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10 Ways To Spend Your Day Off On Your Travel Nurse Assignment

Published: December 2, 2019

Read Time: 3 minute read

Updated On: April 19, 2022

There are so many benefits of travel nursing . From the money you make, to the people you’ll meet, you will love being a travel nurse. However, as a travel nurse you are on the road and not always near friends and family, what do you do on your days off? It’s important after a busy week of caring for your patients to use your days off wisely. To help, here are 10 ways to spend your day off on your travel nurse assignment.

1. Get Some Fresh Air . As a nurse, you spend most of your time inside. That’s why it’s important on your day off to get some fresh air. Go for a walk or a run. This is also a fun way to explore your new city.

Enjoy Your New City

2. Explore Your New City . Odds are the city you are working in has a lot of great things to offer. From historical places to other fun attractions, it’s important you get to know the city you’re in. It might end up being a place you go back to for a fun vacation after your assignment ends.

3. Invite Your Friends For A Picnic . One last fun idea to explore your new city is to have a picnic. Enjoy great food and great conversation by inviting some of your new friends to a picnic. Picnicking creates an opportunity to socialize with others while you soak up some sunshine and enjoy fresh air outside the workplace.

Plan and Prepare

4. Plan Your Meals For The Week . Meal planning might not sound relaxing but it’s a rewarding use of your free time. Planning your meals a head of time can help you save money and ensure you are eating healthy.

5. Prepare For Your Week Ahead . In our theme of planning and preparing, it’s proven to help with stress when you plan your week ahead. Preparing for your week will ensure you have enough scrubs and plan your meals during the day. Follow this tip and you will minimize stress and increase your happiness.

Expand Your Mind

6. Take A Class . Most cities offer a variety of classes you can take. Whether it’s cooking, art, photography, there should be something for everyone. This is a great way to learn a new hobby or expand upon an existing one.

7. Read . Not only does reading expand your mind, it’s also proven to reduce stress. Reading is your opportunity to get lost in a new fictional best seller or learn about important historical events.

8. Sleep . It’s important to your health that you get enough sleep. As a nurse, you might not be getting adequate sleep during workdays. So, on your day off, make sure you get enough sleep. And don’t forget about taking naps if needed.

9. Binge Your Favorite TV Show . Another great way to relax on your days off is to sit back and watch your favorite TV show. Power up your favorite streaming service and let the binging begin.

10. Unplug From The World . Our final tip from our are 10 ways to spend your day off on your travel nurse assignment is to unplug from the world. It can be simple ways too such as leaving your phone at home as you go to the grocery store. Or turn your phone on ring and leave it in the next room. That way if there’s an important call you will hear it but don’t have the distraction of having your phone next to you at all times.

About Host Healthcare

Host Healthcare is an award-winning healthcare staffing company focusing on travel nurse and travel allied. Our purpose is to make Host Healthcare a place with the highest employee engagement score in San Diego. A place where people are passionate about what they do and who they do it with. Our mission is to help our employees and travelers To Live Better.

Host Healthcare Travel Nurse

Host Healthcare offers an extensive list of travel nurse jobs. Call one of our friendly recruiters at (800) 585-1299. We are here to help you to get started.

A truly comfortable travel healthcare experience

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Holidays in the Hospital: What You Should Know About Working Holidays as a Travel Nurse

by Trusted Nurse Staffing | Oct 25, 2023 | News | 0 comments

As the holiday season approaches, you might be considering taking time off during your travel nursing contract to enjoy time with your family. On the other hand, other travel nurses might be jumping at the opportunity to work a holiday.

If you’re having trouble deciding which route to choose, know that neither option is right or wrong.

In this article, we’ll explain the basics of working holidays as a travel nurse and give you some pros and cons to consider before making your decision.

Do travel nurses have to work holidays.

Do Travel Nurses Receive Holiday Pay

Can You Request Holidays Off as a Travel Nurse?

The pros and cons of spending the holidays travel nursing, 5 things to consider when working holidays as a travel nurse.

5 Tips for Travel Nursing During the Holidays

Spend the Holidays Traveling and Nursing with Trusted Nurse Staffing

If a holiday falls within your contract’s start and end date, you will most likely be expected to work. However, there are a few methods that travel nurses can utilize to get their desired time off and fully enjoy the holidays with their loved ones — a ll it takes is a little bit of planning.

If you are new to nursing or have only recently transitioned from being a staff nurse , you may not yet know how to take control of your schedule as a travel nurse.

Many travel nurses take advantage of contract scheduling methods that give them a few weeks off to recuperate between work assignments. While perfectly achieving this during the winter holidays may be a challenge, planning time to celebrate with your loved ones is possible.

If you cannot schedule your contracts around the holidays, it’s also possible to request specific dates off before beginning a contract. This method can also be tricky but is possible if you maintain clear and consistent communication regarding your needs.

Looking for a recruiter that can help you with your holiday time off needs as a travel nurse? Contact Trusted Nurse Staffing today.

Do Travel Nurses Receive Holiday Pay?

Whether or not a travel nurse receives holiday pay largely depends on the contract, agency, and the client facility they work with. Some contracts may offer holiday pay, while others may not.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require overtime pay for work on weekends, holidays, or regular days of rest unless overtime is accumulated during these allotted times.

For more information about established workweek, regular pay rate, premium pay rate, and recognized holidays, travel nurses should carefully review their contracts and discuss any questions with their recruiters.

If receiving premium pay is a priority for you while working holidays as a travel nurse, be sure to bring it up during your next negotiation before finalizing a new contract.

Travel nursing contracts do not allow for time-off requests often, but securing a specific date to spend time with your loved ones is still possible. Some, but not all, hospitals are flexible with time-off requests during holidays due to increased staffing needs.

First, speak with your recruiter about your desired days off. Recruiters will typically include this request with your initial application. You should also be sure to mention any of these requests during your interview process.

It is important to remember to maintain clear and consistent communication with your recruiter and the facility. All time off details should be included in your contract, and all parties must document agreements made outside the contract.

Pros of Travel Nursing During the Holidays

Every experience in life is viewed differently depending on a person’s outlook. One travel nurse may dread missing out on making Thanksgiving dinner for the family, while another may be thankful for an excuse not to spend the holiday cooking.

However, there are a few prevalent reasons for accepting a travel nurse contract during the holidays, including:

More assignment options: There are several reasons why assignment opportunities open up as we reach the end of the year. Most notably, permanent hospital staff take their time off, and many travel nurses avoid accepting assignments during major holidays. More openings and less competition allow for a wider variety of options for travel nurses choosing to work.
Holiday vacation opportunities: More assignment options and less competition give travel nurses a greater chance at securing contracts at vacation hotspots during the holidays.
Higher pay rates or better benefits: Some facilities offer overtime, premium holiday pay, or travel bonuses for travel nurses who work during major holidays.

Are you looking to secure your dream contract during this holiday season? Contact Trusted Nurse Staffing to help secure better compensation, benefits, and support today.

Cons of Travel Nursing During the Holidays

Even if you anticipate time off needs for holidays, traveling during this season brings new challenges.

Following COVID-19, the estimates of holiday travel have been gradually climbing to pre-pandemic levels. In 2021, the United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimated that Americans made 15 billion trips between December 18, 2020, through January 3, 2021.

With so much congestion across all forms of travel, it may be difficult to make it from your assignment to your home and back to your assignment in a smooth and timely manner.

Travel nurses who choose to skip the headache of traveling during the holidays may struggle with feelings of loneliness and missing out on family traditions during their contracts.

#1: As a Travel Nurse You Have the Opportunity To Experience New Holiday Traditions

Working holidays as a travel nurse allows you to connect with people from all walks of life. You will meet new coworkers, patients, and friends with unique backgrounds who can teach you about their favorite holiday traditions and in turn, you can teach them about yours.

Whether reminiscing or getting involved in a staff gift exchange, working during the holidays as a travel nurse presents the perfect opportunity to learn and grow with the people around you.

#2: Holidays Can be Less Lonely With Other Travel Nurses

Missing out on dinners, gift-giving, and other traditions with your family and friends while working an assignment as a travel nurse can be difficult. On the bright side, you’ll likely be surrounded by other travel nurses experiencing the same woes.

Use this as an opportunity to connect with your coworkers. Communicate your mutual feelings and reminisce on your most treasured holiday memories to help each other through the season’s blues. You may even form lifelong friendships in the process.

#3: You May Want To Make Necessary Provisions For the Holiday Rush

Any healthcare worker knows that the hospital emergency room gets crowded from mid-December to early January thanks to house fires, falls, and heart attacks.

At the same time, much of a facility’s permanent staff receives time off during holidays. This leads to an increased need for temporary staffing solutions.

You may struggle more during this period due to increased patient volume and fewer available staff members who know the facility’s layout, equipment, procedures, and flow. This is a time that demands travel nurses to be on their toes and communicate with coworkers.

#4: Be Prepared to Possibly Float During a Holiday Shift

The permanent staff at your facility may be lacking due to requests for time off during December and early January.

Floating nurses are often used to help with staff shortages during this time. Typically, travel nurses and other temporary staff are the first people asked to be floated sot’s best to be prepared and remain flexible.

#5: As a Travel Nurse, You Have More Flexibility When It Comes to Your Work Schedule

One of the greatest benefits of working as a travel nurse is having greater control over scheduling and time-off needs. If you prefer not to work during important holidays, you can manage your contracts so that they end before the start of the holiday season. Once you’ve taken your desired time away from work, you can start the next contract.

The one downside to this option is that it limits the quantity and quality of your assignment options. You may have trouble finding the perfect contracts to make this method work. In that case, consider negotiating for designated time off before finalizing a contract scheduled during the holiday season.

At Trusted Nurse Staffing, our recruiters are available 24/7 to answer all your travel nursing questions – from time-off requests to healthcare coverage .

5 Tips For Travel Nursing Over the Holidays

#1 stay in touch with your loved ones.

With today’s modern technology, connecting with loved ones is only a few clicks away. Taking the time to call, text, or video chat with your family and friends during key holidays can make all the difference in helping you get through treasured holidays as a travel nurse.

#2 Celebrate With Family When You Return From Your Travel Assignment

As most hospital employees know, emergency room patients often influx during the holiday season. Because of this, there is a much higher demand for travel nurses during Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and other winter holidays.

If your travel nurse assignments fall during these key holidays, but you still hope to uphold treasured celebrations and traditions with your loved ones, consider celebrating outside your allotted contract start and end dates.

You can gather all your loved ones for a combined holiday celebration to ensure you still enjoy precious quality time. Have some turkey, exchange gifts, and pop some champagne — anything that brings you closer as a family.

#3 Make It a Point to Share Your Holiday Tradition With Other Travel Nurses

Due to the high demand for healthcare workers during the holiday season, many other travel nurses are likely working within the same facility. Your peers are probably feeling similar sadness over missing out on traditions and quality time with their loved ones.

Working as a travel nurse during the holidays is a great chance to share your unique long or short-standing traditions with coworkers and learn about theirs. Take this opportunity to learn about new cultures and form bonds with your fellow travel nurses.

#4 Have Your Loved Ones Visit You at Your Temporary Home

Each new contract brings a new and exciting city to explore. With more assignment opportunities and less competition, you can land the assignment of your dreams by working holidays as a travel nurse.

Whether you choose an assignment near the beach, a beautiful hiking trail, or a bustling metropolitan area, your loved ones might jump at the opportunity to visit you for the holidays. They can enjoy the change of scenery while creating memories, upholding traditions, or creating new traditions with their favorite travel nurse.

#5 Plan Your Celebrations Around Your Work Schedule

One of the benefits of being a travel nurse is being able to take time off between each 13-week contract. Many nurses use this time to vacation, spend time at home with loved ones, or attend to personal obligations. If you’re hoping to remain free of work during an important holiday, try to arrange your contract dates to accommodate that day.

Since 2008, Trusted Nurse Staffing has been helping travel nurses find the assignments they love while receiving the benefits they deserve.

