Vacations-Another Travel Nursing Perk
By Aaron Moore
As most of us know, travel nursing has many benefits—fantastic pay, great destinations and top-notch facilities are just a few of the many reasons why RNs choose to travel. And, let’s not forget about the freedom to take a vacation between your assignments!
However, as with any job, there are always going to be some complaints.. Throughout my years of traveling I’ve chatted with many travelers about the benefits and disadvantages of travel nursing, and the complaint I hear most often is, “We don’t get vacation.” Well I’m here to tell you that with a little planning and a sense of adventure, the time in between your assignments can be the best vacation you’ve ever taken. In this article I will offer advice on how to take a great vacation while still maintaining benefits and not spending a whole lot of money.
A vacation is described differently depending on who you talk to. Some people only consider it a vacation if you leave home and head off to a far-flung destination, whereas others just like to sit at home and relax during their vacation. If you’re like me, you consider travel nursing a working vacation because of all the wonderful places we get to travel to for our work. No matter what your idea of vacation, the time in between your assignments is great opportunity to take a break and relax.
My travel nurse company, American Mobile Healthcare, allows travelers to take off a maximum of 30 days in between the end of one assignment and the start of your next assignment. During his time, travelers are still covered by insurance.
Now I know what you are saying, “Who can afford to take 30 days off without pay?” I have a couple of solutions to this problem. First you can work a few extra shifts every week throughout your assignment. Take this money and save it, knowing you’re going to have a great time before you start your next assignment.
The other way to work a vacation into your budget is to take what I like to call a “traveling vacation.” This is when the planning part comes in to play. Take a look at where you are on a map and then look at where you next assignment is. Check out the places in between. Does anything look interesting? Then mark those places down, pick out the things you want to see or do and visit them while you’re moving to your new job.
For example, when I was moving from San Diego, California, to Portland, Oregon, I took a traveling vacation for a week in between assignments. I started out making a day drive up to San Francisco and stayed in a cheap hotel outside town. The next day I drove downtown and parked near The Fisherman’s Wharf, got some fresh crab, checked out Alcatraz and walked to the ballpark and caught a Giants game. Now to me that would have been a great day vacation, but the fun didn’t stop there.
That evening, after the game, I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and took a less traveled but much more scenic route up to Oregon on Highway 1. It is a well known, small, windy road going up the entire coast of California. The scenery was beautiful and something everyone should see once in their lives. I stayed overnight in a vacation cottage overlooking the ocean, and since it was off season it only cost fifty dollars a night—a bargain for any hotel these days. Form there I drove up to the Redwood National Forest and hiked among the giant sequoias. Then I jumped right back on the Interstate and drove straight into Portland with just enough time to spend the weekend getting to know my new home town.
If you are still worried about money, remember that we get a tax-free travel reimbursement when we start a new assignment. It may take a few weeks to get the money back, so just put it on credit card and pay it off once you’re reimbursed. If you’re smart with your money and have saved a little while on your previous assignment, that travel reimbursement might just cover up to a four-week vacation.
My trip from San Diego to Portland cost just a little more than what I was reimbursed by American Mobile for the distance I had to travel. We may not get a paid vacation, but if you plan it out right, you can still enjoy one.
If vacationing while moving is not your thing, then take some time to go back home and visit your family and friends. I know I always saved money when I went home to visit.
Some of the best vacations I’ve ever taken have happened between my travel nursing assignments. Whether it’s moving across the country or just hopping over to the state next door, it’s amazing what you can do and see while you’re on the move. With some careful planning, two weeks between assignments could turn into the vacation you’ve been waiting for.
About the writer:
Aaron Moore, RN, has been a traveling nurse with leading staffing company American Mobile Healthcare for over four years, and an RN for seven years. Working in both the ICU and ER, Moore travels with his wife and dog and enjoys exploring every city he gets the chance to visit. Hailing from Iowa, he has had the opportunity to travel all over the U.S. as a nurse and enjoys writing, outdoor activities and discovering new adventures when he is not nursing.
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