{"id":1548,"date":"2018-04-11T04:02:57","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T04:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wanderly.us\/?p=1548"},"modified":"2026-03-04T21:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T21:07:09","slug":"tips-for-new-travel-nurses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips For New Travel Nurses &#8211; By\u00a0Madison M. Sackett, MSN, RN, Travel Nurse"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New travel nurses can sometimes experience a deluge of emotions when it comes to moving across the country, working at different hospitals, and not knowing people in a new city. They\u2019re all things I\u2019m sure to have run through each nurses mind as they think about the possibility of starting this adventure. These factors are not to be discounted. However, I can almost guarantee that it&#8217;s going to be worth it. Travel nurses will likely tell anyone interested in the experience, \u201cYou just need to do it.\u201d The first of 10 travel nursing tips is: jump into it. Sign up, and start the process today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New travel nurses: know you&#8217;re not the first to do it. Other experienced travel nurses have paved the way and we\u2019ve learned so much from them. I can admit, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I first applied with a travel nurse company. That\u2019s why I\u2019m going to share with you my favorite travel nursing tips. These tricks to ease this process and make this a seamless transition from staff to travel nurse.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_62 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Nursing_Forms\" title=\" Nursing Forms\"> Nursing Forms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Fingerprint_cards\" title=\" Fingerprint cards\"> Fingerprint cards<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Housing\" title=\" Housing\"> Housing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Contracts\" title=\" Contracts\"> Contracts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Record_Keeping\" title=\" Record Keeping\"> Record Keeping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#AAA\" title=\" AAA\"> AAA<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#ZocDoc\" title=\" ZocDoc\"> ZocDoc<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Pets\" title=\" Pets\"> Pets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/tips-for-new-travel-nurses\/#Roth_IRA_Account\" title=\" Roth IRA Account\"> Roth IRA Account<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nursing_Forms\"><\/span><b> Nursing Forms<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the first task to help make this transition a breeze. Compile all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/taming-the-credentialing-monster\/\">Nursing Forms<\/a>\u2014scan and save them in Google Drive or on the computer desktop so they can be accessed from anywhere and sent at a moment\u2019s notice. This step alone will make the transition much easier and also help with staying organized in the chance documents get misplaced during frequent moves. This is the starter pack of things each new travel nurse will want to have saved and ready to go.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Updated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-resume\/\">Resume<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Letters of Reference\/Recommendation<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Health Records <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Immunizations, Flu Shot, TB, Physical, Titers, Blood Tests, Fit Mask Tests, PPDs. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Certifications <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Front and back of signed cards scanned and\/or pictures of them to be sent digitally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Nursing License(s)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Drivers License<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Passport <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Social Security Card<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Receipts for reimbursement<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>College\/University Diploma(s)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Skills checklist <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Typically travel nurses need a skills checklist filled out for each specialty that is relevant to the job the nurse is being submitted to. Not all companies\/agencies give out a copy, but it\u2019s definitely worth asking for one to have for the next time around.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fingerprint_cards\"><\/span><b> Fingerprint cards<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel nurses need to have fingerprinting done when applying for new nursing licenses in other states. This can be completed at a local police department. The sooner the better on this one. Some licenses take several weeks to obtain. Don\u2019t forget to ask for extra copies of fingerprint cards, keep the board of nursing portion blank so the fingerprints can be sent to other states requiring fingerprinting. Doing this will save time and avoid having to repeat this step when applying for a nursing licensure in a different state.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Housing\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-housing\/\"><b> Housing<\/b><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Airbnb, finding furnished housing can be a breeze. Most travel nursing contracts are 13 weeks (3 months)\u2014don\u2019t be afraid to negotiate a price. This is a huge relief for the Airbnb Host to have the place consistently booked. Saving the host from the headache of turning over a place more frequently deserves a discount! Use this as leverage to get the price you want. This is one of the travel nursing tips I\u2019m most proud of. It\u2019s always worth asking. Most of the time the host will send a better rate. Don\u2019t forget to book the stay through the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/delta.com\/airbnb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>delta.com\/airbnb<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> site. Gain bonus Delta SkyMiles<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00ae<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for a three-month stay.