Imagine growing in your career while you travel to the cities and states you’ve always dreamed of visiting. Want to kayak Seattle’s Puget Sound on weekends? What about summiting Maine’s Mt. Katahdin? As a travel surgical technologist, you’ll perform the responsibilities you’re accustomed to in your role in new and exciting environments like these. But travel isn’t the only benefit. As a travel surgical technologist, you can expect:
- Flexibility – Traveling surgical technologists can enjoy the flexibility and freedom of choosing assignments in a variety of locations. You can also take breaks between contracts to visit friends and family or explore before you jet off to your next adventure.
- Experience – As a travel surgical technologist, you’ll sharpen your skills in different facilities, learn from highly trained teams, and apply your expertise with new technologies and procedures, ensuring the highest standards of patient safety. And because you’ll be working in fresh and fast-paced environments, you’ll broaden your skill set by learning to adapt to new processes and people, too.
- Career advancement – The experience you gain can open up opportunities and advance your travel allied career. Your time in the cardiovascular operating room (CVOR), for example, might make you a top candidate for your ideal position later. Plus, it’s a bonus on your resume for hiring managers looking for skilled and adaptable surgical techs.
- Salary – The average weekly salary of a travel surgical technologist is $1,882, with some positions paying up to $3,000 depending on location and experience. The more you grow in your field, the more likely you are to land high-paying roles in your dream location.
Understanding the Role of a Travel Surgical Technologist
A travel surgical technologist performs similar duties as a staff technologist—that is, you’ll work closely with surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists to perform a multitude of tasks. However, being a travel surgical tech differs from being a stationary staff tech in several ways. To start, a traveling surgical technologist takes on temporary contract positions that typically last six to eighteen weeks. As a traveling healthcare provider, you’ll fill staffing demands where they’re needed most, so expect to adapt quickly. In that period you can also expect to:- Work in different care environments like hospitals, clinics, and surgery centers
- Familiarize yourself with new hospital and operating room settings
- Collaborate with new teams, people, and personalities
- Assist in on-call surgeries
