Fact or Fiction: Top 5 Myths About Travel Nursing

☝🏽 My mother, Vivien Keating-Lombardo, Operating Room Nurse at Brigham & Women's Hospital

‍

Hello Nurses!

My name is Marc Lombardo and as Nomad’s Director of Business Development for nursing, I have personally had the opportunity to learn about the pain points that travel nurses feel from the many conversations I’ve had with our nurse clients. This research has felt particularly significant to me, as my mother (photo above) and aunt are both nurses, and I am intimately aware of the incredible work that nurses perform.

If you’re new to travel nursing, the sheer amount of information out there can feel more than a little overwhelming. Moreover, not all of it is accurate, which only adds to the confusion.

To help set the record straight, I’ve outlined some of the most common myths, along with the real answers. In almost every case, you’ll find that the facts are clearer, easier, and more inclusive than the fiction:

1. Myth: Only young nurses go on the road.

Fact: Travel nursing draws nurses throughout their careers.

Travel nursing definitely has a strong appeal for younger nurses who might want to try living in a few different places before making a choice, but that’s by far not the only demographic. Because travel nursing is flexible and pays well, we also see a lot of mid-and-late career nurses who are looking to work a few months and then take a few months off, or who are interested in exploring different parts of the country. And here’s an interesting point: In our conversations with active travel nurses, many have noted how much they dislike internal facility politics. Traveling allows them to stay above the fray and focus on what they like most - providing care to patients!

2. Myth: You have to travel far.

Fact: A travel nursing job can be as close as an hour away by car.

While many nurses say that the chance to live in wildly different parts of the country is part of the fun, by definition, a travel nursing position need only be least 50 miles from a nurse’s home, thus requiring the nurse to “travel” to the facility. To accommodate for this, a nurse will receive reimbursement for travel expenses and very competitive wages.

3. Myth: Assignments don’t last long and never turn into permanent jobs.

Fact: Typically, a travel assignment is for a 13 week contract, which can be extended if both the facility and the nurse decide to do so.

Some nurses also return to the same facility year after year, which affords them the benefits of seasonal travel, such as a mountainous area during the winter ski season, or to a beachy locale in the summer. Travel nurses are afforded the ability to head to desirous locations.

4. Myth: Finding housing in new areas is difficult.

Fact: Travel nurses are compensated at Nomad to help pay for the accommodations during their contract.

With Nomad, nurses can find the best housing solutions for their needs through our housing partner, Travelers Haven. Our placement specialists help Nomads with any questions they may have throughout the process, which further eases the burden and concerns for Nomads during the housing search.

5. Myth: Travel nursing doesn’t pay well.

Fact: Travel nurses are compensated very competitively, as they help right supply and demand imbalances.

Additionally, you can take roles in lower tax locations, which will further help your take-home pay. By working with us at Nomad, prospective travel nurses receive best-in-class pay, as we use technology to cut out the highly-commissioned third party agency recruiters. We pay nurses up to $1,000 to travel to each new assignment and we also provide a stipend to pay for housing! We can help as much or as little as a nurse likes, and have discounted accommodations at fantastic locations across the country that our nurses benefit from.

So there you have it! The real story behind travel nursing. It’s my hope that these answers can open doors to new possibilities for those of you interested in giving travel nursing a shot. These of course are just a few of the common misconceptions and how we at Nomad can be helpful.

If you’re interested in learning more, shoot me an email at marc@nomadhealth.com with any additional questions you have about getting started on Nomad. We are always listening to our customers, and trying to be as responsive as possible to feedback to build the best product!

Warmly,

Marc Lombardo
Director of Business Development, Nursing
Nomad Health | nomadhealth.com

‍