase my dreams and make me who I am today. “𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕣𝕪. 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕. 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕕𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕕.” - Travel Nurse Missa Stay tuned for what's to come! If you have similar goals to follow the path I have taken, just know that you CAN do it!

For those of you returning, Welcome Back :) For those of you that are new, Welcome to my Blog!! In 2016, I left the comfort of my 7-year staff job to become a travel nurse. I was excited and nervous and felt all the feels one would feel when taking a deep head-first dive into this new realm of nursing. When I left… I never looked back… and still to this day, it is one of the most satisfying feelings I have ever felt. Especially, when my co-workers said, “You’ll be back”... little did they know the power this new part of my life would give me As a travel nurse, what I immediately fell in love with was the ability to spend my days off exploring new sights and scenery with my found new friends. I no longer worried about the politics at work, and for once, I finally made the amazing pay I felt I deserved. In 2017, I met my now husband in Florida while working a local contract in Tampa. In December 2018, we drove cross-country to California where we stayed for an entire year. In September 2019, just before leaving California, I decided it was time to start planning for the future. I knew I needed to find a career that I was just as passionate about, like travel nursing. A career where I could make travel nurse pay, no longer work 12-hour shifts, and have off on weekends/holidays. I wanted a fun and stable environment that didn't feel like work. A place where I can wake up in the morning and look forward to going. A career where I can look and feel beautiful, and help others feel the same way, all while making many friends, and making great money in the process. You guessed it! In September 2019, I started my online program to become a Family Nurse Practitioner to pursue a career in Aesthetics. In December 2019, we signed a year lease at an adorable apartment in Waikiki so that I could have my “last hoorah” before settling down back home in Florida while my classes were still online. Then you know what happened next…. COVID…. I was overwhelmed with so many emotions because who knew what COVID was and being so far away from our families made it even worse. After I had FINALLY made it to Hawaii, and due to an initially low census in the ER, my contract came to an abrupt end within a few months of our arrival. I was kindly offered a staff position instead, which I kindly turned down. We decided to head back to Florida to be close to family since I was no longer going to be on contract and we were unsure what to expect from COVID. I worked a local contract in Interventional Radiology and continued my schooling online. We bought our 1st house, got married, and began to live the “settled down life”, then before I knew it, the COVID crisis calls/texts/emails came pouring in. I told my student advisor I needed a semester off of school and little did I know what was to come and how many semesters I’d end up taking off. As I have said in my previous posts, in the history of travel nursing, the pay was the highest it’s ever been! I was able to make it back to Hawaii but this time with FEMA. They booked my flights, hotels, rental cars, and 6X the normal pay I made pre-covid. So I was able to get back to Hawaii, time, and time, and time again. It was during those crisis contracts that I realized that my decision to become a Nurse Practitioner was absolutely the right choice. The mental, emotional, and physical stress I endured during those contracts was more than anyone should ever experience in a lifetime, and I knew I never wanted to live through that ever again. COVID changed my life forever. It gave me strength in all aspects of my life and changed my perspective on my future as a nurse COVID made nurses bond in ways we never thought imaginable. My life has changed forever because of the teams I worked with and what we experienced together. It also made me reflect on my career as a travel nurse, which I knew was coming to an end. The thought of leaving the ER, which is all I had known for the past 17+ years of my life, was not scary at all; I knew the hospital life was no longer for me and that all of my experiences from 2006 to now was the part of my life that I needed to mold the nurse I have become today. You must always believe in yourself and your ability to achieve greatness. You must tell yourself every day, “No matter what obstacles I face, I will be successful”! In October 2022, I completed my last ER contract at Queens in Oahu alongside Stacey, one of my best friends who inspired me to become a travel nurse, and Montana, whom I met while on a FEMA crisis contract at Hilo Medical Center. I ended that part of my life exactly how I wanted to; with my best friends by my side, surrounded by the Aloha spirit, and nothing but appreciation for my hard work and accomplishments. I came back to Florida readier than ever to complete my courses and clinical to finish strong. I completed my Family Nurse Practitioner program in March 2023. Now that I am a Nurse Practitioner… I have been very passionate about wanting to enter into the Aesthetic Dermatology space for quite some time. I have friends who have become Aesthetic Nurse Practitioners and I have seen them thrive in both their professional and personal lives. Many say that like travel nursing, it has become an industry that is saturated. People who know me well, also know that nothing will stop this determined woman until I get exactly what I want. This is a trait I hope to use to inspire and motivate the rest of you. "If you need a little push in your life, here I am, and this is it" -Travel Nurse Missa I have applied for numerous Aesthetic Dermatology jobs I am not qualified for, but I will continue to apply until I get the call. I know what my standards and expectations are for pay, mentorship, a peaceful learning/working environment, and other possible opportunities. Working a Mon-Fri 8-5 is definitely a change of pace from the hospital life but completely doable when surrounded by people that inspire, motivate, and appreciate you as much as you do them. From experience, what I do know is that I can only be as successful as the foundation I am given and by the people who teach me their mastery as if their own success depended on it. This is why I believe mentorship to be so significant, it is the gateway to our future and our ability to increase knowledge and confidence from a professional in the field, we can discover new strengths, gain a clearer sense of direction, and the ability to create clearer career goals and overall have the support necessary to be successful. Being a novice once again and in a completely new space in the medical field is a challenge I gladly accept and I am excited to see what the future brings. I am determined to pursue my dream as a successful Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner. I will become a master of my trade. I will be limitless in my pursuit of finding the right place to plant my feet. I have me to thank for my hard work and determination and I want to thank you for joining me on this new journey. “For those of us willing to fight the good fight to continue to push forward no matter how many steps we are set back; just remember our success is inevitable” - Travel Nurse Missa

