Chances are good that you’ve heard the term “local travel nurse” but aren’t sure exactly what it is. Let’s dive in!
What is Local Travel Nursing
Quite simply, local travel nursing is when you live close enough to go home each day after your shift. Depending on where you live, local travel nurses may be asked to float to different facilities or they may spend their entire contract in one hospital. Before you sign a contract, it’s important to understand what you’ll be doing so you can make sure you’re comfortable with what’s expected.
What Are the Benefits of Local Travel Nursing?
There are three distinct benefits of local travel nursing. One—although these travel nurses don’t usually receive stipends, they are typically paid a larger hourly rate than staff nurses. Two—and this is a big one—local travel nurses get to go home each night at the end of their shift. Three—because you’re local, you don’t need to worry about getting a new license from another state. This means you can just start right up, as soon as you go through the compliance and onboarding process.
What Are the Negatives of Local Travel Nursing?
Along with some benefits, there are a couple negatives so you’ll have to decide if these are dealbreakers for you. The first is that you won’t usually be eligible for stipends. After all, a stipend is used to compensate you for duplicate expenses and if you’re going home each night, you’re not going to have those. Another is that some hospitals or states can prohibit local travel. For instance, during the Covid crisis, Texas refused to allow any Texas based travel nurse to take a crisis assignment, even if they lived hours away. This was a state-wide decision by the government, unrelated to any agency or facility. Your recruiter will be able to help you determine whether your local area has any restrictions on local travelers.
How to Get Started With Local Travel Nursing
If you’re interested in getting started as a local travel nurse, make sure to have a conversation with your recruiter. Your recruiter needs to understand that you’re only looking for a local contract so that they can find you the best option.
If you’re interested in local or traditional travel nurse jobs, visit our job board or connect with a Triage recruiter today.