Tips for Making Your Temporary Housing Feel More Like Home
As a travel nurse, you’re used to being on the road. While everyone goes about it a little differently when it comes to moving and packing, there is one thing that most travel nurses have in common: you have to pack light. You may have seen our tips for finding housing or how to pack, but with the cold months approaching we want to talk about feeling cozy and comfortable in your temporary housing.
Making your temporary housing feel cozy is so important, especially in the midst of a pandemic when we’re spending a lot of time at home. Home should be a place where you feel most comfortable. With these simple tips, you’ll be snuggling up in a homey environment in no time.
Plants
Who can deny that a plant suddenly transforms a space. They naturally filter air pollutants, they’re calming, stress-relieving, and overall provide a wonderful mood boost. Plants can absorb harmful gases through the pores in their leaves, filtering the air in your room. Keep an eye on our blog later this month for a guide to which plants are the best, but for now to keep it simple here are some of the easiest plants to keep alive while traveling from place to place: succulents, snake plant, and aloe vera.
Blankets
As children, everyone had their favorite blanky. It brought comfort, safety, and familiarity. It doesn’t hurt adults to have a favorite blanket that you keep with you to snuggle up with. A nice blanket, whether it be a fun fleece print that you love, something your grandma handknitted for you, or just something so soft you can’t resist, is a guaranteed way to cozy up a space and make it feel more like home.
Candles
Did you know candles can increase focus, improve your mood, and even help you remember positive memoreis? Finding a scent that is familiar and reminds you of home is the perfect way to transform any sort of temporary housing you may be staying in into your home. Plus, there’s no better way to set the mood for an evening of relaxation after a long shift.
Photos
We can’t forget photos! Nothing beats a photo of a pleasant memory to boost your mood. Print up a handful of your most favorite moments that have been captured and bring them with you on all of your placements. You can hang them on a wall, spread them out on a dresser, or even just have them sitting in a stack on your bed side table. These physical momentos will bring you joy when you need it most. 
Art
While some people may find it a bit extreme to travel with art, it can actually be the key to transforming a space. Find one or two pieces of art that you love – a print by your favorite illustrator, an old movie poster you found at a flea market, something that used to hang in your childhood home. When you go from place to place, find a new spot for your art and it will feel right at home and provide a sense of consistency and familiarity.
Ready to embark on your next adventure? Vist Stability Healthcare to book a travel nursing placement today!
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Job Highlight: NICU
There’s nothing easy about being a nurse – you knew that going into nursing school, or you learned it quickly when you had your first practical experience. And while being a nurse in any capacity has its challenges, being a NICU, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse may be one of the hardest subsets of nursing there is.
We don’t say that to discourage you – fifteen percent of the people you know were NICU babies, and would not be here today without the help of NICU nurses.
Here’s what to expect, both realistically and emotionally, when signing up to be a NICU travel nurse.
NICU Nurse Hours
When it comes to shifts and work schedules, NICU nurses are not unique. They have the same long hours as other nursing sub-specialties, and often have to work nights, holidays, and weekends.
With that said, those long shifts allow you to really get to know each (tiny!) patient, their families and provide the level of care that parents of NICU babies remember for a lifetime to come.
The Salary
Salaries depend on where you are, what hospital you work at, what you’re willing to do as a nurse (like travel!), and state taxes. That said, the average salary estimate for a NICU nurse is between $50,000 – $80,000 a year.
That’s more than enough to pay off your nursing school loans if you budget well – and that doesn’t include the benefits.
Essentially your job is to provide hope and save lives, which in the end, is priceless.
Emotional Considerations
While being a nurse will always involve some level of grief, including coaching your patients through their own, being a NICU nurse has a higher level of emotional turmoil than say, a general clinic nurse does.
Not only will you have to see the suffering and illness of tiny babies, but as one nurse says, you have to watch every parent grieve the idea that they’re not going to have the quick delivery and coming-home experience they were imagining with their baby.
It can also be harder to see those infant patients pass away, as they had such a short and unlived life. Each day is truly an emotional roller coaster.
