Is there life after travel nursing? If you’ve been on the road a while, you may not be able to see the forest through the trees of the travel nursing lifestyle. Travel nursing is a great lifestyle for all kinds of reasons but over time you may decide it’s time to settle in one place. This blog will help you start to think about your career after travel nursing is over.
Life After Travel Nursing
Travel nursing is a lucrative way to experience many different healthcare settings, new communities, and new work teams. Many nurses adopt this lifestyle and all the benefits it affords for years. But almost everyone decides at some point they may want to select a full-time role without the travel. If this is you, the first thing we recommend is taking some time off in between the traveling and your new position. Reflect on the years you’ve spent on the road and the next step you’re taking in your career. Taking a much-needed break will help reset your internal clock for this next stage in your career.
Do a strengths assessment as part of this process. What have you learned and what skills do you bring to the table? Think about the leadership skills you’ve picked up. Also, reflect on the types of environments you’ve worked in. Which ones felt more like home? Your goal is to figure out what type of work environment will make you happy in the coming years.
Many travel nurses are recent graduates. If you’ve been on the road straight out of school, or if you finished studying during your travels, start thinking about what’s next. Do you need additional certifications to go into the area you’re interested in? Do you have the drive to attain your next credential? Or, have you found a specialty area you particularly have an affinity for that you’d like to pursue?
We recommend that travel nurses practice journaling as part of their experience. This will help you remember which environments particularly challenged you. What were your high and low points? After going through this reflection process, it’s time to begin to ramp up your resume. There are dozens of jobs to pick from these days; you want to figure out the type of job that will motivate and inspire you while using the skills you’ve learned.
Travel nurses seeking a full-time role are highly in demand. They bring a level of adaptability to a sometimes-tumultuous work environment. These are skilled nurses who don’t look away from challenges, but instead seek them out. This gives the “retiring” travel nurse a leg up over other candidates whether you’re searching for a leadership or a more patient-centered role.
Sometimes the hustle and bustle of travel nursing or working a healthcare-related travel assignment can become exhausting. If you think you’re ready to settle down & find a more permanent placement near home, consider starting your search with AG Globe Services! The consultation is free and we can provide an expert set up eyes for your resume as well as helping you talk through your next steps. Get in touch with our team to learn more!
