What To Do Between Travel Nursing Contracts

Q: Is it common to take time off between assignments or do most travel nurses work back to back?

A: I think this varies from traveler to traveler and even from assignment to assignment. I would say it is about 50/50 for us – maybe favoring back-to-back a bit more. I think a good balance of the two is a smart idea though. If we are staying in the same region (like going from San Diego to Phoenix or LA), we will usually try to keep those back-to-back with no time off. But our last trip from NC to CA, for instance, required two weeks off in between, and we were able to sightsee along the way and spend some time at home as we drove all the way across the country.

Q: How much time is usually taken off in between assignments?

A: Again, it’s totally up to you! You can go straight from one contract to the next or take weeks, months, or even years off if you want. We know some travelers that only take summer or winter contracts once a year while their kids are out of school or to escape a cold winter. They work a full-time staff job or per diem, in their home town the rest of the year and only travel for 13 weeks.

Q: What are some tips on how to stay financially set while not working?

A: BUDGET!!! Know how much it costs you to live each week/month. Plan for the unexpected. Budget for time off. Have money set back. These are all just good tips to be financially sound whether you travel or not, but when you are away from home and work contract jobs, this advice is all the more important!

You have to remember that even though most agencies pay for travel expenses – it doesn’t always cover all of your actual expenses, and it is a reimbursement that you will receive after the fact once you submit mileage logs and receipts. So make sure you leave plenty of money in the checking account to live on in between assignments.

Q: Is it common to go home during breaks between assignments, or do most travel nurses stay in their current location (where the previous assignment just concluded)?

A: This completely depends on the nurse and their preferences. I think that most travel nurses go home at least a couple of times a year (some more, some less). Between assignments tends to be the easiest time to make that happen. But like I said before, if we are just going a couple hours down the road, we typically do not take any time off in between. But when we are on a cross-country road trip, stopping off at home just makes sense for us, as Missouri is located nicely in the middle of the country.

Q: If staying in their current location, what are some tips on housing?

A: Most agencies allow you to move into your provided housing 2 days before your start date and stay 2 days past your end date. If you need to be in longer, speak with your recruiter about it. They will often have a daily rate they can charge you to extend your stay either way. Another option is a hotel. Or, if you take the housing stipend, you can book your housing for however long you want. We have done that a couple of times to give ourselves a little extra time in the city before or after an assignment. We have also crashed with friends and family during our downtime to save money. It’s a great way to catch up with people you know around the country!

If you are staying in the same city for your next assignment and like your housing, as long as you are with the same agency, ask your recruiter if you can just stay put. Sometimes you can, but sometimes they might have already let your lease go, in which case you would have to move. This happened to us in Burbank earlier this year. We loved our apartment and wanted to stay, and Skyler was offered an extension, but the complex already had another contract on our unit, so we had to move. So we chose to take a new assignment in a different city altogether since we had to move anyway.

Q: What are some tips to avoid breaks in between assignments?

A: Like with anything, just keep your recruiter in the loop on precisely what you are looking for, and they can often make it happen if you are flexible. Remember that sometimes what you’re looking for just might not be available when you want it. It took us several tries to find a position in San Diego, so in the meantime we remained flexible and took assignments in Hermosa Beach and Santa Clara. Same goes for North Carolina – we wanted to get there for a couple of years before something opened up that we were willing to take (day shift CVICU with decent pay). So, in the meantime, we had to be flexible and take other assignments. Travel nursing requires a lot of give and take. The more flexible you can be, the more opportunities you will have. But if you want to work continuously, the opportunity is certainly there.

Q: Is there a mandatory amount of time that needs to be taken in between assignments or can you start a new assignment the next day?

A: No mandatory time off between assignments, although starting the next day isn’t likely. A typical contract will end on a Saturday and start on a Monday (although each hospital varies). So, it’s more realistic to plan for starting a new assignment the following week.

Q: How much time is too much time off where it becomes difficult to find new assignments (are refresher courses needed after a certain amount of time off? Does it look bad to recruiters/facilities when too much time is taken off)?

A: As long as you continue working as a nurse in your specialty, I don’t think that time off between travel assignments really matters. I suppose there are some contracts looking for nurses with a particular amount of recent travel experience, but for every one of those, there are many more that aren’t that specific. A traveler with an extensive and recent travel profile probably looks better and is easier to place than one with gaps, but again, there are always lots of jobs out there. You just might have to be more flexible to get back at it.

No refresher courses are explicitly needed for travel nursing, but you have to keep up with all of the certifications that are required for your specialty as well as licensing and CEU requirements for each state, etc. If you have taken some time off and are looking to get back into travel nursing, talk with a recruiter(s) and ask what they need from you to get started again. You will, of course, have to update all of your paperwork and skills checklists, but as long as you have kept up with your skills, they should be able to place you.