You’ll Be a Ray of Hope
Not all NICU journeys are bad. Yes, no parent wants their child to have to be in the NICU, but there are plenty of happy stories – even miracles – that you’ll get to experience alongside your patients. Many NICU parents remember their nurse’s names for the rest of their lives, which shows that you can truly make a difference in the world!
Finding the Perfect NICU Nurse Position
If none of that scares you, but rather excites you, then you’re the perfect fit to become a NICU nurse. Want to still keep a sense of adventure while being a nurse, providing for yourself, and paying off student loans?
Look into travel nursing! Our agency will work with you from step one (learning what travel nursing is), to finding you a job, to making sure you get paid what you deserve.
Search our site to take the next step in your nursing career, today!
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A Fall Day Off in NYC
Are you currently working in or around NYC? Do you want some inspiration for your next placement? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, then this article is for you! Here are our top November activities in and around NYC:
Wander Around a Museum
Just in time for fall, most museums are reopening with additional COVID guidelines and limited capacity. Don’t miss some of our favorite exhibits, “The Nature of Color” at the American Museum of Natural History and “Studio 54: Night Magic” at the Brooklyn Museum. Tip: make you book a reservation ahead of time!
Visit Storm King Art Center
Hop on the Metro-North or drive a car about an hour north of NYC to visit Storm King Art Center – an outdoor sculpture museum sprawled across several acres of land. Take a look at one of their current featured exhibits, “Outlooks” by Martha Tuttle, which “comprises a series of human-made stone stacks or cairns, built of boulders gathered at Storm King, and molded glass and carved marble stones, which the artist created by hand during the winter and spring of 2020.”
Explore Central Park
The iconic Central Park is at it’s prime in the fall. With the leaves changing, the park is a glorious fall escape from city life. Pack a picnic and make it a day-long excursion or spend multiple trips exploring the 840 acres that make up the park.
Take A Drive
Once you get out of the city, New York is filled with scenic tree-filled routes. Make your best fall playlist, hop in the car, and go explore upstate New York. While apple picking season has mostly come to an end, there are still lots of farms and shops you can stop at along the way.
Scope Out Vintage Finds
With the cold just around the corner, you’ll want to cozy up your space. Spend the day browsing vintage shops to find little pieces that make your place feel warm and comforting. Take a look at Mother of Junk in Williamsburg and Dobbin St. Vintage Co-op in Greenpoint. Keep an eye on our blog later this month for some tips on how to cozy up your space!
See a Drive-In Movie
While not many good things came from COVID, one positive is the increase in outdoor movies. Cuddling up with your favorite blanket and a surplus of snacks to watch a movie under the stars has never sounded so good. Check out Skyline Drive-In in Greenpoint or the Belair in Astoria. If neither of those work, there are locations across all of 5 boroughs.
Discover the Botanical Gardens
Head to the Bronx’s for The New York Botanical Gardens. You’ll see a collection of roses, daylilies, hydrangeas, water lilies, and lotuses, and more. If you can’t make it, you can explore their online exhibits like “Black Botany: The Nature of Black Experience, which seeks to acknowledge the complex relationship between enslaved Black people, nature, and the colonial environment and reconsider the conscious omission of Black knowledge of the natural world.”
Nurses Guide to Properly Preparing for Retirement
Travel nursing is a rewarding career and many individuals choose it for a variety of reasons. Like most health professionals, nurses spend the majority of their time taking care of others and not themselves.
However, if you are a travel nurse, it’s essential to start retirement planning as soon as possible. At the end of your time in the workforce, you want to make sure that you have enough funds to enjoy your retirement after many years of hard work and dedication to patients.
With that said, if you’re looking for retirement resources, this article is for you. Continue reading to learn more about nurse retirement and what you can do to secure your future finances.
Understand Your 401k Options
When it comes to retirement planning, one of the primary problems that travel nurses face is setting up a 401k. As you know, travel nursing usually involves working for various employers, which makes setting up a 401k difficult.
