nursing while full-timing

[Clauval]

I'm a nurse & we will be full-timing shortly.
Are there any nurses out there with ideas or expeiences practicing other than in the traditional environments while on the road. Any replies will be appreciated.

Valerie

[Clauval]

I'm a nurse & we will be full-timing shortly.
Are there any nurses out there with ideas or expeiences practicing other than in the traditional environments while on the road. Any replies will be appreciated.

Valerie

[Paul Heuvelhorst]

Valerie,
Have you heard of the Traveling Nurses Association? They work for 3-6 months in different parts of North America as they decide to accept positions. We became familiar with the program a couple years ago while my wife was in the hospital with pnuemonia. We live in a rural area with a very small hospital and there were several "traveling nurses" working at the time. We think very highly of the quality of nursing, and I think it would be a wonderful way for a nurse to see parts of the US and work at the same time. check them out at http://www.nurse.tv/

Best wishes as you enter full-timing.

.....what are your going to use for insurance?....geofkaye

[Isabel Clayton]

I don't know what to tell you. I am full timing and a retired School Nurse and workin g at a KOA campground and doing a good job on clea ning toilets.
Have a GREAT DAY
Isabel

[Medorg]

Valerie, try temporary staff nurseing agencies.. one in Kansas City is
http://reliablehealthcare.org
They find jobs for nurses who only wish to work a short time..great way to spend some time working, some time holiday-ing....for MD's we use one called 'Staff Care'.. there are many others..

[2travelers]

My husband is a traveling nurse for the past 3 years and this past Feb we became first time RV owners and are full timing.
He gets a contract for 13 weeks and sometimes he will extend for another 13 weeks.
We are from Michigan and travel West to CA or AZ during the winter months... we really enjoy the flexabity to see what is available and will help us decide when its time to retire where we want to settle down at.
With this contact he also gets insurance -so there are possabitities to use your skills... the travel companies do reguire that you have atleast 1-2 years experience in hospitals before you travel.

[rvarchers]

I know this is an old post and by now you have probably been on the road for quite some time and have your own experiences. If so I would be interested to hear about them.
As for me, I've been travel nursing since Jan. of 2005. Instead of working through an agency I contract directly with the hospital. If you don't need insurance this is a great way to go. Without a middle man I get paid more and the hospital benefits by not having to pay an agency.Good for both parties. I am currently spending my third winter in AZ and have plans to go back to MI for a second stint at University of MI working through their in-house agency as a temporary worker. Of course this limits my travel but I love it. If you're ever in an area where there is a hospital that has seasonal contracts, and you don't need insurance give it a try. I love being an actual employee of the hospital.
I'd love to hear what others are doing. Someday I'd like to do consulting or anything else nurses do when they're too old for the clinical setting. (And that time is fast approaching for me.)

[hrhuggie]

rvarchers,
yep... old post but sometimes those are the best.

When looking for a hospital that has its on "in house registry" be aware that sometimes they pay better and sometimes not. I worked in admin for a moderate size hospital in so cal for a number of years and we formed our own "in house registry" and as you said we liked it because we paid less and the RN liked it because she/he was paid more (eliminate the middleman). As an administrator I liked it because there was more "control" over the quality of work (didnt like the work someone was doing you could work with them instead of just "do not send back" to the agency.

I retired after 30 years in nursing and never regretted a minute of it... I think you have the right idea, travel and enjoy your great job! As for "too old for the clinical setting" you could consider home care or hospice, the physical demands are less and you get the opportunity to work with the same great patients in their home. I worked my final 10 years in a home health setting the last two in the clinical area after being DON

Hugh