NurseCon at Sea has absolutely changed the future of continuing education for Nurses! My first #NurseCon at Sea experience compelled me to bring attention to What it is, Who it involves, and Why you should check it out! “To all my fellow nurses reading this blog, thank you for stopping by, I look forward to continuing to support and grow with each and every one of you!” - Travel Nurse Missa Let me start by saying, “You have the ability to attend CE courses with other like-minded nurses while cruising to exotic destinations!”... Do I now have your FULL attention..?!?! Who would have thought, Nurse Blake would use his success to create NurseCon for all of us?!? A nursing #conference with a mission to provide education, fun-filled entertainment, engaging experiences, and a #safe environment for nurses of all backgrounds to come together to #network, share ideas, and relate to the daily struggles we face as healthcare professionals. #ThankYou For many of you, #NurseBlake has been known for his infamous videos on social media that reflect nursing in a constructive, funny, and relatable way. His stand-up #comedy show, The Call-Light Tour, portrays the struggles we have all faced from nursing school to everyday bedside nursing. So no matter your specialty, we can all connect to Nurse Blake’s very witty and hysterically #funny nurse humor! His onboard Nurse Blake Live show had me laugh so hard I was in tears..LOL! Shortly after sailing away, Meet Ups, helped everyone onboard get acquainted with those who shared specialties which included: #APRN, BIPOC, #cardiology, corrections, critical care, #emergency, home health, #hospice, international nursing, #leadership, #LGBTQ+, medsurg, NICU, obstetrics, oncology, pediatrics, public health, school nursing, surgical, #travel nursing, and wound care. The fun-filled itinerary included: Drag Bingo Drag Show Silent Disco (my fave!) Nurses got talent Nurse Feud (it was EPIC) Themed night parties (boots & bling, 80's, masquerade) Nurse Blake book signing Nurse Blake Meet & Greet Nurse Blake Live comedy show! Karaoke, morning yoga, pool deck games, etc. Here is a list of a few of the courses I attended while on board: Navigating the Healthcare Hierarchy Nursing Scope of Practice with an expert panel discussion Mentoring Relationships in Nursing Exploring Nursing Careers with an expert panel discussion Flipping the Classroom Nursing Practice in a Post-Pandemic World Evolution of Nursing with an expert panel discussion The courses were informative, empowering, matter-of-fact, and the educators fully embraced the present, real-life situations we find ourselves in. I felt truly supported and #empowered by the environment because I’ve never experienced a learning atmosphere where you could truly say what was REALLY on your mind and get honest feedback that was not at all “sugar-coated” like we are used to. I absolutely loved it! We could speak up, ask questions, vent with our fellow nurses, and discuss ways to face problems together. The future of nursing is upon us. The real issues we face will continue to impact short #staffing, unsafe ratios, inappropriate patient assignments, and expectations to do more with less. So what are we going to do about it? Are we going to further our education, fight for what we deserve, or leave the profession all together? “This is a fantastic opportunity to build a network of like-minded nurses, RELAX, HAVE FUN, and ultimately make Friends for Life” - Travel Nurse Missa Nurse Blake has been such an #inspiration to nurses everywhere. He shows us that we can be true to ourselves without fear and together we can achieve great things because "eating our young" is a part of the past! We can be creative and honest about the struggles of nursing and express ourselves through #socialmedia in a way that is uplifting to others. Bonding about what we’ve been through and being honest about the lingering effects of post-covid nursing allows us to open up, lean on each other, and in doing so make #lifelong friends. Think about it, you're on a #cruise with 2,000+ other nurses. Making new friends is unavoidable and finding new job opportunities also became a possibility! No matter where this crazy roller coaster ride of nursing takes us, let's continue to push forward as a force to be reckoned with, TOGETHER! Special shout-out and thank you to #NurseJohn (@Nurse.John) and Nurse Lindsey (@Scrub.hacks ) who were both also on board. They were absolutely fun-loving, down-to-earth, and such an inspiration to ALL the nurses trying to do things differently! We are the future of nursing! There is quite the content coming your way, so STAY TUNED! - Travel Nurse Missa

Yes, I said it! They may not be what you’re used to, but they are high. Listen to someone who’s been a travel nurse since 2016, the pay rates are absolutely still high. Pre-covid I was barely making $2100/week in #California and in #Hawaii $1100/week. YES, believe the facts. We will not be seeing covid crisis pay rates again (unless another #pandemic occurs that is). So let’s start looking at the upside, pay rates are still higher than they were. The current highest-paying ED contracts I see for 36 hours in Cali is $3494/week and in New Jersey $3820/week. This is still over $1300+/week than I made for 36 hours prior to covid. If the #pay quote is still not to your liking, #negotiate with the facility to work 48+ hours. I know many hospitals are becoming strict on 36-hour contracts in order to provide #overtime hours/pay for their staff (I believe they say that to keep the money). Another way to boost your pay is to use the #resources I discussed in my previous blog post, “Top 2 Resources For Negotiating Pay!” Use the GSA.gov site to negotiate your #tax-free stipends. Ensure that your housing, meals, and incidentals are maxed out, especially housing. The cost of living is on the rise, make sure your stipend matches the local housing costs. If you are willing to #travel anywhere, look at all of your contract options. Before agreeing to a #contract your recruiter may be pressuring you into, do not be fooled, many of the facilities that recruiters urge you to work at may be horrendous, hence them insisting you work there. Listen, no offense to travel recruiters, but their paycheck is based on us signing on the dotted line, especially for facilities that have very high turnover. So be careful, that higher-paying contract isn’t always worth the #unsafe work environment that you’ll find yourself in. I have for sure worked my #fair share of s#!% show contracts and immediately knew why the pay was so high… because the contract was absolutely awful! The reason I’ve been a travel nurse is to 1. Make money and 2. Enjoy new destinations, NOT start a contract, and fear I’ll lose my license. We’ve all worked very hard for our licenses, and we should not have to risk our #careers at #hospitals that choose to pay higher-ups big money versus investing in #retention for the staff slaving away at the bedside. What do I think we should do about this? #BYOB… Be Your Own Boss #Normalize travel nurses interviewing department management. We should be speaking directly with the manager we will be working with to see if the contract will be a good fit for us. We have options and we are our own #boss right… so let them tell us why we should work there to help them out and also let our #expectations be known. What EMR will I be using? What are the ratios? What will my first day and orientation look like? How does scheduling occur (if you are a night shifter that prefers to work 3 in a row, this is your opportunity to make it known)? Can I expect to get my breaks every shift? How long is my break? How’s the #culture, is the staff welcoming to travelers? Have any travelers taken staff positions, extended, or returned? Based on this interview, you can take key points from the conversation and have them written into your contract. I HIGHLY #recommend you include your recruiter in this conversation so that everyone is on the same page. Discuss what needs to be on that contract (#ratios, #breaks, or #scheduling) so that if for any reason, management does not hold up their part of the bargain, you are free to pack your things and keep moving! Thank you again for your continued love and support! If you have any questions or need advice, please join a forum and let's chat! -Travel Nurse Missa