Our award-winning services prioritize communication and exceptional commitment to service. From building resumes to negotiating holiday pay, we strive to support each of our travel nurses with 24/7 support from recruiters and our team.

We also offer:

Sign-on bonuses
Stipends for travel, housing, and meals
Flexible contracts
Full or part-time work
Referral and completion bonuses
Healthcare benefits
24/7 support from your recruiter and our team

Check out our search tool, Pronto , to find your dream job today.

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20 Tips for a First Time Travel Nurse

#1: strategize to get organized.

When you begin your travel nurse adventure, you must first make a plan. Before you say adieu to your staff job, there are a few key things to consider.

First, get all your paperwork together. This includes immunization records, physicals, and nursing licenses. Have your certifications, like Basic Life Support, up to date. Bring copies of necessary documents with you on your first day. You’ll want an updated list of references, and can earn bonus points for letters of recommendation, which speak to your nursing capabilities of why you’d make a great travel nurse. These letters can be from previous employers or from professors you had as a nursing student.

Health Insurance

Think about health insurance. Will you carry your own policy, be a dependent on your spouse’s, or take the travel company’s insurance? Ask your travel nursing agency for a summary of benefits offered. Health Carousel Travel Nursing offers premier benefits to travel nurses to support your health, wealth, career and life. The upside of carrying your own insurance is that you don’t have to work consistently to maintain coverage. Some companies allow you to keep insurance for weeks after an assignment ends or if you take another assignment with them. Some companies revoke it the moment you fall below the required number of working hours.At Health Carousel Travel Nursing you need to have your next travel nurse assignment booked before you end your current assignment in order to keep benefits between assignments. Your new travel nurse assignment also has to start within 28 days of when you end your last assignment.

Additionally, make sure any prescription medications are filled, and your doctor’s appointments are up to date. This is helpful to do before your insurance changes.

When it’s time to interview with the facility, ask questions! You can inquire about patient ratios, scheduling requirements, floating policies, and communicate any days off you’ll need.

Sign your contract before taking off to your assignment. Make sure it clearly states the following:

How many hours per week and what shifts you will work.
The length of the contract, with specific start and end dates.
Specific days off (if requested).
Holiday, overtime, and shift differential rates.
What happens if the contract falls through? Will you be reimbursed if the hospital unexpectedly cancels your contract?
Travel stipends and gas/mileage reimbursement.
Benefits offered and requirements to maintain them.
Base pay rate.
Meals and incidentals/lodging stipend.

Ask your recruiter for any clarifications before signing the contract.

#2: Be Flexible

Of course you have dreams of where you see yourself, and your skills likely prove it! However, it’s advised that new travel nurses be flexible on their very first assignment. Travel nursing is a career all on its own, and comes with certain soft skills such as quick turn around times and adaptability. The more practice you have adjusting to new facilities and tackling onboarding requirements, the more outstanding your resume will become. Many hospitals require that travelers have prior travel nurse experience. After you get your foot in the door you can be more selective.

#3: Choose a Comfortable Housing Option

Do not go for the cramped under-the-stairs cupboard room or hideously tiny in-law suite in lieu of a comfortable residence. Creature comforts are vital when you’re far away from home. It’s easier to feel refreshed after a hard shift when you can sleep in a comfortable bed with A/C or heat (depending on the season). It helps travel nurses maintain the mental stamina needed for sticking out any assignment, especially the tough ones. Do what makes sense for your finances, while also considering how much your living environment will affect you both mentally and physically.

#4: Take a Test Drive Before Starting Your First Assignment

Whether you’re biking, driving, or taking public transportation, it’s advisable to always make a test run to work before your first day. Ideally, you will want to arrive at your new location a few days ahead of time or earlier to settle in. Then calculate how far the facility is from your residence, and plan to wake up early to practice the commute.

Be sure to make a test drive later for night shift because rush hour traffic can significantly alter travel times. It’s helpful to know where the parking lot or transit station is, and how long it takes to walk to your unit or facility.

It might seem “extra,” but it’s a travel nurse tip many swear by.

#5: Prepare for Your Pets

Traveling and housing a pet is possible as a travel nurse. You’ll want to take care of a few extra things before you leave with your furry bff.

If driving, make a trial run with your pet. Perhaps a weekend or overnight getaway, either to a pet friendly hotel or a campsite (depending on your pet’s preference).

Lots of travelers adventure with their furry friends. Dogs and cats alike are great companions on the road. Talk to your vet about how to travel with your pet. Make sure your pet is equipped to handle a long car ride. If you’re flying, look up pet friendly airlines.

A Note on Cats in Cars:

Many cats enjoy lounging and gazing out the car window. Get a soft and/or hard carrier to easily transport your cat. It’s important to stop at least every 3 hours to offer food, water, and the litterbox, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Use a small box for a makeshift litter box and set it up with water/food in a larger hard plastic crate. However, some pets may be too stressed to use the litter box or eat in transit. Just be sure to set up your cat’s essentials immediately at your hotel or wherever you stop for the night.

#6: Take Care of Your Home Logistics

With a little organization and planning, this task can be done efficiently.

Enlist a family member, friend, or roommate you can trust to check and store your mail. If you are leaving a roommate with an empty room, you can use that as storage so you have less to take on the road.

Many travel nurses invest in a storage unit in their home city or state. You can also sell your big items on Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, and Craigslist in a fairly short time period. Keep the bare minimum, and travel for longer.

Consider if you will rent out your current place. If you rent it out, make sure to plan for how long you want to be away from home. Furnished Finders is a good place to find other travel nurses, who can rent your home for a few months. Then you will still have a place to return to after your assignment is complete.

If you continue to pay rent, think about the utilities, internet, and other monthly costs. You will have to call your providers to suspend or cancel services if you live alone. Have a friend or family check on your place every couple of weeks.

#7: Pack Smart

Don’t let your belongings own you. It’s better to rent a surfboard when you’re living near the ocean than lugging one halfway across the country. Renting large recreation items is more ideal than lugging a ton of suitcases and boxes. With places like REI nationwide, you can rent things like camping gear and recreation equipment anywhere.

Consider the length of your travel assignment, and pack accordingly. Make a list of what you use regularly and what you don’t. Think about your daily routine, on work days and non-work days. You can also try a packing-list generator to help organize your mind. There are also apps available, like Pack Point, which help travel nurses pack for their next assignment.

Think about your typical work week. Bringing two week’s worth of work clothing is a great idea in case you get exhausted from rotating shifts or miss laundry day.

Make do with less. Don’t let your belongings make it harder to get to your destination. Remember: you can always buy something you forgot, or get it shipped.

Pack important documents, a laptop, your favorite non-work clothes, a watch, and prescription medications. You may want to bring a printer. It’s not necessary, but some facilities require certifications printed out, and it’s easier to have your own than find a UPS store at times.

#8: Plan Your Housing

Great options for travel nurse housing include Airbnb, Furnished Finders, Landing, and even Craigslist. Another option is extended-stay hotels. Make sure where you live has everything you need (especially if you’re bringing pets). Confirm with your housing provider what appliances are provided, so you’ll know what to bring. Following these helpful travel nurse housing tips will provide valuable insights when searching for safe and convenient accommodations during your nursing assignment.

If you aren’t comfortable finding your own housing, your travel recruiter is there to help you. Most travel agencies provide housing, including Health Carousel Travel Nursing. In rural locations, it can be a challenge to find something suitable to your needs with less options available. Utilize your company’s provided housing to make it easier, especially as a first-time travel nurse.

A nice way to find a place that has internet and utilities already set up is with Airbnb, Furnished Finders, and Landing. When your agency provides housing, you’ll usually need to at least set up the internet. This is reimbursable as long as it’s listed in your contract.

Find a place that is furnished, with desired amenities, and in a location that is near enough to your travel nurse assignment. Do your own research for housing prices in the area. The benefit of finding your own housing is that you can select a spot suited to your tastes, and pocket any extra housing stipend. It’s also perfectly alright to take your company’s free housing.

#9: Do Your Research

When selecting a travel nurse company, set aside a few hours to look up reputable travel agencies. Check reviews. Places to look include glassdoor, travel nurse websites, or the travel nurse community on nurse.org. Ask friends who are planning to travel or who are already traveling which agencies they like.

Don’t forget to research some hospitals and locations. If you have your heart set on a city, state, or hospital, look up information that’s relevant. It’s important to know what to expect. You can also find blogs or Reddit discussions about different states and cities, and get the insider scoop on lifestyle.

#10: Ask Questions to Other Travel Nurses

Are there other travel nurses at your current facility? Ask them out for a coffee after your shift, and pepper them with questions! It’s fun to know where they enjoyed working, which cities were their favorites, and why.

Some questions to ask include:

How did you find housing?
Which travel company are you using?
Did you bring your car?
What did you wish you didn’t bring?
How much time off did you plan in between assignments?

Having a veteran traveler’s input is similar to a doctor’s expert opinion. It puts your research into a real-life perspective, and can help you visualize realities of a travel nurse experience. You can also make note of what pitfalls to avoid.

You can find other travel nurses on social media. Facebook groups and Tik Tok have loads of travel nurses willing to talk shop.

#11: Arrive Early on Day One

Arrive early to make a great first impression. Fifteen minutes early is a good amount of leeway for any unforeseen delays. Give yourself extra time to navigate a new hospital, find the break room, and show up prepared.

Pro tip: If you’re up for it, bring a jar of pens for the unit. Nurses love pens. Attach a note, introducing yourself as a new travel nurse. It’s a great way to stand out–and make coworkers familiar with your name.

#12: Understand Your New Work Environment

As you enter a brand new work culture, avoid making assumptions. Ask a lot of questions.

It’s helpful to bring a small notebook you can tuck into your scrub pocket, to jot down the break room codes or important extensions. Observe the flow of how nurses structure their day. Some units emphasize certain tasks, and it’s important to make note of this.

Tips for navigating your new work environment:

Never feel bad for asking questions.
Be willing to help when you can.
Introduce yourself to new work colleagues.

It may be daunting, but have confidence in your abilities.

#13: Be Ready to Show Off Your Skills

Before you start your new travel assignment, you’ll have a (sometimes lengthy) onboarding checklist. It’s important to be realistic but confident when answering questions on skills checklists.

When you’re on the floor, you may feel the exacting eyes of other coworkers watching you. This can be stressful and might shake your confidence.

There is sometimes a hesitation to show your skills in a new place. Once you are off orientation and trained on processes, don’t be afraid to jump in and help. Your coworkers will see your strengths and welcome you as a member of the team.

#14: Don’t Take Things Personally

Don’t take things personally. Try to set your ego aside. Think about your tasks at hand, the patients and families you are helping, and how you’re great at your job. That’s why you got this travel nurse position!

#15: Have a Positive Attitude

Inevitably something will go wrong–it’s hospital nursing, after all. However, having a positive attitude attracts others to help you in challenging situations. You’ll appear more confident, which will make you more friends in the long run.

#16: Ask Questions

Almost every nurse will tell you they appreciate the nurses who ask questions more than those who think they know everything. This is crucial as a traveler. Of course, you know how to be a nurse, but if something seems off or you have a question about the way a procedure is done at that facility, definitely reach out.

Print out the facility’s policy first. Then ask another nurse, the charge nurse, or resource nurse, for guidance. This shows initiative, which will build trust with your coworkers. It’s a great way to build a good rapport with your coworkers quickly, which is essential as a travel nurse.

#17: Keep In Contact With Your Recruiter

Whether it's about your contract or the facility, don’t hesitate to connect with your recruiter. Recruiters help you prep for interviews, obtain new state licenses, and will provide the information for your first day instructions. They have valuable insight on what other travelers did for housing in your location.

Your travel nurse recruiter wants to help you succeed on your first travel assignment. And even if it’s your second, third, or tenth travel contract–there are always questions in a new workplace setting.