Since travel nursing isn’t a conventional job, some companies may not offer investment plans. Thankfully, nurses who work through Stability Healthcare don’t have to worry about that.
Once you’ve worked with us for one year, we’ll provide you with the details on our 401k plan and how you can enroll through our partner ADP. We have an incredible selection for you to choose from and we want all of our employees to secure their monetary future.
Retirement Planning for Travel Nurses
Now that you know that we offer 401K plan options to our employees, you can take the proper steps towards implementing your retirement financial planning.
Although we require one year of work before you can enroll into our 401k, there are other things you can do to ensure that you are protected financially. Below are a few suggestions:
Save 15% of Your Income
Even without a 401k, there are ways that you can jump-start your retirement planning. One of the smartest things to do as an employee is to pay yourself. Saving 15% of your income ensures that you’re putting away a nice nest egg.
In addition to a 401k, using a Roth IRA allows you to invest money that grows tax-free. The good news is, you won’t be taxed once you take the money out for retirement either.
Your objective should be to continually invest for retirement, even while you concentrate on other financial obligations— like paying off your mortgage. By implementing financial strategies that work in conjunction with one other, you can create a stress-free life after nurse retirement. Therefore, after 20 to 30 years of working, you could have a home that is paid for and a hefty retirement savings.
Tax-Deferred Retirement Plan: Yes or No?
When starting your nurse retirement plan, one of the primary decisions you’ll have to make is whether or not you want a tax-deferred benefit. Basically, Tax-deferred means that you won’t pay taxes on your income right now.
However, you will have to pay them on the funds once you withdraw it. It’s a big decision to make, but it’s one that you’ll have to choose carefully. If you believe you are in a position to pay taxes right now, then do so. That way you won’t have to pay the money after retirement.
On the other hand, if you have lots of financial obligations, you might benefit from saving money on paying taxes and waiting until you have a larger lump sum after retirement.
Retirement Financial Planning: Invest Long-Term
Retirement planning takes a lot of patience and willpower. One of the biggest challenges individuals face when trying to secure their financial future is the impulse to withdraw money from their 401k.
Things happen in life, and when they do most people panic and become riddled with fear and anxiety. In this state of mind, you might decide to pull all the money out of your 401k, which interrupts the consistency of your retirement planning.
It’s important to remember that investing is a marathon, not a sprint. So before you go tampering with your retirement money, make sure you have other savings funds set aside to help you in case of a financial emergency occurs.
Monetary difficulties are examples of situations when saving 15% of your income comes in handy.
Use Professionals to Help With Nurse Retirement
Sometimes it helps to have an expert financial advisor to assist you with your retirement planning. One of the biggest misconceptions is that financial professionals are only helpful to individuals with large salaries. However, people of all tax brackets can benefit greatly from a monetary advisor.
If investing and retirement planning is too big of a task, let an expert assist you. By doing so, you can ensure that you’re set at the end of your working years. Plus, it’ll provide you with someone who holds you accountable.
A financial professional can also offer tips on what you can do in the event of a monetary setback.
Travel Nursing Made Easy
Retirement planning is essential for securing your financial future. But if you’re at a crossroads in your career and need to find your next nursing job, Stability Healthcare can help.
Our free job search platform allows you to view jobs that pay your preferred rate. You’ll get interviews quicker through our platform and begin a rewarding travel nursing assignment in no time.
For questions about our services, feel free to call 855-742 4767. Also, check out our nursing reviews to learn more about how we’ve helped other travel nurses.
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6 Face Masks Every Nurse Should Know About
Wearing a face mask at work all day long has become a glum, dreaded reality for everyone, but especially for nurses. While some ERs and ICUs might require you to wear the masks they give you, a lot of hospitals and clinics are loosening to allow staff to bring in their own masks. So as we’re finally getting used to breathing through fabric all day, it’s time to invest in a mask like you would a good stethoscope or a good set of scrubs. You want a mask that’s breathable and that stays in place while you’re talking to patients (if you’re having to pull it up all day, what’s the point, right?). You want your mask to offer you the greatest level of protection, both for yourself and the people around you, because it’s unlikely you’ll be able to remain social distanced with all of your patients. And finally, you want your mask to be comfortable and as attractive as a mask can be. Like most things, if you can make it cute, you can make it work.