Are there any nurses planning to make changes in the new year? Happy New Year to all of my fellow Nurses! For those of you who have been here with me, from the bottom of my heart, Thank you for your support & Welcome Back! For those of you who are new to my blog, Welcome Welcome Welcome! How has everyone been..?? Did you end 2022 with thoughts of serious change?? The peak of our COVID journey is now behind us, so what is to come in 2023? What are your nursing career goals in this new year? What has kept us motivated to stay in the field of nursing after everything we’ve endured recently? COVID really put the cherry on top of worst nightmares. We've never felt more helpless, vulnerable, emotionally, physically and mentally overwhelmed with what was asked of us. So why stay? I have been in nursing since 2006 and my #journey is far from over. I truly feel that it has been my calling to help others and I can not imagine doing anything but care for patients in some way. Some of you may be feeling differently... you may be questioning your career paths, and that is completely normal. After what we have been through, why wouldn't you? I think we have all questioned it and we should. "I am the advisor, freedom fighter, inspirer, and supporter of all nurses who you've come to know and love". - Travel Nurse Missa No matter what, we know we are making a #difference in patient’s lives and that is what keeps us going, right? It’s not our charge nurses, managers, and the hospitals with their mission statements that they've tried to engrave in our minds. It’s the patients who say, “Thank you”, or maybe they said it with their eyes because they were unable to speak. But we felt the #power of what we do and why we continue to do it. Is it just about the #money? Maybe the pay and stability of the nursing field is what keeps you going... And you know what, that's ok too. You show up, and do what needs to be done. But for those of you who look at your nursing #career as just a means to pay your bills and get by, you are the ones who will not be successful. You're burnt out and you felt burnt out a long time ago. Nursing is a career that requires compassion, if you lack it, you'll fail before you started regardless of how much we try to spark the flame in you. The rest of us who still have some #compassion left in us are still hanging on, but for how much longer? We are burnt out but we still find it in ourselves to #care. There is still the compassion in what we do and that is why we went through the #struggles to become nurses. For most of us, we felt the calling. Do you still feel that calling? Is it calling you elsewhere or are you completely content clocking in and out everyday without a say? By say, I mean, a say in your pay, your schedule, your benefits, your feeling of #worth. If you feel complete content in where you are, please share your experience. My discussion boards are for us to discuss the good, the bad and the down right ugly. "I am here to listen, learn, and give truthful thoughts about my experiences in the field of nursing". - Travel Nurse Missa Nursing has recently given me a feeling I've never felt before and that feeling is the strength of change. I have never felt more in control of my #life, my #future, and this journey of #transformation. Nursing has brought so much value to my life that I can not thank it enough. Throughout my journey, I have gained friends for a lifetime. Nursing has given me the #confidence and #strength in feeling that I have achieved #greatness, and the beauty of knowing I have made a difference in countless lives. So why stop now? The true advantage of nursing is that we have options. Let’s consider what our options are: We can change our specialty We can work in a hospital We can work in a clinic (Urgent care/Surgery/Primary/Specialty) We can work from home (Health insurance/Triage) We can travel to different states We can travel to different cities We can care for patients in their homes We can work on a mobile clinic We can own our own business We can advance our career - #CNA, #LPN, #RN, #APRN, #DNP There are many avenues of nursing. If you still have the flame in you but desire change, start researching local jobs or maybe a different department in your hospital. Do not let your feelings of being burnt out to cloud the thoughts of change. WE are important. WE change lives. WE are the future. WE can take "control" of our "controllables". Are any of you taking a leap into the uncharted territories of nursing in 2023? I'd love for everyone to join the discussion forum and discuss their big plans for this year. #nurse #nurselife #travelnurse #live #dream #believe #achieve #goals #motivate #appreciate

It’s been over 2 months since my last #blog post (I'm sorry) and I know that most of my readers understand how busy travel life can be, especially when working back to back contracts then having to pack up and #travel for 16+ hours to reach your next destination. How is everyone feeling about Travel Life lately? Have you noticed the #drop in #payrates?? The #burnout is getting very REAL. If you haven’t, then maybe you weren’t traveling during the peaking times of #COVID! It’s significantly dropped and I know many of us feel strongly about the idea that hospitals could and should be able to pay us and the staff nurses with those high rates from here on out, right?!? Well, unfortunately a lot of government funding was being given to hospitals for COVID relief that required an increase in #staffing numbers during high stress COVID times. For those of you who worked during those times, I know that many of us faced the consideration of leaving nursing all together. It was difficult, really difficult, and I know many nurses who have left the #bedside and #healthcare all together. The question is, is the money worth it, was it worth putting our own lives, physical and mental health on the line? I gained the experience of working with some of the most amazing nurses and doctors I have ever met in my life during COVID contracts. It made a lot of us #stronger, tougher, and more #committed to saving the lives of others. While others have decided to take their nursing down a new path.. How many of you have left nursing all together? How many of you are still fighting the good #fight and still attempting to make your staff jobs better? How many of you are staying for the long haul to see where the #future of travel nursing/staff nursing takes you? How many of you are #advancing your careers by continuing your education? If, so what specialization are you pursuing? As I look back at where it all began to where I have found myself now, I have no regrets. Being a #nurse, especially during COVID has been some of the #hardest moments in my career and my life and I truly believe that they will continue to be for the rest of my life. I’ve gained lasting #friendships during those most difficult times and knew with all my heart that we were all making a difference. Being in healthcare has made me such a different person. I have learned that life should be appreciated in all aspects and to be aware of what others may be facing. We must gain all the #experiences we possibly can before this life is over. My patience has also been tested yet, it still runs very thin. I believe this lack of patience is a symptom of COVID burnout. Do you agree?? Overall, #ER nursing.. and travel nursing has fulfilled my life in more ways than I can possibly begin to say but I know that change is around the corner. We all need change. Afte everything we have faced as nurses and healthcare workers, we deserve change. What kind of change do you want in your life as a nurse, a #healthcareworker, a devoted staff member, a lover and most importantly a fighter for those who can not fight for themselves?

