{"id":3177,"date":"2021-01-07T11:18:57","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T11:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/?p=3177"},"modified":"2026-03-04T19:56:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T19:56:59","slug":"the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hardest Things About Being a Travel Nurse"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hardest things about being a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/the-worst-things-about-travel-nursing\/\">travel nurse<\/a>? Don\u2019t worry, this will actually be encouraging, just as much as it is eye-opening. It\u2019s smart to look at a new career opportunity from all angles. Travel Nursing is one of the most rewarding experiences, but it also comes with hard work, long hours, flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly to a lot of things. Everyone responds differently, and oftentimes it\u2019s just an adjustment that you get used to after the first or few assignments. We\u2019ll go through several topics that might come to mind, and how they actually work out for the best and end up as an exciting opportunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\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\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/#Being_Away_From_Family_Friends\" title=\" \nBeing Away From Family &amp; Friends\"> \nBeing Away From Family &amp; Friends<\/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\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/#Job_Search_More_Often\" title=\"Job Search More Often\">Job Search More Often<\/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\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/#Paperwork\" title=\"Paperwork\">Paperwork<\/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\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/#Taxes\" title=\"Taxes\">Taxes<\/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\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/#Medical_Insurance\" title=\"Medical Insurance\">Medical Insurance<\/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\/the-hardest-things-about-being-a-travel-nurse\/#More_to_Learn\" title=\"More to Learn\">More to Learn<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Being_Away_From_Family_Friends\"><\/span><b><br \/>\nBeing Away From Family &amp; Friends<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is never easy. It\u2019s enough to start a new job in your local hometown, but to pick up, travel to a place you\u2019ve never lived in, and start a new job? It can be a lot the first time around! Your support system is far away and it can take some time to build friendships. A new community, that you\u2019ll potentially be leaving in 13 weeks again. It\u2019s all how you look at it because there\u2019s an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, knowing you\u2019re helping where there\u2019s a shortage. You could change a hospital unit for the better, contributing something long-lasting because of your presence. On top of that, you get to experience new food, sights and explore. Pretty soon, you\u2019ll have an itch to do this in a new city if you truly let yourself be open to the whole experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, with social media, it\u2019s even easier to connect with other travelers that are currently local in your area of assignment. Each traveler has felt lonely at one point or another, and are all eager to connect in the community. You\u2019re not alone! And that\u2019s the most important part to remember. So, don\u2019t be afraid to reach out, introduce yourself, ask for help when needed, and be honest about where you\u2019re at. Most often, you\u2019ll find that through your vulnerability, a new support system is building around you before you know it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, you can request a travel assignment closer to your hometown. Just because you\u2019ll be close to home doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019ll disqualify your ability to be a travel nurse. However, we\u2019d say it\u2019s worth it to experience different places too because it\u2019s a special and unique opportunity.\u00a0<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Job_Search_More_Often\"><\/span><b>Job Search More Often<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With most jobs, you don\u2019t have to search for every few months for a new one. That can sound exhausting! However, the travel nursing world is created for the availability of opportunities. Recruiters are constantly posting new job offers on job sites, as well as social media. Joining a Facebook or LinkedIn group can be extremely beneficial since their sole purpose is to connect with recruiters who are posting jobs daily. Also, it gets easier after you land your first assignment because you\u2019ve already established a relationship with a recruiter. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to choose a recruiter you like working with and is easy to communicate with. You can stay in touch with them to let them know how your assignment is going, and start thinking about where they can place you next. This flexibility is actually a benefit, knowing you have someone working to place you for your next assignment in the future. It\u2019s not as \u2018undetermined\u2019 or \u2018unknown\u2019 as a typical search for a brand new job. So, most importantly, choose a recruiter you trust and who cares about your needs. This will go a long way with your future assignments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paperwork\"><\/span><b>Paperwork<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ouch! We didn\u2019t want to go there either. Wherever you seek to find an assignment (a company, agency, etc), they will request all the paperwork that comes with being a travel nurse. We know how daunting this can be, and to think, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI have to do this every time I apply and start an assignment?\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, at the beginning of this blog, we said this would be encouraging, so here it is. When we designed Wanderly, we thought of how this platform could simplify a travelers application process. That\u2019s when we created the \u2018Universal Application,\u2019 which means you fill out your profile, documents, skills checklist, upload licenses, etc, <\/span><b><i>once<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That\u2019s right.