{"id":4356,"date":"2022-06-08T20:04:34","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T20:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/?p=4356"},"modified":"2026-03-04T18:25:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:25:56","slug":"travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Nursing vs. Staff Nursing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nurses work hard, it\u2019s about time you get some of the perks too when considering travel nursing vs staff nursing! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-is-travel-nursing\/\">Travel nursing<\/a> offers so many new and exciting opportunities that you would never get as a permanent staff nurse. Get into travel nursing for the love of the work (search pay packages <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderly.us\">here<\/a>), and stay for the perks!<\/p>\n\n\n\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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Do_What_You_Love_Where_You_Love_to_Do_It\" title=\"Do What You Love, Where You Love to Do It\">Do What You Love, Where You Love to Do It<\/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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Bring_Home_the_Bacon_in_Travel_Nursing_vs_Staff_Nursing\" title=\"Bring Home the Bacon in Travel Nursing vs Staff Nursing\">Bring Home the Bacon in Travel Nursing vs Staff Nursing<\/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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Experience_a_Wide_Range_of_Work_Settings\" title=\"Experience a Wide Range of Work Settings\">Experience a Wide Range of Work Settings<\/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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Build_a_National_Network_of_Friends_Colleagues\" title=\"Build a National Network of Friends &amp; Colleagues\">Build a National Network of Friends &amp; Colleagues<\/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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Knock_Off_a_Few_Bucket_List_Items\" title=\"Knock Off a Few Bucket List Items&nbsp;\">Knock Off a Few Bucket List Items&nbsp;<\/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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Freedom\" title=\"Freedom\">Freedom<\/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\/travel-nursing-vs-staff-nursing\/#Get_the_Best_Offer_Everytime_with_Wanderly\" title=\"Get the Best Offer, Everytime with Wanderly&nbsp;\">Get the Best Offer, Everytime with Wanderly&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_What_You_Love_Where_You_Love_to_Do_It\"><\/span>Do What You Love, Where You Love to Do It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nursing as a profession is truly a calling for those who value care, compassion and person to person connection with their patients and fellow human beings. But when it comes to the actual employment side of things, this special calling can sometimes feel like a life sentence. It\u2019s so easy to feel stuck &#8211; you work at one hospital that owns your schedule, your professional growth, and your life for years and years and years on end. But it doesn\u2019t have to be this way! Travel nurse placements&nbsp; are a great way to jump start a nursing career that gives you the ability to explore new places, specialties, and work settings, all on your terms. Plus, you get to pick the place!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" data-id=\"4259\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-1024x577.png\" alt=\"travel nursing vs staff nursing\" class=\"wp-image-4259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-1200x676.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-1.png 1640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" data-id=\"4264\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-1200x676.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blog-graphic-Facebook-Cover-2.png 1640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" data-id=\"4281\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-1200x676.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Travel.png 1640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bring_Home_the_Bacon_in_Travel_Nursing_vs_Staff_Nursing\"><\/span>Bring Home the Bacon in Travel Nursing vs Staff Nursing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Did we mention that travel nurses make bank when compared to their permanent nursing staff counterparts? Depending on varying factors like the demand, your level of experience and city of choice, travel nurses have the ability to make up to $10,000 per week. The COVID-19 pandemic led to many hospitals having shortages of nurses and support staff &#8211; that\u2019s good news for travel nurses who come in to save the day and get paid top dollar to do it.&nbsp; In fact, in many cities across America, travel nurses on average can make over six figures annually. Travel nursing gives you financial freedom and makes sure you\u2019re compensated well for the hard, dedicated and rewarding work that you do. Plus, it\u2019s a great way to add to your savings, pay off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/bidens-student-loan-forgiveness-for-nurses\/\">student loans<\/a>, or have a little extra cash to put towards your next vacation or big purchase like a house!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Experience_a_Wide_Range_of_Work_Settings\"><\/span>Experience a Wide Range of Work Settings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>From private hospitals to university systems to clinics and everything in between, being a travel nurse means that you can have your pick of workplaces. Every hospital is different in terms of resources, specialties, and even employee culture &#8211; and sometimes it\u2019s hard to know what you\u2019re getting into before you actually start. But with a travel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/first-time-travel-nurse-faqs\/\">nursing placement<\/a>, you can compare and contrast different environments until you find the one that allows you to thrive in your career! Wanderly helps you find the right fit for your goals and your lifestyle by giving you side by side comparisons of different short term nursing placements.