“You only see what your eyes want to see... how can life be what you want it to be? Your frozen when your heart’s not open” -Madonna. Ignoring your inner desire to live FREE & get PAID according to YOUR standards is what causes nurses to feel unfulfilled inside. You don’t have to leave your state to be a travel nurse! Let’s GOOOOOO! #travelnursemissa Pay. Yes, the phrase goes, “Money can’t buy happiness”. What are your thoughts? I personally know that #MONEY has given me the financial freedom to work as much or as little as I please. This in turn allows me to pour #energy into my life where it is needed the most! If you could take an extended #vacation or “stay-cation”, what would you exert most of your energy into during that time? I #indulge in quality time spent with my husband, family and friends. Getting weekly deposits in the account while on #contract just reminds me of WHY I do what I do and I have my #freedom to look forward to. #travelnurselife Forget About Workplace Politics. Do the #politics at work ever bring you down… like mandatory #staff meetings and ridiculous write ups? Being either the newest nurse on the unit or the seasoned one, politics will affect everyone. To those of you who meet the needs of your department without compensation for doing so.. And those of you being forced to work specific #weekends and holidays that you’d rather had spent with family… or playing nice with #management to hopefully get that hard earned annual 3% raise. You can count me out! Invest in Yourself. I hope that none of the nurses reading this #blog (Thank for your #support by the way) believe that the hospital, facility, or company, etc. that you are currently investing in, truly has a personal #investment in you and your #future. I am not talking about 401k. At the end of the day we are all just employees. Unless you consider yourself “self-employed”. As a travel nurse, do I consider myself “self-employed”. Well, as a matter of fact I do. I say this because I have the power to work when, where and for however much time I choose. I can work a 4 week or 26 week contract, the decision is mine. It is up to the staff and management of the facility I show up at to convince me to #extend. If the vibe is off, and I do not feel that it is personally beneficial to deal with the politics for the amount of pay I make, then bye! I am my own #boss in a sense and I enjoy every minute of it. Wouldn’t you?

Pay… Freedom… Decreased Compassion Fatigue... Many staff nurses question us, travel nurses. They ask, “What is it like”? “Is it lonely”? “Is it worth it”? Yes, we love it, NO it’s not lonely and it is 100% worth it. For those of you who have been in the #staffnurse role like I was for 7+ years, the day-to-day just gets exceptionally #underwhelming. Research shows that the increase in #compassion #fatigue has been quite the issue with nurses who are “burnt out”. Being in new surroundings, working with new people, learning new ways to do my job because of EMRs or charting systems, using different supplies/technology, and just changes, in general, keep me more #energetic and overall less drained. Don’t get me wrong, by the time my contract comes to an end, I’m typically ready to get some change because 3 months is enough time to get that feeling of being “#burntout”, especially if you are working a contract with overtime or OT every week. Do you agree that we all need a #change in our lives? Change is great for most and scary for some. If you choose to become a #travelnurse you can not be afraid of change, at least you will learn to overcome your fear. Those who have that #fear become pleasantly surprised when they realize that change was exactly what they needed all along. I am not saying that contracts are all rainbows and butterflies but being in a new place definitely helps. For me, it is exciting. I look forward to the unknown of the department I will be working in and the city that I will be living in. What are the people going to be like? Are they going to accept me from the beginning or am I going to have to kill them with kindness? That’s another issue, always being the new person. I don’t mind it one bit. But how are your fellow nurses going to perceive you? Are you going to get along right away or will they need some time to warm up to you? The best way to somewhat gauge this is by getting #connected with other travel nurses. I have a #forum that you can join to have these conversations. Ask about the hospital you are planning to go to. What were other nurses' experiences? It's possible their experiences may change your mind about accepting that contract. Freedom, you will have the #freedom to work when and where you want. Do you want to work a #local contract that’s 50 miles from your home (depends on your state)? I am currently working local contracts while I am in school. Yes, I am in my home state but no I am NOT taking a staff job because why would I do such a thing! LoL I’m telling you, just as we travel nurses tell everyone, once the money hits that account it becomes an addiction. The money gives us freedom from being tied down to a full-time staff job. Just wait and see. I will speak about money more in a bit. But as I was saying, #FREEDOM is definitely an advantage to this life of being a travel nurse. I took 6 months off in between contracts after I purchased my house back in 2020. That's right, when #COVID was rampant I took off for months while the recruiters blew up my phone every day and night (calls, texts, emails, you name it). Focus on what’s important to you, for example, do you plan to continuously work contracts back to back, or are you planning to take time off in between each one? You have the ability to work as much or as little as YOU want. This also brings up the questions about #benefits. Do you accept the #insurance and how long does it last? Typically if you get the health benefits with a company let’s say Aya, and you want to keep having the medical and dental benefits. You must not be out of contract for more than #30days. So once a contract ends, you have 30 days to begin your next contract so that you can keep those benefits. What do I do? I have found it much easier and cheaper to pay for my benefits out of pocket with United Healthcare. That way I never have to worry about the 30-day rule and also staying with one company to keep those