Travel nurses are always in high demand. A travel nurse will travel to where ever there is a shortage of nurses and will continue to work there until they are no longer needed. These travel nurses will then move on to another hospital in a different part of the country.
Where Travel Nurses Go
Sometimes, the travel nurse will only have to travel a short distance to their next assignment and then there are times when the nurse will have to travel for several days to get to their assignment.
Working Within the Hospital
Once a travel nurse arrives at their new assignment, he or she will report to the hospital she or he was assigned. When the nurse arrives and checks in, they will be assigned to a specific part of the hospital. However, if the nurse specializes in one area of expertise then they will be sent to that part of the hospital in which they specialize.
In some instances, the nurse will be assigned to just one floor while in other cases, the nurse will report to different floors each day. It depends on the hospital and what they need from the travel nurses.
Responsibilities
Travel nurses will care for the patients just as the nurses do who works there full time. A nurse is responsible for caring for the patient and also help the patient when the time comes that they will require assistance. A nurse may have to help their patient get in and out of the bed and may have to walk with them to the bathroom.
There are other tasks that a nurse is responsible for as well. The travel nurse will have to hand out medication just as the regular nurse does. In most hospitals, a nurse will have to double check the medications they are dispensing to their patients. This method protects the patient from receiving the wrong medication or the wrong dosage and the nurse from loosing her job and risking her license.
Income and Costs
The travel nurse will make a little more money than the nurse who works at the hospital full-time because not only do they have to pay raveling costs, but also other expenses, such as paying for a hotel or temporary apartment. Most of these nurses enjoy their job as well as the travel that comes along with it.
Travel
The nurse is not allowed to settle down in any one location for an extended period of time, which is the downside to this career. However, many people choose to stay in touch after they leave.
Of course, when a travel nurse decides that they do not want to travel any more, they may choose to return to what they consider their main home before they left or they can return to a specific location that they worked at and previously enjoyed. The opportunity to travel allows the nurse time to consider where they want to live, helping them to find the perfect community for retiring.