Staff Nurse vs Travel Nurse: What are the Differences
Staff Nurse vs Travel Nurse: What are the Differences - Travel Nurse Source Blog

Staff Nurse vs Travel Nurse: What are the Differences

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Here’s a question that you might be wondering about as you decide which career path better suits you… What is the difference between staff nursing and travel nursing? Are the two comparable or more different than you think? Well, we are here to answer some of these frequently asked questions when it comes to staff nursing vs travel nursing. If you are looking for which path is suitable for you and your lifestyle, then look no farther, as our blog highlights all the tea you need. Regardless of what you are currently thinking, it’s nice to have some of your thoughts processed before making the leap!

Staff nurses and travel nurses standing together in a hospital

Differentiating Factors – Staff Nursing vs Travel Nursing

There are a few factors that differentiate staff nurses from travel nurses! Location is not the only factor that is different between staff nurses and travel nurses. Of course, location is one thing to consider, but there is also compensation, benefits, time off, experience, and requirements that should be taken into account. Here is a guide from nurses.org that illustrates 10 differences when it comes to being a staff nurse vs travel nurse.

Contract or no Contract?

Let’s talk contracts! One of the biggest differences between staff nursing and travel nursing are contracts. Usually as a staff nurse, you don’t have to sign a contract unless bonuses are involved. For the most part, you are an at-will employee and will not need to sign a contract. Travel nurses on the other hand will sign a contract through every job to determine the many different factors such as length of the assignment, pay, stipends, shift times, etc.

Pros and Cons of Travel Nurses

Some benefits of being a travel nurse include some of the following:

  • Ability to make good money from hourly wage and stipends depending on the job.
  • New locations and ability to travel: Cool places to see on your days off.
  • Contracts are usually 13 weeks, so if you aren’t in love with your assignment then you will have a new one soon enough!
  • No staff meetings, or hospital politics/drama (for the most part).

“Travel nursing allows you to achieve more than you believed you were capable of, and it can lead you to places you never thought possible”

TravelNurseSource.com

Interested in learning about some more benefits of travel nursing? Read our blog on the top six advantages of travel nursing where we highlight some more pros of travel nursing.

Downfalls of being a travel nurse might include:

  • Seniority- As a contract nurse, experience is important, but each time you travel to a new place you have to learn the “way things are done” there. So, being a nurse with years and years of experience isn’t always an advantage as a travel nurse.
  • Distance – One of the things that can be really challenging for travel nurses is moving away from family and friends.
  • Constant Change – As a travel nurse you’re changing jobs every 13 weeks. This can make it feel like you’re always on the go and that you have no true sense of “home”.

Why being a staff nurse can be more desirable than being a travel nurse

Some benefits of being a staff nurse include some of the following:

  • Permanence & Stability – As a staff nurse, you know where you’re going to work tomorrow, 6 months from, and even years from now. Your schedule is familiar and you go home to a place you call home every day.
  • Consistent Coworkers – You have the ability to form genuine friendships and connections with your coworkers.
  • Acceptance & Inclusion – As a staff nurse, you are generally accepted by other team members, departments, etc. Staff nurses are seen as stable, reliable, and trustworthy.

Staff Nursing vs Travel Nursing – The Bottom Line

Whether you find yourself gravitating towards staff nursing or travel nursing, there is no doubt that either (and both) will provide you with more experience to advance your career. When choosing which path to take, follow your heart and what you think would suit your lifestyle best. Overall, nothing is set in stone, you can always float between travel nursing and staff nursing jobs. So… which is it going to be for you?

Try Travel Nursing – At Least Once

While both career paths offer different benefits and lifestyles, we think you should try travel nursing at least once in your life. There is so much to gain and so little to lose, so why not take the leap? We know it can be nerve-racking moving to a new city and assignment quite often, but there’s so much opportunity for career advancement and adventure with travel nursing. Browse our available travel nurse jobs today and find one that sets your career on the right path!

Author: Travel Nurse Source

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3 Comments

  1. Some of the best nurses I have ever known have been travel nurses, and I personally tend to elevate them a bit in status from the typical staff nurses, as good as they are, that I have had the pleasure to have worked with.

    Flexibility.

    Sometimes staff nurses get in a rut. Then again, some travel nurses, so I have heard, prefer challenge to routine. But generally speaking travel nurses are the cream of the crop.

  2. Great feedback, shrimplate! Thanks for the comment. Good attitude and adapdability are key characteristics of a great travel nurse.

  3. I have a different perspective now that I’ve had the opportunity to travel. As a staff nurse for 13yrs, I had the misconception that travelers were overpaid,unmotivated, and noncommittal with mediocre skills at best. After finding myself in a situation that led to a temporary but long distance move from home, I now stand corrected. I took a position as a travel nurse for approximately two years and was very pleasantly suprised that ALL of my preconceived judgements about these wonderful nurses were way off(even the one about being overpaid, unfortunately). I now know that travelers have a vast array of skills, stories, and life experiences that truly make them an asset to any unit. I learned more during my tenure as a traveler- from other traveling nurses-than I did in my entire career as regular staff. I salute and thank every one of them that I had the honor and privilege to work with and learn from.

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