benefits. You can have times of not being insured in between contracts and just have benefits with whatever company you work for at the time. But like I said, I like to take time off for as much or as little as I want and I would rather not worry about my benefits. This is completely up to you. I could work a staff job and put in 36 hours a week. I could also put in those same 36 hours locally and make double what I would as a staff nurse. This now brings us to PAY. This means the 36 hours I’d work which would be 72 hours biweekly let’s say $2400. I could make that in one week on a travel contract and still sleep in my bed every night. Let's do some math (your favorite I know). Local travel contract pays $2400/week for 13 weeks = $31,200 net (money in my pocket) Staff job pays $2400/bi-weekly for 13 weeks = $15,600 net to do the same job! The only hiccup is that for that extra pay you’d be commuting 50+ miles but gain an extra $15,600 net, worth it? I’ll let you answer that one. So we did a little calculating and by now if you haven’t already read in my previous blog post, I shared #resources to #calculate your pay down to the $1. It is important to confirm this amount with your recruiter so that you both are on the same page as to what your weekly take-home pay expectations are. So is the pay enough? Is the pay enough to leave home and travel? Will it cover expenses for food, housing, and gas with enough left to put in the bank? Is it an amount that you are completely satisfied with? The issue with travel nursing especially now with COVID is that the pay rates #fluctuate from day to day. There is no way to know what the pay rate will do this Winter. I mention Winter because that’s typically when the pay increases. You can expect Winter rates to begin in August-September and continue through March-April. Is it important to make that money and plan to be home around the holidays if possible or have loved ones visit you? Last year I worked a 60-hour/week contract for $10,000/week so it would have been impossible for me to fly home to #Florida from #California so my husband came and stayed with me for 2 weeks which was during Christmas and New Years. Making sacrifices may or may not be an issue. In the history of travel nursing, the pay has never been that high ($10,000/week) so of course, it was a sacrifice we were willing to make and we were able to be together. I’ve been a travel nurse since 2016 so our entire relationship involved me being away or him coming with me. Everything depends on what you want to do, what your willing to do, and what amount of money you want to put in your bank account. When you calculate the #income and see that it is possible to take a few months off to be home or be anywhere else but work, you’ll see that the #sacrifice is worth it. So what do you think? Are you ready, willing, and able to take that leap and become a travel nurse? There are other things that I could discuss but these were the main topics that came to mind. Feel free to join the forum to ask questions and begin to network with other travel nurses. Until next time, thank you so much for your support, it is very much appreciated!

Know BEFORE you GO!! Here are a few things to take into consideration when looking for your next contract. PAY is clearly very important and one of the main reasons we become #travel nurses right? So make sure you are getting the #contract you want. Make sure it is worth your time. Do your research and see what the housing costs are. Will you be renting a car? How far is the commute from your #housing to the hospital? What will you pay for gas and groceries? The more you can pinpoint your #expenses versus your weekly pay, the better idea you will have of what your actual take-home pay will be. If the cost of living is high for example, in Los Angeles or San Francisco, you can expect gas and other expenses will be high as well. Don’t forget to read my blog about #calculating pay and resources to use for #negotiating income with your recruiter. 2. Patient #ratios are JUST as important as pay. For those who like excitement in their life maybe ratios do not matter to them. But for me, I want to get an idea of what I can expect prior to showing up. What ratios will I receive and what are the acuities? If I have critical patients will my ratio drop from 4 to 2? Some hospitals do not have ratios. Yes, I said it, no ratios! Learn about the state you are #traveling to and see what the laws are for expected patient ratios. 3. Are breaks important? In #California when I worked at #Kaiser Hospitals I received an hour lunch break and two 15 min breaks. At California community hospitals, you get a 30 min break. The luxury of having an hour lunch break can make or break your day or your entire experience, especially if you find yourself working at a very busy hospital. If I’m headed to the West Coast and hour lunches are an option, then yes, please! It gives me the opportunity to facetime loved ones, and take more time for myself (because #mentalhealth is important) and that extra 30 minutes can really make your #contract so much better. If you work at a California facility that states they allow you a 30 min lunch, you can request a 1-hour lunch. Just something to consider. 4. What EMR will you use? I personally LOVE Epic. In my opinion, it is the most user-friendly especially since you can save smart phrases to make charting quick and easy. Will knowing you will be using an EMR you are familiar with make your 1st or 10th contract just that much less stressful? When you show up on your assigned floor for #orientation it is the staff’s job to show you where to get supplies and ensure you have access to meds, etc. Then of course show you the ways of their charting expectations. It’s easy to hop into the flow of things when you have an #advantage up your sleeve. 5. What have other nurses’ experiences been at the facility you're projecting to work at? Take #advantage of the lovely world of social media! There are travel nurse/gypsy nurse #Facebook groups you can join to ask all the questions. How were the travelers treated by #staff? Were the patient ratios what the #hospital said they would be? Did they get breaks in a timely fashion? Did travel nurses extend their contracts? Were they even offered extensions? How was #management? Did they have an overall good #experience?

