Tag Archives: Travel

Travel

Is a Travel Nurse Job Right For Me?

You have to make sure that nursing is something that you enjoy. You have to be willing to travel. You have to be able to prepare for down times. This article explains each of these things, so that you can better determine if travel nursing is the right field for you.

Getting your credentials
Travel nursing is not any different than any other type of nursing, at least when you are talking about requirements. You need to have a nursing degree, either from a four-year college or from other qualified programs. You normally will also need to have one year of experience. For travel nursing this is essential. While most people know if they will like nursing while training, some people will not realize that nursing is not for them until they are actually working. Your may also want to pursue any specialty certifications or credentials, although you can get these while working as a travel nurse.

Are you willing to travel
While not all assignments will be to different cities, you should understand that the idea of a traveling nurse is to move from hospital to hospital. While you may be able to stay in one geographical region, many traveling nurses move from state to state or even to other countries. This sort of nomadic nursing life is not for every one. Most agencies do everything they can to try to assist the traveling nurses. Agencies will often provide quality private housing for their traveling staff. These can be furnished or unfurnished apartments and homes. They are normally located close to where you will be working and are usually private. Agencies are trying to entice more nurses to their assignments, they do this by providing high quality and luxury living arrangements.

Prepare for the Downtimes
It is important to remember that you are still a contract worker. Because of this, you will still find yourself with some downtimes. These downtimes are not normally long, but if you are very selective about your contracts, you may find yourself with some downtime. Traveling nurses get paid ten to fifteen percent higher than the average nurse’s salary. You should always save some money, just in case you find yourself between contracts. This may not happen very often, but any experienced contract worker will tell you, it is important to be prepared. If you find that an agency is unable to get you contracts, others out there will. Keep yourself flexible and ready to change, if the need arises.

Do you have what it takes to thrive in this growing industry? Only you can answer that question. You should think about some of the benefits that are provided. If your spirit of adventure is high and you wish to gain a great wealth of experience, then traveling nursing may be just for you. You can learn more and decide for yourself.

Travel

Budget Travel Advice – 5 Useful Tips For the Budget Traveler

Traveling is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, our finances do not always allow it, and especially during a downturn in the economy, it can be almost impossible to get away from it all and take a break.

However, with some careful planning and a good firm eye on your budget, you can indeed travel even if your budget is not too big.

Here are five useful budget travel tips and advice that may come in handy when you are traveling on a budget.

– Do not underestimate the so-called “extras”. Tips, tickets for museums, drinks at the hotel bar and lots of other “hidden” costs will all add up and may prove to be a shocking discovery for you when you go home and see your credit card bill!

– Information, information, information! This is perhaps the most important budget travel advice that one can get. Do your research about the country you are visiting before you get there. For some, this is half the fun of traveling but for travelers who may be more “adventurous” this may be perceived as taking away the spontaneity of travel. Some travelers love to just go to a place and figure out everything on the spot. While this can be fun too, if you are traveling on a budget it is best if you know enough information on the best cheap eats in the location, smartest way to travel, etc. This tip alone has the potential to save you lots and lots of money.

– Always remember to budget some additional funds just in case you need them. There is nothing scarier than being stranded in a foreign country without any money!

– Use your common sense. If you are on a tight budget, do not succumb to the temptation of buying that “must have” pair of shoes and do not go crazy with souvenir buying either. A nice practical souvenir that you can use when you are back home is much better then some tacky souvenir that you are just going to put in a drawer and never use.

– Look out for the free places of interest that the country you are visiting has. Every destination has its own list of free things to do. If you plan ahead, you can integrate as many “free things” as you wish in your travel itinerary. These will keep your spending down and you will still have a great time!

Happy Traveling!