Travel Nursing Pros and Cons :: TravelNurseSource.com

Travel Nursing Benefits: Get the Goods

Freedom to travel is, of course, the first thing people think of when it comes to travel nursing pros and cons. Exploring the country is what draws many nurses to the profession, according to Lauren Alston, a recruiting manager for Indiana-based Medical Staffing Solutions LLC. “Travel nurses never get bored, and they get to meet new people and experience new things all of the time,” Alston said. “Travel nurses get to see great destinations – they can choose to live in the boondocks of Alaska, where there’s nothing but dirt roads, or in the center of populated places like Los Angeles. They can move to Hawaii. They have any destination they can think of in the U.S.”

"Travel nurses get to see great destinations – they can choose to live in the boondocks of Alaska, where there’s nothing but dirt roads, or in the center of populated places like Los Angeles”

Travel Nursing Pros

  • Great Destinations
  • Top Pay
  • New Experiences
  • Flexible Schedules
  • Meeting New People
  • Professional Networking
  • Expanding Knowledge of Healthcare
  • Exploring New Places
  • Travel Stipends
  • Housing Benefits

Travel Nursing Disadvantages: Beware of the Bad

Competition is the biggest challenge in travel nursing pros and cons. Since so many people want to take on travel assignments, it is becoming harder to land the job of your choice, Alston explained. “Everybody wants to go to nursing school and travel. Although there are tons of jobs available, the issue is that instead of 20 nurses applying to one job, there are 250 nurses applying to one job,” Alston said. “The chances of getting a job are a little bit thinner, which has also caused the pay rates for nurses to drop slightly. So, it’s not so much that good jobs are gone, it’s just that there are so many more people in line.”

Everybody wants to go to nursing school and travel. Although there are tons of jobs available, the issue is that instead of 20 nurses applying to one job there are 250 nurses applying to one job.

Travel Nursing Cons

  • Increasing Competition
  • Transient Lifestyle
  • No Job Guarantees
  • Constantly Traveling
  • Adjusting to a New Town
  • Making New Friends
  • Making Assignments Feel Like Home
  • Travel Nursing Taxes
  • Licensing