Coming from someone who's been a travel nurse since 2016...I know how hard it is to decide which travel agencies are the best to work with, so here are The Top 3 I recommend! #1 Prolink Staffing - #ProlinkStaffing is my favorite company for many reasons. They deployed me not once by twice to #Hawaii! Yes, I said it, Hawaii! I say “deployed” because they had exclusive FEMA or Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts. This means that my flight, rental car, and hotel were all provided (paid for) during my contract when Hawaii declared a state of emergency during #COVID. Another reason why I really #appreciate this company is because of the contracts they offer. Their pay is typically very competitive (#highpaying) and you will never have to #negotiate. The stipends and hourly pay are spot on and I’ve never had to question whether the Prolink nurse working beside me is making more than me. I really appreciate their #transparent #paypackages, meaning, for example, any #ERnurse going to work at Kaiser San Leandro, will be given the same pay package. So, every ER nurse going to that hospital and dept will get the same rate from Prolink which I think is entirely fair and necessary. This allows us to avoid thinking we may be getting different pay (less pay) from other nurses. Which, unfortunately, a lot of companies do depending on who your company/recruiter is. #2 Aya - #AyaHealthcare is another great company. I really appreciate their website and I wish all companies had websites like this one #winkwink. If you have ever logged into Aya’s job search you can utilize their filters to find the right job for you before ever having to contact the #recruiter first. You can pick your #specialty, shift preference, contract #length, and #location, and even see the estimated gross pay based on what you claim on your taxes. If you read my other blog about Top 2 Resources to Negotiate Pay - Now Let's Talk Money!, you could guesstimate your take-home and see if your cost of living in that state/city would be worth reaching out to the recruiter to request details about that specific contract. See images below of this feature. #Aya also has quite the #competitive pay and for those of you who live on the East coast like myself, they have lots of options for you as well. Most companies focus on the larger states on the West Coast (California), but Aya has contracts to please everyone (especially those in Florida). #3 TotalMed Staffing - I worked 4 consecutive contracts with this company (1 year). I would say that my recruiter with #TotalMed Staffing was one of my #favorite recruiters. Anytime I had issues with #pay or stipends they would definitely make sure that I got the pay I requested and would happily beat any #competitive contracts. The only issue was that TotalMed didn't have many contracts at the time that I worked with them which was back in 2019 to 2020. Anytime I was contacted by a recruiter of another company that would offer me a decent paying contract, I would bring it to my TotalMed recruiter’s attention and she would make sure that I got that #contract, with a higher pay rate, and that, of course, made me very happy. All of these companies held up their end of the contract. I never had ANY issues with #pay or #communication which you will soon find out are the two MOST IMPORTANT things you look for in a #travel #agency. There is one thing that all my #travelnurse friends know about me, that's, “No one better mess around with my pay”! Your money is YOURS, make sure they pay you right ! FYI this is not a paid advertisement. This is solely my favorite companies. If this #blog brought any #value to you, please subscribe for more #content coming your way. If you have any questions/topics you’d like me to discuss feel free to let me know!

NOW LET'$ TALK MONEY! Nurses, Let’s be REAL HONEST… Why did you.. or Why are you planning to.. leave your staff job to become a TRAVEL NUR$E…?! THE MONEY…!! So let's discuss this #money of yours! Talking about #pay with your #recruiter for your first/next contract should not be #complicated but it does involve some math. There are TWO very IMPORTANT #resources to use when #calculating PAY. The first is the U.S. General Services Administration: https://www.gsa.gov/ When you visit this website it allows you to search the city and state you will be traveling to and how much your per diems (untaxed money) should be based on where you will be relocating to. Pretty nice resource right?!? For example, you will see in the ^ images above ^ that I chose to look up per diem rates in the Tampa/St Petersburg, Florida area. If I were to take a contract in this area in the months of June, July, and August, (in the left column) my #daily #housing rate would be $124 a day. You will also see meals and incidentals (M&IE in the right column) which are $69 a day. So let's do some math! $124/day x 7 days of the week = $868/week <housing $69/day x 7 days of the week = $483/week <meals $868 + $483 = $1,351/week or $5,404/month Using the GSA.gov website will give you an amount of what your ballpark (estimate) of non-taxable (all your untaxed money) should be. This is an amazing resource to use when #negotiating #pay with any #travel #agency because this is a government site! When it comes to NEGOTIATING PAY ... The most IMPORTANT ADVICE I can give you is to ALWAYS have it in WRITING! I highly recommend all communication about pay be through EMAIL or TEXT! Most travel agencies will advertise/post the contracts they have available in specific cities and states, but of course, you have to get in contact with them to find out what the pay is. So be prepared and do your research first! Use the Gsa.gov website to get your housing and incidental amounts written down so that you will already have the #expectations of what your per diems should be. Once you contact the recruiter for that contract, they will either tell you the hourly pay and per diems or send you a pay package. Now you can compare your GSA.gov amounts from the website. If their offer’s per diem pay does not match your calculations, this is the best time to show the recruiter the Gsa.gov calculations and what your per diem should be. Some people have expectations of what their hourly income should be but realistically you should always focus and what your per diems are too because that, as I have mentioned, is your non-taxable money. Some contracts will have low hourly pay but have higher per diems because the hospital is only willing to pay so much for your bill rate (hourly rate). This bill rate is split between you and your recruiting company. Some companies will tell you the bill rate while others say they are unable to. If you think about it the higher your hourly rate is the higher taxable income you will have and the less money will be bringing home. So do not focus on one thing, look at the pay package you receive as a whole. So when you get that 1st pay package from a recruiter and you do not like what your take-home income will be, I’d also speak to other recruiting agencies about this contract and see what other pay packages they offer. If all the pay packages are pretty similar in pay, that means that you're getting a pretty fair contract. If other recruiters can pay you MORE for the SAME contract then you clearly will take the highest-paid contract! You will soon learn