It may seem awkward at first. However, know that your recruiter is there for you and it’s important to be in contact. They may have updates about your contract or licenses, and want to make sure your assignment is going great. Some of them have even worked in healthcare before, sometimes as travel nurses themselves.

#18: Don’t Forget to Make Friends!

Connect with other travel nurses or coworkers in your unit. Join the conversation when nurses are talking about something that interests you. Seek out similarities.

A few tips for making friends fast :

Learn people’s names, and use them!
Make it a point to say good morning and goodbye.
Ask if anyone else needs anything–when you go to the cafeteria to get food or drinks, or when you’re in the supply room.
Suggest after-work drinks or coffee.
Bring food to work.
Join an event the hospital is planning. For example, if you like to stay active, hospitals often have charity runs or triathlons. Check the company’s webpage for upcoming events.
Start conversations at lunch and ask coworkers about themselves.

#19: Explore Your New Town

There is likely a ton to explore in your new travel nurse locale. Most cities, big and small, have great coffee shops, bookstores, and restaurants. Look up a local cultural event and attend! Ask other nurses what they like to do in the area. Then invite them to an outing together.

Better yet, explore on your own! It’s exciting to uncover hidden gems of a new place by yourself. Take yourself out to dinner and enjoy the ambiance, or head out for a hike and embrace the beauty of nature.

#20: Think About Your Next Assignment

It’s really never too early to think about your next assignment . One thing to keep in mind is extending your current one! Most contracts are about 13 weeks. After about 4-8 weeks, think about if you’d like to stay longer. Are you vibing with your coworkers? Do you absolutely love the patient population? If so, talk to your recruiter about extending.

Write down a budget. You may be able to take time off to visit loved ones or exotic places. It’s easy to go a little crazy and splurge on expensive sunglasses or luxury dining, especially when you suddenly have an influx of cash. Yet, if you budget well during your first travel assignment, you can set yourself up for financial freedom down the line.

If you want to explore a new city or facility, then talk to your recruiter about your next travel nurse assignment. They will update you on available roles that you qualify for, so you can get all the appropriate documentation. Fortunately, the NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) has made 37 states compact, with a couple states pending. You can practice in any of those states with a single license, as long as you have permanent residency in one of those states.

Talk with a recruiter who is helpful, reliable, and transparent at Health Carousel Travel Nursing . Recruiters at Health Carousel Travel Nursing value your flexibility, preferences, and time. It’s the best way to begin your travel nursing career.

How Do I Know If I’m Ready For My First Travel Assignment?

Make sure to have at least two years experience of nursing under your belt. Do you feel like you can navigate your health care facility effectively? When you feel comfortable and confident in your role, you’re likely ready to embark on your first travel nurse assignment.

Katie Taibl (pronouns: she/they) is a registered nurse and freelance nurse writer. She has adventured from coast to coast as a travel nurse. Currently, she resides in Boston with her partner and three cats. In her free time, she enjoys time outdoors and teaching kids therapeutic surfing as a surf instructor.

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A Day in the Life of a Travel Nurse

Travel nurses live a life of adventure, but the lifestyle is only for some. It can be challenging to develop real relationships quickly, often leading to loneliness.
It’s expected that travel nurses be experienced in their field and able to perform many of the same tasks as their full-time colleagues.
Travel nurses can take time off to visit family or travel between assignments.

Are you curious about becoming a travel nurse? Although you love what you do, you may be ready for a challenge. Before jumping headlong into a 13-week assignment away from home, it’s important to note that travel nursing is not for everyone.

It can be challenging to make real relationships as you’re moving from city to city, leaving you needing a close support system.

Explore what a travel nurse does on a typical day and the pros and cons of becoming a travel nurse.

What Does a Travel Nurse Do on a Typical Day?

We spoke with two travel nurses to hear about their experiences and ask advice for our readers. Ashley Bryant is a busy travel nurse on a cardiac stepdown unit. She loves her travel assignments and the camaraderie she shares with nurses across the U.S.

Julia Waller enjoys her travel nurse career and the option to take several weeks off to go home and visit family and friends between assignments. Bryant and Waller talked with us about their typical day on assignment and the different types of “first days” they have at different hospitals.

Preparing for the Shift

Bryant says that the pandemic taught her the importance of emotionally, mentally, and physically caring for herself outside the hospital. For her, self-care has meant taking a walk or enjoying a cup of coffee before heading to work the night shift.

“I’ve noticed that taking a simple 30 minutes to mentally prepare before leaving my house makes a big difference in how my work day flows,” she says.

Waller also finds that spending time before getting to work to care for herself can help improve how the day flows. She says that coffee and breakfast are the essentials to starting her day.

Arriving at the Unit

Both nurses told us that a typical day starts the same way as when they were full-time staff nurses. Waller has found that she likes having a home unit instead of being part of the float pool.

“I feel more organized and in control of my day when I have an idea of the patient population and the flow of the unit,” she says. “I also find that having a home unit gives me more help and resources than when I float.”

Bryant describes a routine that is not unlike starting the shift for any full-time staff member. She takes five minutes to learn the basic information about her patients and then meets with the nurse who cared for the patient on the last shift at the patient’s bedside.

After meeting all of her patients, she takes another 20 minutes to take a deeper look at their charts, noting medication times, abnormal results, and upcoming tests.

She said that on a perfect night, the rest of the shift is spent administering medications, helping patients, and monitoring cardiac changes that may quickly evolve into an emergency.

New admissions from the emergency room or a transfer from the intensive care unit are interspersed in this busy schedule. She acknowledges that everyone plays a critical role in the unit’s success.

“It is so important that I give the unit secretaries, nurse techs, environmental staff, transporters, and kitchen staff their ‘flowers.’ I would truly be lost without them,” she says.

Ending the Shift

Ending the shift is much like the start but in reverse order. Travel nurses gather the information needed for the next shift, ensure they have charted all pertinent information, and complete the documentation.

The end-of-shift report collects the details of what happened to the patient in the last hours. It must include information for the incoming shift so patient care is seamless. This information includes medical history, medication, allergies, pain level, and pain management.

Bedside reporting is an integral part of involving the patient, family, and incoming nurse so all parties can get their questions answered and the patient can be actively involved in their care.

What’s Expected of Travel Nurses

Travel nurses are expected to be experienced in nursing care and the patient population they care for. They should have mastered their skills before they begin traveling.

Your first day on a new assignment can include picking up your identification badge and getting a unit tour to a full-blown orientation day with your preceptor. Waller says that she has experienced a completely virtual first day since the pandemic’s start.

She has consistently found that the new hospital usually requires travel nurses to do multiple learning modules so they are familiar with the hospital policies and procedures. Travel nurses can expect to be paired with a nurse for the first 1-3 days.

Although these preceptors are resources, travel nurses must have mastered their skills and work independently. Bryant has found that she often works 2-3 day shifts for orientation and then is released to work independently.

“The other nurses on the floor will ALWAYS be there to help you! There has never been a time when a fellow nurse was not willing to answer a question or come to my rescue on nights when it seems like everything is going haywire!” she says.

The Pros and Cons of Travel Nursing

The nationwide nursing shortage has made travel nursing an appealing career option for nurses who want to work full time or part time. Even hospitals that are fully staffed can experience seasonal shortages or the need to cover nurses on maternity leave.

But while travel nursing is an exciting adventure, it may not be for everyone. It is important to have a good grasp of the advantages and disadvantages of working as a travel nurse so you can make an informed decision about what you want to do.

What to Do When You’re Not on Assignment

Travel nurses often find their assignment goes quickly. Before you know it, the contract ends and you’re on your way back home or to your next assignment. Sometimes, the hospital facility will want to extend your contract.

In this case, your nurse recruiter or the nearest manager will let you know. It’s up to you to decide if you want to stay or move on. Bryant notes that one of the best perks of being a travel nurse is taking off as much or as little time as you want between contracts. For instance, some travel nurses work the holidays , while others choose not to.

“I have met some travelers who take the entire holiday season off. It feels great to be able to take three weeks off to go home and visit family to really give yourself a break,” she says.

This is one way that travel nurses have to care for their mental, physical, and spiritual health to prevent nurse burnout . It gives them a chance to come back to work refreshed and give the best possible care to their patients, Bryant notes.

Remember to make the most of your days off in a different city. By the time she has ended her assignment, Waller has completed a list of places to visit, the best malls to shop in, and has a list of some “must visit” restaurants and eateries.

Meet Our Contributors

Ashley Bryant, BSN

Ashley Bryant began her career in nursing in 2019 after earning her BSN from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Her love for everything heart related began in nursing school and was the driving force behind her decision to specialize in progressive cardiac and medical telemetry nursing. She began travel nursing in 2021 and has completed six travel contracts in Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, and California. What Bryant loves most about this season in her career is being able to combine her love for nursing with traveling and gaining experiences that only travel nursing can offer.

Julia Waller, RN

Julia Waller is a registered nurse with experience working in the hospital and healthcare industry. She also has experience in diverse informatics systems and healthcare systems. She attended the clinical nurse leader program at Augusta University where she earned her MSN.

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Image by dapple-designers via Pixabay

Are you a registered or licensed practical nurse? Do you have over a year of nursing experience? Do you love new challenges and adventures?

You may find that travel nursing can meet all these needs. Have you ever wondered, “how does travel nursing work?” Keep reading for answers to frequently asked questions all about travel nursing.

What Is Travel Nursing Like?

Travel nursing provides many unique opportunities for nurses. Specific healthcare agencies focus on placing nurses for short-term assignments across the country. This means you will have the chance to work in many different states and organizations.

Assignments may be short- or long-term. The average length is between 12 and 13 weeks. Since you’re filling gaps in staffing, you can work in many different types of nursing jobs.

Why Are Travel Nurses in Demand?

Did you know that, on average, it takes 49 days to hire new employees in the healthcare industry? The healthcare industry is one of the largest employers. Yet, they also have one of the highest turnover rates.

One study found that over half of registered nurses plan to leave their position within five years. Travel nursing fills these staffing holes for healthcare facilities. This career path is not going away anytime soon.

How Does Travel Nursing Work?

Traveling nurses may receive assignments to hospitals, clinics, or other types of medical facilities. These temporary jobs take nurses to many different states. You'll have the chance to work with different populations and see new procedures.

This offers a great opportunity for individuals who love to take on new challenges. Many people have questions about how a travel nursing career works. Continue reading to find answers to common questions.

1. What Are the Requirements to Be a Traveling Nurse?

Most agencies hire registered nurses who’ve completed their training and licensure. Some agencies also hire licensed professional nurses. Another common requirement is at least one year of experience in your area of specialty.

2. How Does Licensing Work for Traveling Nurses?

All nurses must hold a license to work in the assigned state. Some agencies help their nurses get licensed in new states before starting assignments. This may take place while you are working on a current contract in preparation for the next job.

Other companies don’t offer help with licensing. Don’t hesitate to ask the agency if they will assist you. They may decline and then it’s up to you to complete the requirements on your own.

If the agency helps you get your license, they may ask you to sign a contract addressing licensure. They may stipulate that you can only use those state licenses while working for them. If you get your license on your own, you aren’t restricted to how you use it.

For most license applications you must do the following:

Pay for an endorsement application
Pay for a background check
Get official fingerprints
Provide information for the NURSYS license verification
Order and pay for school transcripts

This is time-consuming and can cost over $100. The most efficient and least expensive approach is to get multiple state licenses.

Find out which states offer reciprocity with other states. This will allow you to expand your state licensure quicker.

3. What Reimbursement Does a Travelling Nurse Receive?

Travel nurses can often choose the city, state, or maybe even the country where they would like to work. They may also have a choice of the type of assignment. While traveling is great, it involves many expenses.

Travel nurse agencies often offer reimbursement packages as part of their benefits. They may pay for relocation costs including moving and living expenses. Your accommodations and transportation may also be covered.

