Can travel nurses work close to home? There are many travel nurses that are curious about whether or not they can take an assignment close to their home. While others have obligations at home that they would like to return to on their days off, some nurses are very hesitant to venture too far from their familiar territory at the beginning of their travel nursing careers. Others want to get the ultimate in flexibility and pay, a local travel nursing job is ideal, and that is fine too. So, can you take a travel nursing assignment close to home?
How do local travel contracts work? Local Travel Nursing Tips
- Learn the rules, or choose an agency that does
There are a lot of perks when it comes to doing a rn travel jobs, the high pay, tax-free stipends, bonuses, and the chance to work in multiple prestigious hospitals but these incentives are there for a reason As a travel nurse, you have to uproot your lives, move to new cities and assist where they are needed the most. Radium riles and other policies are there to keep staff nurses from leaving their positions and taking travel nursing assignments even though they live nearby. It would be completely unfair to local nurses who are being paid at a different rate, and to the other travel nurses who make personal sacrifices to be true travel nurses.
- Stay flexible if you want to be successful
It is important to be flexible when you have a lot of special requests. It could be frustrating if you opt to stay close to home or if you want to travel to any specific location. There are some situations where the specialty that you have isn’t much of a demand in that specific area and you may have trouble finding the available position so you have to keep an open mind about the location. You open yourself up to more opportunities and have a lesser chance that you would have to sacrifice in other areas by traveling farther from home.
- You have to travel to be a traveler
There are certain rules that you would have to follow in regards to what the distance may be assigned to a nurse’s home to be considered a traveler but you do not have to move across the country for every assignment that you accept. Most hospitals have a “radium rule” which adds a minimum number of miles that a nurse must live to qualify as a travel nurse, the most common one being 50 miles but the number could range from 40 to 200 miles, depending on the facility. Do not expect that you would be able to commute from home no matter the distance.
How much do local travel nurses make?
Type Starting Experiences Average
Hourly $26.23 $45.36 $36.72
Monthly $4,550 $7,860 $6,370
Annual $54,550 $94,340 $76,380
Salary for Different Types of Travel Nurses
Type Hourly Wage Monthly Salary Annual Salary
Critical Care $36.75 $6,370 $76,430
Emergency Room $35.66 $6,180 $74,180
Home Health $33.57 $5,820 $69,820
Hospice $35.83 $6,210 $74,530
Intensive Care Unit $34.96 $6,060 $72,710
Labor and Delivery $33.19 $5,750 $69,040
LPN/LVN $23.07 $4,000 $47,980
Operating Room $38.01 $6,590 $79,060
Pediatric $32.53 $5,640 $67,670
Psychiatric $33.60 $5,820 $69,880
Registered Nurse $36.72 $6,370 $76,380
Travel Nurse $51.70 $8,960 $107,540
Recruiter $26.88 $4,660 $55,920
Pros of local travel nursing
- No messing with tons of luggage or furniture
- It is possible to still keep your day job while making a ton of money
- You will most likely receive perks, including a housing stipend, which would then mean that you would have a lower cost of living
- Limit travel costs
- You will still have the security of being close to your friend and family
- Feelings of homesickness can be quickly remedies
- You will never have to miss a family function, but this would also give you a good excuse if you do not want to go
- Home is still accessible through a short drive
- You will be more familiar with the area, which would make it easier for you to find a nice hotel or apartment
You have to be fully committed to traveling and remain open to all of the possible opportunities that have become available to you if you want to have the best travel nursing experience. Lifestyle change isn’t meant for everyone and leaving the comfort of your home could be extremely difficult, so do whatever you have to do and make sure that you are doing what you know is right for you and your career.