what company is low-balling you (offering you less). That is one way that you can start to weed out the recruiters and companies that you do not want to work with. Another important piece of advice is to not let these recruiters waste your time!!! Do not give them your references and set up a profile, etc., with the recruiter just to find out pay packages! Save yourself time by talking to recruiters willling to take their time to discuss pay packages, especially to compare a pay package you already have. If you like what they are offering, feel free to make a profile with them to get submitted for an assignment. If they are offering you low pay compared to other companies do not waste your time. Some recruiters will tell you that they can't discuss pay until you set up a profile with them which is a complete #LIE!!!! The next important resource that you will use to #calculate your pay is a website called: https://www.paycheckcity.com/calculator/hourly I've been using this website since 2016 when I first became a traveler. When I'm discussing a #contract with any recruiter I plug in the numbers of my weekly pay into paycheckcity.com to calculate what my weekly take-home will be after #taxes. I add the numbers I received from Gsa.gov of my per-diems (housing and meals) to ensure that the weekly take-home that my recruiter is guaranteeing is exactly the number that I am calculating myself. Let's look at a pay package I received and do some more math! Ok, you can see my pay package. You can see my hourly rate, overtime rate and allowances (per diems -housing and meals). Let's calculate the allowances first. The package allowances show $96/day for lodging and $59/day for meals and incidentals. GSA.gov shows that in Orlando, Florida for the months of June, July and August my housing should be $129/day with $69/day for meals. Pay Package: $96/day x 7 days of the week = $672/week <housing $59/day x 7 days of the week = $413/week <meals $672 + $413 = $1,085/week or $4,340/month Our GSA.gov: $129/day x 7 days of the week = $903/week <housing $69/day x 7 days of the week = $483/week <meals $903 + $483 = $1,386/week or $5,544/month This is a $301/week or $1,204/month less in per diems than what we found for Orlando. Now let's calculate the hourly pay rate using paycheck city. Paycheck city is VERY user friendly. In the left column, you first have to choose which state you will be receiving your pay from. As you can see, I picked Florida and filled in my Amount : $54/hour and 36 hours a week (from the pay package). You will be able to select Pay Frequency as Weekly. In the column to the right you can see that my weekly income after taxes in Florida will be $1,467/week and add $1,467 + $1,085 (per diems from pay package) = $2,552/week take home. Add the numbers using your GSA.gov equations and the pay package. Will the $301 difference we found in the per diems make or break if I will take the contract.. yes because I have to find housing. Looking at apartments in Orlando are not cheap. Side note about Tax Exemption: There is an option to calculate #exempting taxes in paycheck city. I've exempted... I think most of all of us Covid Crisis nurses exempted. Honestly, if you #exempt you will clearly have to pay it all back. I learned that you can also be penalized by the #IRS for doing so. I've been there, done that, I do not recommend to exempt. Just allow the deduction of #taxes and get money back when you #file taxes like normal. Nurses who exempted had to pay back $10,000-$25,000 to the IRS. At the end of the day, the rule of thumb is, If your weekly income does not cover your rent per month, you're not making enough! Example: If my Orlando income is $2,552/week my rent for housing should not be more than $2,550 a month. ALWAYS and I repeat ALWAYS #calculate the numbers yourself and know 100% after taxes the exact amount to the dollar of what your #paycheck should be. Like I said before, it is very IMPORTANT to have that conversation when negotiating and discussing pay with your recruiter confirming your exact pay through email or text so that you have it in writing. If something should happen and the day comes that your paycheck does not meet the agreed-upon amount you discussed before signing your contract, you have it in WRITING! If you do not get your agreed amount of pay, this can be considered a breach of contract and many nurses will REFUSE TO RETURN TO WORK until they are paid the amounts that they are owed. Now, this is completely up to you. IF you are missing a few dollars… you can bring it to your recruiter’s attention and have payroll give it to you on your next paycheck. IF you're missing hundreds of dollars that's a huge problem! Keep in mind that the hospital is typically not responsible for your travel agency paying you incorrectly, so if you choose to call out of work the hospital may think that you are unreliable and you may lose your contract. Depending on how short your paycheck is and what you're willing to do to #communicate with your recruiter to get that payment and keep your contract is completely up to you. As I said, MOST nurses take this very seriously and will refuse to return to work until they get their pay. But realistically if this happens how much #trust have you lost in your #travel agency to get your money and to continue working for them while you wait for your missing pay?? You can tell your travel agency that you need your pay by that following paycheck and if they do not pay up you're leaving or refusing to work until they pay up. I’d say always #research your travel agencies and TALK TO OTHER NURSES before you sign a contract. See the link below of a well-known agency: https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/amn-healthcare-services Nurses don't always have the same experiences at travel agencies because of their recruiters, right? Some nurses may love their travel agencies and work with the same recruiter for their entire Travel Nursing career, while others face the struggles with pay and contracts falling through (getting canceled). As a #travelnurse leaving the comfort of your own home regardless if it's driving an hour to a hospital in your home state or like myself driving from Tampa, Florida to Sacramento, California; we make that commute knowing what our time away from our family and friends is going to be #worth it because of the amount of #financial gain we will have. When our recruiters do not pay us what we agreed upon that a HUGE NO NO! So how do you know who you can trust?? How do you #pick the right travel agency for your first contract? Honestly, has worked for me since 2016 is Word of Mouth. If you have any friends or acquaintances in the travel nursing space, ask them what recruiters and what companies they've enjoyed working with. If you trust your friends, you can probably #trust who they receive their paycheck from. You can also join the groups on Facebook like the Travel Nurse Network group where nurses talk about what agencies they love and hate. You'll soon find out who holds up their part of the #bargain and who does not. Just this past year in 2021 I started working with a travel agency and let me tell you they are my absolute #favorite especially since they sent me to Hawaii for fully paid FEMA contracts end of last year and early this year. Have questions?? Shoot me a message!!