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contracts\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nursing-contracts\/\"><b> Contracts<\/b><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pull out the calendar\u2014calculate a 13-week assignment from the anticipated start date. Ask for dates off during the telephone interview with the hospital. Often managers will ask if there are any requested dates off. It\u2019s best to have an idea of what dates you need off at that time. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember\u2014 if it\u2019s not in the contract, you don&#8217;t have any guaranteed days off.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Record_Keeping\"><\/span><b> Record Keeping<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great record keeping is going to help immensely when it comes time for tax season. Extra deductions can be taken. Therefore, it\u2019s beneficial to have records ready and updated to avoid the struggle to calculate them from several months back. A mileage log can be easily obtained with several different apps, but at the very least note the mileage on the odometer when beginning travel nursing. Servicing the car before starting traveling is a good idea to make sure the vehicle is tuned up and ready for a long drive. Additionally, the odometer reading will be on the service record. Keep track of trips taken home while on assignment and the number of days spent at home. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These records will be necessary in the event of being audited by the IRS<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Keep receipts from hotel stays to and from each assignment. Have a record of housing costs during the assignment. Finally, save extra copies of nursing contracts\u2014travel companies don\u2019t keep records of them so it\u2019s best to save them as soon as they are signed.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AAA\"><\/span><b> AAA<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel with peace of mind. Invest in an AAA card. An inexpensive way to have someone to call when life happens, whether that\u2019s a flat tire, running out of gas, needing a jump start or whatever situation that may arise. This a wonderful way to have someone to count on while on an assignment.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ZocDoc\"><\/span><b> ZocDoc<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes travelers need to find a doctor while on an assignment. Save the hassle and check out <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>www.zocdoc.com<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help find a provider in the new assignment area. Plug in the type of health insurance on the site to see which providers are in-network. Filter by specialist, gender, or by available appointments.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"8\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pets\"><\/span><b> Pets<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might face some challenges when traveling with pets. Make sure you have updated record of rabies and other shots. Many housing locations, pet daycares, and animal walkers will require proof of these documents. Consider switching to Banfield Pet Hospitals, located at most Pet Smarts. It\u2019s a great way to have an EHR for pets and each new veterinarian will be able to see the animal&#8217;s history. Lastly, don\u2019t forget to stock up on treats, food, and other supplies that may be need for the cross-country journey.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"9\">\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Roth_IRA_Account\"><\/span><b> Roth IRA Account<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When deciding to start a career as a travel nurse it\u2019s a good idea to continue to contribute to a retirement account in the case the travel company doesn\u2019t offer a retirement plan. While some companies offer a 401K with matching, a Roth IRA account is a great way to contribute toward retirement. A maximum contribution of $5500\/year ($458\/month) is a great goal to work toward. Set up automatic deductions to make it easy to contribute without thinking about it. Start saving now, you can thank your younger self later.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"10\">\n<li><b> Remember it\u2019s all worth it!<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Madison M. Sackett, MSN, RN, Travel Nurse<\/b><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New travel nurses can sometimes experience a deluge of emotions when it comes to moving across the country, working at different hospitals, and not knowing people in a new city. They\u2019re all things I\u2019m sure to have run through each nurses mind as they think about the possibility of starting this adventure. These factors are [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":{"author_name":"adlyd","author_description":"","author_user_level":10,"author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/86bf0574a8efbaf50009a8aba5aa3c47?s=96&r=g"},"featured_media":1550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[49,522],"tags":[80,81,62,82,57],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/qtq80-9lbYND.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Adlyd","author_link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/author\/adlyd\/"},"featured_image":{"size_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/qtq80-9lbYND-150x150.jpeg","size_medium":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/qtq80-9lbYND-300x200.jpeg","size_large":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/qtq80-9lbYND-1024x683.jpeg","size_full":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/qtq80-9lbYND.jpeg"},"loftocean-view-count":["3901"],"category":[{"id":49,"slug":"travel-nurse-career","name":"Career Resources"},{"id":522,"slug":"new-travel-nurses","name":"Tips for New Travel Nurses"}],"post_tag":[{"id":80,"slug":"new-travel-nurse","name":"new travel nurse"},{"id":81,"slug":"tips","name":"tips"},{"id":62,"slug":"travel-nurse","name":"Travel nurse"},{"id":82,"slug":"travel-nurse-tips","name":"travel nurse tips"},{"id":57,"slug":"wanderly","name":"wanderly"}],"views":7701,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/qtq80-9lbYND.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p92mSz-oY","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1548"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5538,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548\/revisions\/5538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}