Many healthcare professionals work for facilities or hospitals in their city, but another possibility is to become travel workers. Traveling healthcare professionals enjoy many exciting assignments, see different cities, and appreciate the benefits of this unusual career choice that you may want to explore.
And remember, according to LastMinuteCEUs.com, you can even get the CEUs you need to maintain your license when you’re working on the road!
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Traveling Lifestyle
Source: fusionmedstaff.com
Many travel healthcare professionals are attracted to traveling jobs because they feel bored or stuck in the same healthcare environment every year. But a traveling nurse, for example, may go to a new city every month, quarter, or year.
For instance, if you love the outdoors, you may want to take an assignment in Colorado in the winter so you can ski or snowboard. If you love to fish, there are traveling healthcare assignments in Alaska where you can enjoy the beauty of the north and catch delicious salmon in your downtime!
You may also enjoy spending a few months in major American cities that you’re never visited, such as Las Vegas, Seattle, or Chicago. Each of those locations offers different opportunities and pay structures. And you get to spend your time off enjoying seeing the sights that you might otherwise have never seen.
And you can see and enjoy these exciting destinations without paying for your travel and living expenses. Most travel healthcare contracts cover airfare and offer a stipend for your lodging for your entire stay. Quite an excellent deal!
Excellent Compensation
Healthcare professionals in all fields work hard, and they are paid well. But you can make more money when you take traveling healthcare assignments. In nursing, travelers usually see higher compensation than staff nurses. This is even truer if you work in a healthcare specialty in demand or do a lot of overtime.
Specific locations also pay more. For example, some places in remote areas, such as rural Alaska, may offer higher compensation to encourage healthcare professionals to live there. Some workers may be reluctant to work that far away from home and their loved ones. The higher pay is a lure to get the healthcare workers they need.
Control Where And How You Work
Source: travelnursing.org
Do you enjoy having freedom in your career? Then you may enjoy travel healthcare jobs. Often, you have many options for where and when you want to work. You can choose jobs that last a few months, weeks, or even days.
It’s possible to find work in a city where you have an upcoming family reunion or high school graduation, etc.
Many travelers report that this job flexibility is what makes the career choice so attractive.
Explore What You Love About The Field
When you travel to different healthcare assignments in various cities, you will get to do many other things. You will experience multiple types of patients and healthcare settings and find the ones that satisfy you the most.
Traveling nurses find they work in many hospitals, from non-profits, for-profits, community hospitals, and trauma centers. It’s helpful and exciting to experience different environments so you know which one you may prefer for a long-term position.
Develop Skills Outside Your Niche
Source: medprostaffing.com
If you’re a traveling nurse, you’ll hone your nursing skills and learn new ones. But your learning experience also will occur outside your field.
Many traveling nurses report that they had experiences with various patient groups and ICUs when they worked in different assignments around the nation. These workers probably wouldn’t have had them if they had stayed in one healthcare facility.
You can expect to see many situations and people, forcing you to adapt to different environments that will make you a better professional. When you look for healthcare jobs down the road, you can use your past traveling experiences to show your ability to learn new skills and adapt on the fly.
Working For An Agency
Most healthcare recruiting agencies have lively job boards that offer daily opportunities to find new contract work in various specialties. Many healthcare professionals find that working with several agencies locally and nationally can help you find the contract work you want.
Contracting with a traveling agency means you can be paid well, especially on ‘rapid response’ assignments where healthcare workers need to travel to an area to deal with a pandemic or natural disaster.
Some locations, such as Hawaii, don’t offer great pay, but you do get the chance to enjoy vacation in paradise on your off days.
Meet Different People
Source: asiliaafrica.com
When you travel to different locations several times per year, you’ll be working with new people every step of the way. As you move to one facility and on to the next, you’ll be able to connect with people from all cultures and backgrounds, which enriches your life. You also can build your professional network as you do your job next to many healthcare professionals.
Many traveling healthcare workers find their new assignment when they’re told about the position by the person they work with in their current job.
Many Incentives and Perks
Some traveling healthcare companies find it challenging to hire new workers. So they may offer perks and incentives to encourage workers to sign up. For example, many companies will pay for you to travel and will offer free or low-cost housing for the entirety of your contract. Some firms will even pay for your utilities. These benefits are in addition to your traditional healthcare and dental package.
If you yearn for adventure and travel in your healthcare career, it’s worth considering a traveling healthcare job path. You can work in different cities and specialties, see new places and people every month. And yet, you have plenty of job security and ample compensation, perks, and benefits. You can understand why so many healthcare professionals opt to leave a day job in one place and hit the road for a new adventure at every work destination.
