What to Expect When Working As a Travel Nurse

Contract Healthcare Opportunities

The nursing field is currently open for tremendous opportunity and growth in the U.S. As a rewarding career that gives a person a sense of purpose and a meaningful life, nursing positions have a diverse variety for patient care. Nursing

careers are known to be traditional, where you worked in one hospital for set shifts, and often in one wing of that hospital. More recently the field has opened broadly, allowing nurses to work in home patient care and even be part of forensics teams. Current trends direct nurses to a field opening in travel nursing where there are greater opportunities for career expansion while exploring the nation.

Staff Nursing vs. Contract Nursing
No matter where a registered nurse practices in Wisconsin, from Kenosha in the south, densely populated Milwaukee, to Green Bay in the north, patient care is the top priority for clinicians. As a staff nurse, the main benefit of working in any given facility is the job security it offers by the hospital. Nurses and other staff members depend on the facility to maintain employee records, training SLP’s, and guaranteed hours while staffing a specific location. However, staff members are also bound by the corporate ethos and expectations of these facilities. Staff nurses in Wisconsin are also compensated well, earning above average salaries compared with the national average.

Travel time will vary greatly for different practices. In states where there are nursing shortages, you may be working extended hours to help fill the void in that facility’s staffing shortage. Nurses may also be required to go where the work is available, meaning the possibility of cross-country travel with each assignment. Assignment times will also vary greatly form agency to agency and depending on your specialty skills, whether they are in Med/Surg, Operating Room, ICU, OB/GYN, or the emergency room. You can expect the average assignment to last thirteen weeks, or about three months. Some types, like those in the operating room, will likely last longer; knowing that your presence in the hospital is there for assisting their current staffing needs will help keep your position into perspective.

Same Job, Different Status
Another difference between travelers and staffer is the temporary status your position brings. Your coworkers will most likely not be traveling nurses. They will have their normal routines to return to at the end of each shift, which may conflict with the methods you have grown accustomed to in past employment experiences. By utilizing a traveler’s most important tool – flexibility – it is possible for contract nurses to thrive in challenging environments by listening to the needs of the staff while providing excellent patient care. If a travel nurse can be flexible and compassionate in these areas, the staff members will most likely be very grateful to have the need filled, as nurse shortages are real problems for many hospitals.

Compensation Rates for Contract Travel Nurses
A positive area of travel nursing is the elevated compensation rate. Your income levels will be higher than in any other nursing position - about 20% higher on average. There are also tax benefits for being a contract nurse, with 20-30% of any given paycheck able to be received tax-free. Your recruiter will have more information regarding the particulars of a contract position; contact us for more information.

Contract Nursing Careers in Milwaukee and Wisconsin
With dozens of hospitals in Southeast Wisconsin alone, the opportunities for contract nursing in Wisconsin have never been higher. Milwaukee has two 700+ bed facilities that are highly regarded nationally for their magnet status and comprehensive management models. Located in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, these hospitals service the outlying communities of Menominee Falls, Brookfield, West Allis, Germantown, Elm Grove, Greenfield, Greendale, Hales Corners, Franklin, and Muskego. Waukesha, Racine, and Kenosha also have their own hospitals with excellent facilities, as well as other parts of the state in Oshkosh, Green Bay, Madison, and Eau Claire. Contact us with any questions or if you would like to be a part of our staffing company.