It’s important to discuss this with the company before signing a contract. You may find that the agency pays a sign-on bonus intended to offset relocation costs. Yet other agencies’ benefit plans may include:

Health insurance
Provision or a stipend for housing
401(k) plans
Travel reimbursement
Payment for continuing education
Tuition assistance to help you complete BSN or MSN programs
Reimbursement for certifications and licenses
Payment guarantees in the case of canceled shifts or assignments
Payment for Worker’s Compensation and/or Liability insurance

It’s important to understand that if you break the contract, you may have to pay back costs for benefits paid. Make sure that you understand the benefits they’re offering.

For example, is the health insurance widely accepted? What are your co-pay and deductible? Be sure to read the fine print and ask lots of questions before signing up.

4. Where Do You Live During a Travel Assignment?

Many nurses feel anxious about becoming a traveling nurse. This often stems from not knowing where they will live. Most agencies offer two options .

The housing options may vary depending on the location of your assignment. Some companies will help you secure an apartment, house, or hotel room. When the agency makes the arrangements, it decreases your worry about finding lodging.

You should feel comfortable that the place will be in a safe part of town. It will also be in good condition with the basic amenities.

Yet, some individuals prefer to find their own place to live. You may ask to make your own living arrangements.

Many agencies will offer a living expense stipend. If you find acceptable housing for less than the stipend, you can increase your income.

5. Can You Choose Part-Time Travel Nurse Jobs?

In general, travel nursing doesn’t offer part-time work. Yet, you can arrange your schedule so that you have time off during the year. For example, if you take 13-week assignments that have a few weeks between them, you get a break.

If you find that you need more money, you can ask for extra assignments. This adds some flexibility to your income.

6. Which States Are Looking at Nursing Shortages?

Nursing supply and demand vary by state. The Health Resources and Services Administration looked at the need for nurses by 2030 . They compiled a list of the states that will have a surplus and those looking at a deficit.

The following states are expected to experience a nursing shortage by 2030.

The estimated nursing supply is 343,400 and the demand is 387,900. This leaves a deficit of 44,500 positions.

They expect to have 253,400 nurses with a demand of 269,300. This means a difference of 15,900 nurses.

The studies reported an expected availability of 90,800 nurses with a demand of 102,200. This leaves the state short 11,400 nurses.

South Carolina

They should have about 52,100 nurses and need 62,500. This means they will be short 10,400 nurses.

Alaska is estimated to have 18,400 nurses and need 23,800. Their deficit will be 5,400 nurses.

They will have about 98,800 nurses and need 101,000. This leaves them with a shortage of 2,200 nurses.

South Dakota

South Dakota expects to have 11,700 nurses, but they will need 13,600. This means they will be short by 1,900 nurses.

7. Which Specialties Are in High Demand for Travel Nurses?

Traveling nurses may work on general Med/Surg units or in clinics based on staffing needs. There are several specialty areas that often request travel nurses. These specialties include the following.

Labor and Delivery Nurses

Nurses working in labor and delivery provide coaching and comfort to the patient. They often care for the patient when she is laboring until after delivery.

After the baby's birth, the nurse administers postpartum care. This specialty also cares for the mother, baby, and family.

These nurses must have expertise in labor management, assisting with birth, and postpartum care. You will need to be CPR, ACLS, and PALS certified to manage critical situations. The nurse should also have experience is with breastfeeding coaching, mother-baby bonding, and more.

Telemetry Nurses

Telemetry units track the patient's heart rhythm, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen levels. This means that the nurse should be proficient in reading EKG rhythm strips. This specialty also requires certification in CPR and ACLS.

The nurse should feel confident in caring for patients with potential cardiovascular problems. It’s also important to understand the pharmacologic agents used for these patients.

ICU nurses care for patients with complex medical issues. The nurse must be proficient in cardiac, respiratory, GI, neurologic, and orthopedic care. They should also have experience with adults, pediatrics, and neonatal patients.

The nurse will need to have CPR, ACLS, and PALS certifications. CCRN certification will increase your assignment opportunities and show your level of expertise.

Perioperative and Operating Room Nurses

Few nurses have experience working in pre-op, as a scrub or circulating nurse, or the recovery room. This nursing specialty is essential for the surgical process.

These nurses understand sterile technique and are familiar with many different surgical instruments. During surgery, the nurse is expected to hand equipment and assist without delays. They must have the ability to anticipate the surgeon’s and patient’s needs.

This elite specialty in nursing is aging as a group. Many plan to retire in the next few years. This means there will be a general shortage of nurses with this skill set.

Neonatal Nurses

Neonatal nurses provide care to infants during their first 28 days of life. Some premature babies need even longer care.

These nurses must understand basic neonatal care, monitor their vital signs, and know the normal ranges. They also care for infants with birth defects that need extra care.

These nurses must have CPR and PALS certifications. This provides the knowledge needed to respond in emergency situations.

Emergency Room Nurses

Nurses who work in the emergency room must be prepared for everything. They care for patients of all ages with all types of injuries and illnesses. The nurse may work triage and have the responsibility of deciding who receives treatment first.

These nurses work closely with physicians and other healthcare workers to provide a range of care. Certifications in CPR, ACLS, and PALS are essential for all emergency room nurses.

8. Is Travel Nursing a Good Choice for You?

While travel nursing offers a myriad of opportunities both professionally and personally, it’s not for everyone. You must have the ability to leave home for months at a time. Some assignments are offered with little notice.

If you have family or pet responsibilities, you need to think about how you will manage this. If you own a home, how will you ensure that the home/lawn care is covered? Can you pay all your bills online?

For nurses that will struggle with issues such as these, travel nursing may not be the best fit. You don’t want to launch into a career that will cause increased life stress.

If you don’t feel tied down and love to experience new adventures, travel nursing offers a great choice. You may often work 12-hour shifts which will give you days off during the week. You can take that time to visit the area and learn about the culture.

Are You Interested in Taking a New Career Path?

After reading this article, do you have the urge to pack up and go? You have learned the answer to, “how does travel nursing work?” If you’re ready to make a change, Hospital Careers is here to help you get started.

We are healthcare’s premier career platform for connecting healthcare professionals and employers. Providing the highest quality of care to health facilities is our prime objective. We also value our employees and seek to help them find great opportunities.

Advance your career. Change your life. - HospitalCareers

How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One Place?

Travel nurses typically receive tax-free reimbursements for various expenses because they travel for work away from their tax-home. However, there are limits as to how long a travel nurse can stay in one place and continue to qualify for tax-free reimbursements. In this article, we’ll discuss all of this topic’s angles so travel nurses can approach it with confidence.

How Long Can an Itinerant Travel Nurse Work in the Same Place?

First, you must have a tax-home in order to qualify for tax-free reimbursements. If you do not have a tax-home, then the IRS considers you to be an itinerant worker.

We covered tax homes extensively in a previous article. We encourage you to view that article here .

Find your next travel healthcare job on BluePipes!

Itinerant travel nurses can still work travel nursing assignments. However, they must pay taxes on all of their compensation. In fact, an itinerant travel nurse must pay taxes even if a travel nursing agency pays them tax-free reimbursements.

Therefore, if you’re an itinerant travel nurse, then you can work in the same place for as long as you would like. That said, the hospital or agency may limit your time in any given location. However, those limits do not pertain to your tax-status.

The Reason Travel Nurses Can’t Stay in One Place for Too Long

Travel nurses who do receive tax-free reimbursements can’t stay in one place for too long because their tax-home will shift to that location. This is actually much worse than it sounds.

You see, the IRS defines a tax home as, “the entire city or general area in which your business or work is located…regardless of where you maintain your family home.” Therefore, your tax-home is more about where you work, and less about where you call home.

Now, here’s the thing. If your tax-home shifts, then you need to pay taxes on all the tax-free reimbursements you collected for the entire period you were there. This retroactive treatment can result in a large unexpected expense.

How Do We Define a “Place” or the Length of Time?

Next, it’s important to note the ambiguous language the IRS uses in their definition of a tax home. They say it is the, “entire city or general area”. What is a “general area”?! That could be lots of things!

As a result, there are some “places” that we have an exact explanation for. But there are other “places” that are more difficult for us to define. Therefore, we must rely on prior IRS court cases for guidance.

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The IRS also provides a definition for the length of time you can stay in any “general area” and continue to qualify for reimbursements. In this case, the IRS says that your assignment cannot be “indefinite.” They define an indefinite assignment as an assignment that is, “realistically expected to last for more than 1 year.”

General Criteria

As you can see, the IRS does not provide a clearly defined rule for how long workers can stay in one place before their tax-home shifts there. However, we now have 3 general criteria. They are as follows:

The amount of income relative to your total income matters
Location is defined as a “city or general area”
12 months is the maximum duration

How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One “Place”?

While there is no hard-rule on how long a travel nurse can work in one place, the general rule of thumb is to never work in one place for more than 12 months in any rolling 24-month period. However, you must also ensure that the income you earn in any one travel destination does continually constitute the majority of your total income.

How Long Does a Travel Nurse Have to Leave Before They Can Return to the Same Place?

Therefore, how long a travel nurse must leave before they can return to the same place depends on the following three criteria:

How long the travel nurse has already worked there.
How long the travel nurse intends to stay upon returning.
The percentage of annul income that the specified location accounts for

We have a lot to unpack here. Let’s look at some examples.

Example 1: Travel Nurse Returns Home for 30 Days

Let’s say you work as a travel nurse in Place(X) for 360 days, which is nearly 1 year. Then, you return to your tax-home and work PRN at your local hospital for 30 days. Next, you return to Place(X) as a travel nurse immediately following your 30 days at home.

Create your free Travel Healthcare Resume on BluePipes!

How long can you work in Place(X) before you run afoul of the general guidelines? If you said, “Just over one month.”, then you are right! You’ve only worked one month away. Therefore, 11 of the previous 12 months were in Place(X).

This is a scenario that many people in the industry believe will satisfy the requirements. Unfortunately, it does not. You wouldn’t be able to complete the standard 13-week contact when you returned.

Example 2: Travel Nurse Routinely Returns to the Same Location

Now let’s say that you work as a travel nurse in Place(X) for 6 months. Then, you take 2 months off for fun. Then, you return to your tax home and work for 4 months. Now let’s say that you repeat this process for several years, always returning to Place(X).

Technically, you’re never working in Place(X) for longer than 12 months in any rolling 24-month period. However, if you are earning more income in Place(X) than you do at your tax home, then your tax home will shift to Place(X) at some point.

Remember, first and foremost, your tax home is where earn your income. If you continually earn most of your income in the same place, then that place will eventually become your tax home.

The bottom line is that travel nurses must continue to move around in order to maintain their current tax home. Now let’s take a look at how all of this relates to different kinds of “places”.

How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay at the Same Hospital?

The generally accepted rule of thumb is never to work more than 12 months in any rolling 24-month period at the same hospital. Additionally, you want to make sure that no hospital away from your tax home becomes the leading source of your income over a period of multiple years.

How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One City?

The generally accepted rule of thumb is never to work more than 12 months in any rolling 24-month period in the same city. Additionally, you want to make sure that no city away from your tax home becomes the leading source of your income over a period of multiple years.

Many travel nurses wonder if they can work in the same city for years as long as they always change hospitals. If you do that, then your tax home will shift to that city.

How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One Area?

The generally accepted rule of thumb is never to work more than 12 months in any rolling 24-month period in the same area. Additionally, you want to make sure that no area away from your tax home becomes the leading source of your income over a period of multiple years.

This is the trickiest one to deal with because we do not have a clear definition of “area”. For example, let’s say you repeatedly work travel nursing assignments at 2 hospitals that are 50 miles apart from one another.

These hospitals aren’t in the same city. They may not even be in the same metropolitan area.

However, you could reasonably live midway between the 2 hospitals and your commute would be 25 miles to each hospital.

25 miles is definitely a reasonable commute. It would not require you to stay overnight to meet the demands of work. Therefore, your tax home would most likely shift to this area if you worked there for more than 12 months in a 24-month period.

The easiest way to manage your travel healthcare career.