That’s a lot of requirements for a small piece of fabric, but here are five mask companies up to the challenge.
Mandala Scrubs
Maybe it’s because Mandala is already used to making practical items for those who work in the healthcare industry, but these masks rock! They come in lots of different solid colors, two different sizes and two different styles. They have adjustable ear straps, a wire to fit to your nose, and a pocket insert where you can put filters. Each mask comes with a pack of three replaceable PM2.5 filters, which is a six layered activated carbon filter, designed to effectively block airborne contaminants.
The masks are made with the same anti-microbial fabric that Mandala makes their scrubs with, so they’re sanitary and easy to breath in. And with the adjustable straps, they offer a nice clean look. You can talk all day in them and they won’t fall down your face. We recommend the pleated cloth style, as it offers a little more breathing room than the other style.
Price: $9.99 each
Figs
There’s no hiding how much we love Figs and to no surprise at all, they have launched a fantastic mask. Simple with pops of fun color, these masks are comfortable, breathable, and sleek. Made with both safety and comfort in mind, these masks boast features like a bendable nose wire for a close fit, a slot for replaceable filters, and soft elastic ear loops for all day comfort. Made with Figs signature FIONx fabric with Silvadur™ antimicrobial technology, four-way stretch, moisture-wicking, anti-wrinkle, and ridiculously soft properties, this mask is sure to check all of the boxes. The Medium/Large mask can even be worn over an N95 mask for extra coverage!
Price: $12.99 each
ililily Cotton Double Layer Patterned Face Mask
The Mandala masks have everything….except fun patterns. If florals are really your thing, these double-cotton face masks come highly recommended by stylish doctors. They come in six different floral patterns and each comes built with two cotton layers and a washable filter in between, as well as adjustable ear straps. Reviews all say they’re cute and comfy.
Price: $14.99 each
Casetify Cotton Mask
If you’re looking for a more casual, athletic look in a mask, these Casetify cotton masks look simple and light, but still offer you all the protection you need. Just like Mandala masks, these come with two filter inserts. They don’t have the wire at the top of the nose, but they fit snugly enough for it not to matter.
Price: $12 each
Buck Mason Antimicrobial Facemask
These are made with three layers of thick cotton t-shirt material, but they’ve also been treated with an anti-microbial layer, giving even more protection from bacteria. The Buck Mason masks are unique because they tie around your head, like a real surgical mask. It gives you the freedom to tie them comfortably so they stay in place all day.
Price: $30 for a five pack
Old Navy Facemasks
For an everyday selection of face masks, you really can’t go wrong with Old Navy. They offer limitless bundles of different patterns, and all of them are three layer cloth. They have ear adjustable straps, and they’re SO affordable. You can buy a 10 pack for $25. You could wear a different mask every day of the week without having to wash. Amazing!
Price: $25 for a 10 pack
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Travel Nurse’s Guide to Moving During a Pandemic
This is a scary time to be moving from place to place, but it’s almost impossible to avoid as a travel nurse. It is possible to move safely, though. Here are some tips for settling into your new temporary home.
Choose your moving company carefully
If you’re moving from one state to the other, which you likely will be, your moving company options might be a bit limited. But you can go to Move.org and find out what options you have. Then it’s important to call and ask detailed questions to each moving company about their COVID-19 policies. How often are they monitoring the health of their crew members? What kind of supplies, including face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers, are being made available to movers on a daily basis?
Also ask them about paperwork. If you’ve ever moved before, you know there are a myriad of things you need to sign before you get going. But in the time of Coronavirus, it can be risky to sign all the documents you need in person. Ask your moving company if it’s possible to switch all your transactions to virtual, including virtual quotes.
