If you’re wondering if a travel healthcare career is right for you, but have heard whispers such as “There go your benefits”, “It’s risky”, or “It’ll be bad for your career”, we have one word to say:
“Hogwash!”
While any RN, NP, NA, technician or healthcare worker should be careful about the career choices they make, the travel healthcare profession can be a very positive move for a lot of reasons. In fact, many travelers enjoy generous pay, excellent benefits, paid housing, a wide range of choices for assignments, and the ability to take time off between gigs.
If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not!
So let’s take a few minutes to set the record straight and address some of the most common misperceptions about pursuing a travel healthcare career – while revealing some facts behind the myths.
Healthcare Travel Assignments Look “Unprofessional” on a Resume
It‘s a common misconception that having numerous positions within a short time span can keep you from landing future jobs. However, due to the unique nature of travel positions, multiple short assignments can actually serve as a benefit. In the eyes of a hospital HR manager, numerous travel healthcare opportunities signify diverse experience, comfort with handling multiple responsibilities, and the ability to adapt to various settings quickly and efficiently.
Travel Jobs are Unstable
Due to the nature of travel roles, where assignments are a standard of 13 weeks, it’s normal for those not used to being a healthcare travel professional may be nervous about job security. In reality, it’s quite the opposite. Fact is, for in-demand travel professionals such as nurses, there is currently no shortage of medical facilities that aren’t looking for qualified help. And in many cases, if a traveler does an excellent job and gets along well with the hospital staff, they can often be asked to extend their time or return to the facility in the future.
No Benefits
Short-term jobs in other industries often don’t include benefits, which is why people believe that taking a travel healthcare career path means giving up the benefits that a permanent role provides. However, working with a respected staffing agency for travel assignments typically comes with a comprehensive benefits package including insurance, paid time off, housing, etc.
If you Travel, you Have to Go It Alone
One of the major misconceptions about being a traveler is you have to leave your family behind. However, most opportunities include housing options that enable you to bring others along. So if you have a great opportunity and you’d like to bring your significant other, it’s not out of the question.
Only Poorly Managed Places Hire for Assignments
Healthcare facilities all over the nation struggle with a shortage of qualified professionals. Being short-staffed isn’t because they can’t attract or retain employees – there simply aren’t enough to go around. In fact, hospitals and health facilities in both big cities and small towns are on the lookout for travelers, so you could enjoy working in some of the top places in the nation.
At Focus Staff we understand the ins and outs of traveling healthcare professionals during these challenging times and have access to a wide variety of excellent professional opportunities. To learn more, contact us today.