Again, there is no steadfast rule. Therefore, we can’t provide an exact distance that each hospital you work at needs to be from one another. However, it certainly should be far enough away that you couldn’t reasonably commute to both hospitals from some equidistant point.

How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One State?

A travel nurse can stay in one state indefinitely IF they continue to move to different areas such that they never spend more than 12 months in any rolling 24-month period in the same area. Additionally, you want to make sure that no one area away from your tax home becomes the leading source of your income over a period of multiple years.

As you can see, the rules are fairly straightforward. However, the IRS’s guidelines are not specific with respect to the definition of an “area”. But, the spirit of the rules is quite clear. The bottom line is that travel nurses need to move to different locations fairly frequently in order to maintain their tax homes.

Please note that we are not tax advisers or CPAs. This article is for informational purposes only. Please consult a registered tax professional with experience in the travel healthcare industry in order to discuss your unique circumstances.

Travel Nursing Pay – Qualifying for Tax-Free Stipends and Tax Deductions: Part 2: Maintaining Temporary Status In our previous blog post we laid out the criteria under...
Travel Nursing Pay – Qualifying for Tax-Free Stipends: Part 3: The 3 Factor Threshold Test Now that we have made the distinction between indefinite work...
6 Things Travel Nurses Should Know About GSA Rates Understandably, there is a lot of confusion about GSA rates...

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I was first bit with the travel bug in college. While I hadn’t traveled much at the time, I found myself in class daydreaming of far-off places that I had only seen in the movies. Very quickly, I realized that travels don’t fund themselves, and to live the life I wanted (jumping from one vacation to the next), I would need a job to fund my dreams of traveling. So I set off on searching for a career that would allow me to maximize travel while working…

Why Nursing is the Perfect Career if You Love to Travel

As my search for a career that would allow me to travel began, I realized that most careers were tied to a desk. Working Monday-Friday, 9-5. It wasn’t until I was a senior in college, about to graduate, that I came across nursing. Quickly, I realized that I had a passion for helping others, excelled in science courses, and that a nursing schedule was exactly what I was looking for to be able to travel. Now, I could easily live out my dreams of frequently being able to travel!

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Nurses Get 8 Days Off in a Row

One of the biggest perks of being a nurse is the schedule. While there are exceptions, typically, nurses work three days a week, in 12-hour shifts. Most hospitals allow the flexibility for nurses to make their own schedules with the ability to stack shifts. This means that if you self-schedule, you could give yourself 8 days off in a row with no need to take paid time off (PTO)! To do this you would schedule yourself to work Sunday-Monday-Tuesday of week one; and Thursday-Friday-Saturday of week two.

To top it off, taking these eight days off doesn’t include the allotted PTO that nurses earn. Each hospital differs, but typically you can earn an average of 12 days off in one year; (one day per month). If you are planning on going abroad, but don’t think eight days is long enough, you could take one or two days of PTO. You don’t have to take an entire week off (three shifts), to leave the United States. For example – if you take two days of PTO, on week one you might work on Sunday, and on week two you will work Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Instead of eight days off, you now have 10 days off by using two days of PTO.

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You Can Become a Travel Nurse

If you crave even more than eight days of vacation then you may want to consider travel nursing . Usually, travel nurses sign a 13-week contract anywhere across the United States. Not only do you get 13 weeks to explore places within the US and outlying territories, but you also get unlimited time off in between your contracts. If you’re feeling burned out , take one, two, or even 10-weeks off between contracts!

In 2018, I had moved from one travel nurse contract to the next without taking any time off. I quickly burned out and decided to take a 17-week trip around Europe and Southeast Asia. If it weren’t for travel nursing, that wouldn’t have been possible!

For tips on how to land your dream travel nurse position read: 4 Common Travel Nurse Interview Questions, Plus How to Nail Your Interview

For more inspiration on becoming a travel nurse read: The Ultimate Travel Nurse Bucket List – 10 Experiences to Have As a Travel Nurse

You Can Become a Volunteer Nurse

The third way to leverage nursing into travel is to volunteer. In 2017 I landed a volunteer position with Project Hope in Macedonia . I volunteered at the Children’s Hospital of Skopje from Monday-Friday, and explored on the weekends! Before I knew it I had used my career in nursing to visit eight countries in 10 weeks !

Not only does volunteer nursing push you out of your comfort zone by having to use your skills in knowledge in a different part of the world where resources are scarce, but you also get a unique opportunity to meet locals and see how the country operates as a local versus a tourist. Oftentimes volunteer nursing is for a long period of time so you get a chance to really get to know a country and the culture.

Read More: Working As a Volunteer Nurse – My Experience in Macedonia

You Can Work Internationally

Another great and unique thing about nursing that allows you to travel, is working as a nurse abroad! There are opportunities all over the world for US trained RN’s, including opportunities in the UAE, UK, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, and more! If you’re interested in working abroad, make sure to check out this post .

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The bottom line is, you have to find what you’re passionate about and do that thing. If you love to travel but you hate blood and service, then nursing isn’t for you. I was lucky enough to find a career that I love and find a way to make the most out of it to travel the world. Nursing is a hard, but rewarding profession. It’s essential to remember to take care of yourself and take as much time off as you need so that you can best serve your patients.

Are you a nurse wanting to plan a vacation? Read: 10 Affordable Countries Every Nurse Should Visit

Kylee is a NICU nurse passionate about making travel affordable and accessible to nurses. Inspiring nurses to travel both near and far, Kylee began Passports and Preemies in 2017 while volunteering in Skopje, North Macedonia as a way to reach nurses and advocate for the prevention of nurse burnout by traveling. Kylee has been a NICU nurse for 9 years and a travel nurse for 7 years. Since starting her career in travel nursing, she’s worked in six different states, 10 different hospitals, volunteered as a nurse in North Macedonia, worked as a nurse in Saudi Arabia, and has traveled to 45+ countries. Her favorite travel nurse assignment was in Seattle and her favorite destination is Georgia (the country). Kylee is the original creator of the “8 Day Vacay” – a vacation geared towards nurses who aim to take advantage of the potentially 8 days off between work weeks with no need to use PTO.

Find me on: Web | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Travel Nurse Tax Guide 2023

Navigating travel nurse taxes can be a challenge, especially because travel nurse tax amounts can be a bit different depending on what state or states you worked in. In general, however, taxes are very different for travel nurses compared to traditional staff nurses. From choosing a tax home to keeping your receipts to knowing exactly how your income will affect your long-term financial goals, here is the information you need to know about travel nurse taxes.

RN’s can earn up to $2,300 per week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!

Travel Nurse Taxes + Income Breakdown

Travel nurses are paid differently than staff nurses because they receive both a base hourly pay that is taxed and additional “payments” that are non-taxed to make up their “total” pay. When you sign up to commit to a travel nurse position you’ll receive a pay package that will detail all of the different aspects of what will make up your actual compensation.

Essentially it’s in the travel nursing agency’s best interest to keep the base rate of a travel nurse’s pay package low, so many travel nurses have a modest base pay but will receive additional stipends. In a technical and legal sense, those additional stipends — which typically cover things like meals, housing , and work-related expenses — are expense reimbursements for doing your job as a travel nurse, which is why they aren’t considered income and are non-taxable.

Travel agencies offer “standardized” bill rates. This means that there is one rate for all workers with any given license covered by the contract. For example, all Registered Nurses have the same bill rate, all Physical Therapists have the same bill rate, and so on. It’s also possible for the licenses to be broken down by specialty and every so often by level of experience. For example, Medical Surgical and Telemetry Registered Nurses have one rate while all other Registered Nurses have another. Registered Nurses with 1-3 years of experience get one rate, while those with more than 3 years of experience get a slightly higher rate. The important thing to understand is that standardized bill rates are set in stone by the contract for all intents and purposes. There is no possibility of negotiating a higher bill rate based on a particular travel nurse’s salary history or work experience.

Joseph Smith, EA/MS Tax, an international “taxation master” and founder of Travel Tax , explains that in addition to their base pay, most travel nurses can reasonably expect to see $20,000-$30,000 of non-tax reimbursement payments in a typical year working as a travel nurse.

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Qualifying For Non-Taxable Income

In order to avoid being taxed on those reimbursement payments, however, you need to clearly prove that you have what’s called a “tax home” to the IRS. The IRS defines a tax home as “the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home.”

Smith explains that you can qualify for a tax home in two main ways:

If your primary area of residence is also your main area of income, which typically does not apply to travel nurses.
You visit your primary residence at least once every 12 months and can prove that you are paying for expenses to maintain your primary home.

If you can’t prove that you have a tax home, or don’t meet the qualifications for having a tax home, you will be taxed on the stipend payments you receive as part of your travel nurse pay package. Additionally, Smith cautions that most travel nursing agencies will not verify that you qualify for a tax home, so it’s up to you, the travel nurse, to ensure that you are meeting all requirements for establishing a tax home in order to collect your non-taxable stipends.

Joseph Smith, EA/MS Tax, an international “taxation master” and founder of Travel Tax, explains that in addition to their base pay, most travel nurses can reasonably expect to see $20,000-$30,000 of non-tax reimbursement payments in a typical year working as a travel nurse.

While many people commonly believe that you must have your tax home at least 50 miles away from where you work as a travel nurse, there’s actually no specific distance requirement . The only real requirement is that you must prove that it’s farther away than a reasonable commute and requires rest and sleep before going back and forth.

You should always check with a tax professional, but in general, travel nurses can take the following steps to help ensure that they qualify for a tax home in the eyes of the IRS:

Keep proof of any payments you are making to show that someone else is maintaining your primary residence, such as receipts for a house sitter, mortgage, rent, utilities, or home maintenance expenses.
Maintain your driver’s license and voter registration in your home state.
Keep your car registered in your home state.
Keep a per-diem position, if possible, in your home state.
Return to your permanent home at least once every 13 months.
File a Residence Tax Return with your home state.

To file taxes correctly, it’s very important to maintain your tax home and prove that you have to actually pay for “double” of everything—for both your tax home and your new living situation as a travel nurse. That means that if you rent out your home temporarily while you’re gone, you no longer can classify it as a tax home.

What About State Taxes?

Travel nurses should plan on filing their taxes by the April 15th deadline, just like everyone else in the United States, although there may be a little wiggle room for extensions due to the nature of being a multi-state professional as a travel nurse, according to Smith. Every state has different laws for filing taxes, but travel nurses may need to file a non-resident tax return in every state they have worked in, as well as the state that they consider their permanent tax home.

Travel Nurse Tax Tips

Smith advises travel nurses to keep a receipt book to help them make tax preparation a little easier by having all of their paperwork in one place. Although digital receipts may be more convenient or “modern” for younger nurses, keeping paper copies as a backup is always recommended. Your receipts can include things like:

Housing and lodging expenses while traveling
Mileage travel
Uniform and scrub expenses
Work-related expenses, such as continuing education courses or certifications you must maintain to keep your position
Costs for Internet and phone providers

The 2022 tax reform laws did away with many job expenses at the federal level , which means that travel nurses can’t deduct certain travel-related expenses such as food, mileage, and gas on their federal return. You can still get a stipend or reimbursement from your travel agency for those expenses, but they may not count as deductions.

That being said, a handful of states still allow job expense deductions on your state tax return, such as New York , California , Alabama, Hawaii , and Arkansas, so there may be additional tax deductions you can make if you’ve worked in a qualifying state.

Smith also adds to be careful when filling out residency on your tax return, as he sees many travel nurses make the mistake that working a travel assignment means they have moved. However, working a temporary (under 12 months) travel nursing position does not qualify as a move of your permanent residence — instead, they are just away from home temporarily and that’s an important distinction to make come tax time.

Keep your tax home as a permanent residence address, and don’t change it unless you actually move permanently!

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Can You Get Audited As A Travel Nurse?