Buy all the supplies you need ahead of time
Your moving supply checklist has gotten a little longer during the pandemic. Make one big trip to the store a week before you move to make sure you have everything you need. This should include lots of cleaning supplies. You can also order boxes and tape online now at a number of retailers and Amazon. You can use this neat packing calculator to figure out how many boxes you need based on what you’re moving.
Clean as you pack and pack ahead
Packing is a hellish experience where you realize you have way too much stuff and you also realize you haven’t cleaned half of that stuff since you moved the last time. Now it’s even more important to clean and disinfect everything. So as you’ve gathered all your things into one place, what better time to wipe all of them down and make sure they’re clean? You also shouldn’t procrastinate with packing if you want to be extra cautious while moving. Coronavirus can live on cardboard boxes for up to 24 hours. So to be courteous to your movers, make sure you have everything packed and untouched for at least a day before your movers arrive.
Put everything in boxes or plastic
Although you’ll probably want to be extra careful and sanitize all of your belongings again when you move into your new home, you’ll still make it a whole lot easier on yourself if everything you own has a barrier between it and the stranger picking it up. Put everything you can in boxes, and if you have furniture or larger items that won’t fit in boxes, at least wrap it in plastic you can throw away afterward.
Also, be sure not to use recycled or borrowed boxes. It might be environmentally friendly, but as we said earlier, coronavirus can live on cardboard for a long time.
Plan for unpacking on your own
While before, your moving company would usually unpack your belongings for you, now that seems like a risky move. That means you’re on your own in the unpacking process. And since you’ll likely be moving to a new placement where you don’t know anyone, it’s time to mentally prepare yourself for unpacking alone. This doesn’t have to be a painful process if you 1) give yourself the proper amount of time off work to make it happen 2) make it fun! Install your TV and your speakers first so you can have some entertainment while you’re working. Have a pizza and a bottle of wine delivered to your new digs and give yourself the treats that you usually promise to friends in exchange for their moving help. It’s all on you which means all the pizza is YOURS.
You got this. The key is disinfecting everything, keeping the talking and in-person interacting to a minimum, and finding enjoyment in being self-sufficient.
Ready to pack and move to your next placement? Check out all the cities you can go under Stability’s website here.
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The Ultimate Guide to Men’s Scrubs
Are you wondering where you can find the best men’s scrubs? When it comes to finding the best scrubs, you want to find something that is comfortable, durable, and well fitted.
Keep reading for our guide to the best places to get men’s scrubs so that you can find the best option for you. Find the quality scrubs you’re looking for today.
Cherokee
Cherokee’s Workwear Professional line is a great option for scrubs made of quality fabric. Their men’s scrubs are lightweight, allowing for breathability and are also stretchy for some flexibility. This fabric is made with anti-wrinkle materials so that you can look your best even after long hours.
These scrubs also offer a fantastic fit, as they aren’t too tight or too baggy in certain areas. This allows for a tailored fit that is still comfortable for all-day mobility.
Figs
Figs Chisec scrubs for men are made to be durable without sacrificing comfortability. This is a highly functional scrub option that has 10 pocket compartments to help you keep all of your gear on you when needed. This option is one of the most contemporary and stylish on the market.
Carhartt
Check out the men’s Carhartt Utility Scrub for a scrub that will last. The scrub’s fabric blend allows for ventilation while working to stand strong against wearing and tearing.
This is a great option for someone who wants a great scrub in a variety of different colors, as they offer 12 different tones. They also feature a longer back length to help keep you covered when bending down during the workday.
Dagacci
Dagacci Scrubs for men has eight pockets and is built with functionality and comfort in mind. The waist on the scrub set bottoms has an elastic band and drawstring so that they will stay put while you’re busy throughout the day. This is an affordable brand that offers awesome color choices.
M&M
Consider M&M’s scrubs for men for a design made with tailoring men in mind. This allows for a clean fit that will still allow for mobility.
With eight pockets, you can organize your items instead of fishing around for them. This is a long-lasting option that will resist wear and tear, all for a low cost.