Pre-COVID times were much different. The pay was a lot less and travel nursing wasn’t so saturated. So is now still a good time to leave your staff job to venture out into the unknown? I get SO MANY questions about how I became a travel nurse and why I decided to #leave my #staffjob of 7 years. Will, you regret it or hit the ground running and never look back like I did…? It all depends 3 things: your nursing experience, financial needs, and of course your family! As a staff #nurse, I worked to take time off and travel. I loved getting on cruise ships and taking road trips. I never lived in a fancy apartment or had a brand new car (I actually, still drive the same car I've had since 2013 and currently have over 218,000 miles), I just loved to enjoy my time away from work. I had a very good friend whom I had met at my staff job that came to my #ER in Florida as a travel nurse from Michigan. She had been a travel nurse for 7 years before we met, and she decided to take a staff job because she had met her now-husband in Tampa. So, this friend told me it was time for me to hit the road, for good. At that time, I had worked in that ER for 5 years as an LPN and 2 years as an RN (check out my previous blog to see my entire timeline in healthcare since 2006!). She recommended a travel agency to contact and so I did, I put in my 2-week notice and had my 1st travel contract lined up. First things, first, how much #experience do you need to be a travel nurse? Nursing Experience: As I stated before, I had been an RN for 2 years when I applied for my first contract in 2016. Some hospitals required 1 year to 5 years of experience depending on your specialty. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say this, but during COVID many new nurses jumped in with just 1-year of experience, and it showed. Hospitals were realizing that although they needed the staff, hiring nurses with just 1-year experience was risky because of the high volumes of very ill patients and the new nurses' inability to keep up with the workflow. Many hospitals now require a minimum of 2 years. I'm not saying ALL new nurses couldn't keep up, just that COVID was a different beast than many were prepared for. Really none of us were, but the seasoned nurses were able to keep their heads above water better than others. So, I had a going-away party at work, went on a cruise (see above) then packed up my car and drove up to Connecticut, Yes, I said Connecticut! I, at that time, was single and had a dog. It was just her and I. I had an apartment leased so I paid my rent while I was gone and my friend who lived above me kept an eye on my place. I initially kept my apartment because I didn’t know what my travel nursing experience was going to be like... Was I going to love it or hate it... that was the question..? Well, I LOVED Connecticut. I fell in love with the people, the pizza, the hiking, and the beautiful fall that we do not have in Florida. Halfway through that 1st contract, I knew that travel nursing was 100% for me! It is essential to know that no matter how long you've been a nurse, some of us may never feel "ready" to go travel while others feel ready after being a nurse for 6 months. Everyone is different. I just remember my old co-workers at my staff job saying, "You'll be back", that was 6 years ago and most of them are right where I left them. Think about that... Leaving Family: So for me, packing up and leaving was easy. For those of you who have a husband/wife and children, it may not be as simple. I am now married, and we just celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary of which I was gone for 7 months of that 1st year... Ouch.. but we both knew that the COVID crisis pay I received was going to disappear and never come back. I was even blessed with 2 FEMA contracts in Hawaii! One on Big Island and the other on the island of Oahu. My husband dated me as a travel nurse so he knew very well what our married life would be like. For those of you already established, there must be an open, honest conversation in order for this lifestyle of travel nursing to work for everyone. I suggest making a pros (benefits) and cons (losses) list. What are your family’s dynamics, and will you be able to take contracts out of state, or will you be a local travel nurse?? Know the rules and regulations in your state before you accept a local contract! It would be best to consult with whoever prepares your taxes. Since I became a travel nurse, I have not filed my own #taxes. Since I’ve worked in multiple states, it may get a bit messy. So I pay for them to be prepared so that the #IRS doesn’t come after me if I filed them wrong myself. Go to your local tax preparation offices like Liberty or H&R Block and ask them about local travel contracts. Are you able to drive just the typical 50 miles away? Or do you have to drive farther? Most local contracts you take in your home state only require a 50-mile minimum distance from your home address. Once you have this information, and you reach out to travel agencies to see what contracts are available, then you can have a sit-down conversation with yourself or your spouse to see if the options of traveling and pay are worth it! If you decide local is best and it’s only 50 miles you’ll be commuting about an hour each way or maybe less. Would you need to spend money on a hotel for a few nights when you're working or rent a place for the entire contract? Also, consider the miles and gas each way. Other things to consider: Let me tell you about my #experience as a first-time travel nurse, I rented a basement apartment and began to work. I knew no one. My advice for everyone is to show up open-minded and willing to kill everyone with kindness. When you have finished your tasks, ask others if they need help. This helps break the ice... And then you will get the, “Where are you from?”, “Where are you staying?”, “How long are you here?” and then before you know it, you have work friends. Staff nurses all know travel nurses make more #money than them, so showing up willing to do your work but also being a team player is what I have personally found to be extremely helpful to get the ball rolling. Travel nurses who show up just for the #paycheck do not seem to have the same experiences as I do. They have the, "I’m not here to make friends" type of #attitude. I understand that to an extent. If you enjoy your contract and would like to be extended, having friends on your side would help you get that #extension. Also having friends at work helps work overall just be a more tolerable experience. I am not telling you to go try to be besties with everyone, but you know that when you meet someone and you just click, those are the people who I appreciate to make my time in whatever city or state I'm in a better experienced time. There are now apps and travel nurse groups on social media that you can become a member of to meet other travel nurses in your area. What’s always best for me is when I’m in orientation with other travelers and I hit it off with them before we even start working on the floor. Us travelers stick need to stick together! Finances: So, let’s talk about the really important stuff like PAY! The pay was something I became more familiar with after working a few contracts and being taught a few things from other travelers who had been traveling for like 15 years! If you are offered weekly pay that does not cover rent for 1 week’s pay in the travel nursing world, it’s not a good contract. For example, I worked in Los Angeles and found the cutest place in West Hollywood between Sunset and Santa Monica Blvd. The monthly rent was $2,100 a month. The #contract I had was paying me $2,140 a week, this is NET (pay after taxes are removed) which was a total #take-home of $8,560 a month. As long as one week’s pay ($2,140) covers your #monthly rent ($2,100), it is a good deal! Of course, I could have found cheaper #housing and saved more money, but it was my first time in California and I got to live in the heart of West Hollywood! It was so close to everything that I just walked and saved #money on gas. Check out my blog that explains how to negotiate pay and non-taxable stipends!