The travel nursing industry as a whole does tend to be scrutinized closely, says Smith. As a travel nurse, you may be more at risk for an audit if you’re displaying high expenses and low income. For instance, if your mortgage is $10,000 a month, but your overall income with your base pay as a travel nurse is only $20,000 annually, the IRS may be puzzled as to how you’re actually affording your lifestyle.

You can reduce your risk of an audit, or increase your risk of getting through an audit favorably by always making sure to work with a certified tax professional who is familiar with traveling healthcare professionals and not solely relying on your nurse recruiter or travel staffing agency for tax advice.

Lower Taxable Income Considerations

One of the appeals of travel nursing is that you have the potential to make a high income, especially through non-taxed stipends. And although at first glance, having non-tax stipends for things like housing may sound like a great deal for you as a travel nurse, it does come with a catch: because the additional stipends you receive as a travel nurse are not taxed, they are not considered income, and as such, will not be reflected in your annual income.

That may not sound like that big of a deal unless you find yourself in need of a loan, mortgage, or disability payment, or are nearing the age to collect Social Security. All of the aforementioned items are calculated based on your income. The lower your income, the lower the loan amount you will qualify for, and the less you are contributing to Social Security and therefore will be eligible to collect when you’re ready for retirement.

If you know that you will be needing a loan or a mortgage in the near future, Smith suggests talking to your lender as far in advance as possible to explain your situation and plan ahead. Working with a lender who is familiar with the pay structure for travel nurses can also be helpful.

In some circumstances, such as for nurses who are nearing Social Security’s retirement age, it may also be helpful to legally declare that you don’t have a tax home on your tax return, and instead, pay taxes on all of your stipends, so you can count it as taxable income.

And remember – you should use this guide as information to help you learn more about filing taxes as a travel nurse but remember that it is not tax advice. You should always consult your own CPA or tax professional before filing your tax return.

Travel Nurse Tax FAQs

Yes, all travel nurses must pay taxes on all income that they earned. They will need to file a tax return for every state that they worked in, as well as their home state where they have permanent residence.

If possible, it’s always beneficial to work with a tax professional, such as a Certified Public Accountant who can help you file and pay taxes that you owe as a travel nurse. An accountant can provide you with the physical paperwork that you can use to mail your tax payment in or help you set up an online account if digital payments are acceptable. If you file your own taxes using TurboTax or another software, you will be provided with the exact mailing address and instructions to submit payment. If you don’t have one already, you may need a book of checks in order to pay your taxes. The most important thing you need to know about paying taxes as a travel nurse is that you will need to both pay taxes and file a tax return in every single state you have worked in. If you’ve worked in many different states, that’s where hiring a CPA can be very helpful to help you navigate all that paperwork and payment.

It depends. American Traveler explains that you may end up paying taxes in every state you worked in as a travel nurse, depending on which states those are. Some states have what’s called a “reciprocity” agreement, which means that they have agreed that travel nurses working in those states will only be responsible for paying taxes to one state in total. You will have to check with your accountant or look into the tax rules for each state that you’ve worked in to determine exactly how much you owe in taxes. You should also check with your travel nursing agency if this is your situation because you will most likely need to file tax exemption paperwork through them as well. You will also need to pay taxes in both your home state and any state you worked in. That means that all income you make will be ultimately taxed through your home state taxes as well as the state where you earned the money. That might look like getting taxed twice, but the good news is, your home state will deduct the difference if the percentage rate of your home state is higher. And if it’s the other way around, you will generally only pay the higher state rate. This can get a little confusing, which is why we recommend hiring a tax professional.

Some states do not have an income tax , including Alaska , Washington , Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas , Florida , New Hampshire, USVI, and the District of Columbia (if you don’t live there.) If you live in one of these states, you will still need to pay any set income tax rate in the state where you work. If you don’t live in those states but you do work in those states, you will still pay your home state tax rate, so be sure you keep that in mind with your total earnings so you can have enough to pay your taxes come tax time.

This depends on if you’re considered a W2 employee or a 1099 contractor, but in general, travel nurses may be able to deduct the following expenses: – Mileage or the cost of gas – A rental car – Uniform and equipment costs – Continuing education – Licensing fees – Travel expenses – Some meals – Retirement and insurance contributions – Expenses that go into paying for your tax home

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Medical Mysteries: Years of hives and fevers traced to a startling cause

A california woman suffered from an episodic flu-like illness that defied explanation. its origin stunned her doctors..

There were few things Beth Sternlieb’s Los Angeles doctors could say with certainty about her baffling illness, but this much was clear: Although manageable for years, it had worsened dramatically.

For nearly two decades Sternlieb had been plagued by flu-like episodes that began with a headache and abdominal pain accompanied by fatigue, muscle aches and diarrhea. Within a day, a spotty red rash blanketed her abdomen.

A yoga and meditation teacher who worked at the University of California at Los Angeles’s pediatric pain program, Sternlieb had undergone numerous tests that failed to reveal the reason for the unidentified illness that occurred two or three times a year and lasted about five days. In 2004, after 17 years, the illness began occurring more frequently and Sternlieb never fully recovered between episodes. A year later she developed a high fever, chills and exhaustion that lasted five months and left her bedridden.

The startling and highly unusual cause was finally identified after Sternlieb underwent an operation that ended up curing her.

“It was a good thing my abdomen turned red because it caught the attention of my doctors,” Sternlieb said recently. “Something was really wrong, but no one imagined this.”

Bad case of flu

The first episode occurred in December 1987, two weeks after Sternlieb’s second child was born. “I became sicker than I had ever been,” said Sternlieb, then 37. “It was flu season and that year was a bad flu season,” so doctors attributed her illness to influenza.

Six months later the illness recurred, a pattern that prevailed for years.

At first Sternlieb didn’t pay much attention to the tiny red dots that covered her abdomen. The rash resembled a sunburn but wasn’t itchy or painful. Doctors ultimately decided it was hives , a common skin condition that can occur as an allergic reaction to food or drugs; often its cause is never discovered.

“I became sicker than I had ever been. ... It was flu season and that year was a bad flu season,” so doctors attributed her illness to influenza. — Beth Sternlieb

Her primary care doctor referred her to a rheumatologist, a physician who specializes in treating autoimmune diseases, whom she saw for several years. He ordered blood tests, which he said suggested the presence of an unspecified autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly attacks itself.

Over the years, Sternlieb noticed that the episodes seemed to occur during periods of stress “both good and bad,” including traveling, partying and too little sleep. “I thought it must have a psychological component,” she said.

She learned to incorporate the bouts into her life, relieved that no one had found anything serious. She hoped doctors would figure out what was wrong so they could treat and eradicate whatever it was.

Travel history

By 2005, Sternlieb’s equanimity was shattered by a sharp deterioration in her health.

That summer, she became seriously ill and did not recover. Her fever periodically spiked to 104 degrees, and she suffered from drenching night sweats as well as profound weakness and fatigue. She lost 15 pounds and, unable to work, spent most of her time in bed or on the couch. The rash that had been confined to her abdomen spread to her neck and torso. Blood tests showed elevated levels of inflammation and a high white blood cell count.

Sternlieb began seeing a new crop of specialists. An infectious-disease doctor combed through her travel history, which included a trip to India years earlier, ultimately ruling out malaria and other parasitic infections. Doctors considered and discarded a variety of diagnoses including fever of unknown origin , which can be associated with some autoimmune diseases; familial Mediterranean fever , an inherited genetic disorder that causes recurrent fevers and inflammation; as well as HIV and hepatitis.

That left an infection or an allergy as possible causes. The latter seemed unlikely despite recurrent hives, said Raffi Tachdjian , then a fellow in allergy and immunology at UCLA and one of the doctors Sternlieb consulted.

“Hives usually last 24 hours and are not like this, which was chronic," he recalled. “We needed to look deeper into anything unusual....It seemed that there was something packing some heat somewhere” that was triggering a reaction from Sternlieb’s immune system.

“We see this in sinuses where antibiotics don’t reach infected tissue” and result in a smoldering infection that becomes virtually impossible to eradicate with medication, he added.

A CT scan ordered by the infectious-disease doctor showed multiple uterine fibroids , common benign tumors that don’t require treatment unless they cause problems. The scan showed that one of the fibroids had grown very large and was possibly degenerating (dying) or necrotic (dead), which happens when a tumor loses its blood supply.

A degenerating fibroid can get very big very fast. But doctors were also concerned about the possibility of a rare cancer such as a leiomyosarcoma, which grows in smooth muscles including in uterine tissue. None of her doctors, including her new gynecologist Jessica Schneider , knew whether her long-standing illness and the fibroids were related.

And what explained the hives, which are not associated with fibroids or this cancer?

“It didn’t seem obvious that a fibroid would cause this,” said Schneider, a member of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Group. “But it didn’t look like a typical fibroid, and I recommended we take it out.” Sternlieb, who said she worried she might still be sick after a hysterectomy, agreed.

During the December 2005 operation, Schneider removed eight fibroids. The largest measured a whopping 11 centimeters, the size of a large grapefruit.

Nearly 20 years later Schneider vividly remembers its unique characteristics. Typically a fibroid is a solid ball of muscle, she said. This one was full of pus that spurted explosively when it was touched with a scalpel.

“It was crazy,” said Schneider, who had never seen anything like it before and hasn’t since. She administered antibiotics and took a culture that she sent to the pathology lab for analysis.

Tachdjian remembers that Schneider called him just after she finished surgery to tell him what she had found.

“I thought ‘We need to know what the heck grew,’ ” Tachdjian said. “We were crossing our fingers that surgery would take care of it, whatever it was. But only time would tell.”

‘A nice nest’

A few weeks later, the first question was answered. The culture showed an unknown strain of salmonella , a common bacterial infection that is usually caused by contaminated food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that it causes more than 1.3 million illnesses annually and results in more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths. Neither Sternlieb nor her doctors knew how or when she contracted salmonella, which is known to cause hives if it settles in the intestine, Tachdjian said.

In Sternlieb’s case, the bacteria had burrowed into only one fibroid; the other seven were free of salmonella.

“I kept asking older doctors if they’d ever seen anything like this, and they said they hadn’t.” — Jessica Schneider, gynecologist

“It probably seeded itself in the GI tract and thought ‘Here’s a nice nest for me,’ ” said Tachdjian, who practices in Santa Monica and is an associate clinical professor of medicine and pediatrics at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

But the duration of Sternlieb’s infection, its location in a uterine fibroid and the recurring hives made the case something of a fascinoma — medical slang for an unusual and unusually interesting case, a status that would be enhanced by the discovery of its source.

“I kept asking older doctors if they’d ever seen anything like this, and they said they hadn’t,” Schneider said. A search of medical journals conducted by Tachdjian turned up nothing similar.

Because salmonella is a reportable disease, California health officials were notified.

Several months after her operation, Sternlieb received a home visit from a public health nurse with startling news: Her infection had been traced not to food but to a reptile.

Turtles are known to harbor salmonella, one reason federal law has long banned the sale of small turtles because of the risk they pose to young children. Other reptiles and amphibians including snakes, frogs and lizards are also carriers, which is why public health officials stress the importance of handwashing after touching them.

But her family never had a pet reptile, Sternlieb said. Because her symptoms started shortly after giving birth, Sternlieb’s infectious-disease doctor suspected she might have contracted the infection in the hospital, possibly from a staff member. At times during pregnancy and before delivery, the mother’s immune system is suppressed to prevent it from rejecting the fetus.

Another possibility, said Sternlieb, who wracked her brain trying to recall possible reptile exposures from nearly two decades earlier, is that the infection was transmitted by a pet reptile at the nursery school her then-4-year-old son attended. But she added that he never brought a reptile home and that she doesn’t remember the school keeping such pets.

Schneider said she began to recover almost immediately after surgery and has never had another episode. Doctors deemed the surgery a cure.

Tachdjian said he suspects she was exposed in the hospital and added that it’s fortunate she underwent surgery when she did. Had the fibroid ruptured, Sternlieb could have developed sepsis , a potentially fatal infection that results from bacteria coursing through the bloodstream.