Amazon
If you’re looking for an option that can get delivered to your doorstep in days, check out Amazon Essentials men’s scrub. There are 15 masculine color options for whatever your preferences may be. They have a great fit and feel using quality fabrics, and feature 9 pockets.
The Best Places to Purchase Men’s Scrubs
When you’re on the go as a travel nurse, you may need to find reliable, comfortable scrubs, fast. When looking for men’s scrubs, check out these options to see what style type fits your unique needs and preferences. Make sure your scrubs work for you by finding options made of quality materials that allow for a great fit, comfort, and durability.
Are you hoping to find your next travel nursing assignment? Use our site to find the best assignments out there.
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Want a Career in Travel Nursing? Studying Tips for the NCLEX
Only about two-thirds of participants pass the NCLEX. With all of the content that is shown on that exam, this statistic shouldn’t come as too much of a shock.
However, if you want a career in travel nursing, you need to pass this exam.
If you’re worried about passing the NCLEX or just want some study tips, keep reading. We have the best tips and tricks for taking and passing the NCLEX exam. Just keep reading.
Cater Your Studying to Your Learning Style
You need to cater to your learning style while you’re studying. This is the best way to soak up as much information as possible.
Be sure that you take the time to understand what your learning style is. Take some time to think about how you’ve learned well in the past.
For example, you may remember your Latin conjugations from high school because you made songs to learn them. If so, you’re probably a musical learner. Use songs and rhymes to learn new information.
Whatever your learning style is, cater towards it. Don’t cut yourself short and think that reading is enough. If you aren’t an auditory learner, you aren’t helping yourself.
Start Earlier Rather Than Later
The earlier you start studying for the exam, the better off you’ll be. If you start the week before, you’re not likely to have much success on the exam.
You want to give yourself the most amount of time possible to study for the NCLEX, especially if you have multiple subjects that you’re feeling weak in.
Many students make a study schedule the semester before they start studying for the exam, just to ensure that they know exactly what they’re going to be doing well in advance. It’s also important to schedule the exam around studying for class.
Look Over Past Exams
Your nursing professors likely formed your exams similarly to the NCLEX. Many nursing professors do this to make sure that you’re studying for the NCLEX while you’re studying for their exams.
Looking over those exams can remind you of how your professors phrased the questions and answers. You can refresh your memory as to how some questions may have tripped you up in the past as well.
If you don’t have access to old exams, there are many online exams that mimic NCLEX exams. You can use those to help you prepare for the kinds of questions that may show up on the NCLEX.
Finding Your Career in Travel Nursing After You Pass
Once you’ve conquered the exam and passed with flying colors, it’s time to get ready for your career in travel nursing. Finding a job after all of that studying shouldn’t be more stressful than the exam itself.
If you’re looking to find a career in travel nursing, you can use our search engine on our home page. You can also use our travel nursing resources if you need help with finding housing, financing, and more.
We wish you luck with your exam and your future career in travel nursing. You can do this!
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What Nursing Specialty Is Right for Me?
The United States is home to 3.8 million registered nurses. Of these current RNs, almost 85% practice their profession.
That seems a lot, but experts say there is a potential for a shortage. This is especially true when it comes to those with a nursing specialty. To avoid these deficiencies, the US requires an additional 11 million RNs.
As a nursing student or new nurse yourself, all these translate to more job opportunities. Even more so in specialized areas, as these tend to have higher shortages.
The big question now is, how do you choose the right nursing specialization?
This post will give you some tips to help you arrive at a decision, so be sure to read on!
Factor In Your Personality
A survey found that a whopping 90% of people aged 21 to 65 regret their career choices. Many of them admitted that their mistakes stemmed from not knowing what they wanted to do. Many others decided without considering their values and interests.
This is why it’s crucial to factor in your personality when deciding on a nursing specialty. Base your decision on the things that interest you while still upholding your values. Can you imagine yourself happy and fulfilled in that sector within the next five, ten, or twenty years?