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Build_a_National_Network_of_Friends_Colleagues\"><\/span>Build a National Network of Friends &amp; Colleagues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The connections that you make during your placements have the potential to be meaningful relationships that last a lifetime, long after your contract is up. These connections can look like a new best friend who shares your love of the outdoors, or that professional mentor you\u2019ve been searching for to guide you as you grow in your career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Knock_Off_a_Few_Bucket_List_Items\"><\/span>Knock Off a Few Bucket List Items&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you always wanted to hike the Grand Canyon? Or spend a summer in the big city? Maybe you\u2019re just dying to see what all the hype is about when it comes to Austin, TX or you want to experience a New Orleans Mardi Gras &#8211; whatever your wanderlust is pulling you towards, travel nursing can help you get there. So many people spend their lives within the confines of one city, state, or community that they rarely ever get a chance to experience all that this country has to offer! Travel nursing gives you the opportunity to not just visit those places on your list, but actually immerse yourself in the culture of a new community and lets you live as a local for as long as your heart desires.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Freedom\"><\/span>Freedom<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Financial security, career opportunities and the ability to move freely from placement to placement all add up to one thing: complete and total career freedom. The freedom to build your own destiny on both a personal and professional level. The freedom to go where you want, to do what you want, and grow into the amazing healthcare professional that you are!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_the_Best_Offer_Everytime_with_Wanderly\"><\/span>Get the Best Offer, Everytime with Wanderly&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many perks and so many choices to make when you start your travel nurse placement journey, the process of finding the right fit can sometimes feel daunting. Sifting through different types of placements, finding the best cities, dealing with recruiters all can start to feel overwhelming. Luckily, there\u2019s Wanderly. Think of Wanderly as your travel nurse placement sherpa &#8211; we\u2019re here to guide you through the process of selecting a placement!&nbsp; Wanderly is a place for nurses to come to improve their travel nursing experience with a simplified recruitment process. Not only that, but it\u2019s available to you on your desktop or on your mobile device for easy assignment review and submission from exactly where you want to be. Wanderly offers the resources and information that you need to make the best decision for yourself and your career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know the perks, it\u2019s time to get to work! Check out the thousands of available assignments on <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderly\">Wanderly<\/a> today &#8211; from sea to shining sea, we\u2019ll help you find the perfect fit. Want more info on our process? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/how-to-become-a-travel-nurse-2\/\">Look no further<\/a>! And as always, make sure you stay up to date on the latest and greatest tips, tricks and frequently asked questions we feature on the Wanderly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/\">blog<\/a>!&nbsp;<\/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>Nurses work hard, it\u2019s about time you get some of the perks too when considering travel nursing vs staff nursing! Travel nursing offers so many new and exciting opportunities that you would never get as a permanent staff nurse. Get into travel nursing for the love of the work (search pay packages here), and stay [&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":"Kelley","author_description":"","author_user_level":10,"author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe55d4feb1c4e681b976a3b0f3c15157?s=96&r=g"},"featured_media":4357,"comment_status":"closed","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":[49,19,54,17],"tags":[73,63,118,411,104,62,58,111,412,57,71],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Blog-Graphic.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Kelley","author_link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/author\/manshu\/"},"featured_image":{"size_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Blog-Graphic-150x150.jpg","size_medium":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Blog-Graphic-300x300.jpg","size_large":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Blog-Graphic-1024x1024.jpg","size_full":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Blog-Graphic.jpg"},"loftocean-view-count":["1440"],"category":[{"id":49,"slug":"travel-nurse-career","name":"Career Resources"},{"id":19,"slug":"travel-nursing-taxes","name":"Money &amp; Taxes"},{"id":54,"slug":"nurse-life","name":"Nurse Life"},{"id":17,"slug":"travel-nursing","name":"Travel Nursing"}],"post_tag":[{"id":73,"slug":"money","name":"money"},{"id":63,"slug":"nurse","name":"Nurse"},{"id":118,"slug":"nursing","name":"nursing"},{"id":411,"slug":"staff-nursing","name":"staff nursing"},{"id":104,"slug":"travel","name":"travel"},{"id":62,"slug":"travel-nurse","name":"Travel nurse"},{"id":58,"slug":"travel-nurses","name":"travel nurses"},{"id":111,"slug":"travel-nursing","name":"travel nursing"},{"id":412,"slug":"travelnurses","name":"travelnurses"},{"id":57,"slug":"wanderly","name":"wanderly"},{"id":71,"slug":"wanderly-nurse","name":"wanderly nurse"}],"views":4727,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Blog-Graphic.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p92mSz-18g","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4356"}],"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\/16637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4356"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5319,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4356\/revisions\/5319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}