In 2010, Tachdjian, Schneider and two other doctors published a report of her case in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Their goal, Tachdjian said, was to alert other doctors to consider abdominal hives as a possible sign of a simmering pelvic infection.

“You want these reports so the next [doctor] that runs into something like this gets imaging quickly,” he said.

Send your solved medical mystery to [email protected] . No unsolved cases, please. Read previous mysteries at wapo.st/medicalmysteries .

A previous version of this article included frogs as reptiles known to carry salmonella. Frogs are amphibians. The article has been corrected.

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Shock of the old: 11 transport fantasies that never got off the ground – from jetpacks to swan-powered paragliders

From Leonardo da Vinci to the engineers of Bell Aerosystems, some of our finest minds have devoted themselves to finding a better form of travel. Still, anyone can have an off day …

T here’s an innocent optimism to transport visionaries. They really thought they could change the world! They absolutely couldn’t! But all respect to them for trying: someone got lucky with the wheel once, didn’t they?

Being a transport visionary must have been more interesting back before technological progress and grotesque wealth allowed billionaires to “disrupt” the boring A-to-B-ness of conventional travel and blast a car into space, just because. Imagine conceiving of human flight back when your only model was birds and some gossip about a guy called Icarus. Or looking at a horse and thinking: “Hmmm, that’s fast, muscular and terrifying; I wonder if I could compel it to take me somewhere, somehow?”

A quick timeline: the first transport other than walking was probably rafts, around 20,000BC. We don’t know when and where exactly wheels appeared first – probably in several places simultaneously – but they were certainly around by the copper age (3,500–2,300BC), when horses were also domesticated (respect to whoever managed that). Most progress after that came in the shape of, erm, slightly better boats until someone invented the funicular railway, drawn by a horse, in late-15th-century Austria. The 17th century brought the first submarine, and the 18th century brought the idea (if not the reality) of a hovercraft at the start, and by the end had given birth to the hot air balloon and steam engine. Things went even wilder in the 19th and 20th centuries, from blimps to hydrofoils, though we still don’t have the jetpacks of our dreams.

Which, I suppose, is why we (well, they) keep trying. Maybe one day someone will hit on a safe, swift system that isn’t deadly, or dependent on fossil fuel or worse, Elon Musk, or requires you to sell your kidneys for a season ticket. With that cheery thought in mind, time to board your “ electrophant ” (a motorised elephant, invented in the 1940s, somewhat hampered by “ a slight design fault … the exhaust fumes emitted from the elephant’s trunk caused the children riding on the back to choke”) for a trundle around history’s scattiest transport concepts.

Leonardo da Vinci’s flying boat, c1490

Leonardo da Vinci’s (1452-1519) drawing for a flying boat.

Disappointingly few contemporary modes of transport – I think none, though I would be thrilled to be corrected – look like vast nightmarish bats, and that’s why Leonardo da Vinci was a genius. His sketchbooks of the late 1480s and 90s are full of bat- and bird-winged flying-machine doodles that look like the product of someone dismembering many bats (he was indeed “ an extremely skilled dissector ”). None of these machines would have actually flown , because of “physics” and “human physiognomy” and so on, but who cares when they were this cool?

The Man in the Moone, 1638

17th-century line drawing of a man sitting on a plank of wood floating in the sky held up by what looks like a climbing frame propelled by birds.

OK, bishop Francis Godwin ’s splendidly strange creation was fictional, but wouldn’t it be amazing if we could travel around pulled by a flock of wild swans (“gansas”, Godwin called them), which turn out to be strong enough to evade the gravitational pull of the Earth and take us to the moon? You know it would. Dream bigger, future visionaries!

Montgolfière, 1783

18th-century picture of the first balloon ascent with animals, lifting off in front of a vast crowd outside the Palace of Versailles including the king and queen of France.

Since a balloon trip is now something you give your parents for their golden wedding anniversary, it lacks the quixotic, ultimately doomed quality of other out-there transport. Still, imagine the outlandish scene when the Montgolfier brothers put a duck, a cock and a sheep in a basket under a balloon and sent it skywards, observed by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. No wonder their rival Jacques Charles’s version “was attacked by frightened peasants on landing”. Despite that, balloonomania rapidly took hold: huge crowds gathered to view take-offs, sometimes rioting when they didn’t happen. Fun fact: competitive ballooning was an Olympic event at Paris in 1900; one competitor reached Russia, where he was promptly arrested, later claiming: “The Russian officers persecuted me by the opening of so many bottles of French champagne that I was in great distress.” Bring it back for this year!

‘Locomotion’, 1820

George Cruikshank’s Locomotion. In the centre a man wearing steam-driven boots has ground to a halt, as the fire has gone out. Below him a servant attempts to start a blaze with a pair of bellows. People in other forms of transport are also experiencing difficulties.

Illustrator and satirist George Cruikshank claimed Oliver Twist was his idea, became a later-life fanatical teetotaller and was discovered on his deathbed to have 11 children, not with his wife. None of this is relevant to this excellent caricature of a man in steam-powered boots, and other transport fantasies. The dawn of the steam age was causing as much terror as delight; later, people believed train travel might make your uterus fall out .

Otto Lilienthal and his glider, 1896

Photograph of one of the last flights of Otto Lilienthal with his small wing flapping glider.

Prussian engineer Otto Lilienthal was inspired by birds in creating his terrifying flying machines (his research was published as Bird Flight as a Basis for Aviation) and it shows: some of his designs even incorporated flapping motion. Lilienthal managed a controlled flight of 24 metres (80ft) in his Derwitzer glider before designing this, the anything-but-normal-looking “Normalapparate”. This picture commemorates one of his last flights before the Normalapparate crashed from a height of 15 metres, killing him. There’s something awfully poignant about his dangling legs. Vale , Herr Lilienthal. Leonardo would have approved of you.

Moving pavement, 1900

Photograph of a moving sidewalk next to the German lighthouse at the 1900 World Fair in Paris.

This breakout moment for moving pavements was “the Street of the Future” showcased at the Paris exhibition of 1900 (a smaller version appeared at the Chicago World Fair in 1893). Its fastest platform went at 6mph (just under 10kph) and on one of the fair’s busiest days, it reportedly transported 70,000 people in an afternoon . I’m not sure why they’re now confined to short distances through airports: I would absolutely venture out and keep the economy going with frivolous purchases if I could be conveyed at 6mph with absolutely no effort on my part.

Brennan’s monorail c1910

Men stand on the platform at the rear of a monorail that is moving through a field. It looks broadly like a large milk float that hasn’t a roof

Like the jetpack, the monorail screams progress! Future! This, however, just seems to be some lads in a field going nowhere slowly. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the Irish-Australian engineer and torpedo inventor Louis Brennan ’s invention failed to attract sufficient investment to go anywhere, despite being a viable, functioning mode of transport, tested and admired by Winston Churchill. “Of the two vehicles built, one was sold as scrap, and the other was used as a park shelter .” Oh dear. Bankrupt but undeterred, Brennan tried to make a helicopter, which he did get airborne, momentarily, but was again abandoned by investors.

Gerder’s Motorwheel, 1931

Black and white photograph of Swiss engineer M Gerder at Arles, France on his way to Spain in his Motorwheel, a single-wheeled motorcycle (think a seated lawn mower) that runs on a rail placed within a solid rubber tyre of about 6ft diameter.

If exploring transport visionaries has taught me anything, it is that since the dawn of wheels, men have wanted to sit inside them, hamster style. There’s a delightfully thorough survey of deranged monowheels here , dating right back to 1869. This “motorwheel” is described in the picture caption as the creation of the driver, a Swiss engineer called Gerder, but he may in fact have been a customer of Davide Gislaghi (or Cislaghi), a Milanese policeman who invented the motoruota . You can see it in action here . Regardless of whether or not he invented it, Monsieur Gerder has the sparkling eye and beatific smile of a man truly content with his absurd life choices, and I salute him for it.

JA Purves’ Dynasphere, 1930

Black and white photograph of JA Purves sitting inside the Dynasphere, a large (perhaps 12ft diameter) wheel with a tyre that is in a mesh form, with large square holes in regular lines.

One hamster wheel is simply not enough, so taking the rodent-propulsion impulse to its logical conclusion/dead end, we have … whatever the hell this is. I strongly recommend watching it roll at terrifying speed (30mph) in this short film . Dr Purves, the inventor, also proposed a bus version, excitingly. However, there were “ difficulties with steering and braking”; there’s a suggestion the Dynasphere was prone to “ gerbiling ”, where passengers were spun inside the wheel when accelerating or braking.

MW Hulton’s seashoes, 1962

Black and white photograph of MW Hulton demonstrating his seashoes and duckfoot propellers on the Grand Union canal. He is in a dark suit and standing on what look like two wide skis, although they are joined by a small platform under his feet. The complete the ski look, he is holding what could be ski poles in his hands.

A classic transport visionary here: impractical outfit; demonstrably daft invention (“sea-shoes and duckfoot propellers”); looks absolutely delighted with himself. Walking on water is another idea that seems to obsess, well, men: it was a Leonardo da Vinci thing – his involved cork skis and paddle poles – and has resurfaced occasionally ever since; the US has 100-plus patents for various versions, starting in 1858. A 2016 version, the FloatSki , was hailed as the “next big fitness trend”, but I haven’t seen many people floatskiing down my local waterways yet.

Bob Courter tests a jetpack, 1964

Black and white photograph showing Bob Courter 350ft above a showground ring using a jet pack strapped to his back. In front of him a man turns away holding his hand to the side of his head.

Shock of the old
Aeronautics

Jimmy Butler Had Three-Word Threat for 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. After Suffering Injury

Author: Mike McDaniel

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is not happy with Philadelphia 76ers wing Kelly Oubre Jr..

After Butler elevated for a jump shot during Wednesday night's play-in loss, Oubre collided with Butler's knee, leading to a MCL injury that has put Butler on the shelf for the foreseeable future.

Even though Butler looked like he kicked his leg out while taking the shot, which led to the foul by Oubre and subsequent injury, Butler has still taken it upon himself to send Oubre a threatening message on Instagram.

"We throwing hands," Butler said to Oubre in a post from the Miami Heat's official Instagram account.

Jimmy Butler to Kelly Oubre Jr. on IG 😅 pic.twitter.com/eaKoqIF3uV — Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) April 18, 2024

There was clearly no malicious intent by Oubre on the play that led to Butler's injury, but the Heat star doesn't see it that way.

Regardless, the 76ers won the game and clinched the No. 7 seed. The Heat will battle the Chicago Bulls on Friday night for the No. 8 seed without Butler. The winner clinches a first round date with the Boston Celtics beginning on Sunday. The loser of the game heads to the offseason.

Latest NBA News

Joel Embiid gets an update from Nick Nurse ahead of the Sixers' matchup against the Suns.

Nick Nurse Dishes Latest on Joel Embiid Before Sixers vs. Suns

Feb 13, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White warms up before an NBA game against the Orlando Magic at United Center.

Coby White is set to return and says he dodged a bullet in a nasty fall vs. the Indiana Pacers

Looking Ahead to the Raptors Upcoming Race For Draft Seeding

Pelicans vs. Magic: 3 Best Bets

Cam Johnson spends off day visiting Brooklyn's NETSTEM program

Politics latest: PM 'appalled' by police protest row; Truss backs Trump and Sunak to win elections

Former prime minister Liz Truss has blamed her downfall on "deep resistance within the establishment" in an interview with Sky News. Meanwhile, Labour leader Keir Starmer has said the Tories have "lost any right" to call themselves patriotic.

