The Top 3 Things to Remember as a Travel Nurse

Being a travel nurse comes with a lot of perks. You’re able to travel, meet new people and help patients who could get lost in the shuffle during nursing strikes or shortages. You are truly valuable to the patients and hospitals where you spend your time. With these perks come a lot of changes. Whether it be location, staff, patients or processes, you’re always on the move and switching the ways you approach your work.

The most important thing you can do when transitioning from location to location is to take a piece of each experience with you. Here are some things to remember as you make your way to your next location:

Write Down What You Learned From Your Last Assignment

Each assignment brings a new set of challenges and learning experiences. Take those experiences with you! Your next assignment is sure to be full of surprises, new faces and new challenges. The tips and pointers you learned at your last location are sure to help you at your new one.

As an experienced travel nurse, you might know the ropes of many of the hospitals around the country. You might even be training new travel nurses while you’re there. Remember the questions you were asked and find answers to help the next struggling travel nurse you come across. Thinking about where you were when you first started is a great thing to take with you as you’re traveling from assignment to assignment. Remember, every travel nurse starts somewhere.

Understand How Taxes Work While Traveling

With tax season here and government shutdowns muddying the water, it’s important to know how your taxes work as a travel nurse. For the most part, taxes are pretty straight forward. You should get your W-2 from your employer and any other documents you need to ensure the IRS stays happy. As you get further into the process, however, taxes can become a little more difficult as a traveler.

Your income may come from a couple different sources, both taxed and not taxed. There are some rules you should be aware of when filling both forms. If you’re taking a stipend for housing and food from your agency, those are considered non-taxable. However, the income you earn from your assignment is.

Keep Up With Your CEUs and Other Certifications

The benefit when working inside a hospital or a nursing facility is that they will generally help not only pay for some type of continuing education, but they will help you stay up-to-date on required training. As a travel nurse, you don’t necessarily have that benefit. Staying up-to-date on CEUs and other certifications is extremely important to keep your active status and continue to obtain different jobs, positions, locations, etc.

Another major benefit of staying up-to-date on certifications means you can travel wherever you want in the country. Some states have different requirements for nursing licenses and certifications. Keeping a watchful eye on these changes enables you to nail down what you need before you start planning your next assignment.

Travel nursing, like the need to update your nursing certifications, is always changing. It’s that on-the-go mindset that keeps a constant influx of new ideas, practices and procedures. After all, you didn’t become a travel nurse just to stay in the same position or location forever, right? For more travel planning tips, nursing resources and helpful tidbits of travel nursing advice, download your copy of our Nurses Week Calendar so you can map out your travel nursing goals month-by-month! Afterward, check out our travel nursing jobs portal for your next adventure!