Let’s say that you have an impressive way of “keeping your cool” under the most distressing events. You’ve always been one of the first to react in emergencies. In this case, an ICU nursing specialization may be a great fit for your super-fast responses.
On the other hand, if you thrive in academics, then you may want to consider clinical research. Clinical research nurses help create and formulate new and better treatments. This may also be an excellent fit for you if you’re an outstanding critical thinker.
What if you’re a great conversationalist, and you love to meet people from all walks of life? Then you may want to consider becoming a travel nurse. A travel nursing job will not only let you work within a single state; you can move from one state to another!
The most important thing here is to choose a specialty that jives with your personality. Don’t let external factors, especially “pressure,” have a massive influence on your decision. Remember: your choice now will affect your life in the many years to come.
Consider the Work Environment
When deciding how to specialize as a nurse, imagine yourself in various work settings. That’s right: nurses aren’t always in hospitals, although that’s still an option. You have many other choices, though, from private practices to schools and corporations.
Keep in mind that there are more than 60 nursing specialties that you can choose from. If you don’t want a job surrounded by four walls, you can work 5.9 to 7.2 miles above the ground, in an aircraft. This the kind of environment in which flight or transport nurses work.
If the air isn’t for you, then perhaps you’d like to surround yourself with clear, blue waters. In this case, you may want to consider a specialization in cruise ship nursing. Many travel nurse jobs also provide such benefits.
Think About the Age Group You Best Identify With
Of all healthcare professionals, nurses spend the most time attending to patients. A study even found that patients spent over 80% of their time with nurses, compared to about 13% with doctors.
With that said, you should also factor in the age groups of patients that you’re most comfortable with. It’s much like how teachers specialize in specific grade levels. As a nurse, however, you’d consider age brackets, such as infants or elderly adults.
Let’s say that you’re always the first person that people turn to for help with their babies. You also enjoy taking care of infants, and you’re very good at it. In this case, you may want to consider a pediatric nursing specialty, such as neonatal nursing.
At the other end of the spectrum is geriatric nursing. Geriatric nurses specialize in taking care of aging and older adults. They can work in medical facilities, but they can also work in the home of their patients.
The Demand for Your Preferred Nursing Specialty
As mentioned above, shortages are more common among nurses who have specializations. However, there are some, like travel nurses, who are even more in demand. One reason for this is that many states are experiencing regional shortages.
California, for example, may have a shortage of up to 45,500 registered nurses by 2030. Alaska, on the other hand, would have the highest estimated RN job vacancy, at 22.7%. Many other states, like Texas and New Jersey, will also experience the same woes.
It’s because of this that travel nurses will always have work awaiting them. Critical care, labor and delivery, and geriatric nurses are also in high demand.
Additional Specialization Certification and Requirements You Need to Meet
Most specialties require additional education and training on top of nursing school. Specializations also warrant specific nursing certifications. You need to obtain these before you can work in your desired specialized field of nursing.
With that said, it’s also crucial to consider how these requirements will sit with and affect you. They will extend the time you need to spend in education, after all. However, they are well worth it, as they will boost your professional recognition.
The greater your professional recognition, the higher your earning potential becomes.
Fulfill Your Dreams With a Rewarding Nursing Career
Choosing a nursing specialty takes a lot of deliberation and mulling over. At the end of the day, though, you’d want to have a career that makes you feel utterly fulfilled. Something that you’d look forward to until you retire, and one that you’d be proud to tell the grandkids.
Just remember that fulfillment carries different meanings for different people. For you, this may mean taking care of people, making them better, and being able to travel too. If so, then you may do very well as a traveling nurse.
Interested in learning more about traveling nurses? Stability Healthcare has all the resources you need, and we can even help with job placement. Feel free to browse travel nursing jobs or by reading our many guides on nursing must-knows!
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Five Side Hustles for Travel Nurses
If you’re in need of some extra cash and in between travel placements, there are other ways you can use your nursing (or traveling) skills to earn a little bit of income. Side hustles aren’t a replacement for full-time work, but they can be fun and sometimes creative ways to make a little extra spending money, especially in a time when everyone is feeling financial burdens.