Sunday 21 April 2024 15:15, UK

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Liz Truss refuses to apologise for higher interest rates in Sky News interview
'I want Rishi Sunak to win' - Truss
Adam Boulton: What Truss and Trump have in common
PM 'appalled' by police protest row
Met Police chief's resignation 'not the way forward' - Labour
Rishi Sunak 'not a real Conservative', Reform leader claims
General election date 'above my pay grade' - Sunak ally
Labour vows to get prisons built
Tap here to subscribe to Electoral Dysfunction
Live reporting by Charlotte Chelsom-Pill

But before you go, here are the headlines:

Liz Truss has refused to apologise to homeowners for higher interest rates in an interview with Sky News;
The former prime minister also said she had changed her mind on "problematic" net zero legislation;
The Metropolitan Police chief is facing calls to quit over the force's handling of a recent pro-Palestinian protest;
He will meet Jewish groups after the force threatened to arrest an "openly Jewish" man;
Labour's shadow justice secretary told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips the force have "not covered themselves in glory", but the Met chief's resignation is not "the way forward";
Reform UK leader Richard Tice has accused Rishi Sunak of not being a "real Conservative," telling Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips there will be a "realignment of the right";
A number of MPs are running the London Marathon today, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt who is running the race for the third and "the last" time.

We'll be back from 6am with all the latest.

People voting in local elections in England on 2 May will need to provide photo ID.

It is the second year the requirement has been in place - but in 2023, 14,000 people couldn't cast their ballot because they didn't take ID to the polling booth.

There are 22 different types of ID you can use - and if you don't have any of them, you can register for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Here's everything you need to know to avoid being caught out:

We have been reporting today that there's a lengthy list of MPs taking part in the London Marathon today - with one MP running for the 18th time ( see post at 11.27am ).

But none so far have taken the title for fastest-ever MP to run the race from Matthew Parris.

In 1985, he ran the marathon in 2 hours, 32 minutes.

The Times columnist and former Conservative MP told Sky News he is "intensely proud, inordinately proud" at the achievement.

"I would almost think it is the thing of which I am most proud in my entire political career," he said.

"I had trained so intensely.

"Up hill, down dale - I would run into the House of Commons for a vote and run back after the vote."

He said he even got stopped by the police once running back from a vote.

"It was a better result than I could have expected, so I was very proud," he said.

A power-sharing agreement between the SNP and the Greens at Holyrood is under threat after the Scottish government ditched a key climate change target.

The Scottish Green Party has said a vote on the deal, to be held at a forthcoming extraordinary general meeting (EGM), would be binding.

The date of the assembly and the crunch ballot has yet to be announced.

There is unhappiness among Green Party members after the SNP announced the Scottish government was scrapping its commitment to cut emissions by 75% by 2030.

The Rainbow Greens, the party's LGBT wing, has also criticised the announcement, which came on the same day that the prescription of puberty blockers for new patients under the age of 18, at the gender identity service in Glasgow, would be paused.

The decision followed a landmark review of gender services for under-18s in England and Wales.

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said he would be urging members to back the power-sharing agreement so the party could "put Green values into practice" in government.

Writing on X, he said "many" members had been calling for an EGM to discuss the future of the agreement.

But Mr Harvie said: "As part of the Scottish government, we're making a difference on a far bigger scale than ever before."

IMAGES

All You Need to Know about Travel Nursing
Why Hiring Best Traveling Nurses is Smart
What Is A Travel Nurse? [+ How To Become One]
How to Become a Travel Nurse: 7 Requirements
What is Travel Nursing?
5 Awesome Advantages of Being a Travel Nurse

COMMENTS

PTO and Travel Nursing: How Many Vacation Days Do Travel Nurses Get?
As a staff nurse, paid time off can range from 17 to 26 PTO days per year, depending on: The facility's budget. Length of employment. Full-time vs. part-time vs. per diem. An agreement at hiring. Type of facility. And more. Many nurses accrue PTO and never use the opportunity to take the time off for many reasons.
Travel Nursing Time Off Tips
Sometimes, the best way to take time off during an assignment is to work with the facility to create several days off in a row. A nurse may negotiate days off to group several shifts in a row, some at the end of the week and the next week at the beginning. "The facility is not required to schedule them on certain dates," Henderson said.
Requesting Time Off as a Travel Nurse
Requesting Time Off as a Travel Nurse: The Agency's Perspective. In order to fully understand this issue, we must first look at the financial ramifications of requesting time off. Let's start with a basic example. Let's say you sign a 13 week contract for 36 hours per week with one full work week scheduled off for a pre-planned vacation.
What Travel Nurses Should Know About Paid Time Off and Vacation Benefits
However, each day of PTO is worth anywhere from $450 to $600 depending on the rate it's paid at. So three days of PTO per year is worth $1,350 to $1,800. We think that amount is worth the brief amount of time it will take to investigate pay packages. Moreover, that's just the value of the PTO benefit.
What to Know About Working Holidays as a Travel Nurse
Cheer your neighbors on at a holiday parade. Jump into the ocean in a Polar Plunge. [traveling nurses] should seek out each other as friends and make plans [together] for the holidays.". 5. Technology and Flexibility Help. Spending time with family during the holidays as a travel nurse can be challenging.
10 Ways Travel Nurses Can Spend a Day Off · The Gypsy Nurse
It's important after a busy week of caring for your patients to use your days off wisely. To help, here are 10 ways to spend your day off on your travel nurse assignment. 10 Ways To Spend Your Day Off On Your Travel Nurse Assignment. 1. Get Some Fresh Air. As a nurse, you spend most of your time inside. That's why it's important on your ...
How to Plan Your Travel Nurse Schedule to Be Successful
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW. The most common schedule for a travel nurse is a 13-week contract with an organization, and potentially some time off in between new contracts. This can vary, especially the time frame with longer or shorter contacts, or renewing contracts with the same location. Take a travel assignment where you want, faster, with us.
10 Ways To Spend Your Day Off On Your Travel Nurse Assignment
It's important after a busy week of caring for your patients to use your days off wisely. To help, here are 10 ways to spend your day off on your travel nurse assignment. 10 Ways To Spend Your Day Off On Your Travel Nurse Assignment. 1. Get Some Fresh Air. As a nurse, you spend most of your time inside. That's why it's important on your ...
A Day in the Life of a Travel Nurse │ AMN Healthcare
What do travel nurses do in a typical day? The majority of travel nurse jobs are found in acute care settings, and travelers can work a variety of different shifts on a hospital assignment -- day, evening, night, midday to midevening or 3 p.m. until 3 a.m. -- depending on the contract. Most shifts are 12 hours, day or evening.
Time Off: When Should I Take Time Off as a Travel Nurse?
This is a question that is asked over and over. The best time to take time off? There is no best time, BUT as a travel nurse, one must understand they are supplemental staff to the Full-time staff why the whole industry was created due to Full-time staff shortages. But we are in a pandemic, so here are some ideas.
How To Decipher Your Travel Nurse Schedule
If you are new to traveling, then the search will begin once you have all of your paperwork completed. When you are searching for a travel assignment, your nurse recruiter will be able to tell you when the start date is, whether it is a day or night shift position, and if it will be 12 hour shifts or some alternative (the majority of travel ...
The Good, Bad, and Merry of Working Holidays as a Travel Nurse
At Trusted Nurse Staffing, our recruiters are available 24/7 to answer all your travel nursing questions - from time-off requests to healthcare coverage. 5 Tips For Travel Nursing Over the Holidays #1 Stay in Touch With Your Loved Ones. With today's modern technology, connecting with loved ones is only a few clicks away.
How Does Travel Nursing Work?
Most travel nursing assignments are around 13-14 weeks long, so as the travel nurse, you sign a contract with a travel nursing agency to work that length of time at a designated facility. While 13-14 weeks is an average length of time, there may be other assignments that are shorter or longer. Every facility will have different policies, but ...
Life: 13 Weeks at a Time
Working as a Travel Nurse, most of our life is planned out in 13-week blocks. Whether we are planning for the "during a travel assignment" or the "between travel assignments," we still schedule our lives around our contracts or our contracts around our lives. It doesn't matter how you prefer to look at it.
20 Tips for a First Time Travel Nurse
Fifteen minutes early is a good amount of leeway for any unforeseen delays. Give yourself extra time to navigate a new hospital, find the break room, and show up prepared. Pro tip: If you're up for it, bring a jar of pens for the unit. Nurses love pens. Attach a note, introducing yourself as a new travel nurse.
A Day In The Life Of A Travel Nurse
Travel nurses can expect to be paired with a nurse for the first 1-3 days. Although these preceptors are resources, travel nurses must have mastered their skills and work independently. Bryant has found that she often works 2-3 day shifts for orientation and then is released to work independently.
How Long Are Travel Nurse Contracts? Everything You Need to Know
The shortest travel nursing contracts can be six weeks or less, while the longest ones last for a year. However, these contracts are rare. The average travel contract length is 13 weeks. Many of these contracts have the option for an additional 13-week extension, totaling 26 weeks. This gives travel nurses the ability to stay longer if they ...
8 Questions About How Travel Nursing Works
Travel nursing provides many unique opportunities for nurses. Specific healthcare agencies focus on placing nurses for short-term assignments across the country. This means you will have the chance to work in many different states and organizations. Assignments may be short- or long-term. The average length is between 12 and 13 weeks.
How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One Place?
Example 1: Travel Nurse Returns Home for 30 Days. Let's say you work as a travel nurse in Place (X) for 360 days, which is nearly 1 year. Then, you return to your tax-home and work PRN at your local hospital for 30 days. Next, you return to Place (X) as a travel nurse immediately following your 30 days at home.
How to Maximize Travel While Being a Nurse
Nurses Get 8 Days Off in a Row. One of the biggest perks of being a nurse is the schedule. While there are exceptions, typically, nurses work three days a week, in 12-hour shifts. Most hospitals allow the flexibility for nurses to make their own schedules with the ability to stack shifts. This means that if you self-schedule, you could give ...
Understanding Travel Nurse Residency Rules
Let's look at two simplified scenarios: Scenario 1: You declare a tax home and take a travel nursing contract with a $30,000 base salary and $15,000 in tax-free stipends. Your taxable income creates an effective tax rate of 11.32%, which means you'd pay $3,396 in taxes before deductions and credits.
Travel Nurse Tax Guide 2023
Joseph Smith, EA/MS Tax, an international "taxation master" and founder of Travel Tax, explains that in addition to their base pay, most travel nurses can reasonably expect to see $20,000-$30,000 of non-tax reimbursement payments in a typical year working as a travel nurse.
This US couple spent a year exploring the world with their young ...
In January 2019, Margaret Bensfield Sullivan, set off on a year-long trip around the world with her husband Teddy and their children, Willa and James, who were six and four at the time.
National Park Week starts Saturday
Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images. CNN —. National Park Week starts on Saturday, and it also starts off with a bang-for-your-buck. That's because every US National Park Service site ...
Years of flu symptoms, hives on and off traced to an exotic cause
Bad case of flu. The first episode occurred in December 1987, two weeks after Sternlieb's second child was born. "I became sicker than I had ever been," said Sternlieb, then 37. "It was ...
Save 25% Now
Terms and conditions. Book a Southwest ® flight on Southwest.com or swabiz.com using your Rapid Rewards® points from April 12 through April 15, 2024 (the "Booking Period") and receive 25 percent off when you fly between April 12-September 30, 2024 with travel blacked out May 23, May 24, May 27, July 7, July 14, July 21, and July 28, 2024 (the "Travel Period").
Shock of the old: 11 transport fantasies that never got off the ground
Still, anyone can have an off day … by Emma Beddington , picture selection by Sarah Gilbert Thu 18 Apr 2024 11.38 EDT Last modified on Fri 19 Apr 2024 12.32 EDT
Jimmy Butler Had Three-Word Threat for 76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr. After
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is not happy with Philadelphia 76ers wing Kelly Oubre Jr.. After Butler elevated for a jump shot during Wednesday night's play-in loss, Oubre collided with Butler's ...
Politics latest: Truss blames 'deep establishment resistance' for
The Rainbow Greens, the party's LGBT wing, has also criticised the announcement, which came on the same day that the prescription of puberty blockers for new patients under the age of 18, at the ...