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Universal Application can be used for all future assignments, and conveniently downloaded as a PDF for your use. Because we have so many agencies posting their travel assignments on Wanderly, it\u2019s safe to bet that your preferred agency or recruiter can be found on the platform. It\u2019s a one stop-shop for you to get everything done in one place and be in control of your information. Curious? Feel free to check it out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did that bring a little encouragement to you? We sure hope so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taxes\"><\/span><b>Taxes<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taxes, it\u2019s hard enough filing in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> state, right? As overwhelming as this might feel, once you understand, you\u2019re one step further. If you\u2019re going to be working in multiple states (which is often the case), then you\u2019ll be filing multiple state returns. While it might cost a little more to have a professional handle your taxes for you, it might be beneficial in the long run to be able to ask questions and learn from them. This is especially important when there\u2019s additional deductions or claims you could have that might not know about. We\u2019d recommend this route after your first year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have additional resources on our blog where you can get <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/5-tips-for-the-upcoming-tax-season\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Tips For The Upcoming Tax Season<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-tax-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel Nurse Tax Guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Medical_Insurance\"><\/span><b>Medical Insurance<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The difficulty with travel nursing and keeping coverage are that typically it can change based on if you\u2019re actively on an assignment or if your agency changes. Between assignments, it\u2019s likely you won\u2019t have insurance. There are other options that can give you year-round insurance, regardless of whether you\u2019re on assignment or what agency you\u2019re working with. It\u2019s good to know about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ehealthinsurance.com\/individual-family-health-insurance?rte=allC&amp;allid=gba6721000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eHealth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is one of our premier partners. You can search through the best rates from reputable insurance companies and find a plan that works best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get more insight on health insurance for travel nurses, check out our other blog: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/health-insurance-for-travel-nurses\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health Insurance for Travel Nurses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_to_Learn\"><\/span><strong>More to Learn<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many factors in becoming a travel nurse and we have more resources for you if you still have questions. Don\u2019t forget to check out some of our other blogs: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nursing-jobs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find Travel Nursing Jobs in One Place<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-interview-questions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel Nurse Interview Questions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nurse-faq\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travel Nurse FAQ<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/highest-paying-travel-nursing-cities\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 12 Highest Paying Travel Nursing Cities<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re new to Wanderly, welcome and thanks for stopping by our community. We offer a platform that helps travel healthcare professionals find their travel assignments in an empowered way. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/nurse\/jobs\/search?q=&amp;idx=the_rate_descending&amp;p=0&amp;nR%5Bprofession_id%5D%5B%3D%5D%5B0%5D=1&amp;nR%5Bstart_date%5D%5B%3E%3D%5D%5B0%5D=1561334400&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=abstaffing_searchgeneral\">Compare fully detailed travel assignments<\/a> from the top paying agencies and use 1 universal application for all future assignments. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/nurse\/register?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=abstaffing_signup\">Join for free today!<\/a> Then you can get started on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/nurse\/jobs\/search?q=&amp;idx=the_rate_descending&amp;p=0&amp;nR%5Bprofession_id%5D%5B%3D%5D%5B0%5D=1&amp;nR%5Bstart_date%5D%5B%3E%3D%5D%5B0%5D=1561334400&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=abstaffing_searchgeneral\">finding your next dream travel assignment<\/a>.<\/strong><\/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>The hardest things about being a travel nurse? Don\u2019t worry, this will actually be encouraging, just as much as it is eye-opening. It\u2019s smart to look at a new career opportunity from all angles. Travel Nursing is one of the most rewarding experiences, but it also comes with hard work, long hours, flexibility, and the [&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":3185,"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":[49,17,50],"tags":[347,63,62,57],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/ProtouchStaffingTravelNurse_blog2_1.png","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\/2019\/09\/ProtouchStaffingTravelNurse_blog2_1-150x150.png","size_medium":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/ProtouchStaffingTravelNurse_blog2_1-300x178.png","size_large":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/ProtouchStaffingTravelNurse_blog2_1.png","size_full":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/ProtouchStaffingTravelNurse_blog2_1.png"},"loftocean-view-count":["12757"],"category":[{"id":49,"slug":"travel-nurse-career","name":"Career Resources"},{"id":17,"slug":"travel-nursing","name":"Travel Nursing"},{"id":50,"slug":"nurse-work-life","name":"Work Life"}],"post_tag":[{"id":347,"slug":"hardest-thing","name":"hardest thing"},{"id":63,"slug":"nurse","name":"Nurse"},{"id":62,"slug":"travel-nurse","name":"Travel nurse"},{"id":57,"slug":"wanderly","name":"wanderly"}],"views":22189,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/ProtouchStaffingTravelNurse_blog2_1.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p92mSz-Pf","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3177"}],"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=3177"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5381,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3177\/revisions\/5381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}