Here are five fun ways you can make a little more money without having to take on that extra shift at work.
Become a CPR teacher
If you’re a nurse, you most likely had to take a CPR class at some point. Now you can put those dreaded weekend class hours to good use. Check with your local YMCA, Red Cross or community health clinic and see if they are looking for CPR instructors. Coming from a nursing background will put you at a great advantage above other candidates.
The pay for these kinds of positions usually ranges from $10 to $20 an hour. It’s not much, but is a solid, low stress way of making a little bit of extra cash if you’re willing to put in the weekend time, especially if you are currently in between placements!
Blogging/Instagram
This is a pretty common side-hustle for nurses. Your expertise as healthcare professionals is of pretty high value for the average googler, wondering what their symptoms mean, how they should address aches, pains, bruises etc. If you have a natural knack for writing, blogging could be a really fun way to earn a little and help a lot.
The first step to blogging is figuring out what you’re going to write about. Writing about your experience being a nurse or about health and nutritional tips is an easy go-to, but if you have other interests, you might consider blogging about those instead. There are successful, money-making blogs about any number of things: cars, tech, yoga, food. As a travel nurse, it might also be a no-brainer to start a travel blog or travel Instagram.
You have to play the long game if you’re looking to make money by starting a blog or becoming an Instagram influencer. You won’t make a lot of money at first, but if you invest some time and do enough research, you might end up with a reliable stream of additional income. The key is to strategize how to grow your follower base. Then you can start enlisting affiliate links on your site and see some income flow in.
If you want to learn more, here’s a great guide to how to start a nursing blog.
Tutor
You’ve already gone through the trials and tribulations of nursing school. You know the ins and outs, every study routine that works and every one that doesn’t work. Not to mention you probably know the material like the back of your hand at this point. Freshman nursing students could benefit from your expertise!
There are some official tutoring services you could seek out, or you could go rogue and do your own thing. Put a feeler out on campus Facebook pages, bulletins or newsletters and see if any students are in need of a tutor. Your rate could range from $10 to $40 an hour depending on how generous you’re willing to be and how much college students are willing to dish out.
You also don’t have to only tutor nursing students. We’d wager a guess that your knowledge of biology and science might be up to snuff to help kids in grade school and even high school.
Health coaching
This is a fun and fulfilling one. As a nurse, you’re already inclined to want to help your patients live in the healthiest way possible so they can get better. So who better to start clients on a wellness journey? Being a health coach involves setting goals with your clients and walking through their week with them step by step. It can be really rewarding.
You do have to get certified to be a health coach, but the process isn’t too grating. You can learn more about getting an ACE Health Coach Certification here.
Once you have your certification, many insurance companies will hire health coaches for their clients, and there are a number of wellness agencies looking for folks to work as contractors, where you can make anywhere from $200 to $2,000 a month. You can also just start your own business and spread the word through friends and family. That way you can work with your own rates. Whether it’s $100 a month or $50 a session. You make the rules!
Start an Etsy shop
Lean into your creative side! Quarantine is making all of us cling to our hobbies or form new ones. Why not make some money doing something you love?
Starting an Etsy shop can be a fun way to harvest your entrepreneurial spirit. Coming to this from a nursing perspective can actually be very profitable for you. What’s a product that other shops might not anticipate nurses wanting or needing? One blogger sold homemade ID badge holders for nurses and made a buck. The mask-making market might be a little oversaturated at this point, but maybe you’ve found a good hairpin hack for keeping your mask on throughout the day. Think outside the box!
Etsy is also a great place to sell anything creative. If you love embroidering, painting, making candles in your time off, consider making a shop and selling some goods.
If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse, Stability Healthcare is your go-to for finding some of the best travel nursing opportunities in America.
Search for career opportunities, set an interview, and book your next nursing assignment through our detailed online portal. Browse for travel nursing jobs here and find your ideal placement today…
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