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Future Travel Nurse

I want to go into the medical field after high school and was just wondering what are the disadvantages of being a travel nurse and how do you cope with having to tell people bad news.

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Gina’s Answer

Most nurses don't start their career in travel nursing. You usually want a few years experience as a nurse in a hospital before you can start picking up travel/contract nursing jobs. These are jobs that hospitals put out to temp/contract agencies to fill an immediate staffing need. It would be too hard for a brand new nurse with no experience to come in and just learn quickly for a 2-3 month job. You would want to have strong experience in patient care so you know how to handle issues that come up with out any training or supervisor. My suggestion is if you want to get into nursing, first work somewhere for 2-4 years and then YES you can travel and enjoy seeing new places. This isn't feasible if you want to have kids or a family as it would require you to be constantly moving but if you are young and don't plan on that right away absolutely see the country after you get some experience. You do need to have a nursing license in the state you practice, they have licenses for compact states (Google it). So if you are a nurse in Iowa you can't just start a job in California, you will need to apply for a California nursing license.
As part of the bad news part - usually the doctor is the one to deliver bad news in terms of the disease prognosis and if the treatment isn't working. I've been a nurse for 12 years and I've never delivered the news, but I have held hands with patients and their families after they do get bad news, I've cried with families and high fived families when things do work. If you work in hospice or palliative care then yes you would be working by the doctor for patients who are dying, but it's apart of nursing and there will be a lot of times you have helped save a life and then sometimes when you couldn't. You learn to do it over time, not something you will do right away on your first day.
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Erica’s Answer

Well, first of all, you need to be a confident and experienced nurse before you can start travel nursing. I was a travel nurse for 6 years, both in the USA and I worked overseas in Australia for a year. Travel nursing is a great way to see the country and experiences new cities and places. The main drawback is limited benefits. They give you medical insurance while you are employed, but often don't give you much in the way of retirement benefits, etc. Also, you are contracted to work a certain amount of hours per week. If you become sick or injured, they will charge you a certain amount of money per day for missed work. This is because they pay for your housing and if you don't work, they are not going to give you free housing. You don't accumulate paid sick time or paid vacation time due to your contract status. If you miss too many days, you might need to quit the contract to avoid losing too much money. And once you complete a contract, unless you have another contract lined up, you lose your medical insurance benefits. So yes, the pay can be good, but it is a little more risky than a permanent job that gives you good retirement benefits, paid vacation, and paid sick time.
Regarding telling people bad news, well, that is part of nursing. You are dealing with all aspects of life, from birth, to sickness, to death. These are skills that you learn, and but also just innately have as a human being that cares for others. You have to be comfortable in these kinds of situations. However, some areas of nursing are more emotionally intense than others. For example, I used to work in oncology (cancer) and in the intensive care unit, which could be very intense at times. But I also developed deep bonds with patients and their families. On the other hand, if you work in the operating room as a surgical nurse, your patient interactions will be more brief as they will be under anesthesia most of the time. However, no matter where you work in nursing, you are working people and touching their lives, and that comes with a certain weight and responsibility. It is deeply rewarding work.
Thank you comment icon I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question. Bernie
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Patricia’s Answer

Working in healthcare is very rewarding, you have the opportunity to help others , not only with their physical well being, but also in the mental category. It can be very difficult, but for me, the rewards outweigh the difficulty.
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Char’s Answer

Hi Nevaeh,
Travel nursing can be challenging. Imagine that you have to train at a new job every few weeks and meet new coworkers. Also, you will have to learn how each state practices nursing. Another state (or country) may have different ways of practicing nursing so you may not be allowed to do some things in one state that you can do in another. This is why some states require you to have a nursing license from their specific state.

How to cope with giving patients bad news:
1. Start building your courage. Start now by facing little fears day by day in your everyday life. As you build up your courage, it'll be easier to give patients bad news.

2. Allow yourself to cry if you need to. You can cry in the restroom or when you get home. You don't have to be a superhero. It's okay to be human.

3. Talk to your coworkers about it. They've probably experienced the same thing. Nurses are a good support to each other.

4. Talk to a friend or family member. The main point is not to hold it in.
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