5 Travel Nurse Packing Hacks
By Katelynne Shepard, contributor
Getting to see new places, meet new people and experience new cultures are just a few of the benefits a career in travel nursing has to offer. But when you're heading from assignment to assignment, it can be a challenge to decide what goes with you, what doesn't and how to get it all there. Here are five travel nurse packing best practices to make your next trip easier.
1. Be ruthless when choosing what goes and stays
When it comes to travel nurse packing, one of the best tips is to pack lighter. If this is your first assignment, it may be tempting to try to take your entire wardrobe and collection of small kitchen appliances, but for efficient, organized packing, less is always better.
PRO TIP: When it comes to clothes, one trick is to only pack from the dryer or the clothes hamper so you know that you're bringing pieces with you that you actually wear on a regular basis.
Think about the things you use on a daily basis and create a core list of must-bring items, but remember that you can also buy most of what you need when you get to your destination. Toiletries in particular can add a lot of weight to your bag but are cheap to replace when you settle
2. Use containers that do double duty
When it comes to travel nurse packing hacks, looking for items that can do double duty is key, and pill containers serve multiple packing purposes. They're great for storing small items like paperclips, staples and small cords and are an ideal way to keep loose jewelry, such as earrings, organized and easily accessible.
PRO TIP: You can also thread necklaces through a drinking straw to keep them neat and tangle-free and then store them in a pencil case for easy grab-and-go for an after-work dinner date.
3. Keep an overnight bag separate
With the average travel nurse assignment lasting 13 weeks, you're probably going to need more than a carry-on size bag. But even if you're bringing a full set of luggage and some boxes from home to personalize your place, it's always a good idea to have a packed overnight bag separate from the rest of your stuff.
A backpack or a small duffel bag are both good options, but whatever bag you choose needs to be big enough to hold a full changes of clothes, your credentials and assignment paperwork, some protein-packed snacks, a laptop and phone and electronics chargers. Keep this bag in the passenger seat during your road trips, and you won't have to worry about unpacking all of your bags just to spend the night in a hotel halfway through your drive.
PRO TIP: Keeping your overnight bag in your car even after you've arrived at your assignment is still a good idea because it gives you an easy way to refuel and freshen up after mid-shift without having to go all the way home.
4. Take a picture of the packed car
Packing the car for an extended trip is the adult version of Tetris. It can take quite a bit of time to figure out how each suitcase, laptop bag and snack cooler stack together, but when you're done, snap a picture of the finished product so you can replicate your setup when it's time to come back home. When you first pack, everything is neatly folded, rolled and stowed, but on the return trip, this often isn't the case. Knowing how you get everything in the first time can cut down on packing time when your assignment is over.
PRO TIP: Save that picture in your favorites or email it to yourself for easy reference later.
5. Review your travel nurse packing strategy for next time
When you get back home after a travel nurse assignment, it's normal to want to catch up with friends and family, visit your favorite restaurants and get in some well-deserved R&R, but before you do, take some time to debrief on your last trip.
PRO TIP: Ask yourself: what did you use the most? Was there anything that got packed but didn't actually make it out of the suitcase? Did you run out of anything or find yourself moving lots of bags to get to one buried underneath? Review your packing strategy and make some notes for what worked and what didn't so you can ensure the next trip is even more successful.
After a few assignments, you'll have your packing routine down to a science and be able to spend less time getting ready for your travels and more time enjoying them. Explore the open positions on TravelNursing.com to find your next adventure and give your newfound packing skills a try.