Travel Nurses: Exploring Your Responsibilities
If you’re new to the world of travel nursing,
welcome. This rewarding career gives you the freedom to explore the world one city at a time. It also offers competitive pay, endless networking opportunities, and the ability to build your resume through extensive clinical exposure working alongside seasoned nursing staff and physicians.
But what about your duties—will they differ significantly from those of a staff nurse?
From administering medications and maintaining patient records to monitoring vitals and following care plans, most of your patient care-related responsibilities will be similar to those of staff nurses at the facility.
However, there are a few important distinctions between the two. As a travel nurse, you’ll also be responsible for the following:
- Adapting to new environments – As you move from assignment to assignment, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with each facility and the procedures they follow. One assignment may place you in a fast-paced urban hospital, while another could be at a family-friendly clinic—provided you have the relevant experience in those specialties, each setting will offer unique experiences and policies.
- Collaborating with a variety of healthcare teams – Each of your assignments will involve working with new healthcare professionals, whether you’re assisting doctors, working with therapists, or other support staff.
- Taking part in professional development – Staff nurses and travel nurses both have the opportunity to receive professional development opportunities. However, travel nurses are constantly gaining new skills through exposure to different patient populations, hospital practices, and healthcare settings.
Staff Nurses: Understanding Your Role in Healthcare Settings
As a staff nurse, you play an integral role in your department, whether you’re showing off your skills in a clinic, hospital, or a different healthcare setting. In addition, your continued service to your team allows you to work closely with a familiar group of doctors, specialists, and fellow nurses.
In the permanent role of staff nurse, your responsibilities vary from travel nurses slightly, as you benefit from:
- Providing consistent patient care – Whether you’re a staff nurse or a travel nurse, you’ll have the opportunity to support patients through critical stages of their recovery process during your time in a department. While travel nurses may stay for three months at a time, they still play a vital role in patient care, helping patients through key phases of treatment and recovery.
- Gaining expertise in a particular specialty – As a staff nurse, you have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skills in a specific area, becoming an expert over time. On the other hand, as a travel nurse, you’re expected to already have a high level of expertise in your specialty and may even be called upon to train staff in some cases, highlighting your advanced experience.
- Working toward career advancement – As you hone your skills, you may have the opportunity to pursue additional education and certifications through a clinical ladder program offered at your hospital. This allows you to further develop your expertise and potentially take on more advanced roles within your specialty.
Evaluating Work Environment and Flexibility: Travel Nursing vs Staff Nursing
Your work settings and the amount of adaptability required in your role will depend heavily on whether you’re a travel nurse or a staff nurse. So, let’s dive into the differences between the work environment and flexibility of travel nurses vs staff nurses:
Travel Nurses
As a travel nurse, you have more flexibility in where you go. Since you change assignments regularly, you have the luxury of choosing from assignments in different locations all over the country. You could spend three months in the bustling city of Denver, then find yourself in a small town in North Carolina.
With Host Healthcare, the average travel nursing assignment lasts about 13 weeks. However, if you’re
really enjoying a particular city, you can take contracts in the same area (or extend at your current facility) for up to 12 months.
Additionally, when it comes to your work environment, you have significant input in choosing your specific healthcare setting within your specialty. For example, if you’ve recently worked in a large urban hospital and are interested in transitioning to a more relaxed environment, you can discuss the option of working at a smaller facility with your recruiter. At Host Healthcare, we’re happy to accommodate your preferences as long as they align with your specialty and experience.
Staff Nurses
The working environments of staff nurses differ from those of travel nurses in that staff nurses typically work in a single location and may hold full-time, part-time, or per diem positions. If you find satisfaction in maintaining a routine, you likely appreciate the stable work setting that staff nursing provides. Moreover, working in the same location allows you to form lasting relationships with your coworkers.
As a staff nurse, you likely follow a regular work schedule, often consisting of 10 to 12-hour shifts three or four days a week. Since you work consistently at the same facility, you’re typically required to work occasional holidays and weekends as necessary.
While the predictability of a routine schedule provides comfort to some, it can also limit flexibility in arranging your work schedule and planning vacations. In contrast, as a travel nurse, you have the advantage of scheduling your contracts around vacations and holidays, offering greater control over your time.
Comparing Compensation and Benefits Packages
When you’re debating the pros and cons of being a travel nurse vs staff nurse, there’s one topic that likely pops up repeatedly—pay and benefits. It’s natural to ask yourself,
which role will earn me more money? Equally important is the question,
what benefits will I be offered?
In truth, your compensation and benefits will vary based on several factors, including where in the country you’re working, your experience level, and the policies your employer has set in place.
Generally speaking, however, here is what you can expect in terms of compensation and benefits:
- Travel nurses – According to a survey by CEPR, the average weekly wage per week for a travel nurse was $2,588—significantly higher than staff nurses. As for benefits, Host Healthcare offers full medical, dental, and vision benefits from day one—and we keep your benefits active between assignments if you decide to take a little break.
- Staff nurses – The same survey showed that staff nurses made an average of $1,375 each week. They can also receive competitive benefits packages that typically include health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
Assessing Job Security and Stability in Travel vs Staff Nursing
When it comes to job security, staff nursing provides the ultimate job stability, as it offers a steady income and long-term employment with the potential for advancement in your career.
However, travel nursing often provides higher pay. Plus, because of recent nursing shortages, it also boasts plenty of job opportunities for those interested in a more nomadic nursing experience.
Examining Opportunities for Career Growth and Advancement
If you’re interested in learning and growing in your current role, travel nursing offers the perfect opportunity to expand your skill set. Working in various facilities throughout the year allows you to learn from experienced nurses across multiple specialties, helping you to broaden your skills and knowledge in different areas of nursing. This not only adds new skills to your resume but also lets you focus on a specialty you’d like to advance in over the long term.
In contrast, if you’re looking to advance your career, both staff nursing and travel nursing offer opportunities for leadership roles. With the right experience, you can take on positions such as a charge nurse or preceptor, whether you’re in a permanent role or traveling with Host Healthcare.
Considering the Lifestyle Differences Between Travel and Staff Nurses
Do you find yourself scrolling through travel blogs in your spare time, taking notes, and adding to your travel bucket list as you go? If you live for new experiences and consider yourself an adventurer at heart—or even if you’re simply interested in getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new—travel nursing might be
exactly what you need.
Travel nursing allows you to see, taste, and experience new places, foods, and cultures. It also offers a healthy work-life balance. For example, if you’re ready to book that trip to Thailand and backpack around the major cities for two weeks, you can easily take vacations between assignments.
In contrast, staff nurses experience a more stable lifestyle. They can establish long-term relationships at work and within their communities and appreciate the consistency of a routine.
