Traveling Nurses

The work environment for traveling nurses varies by their assignment, educational background, assignment employer, skillset, and other factors. Like traditional nurses, traveling nurses work in operating rooms in inner-city trauma centers, in nursing homes in the suburbs, in neonatal intensive care units, in homecare environments, and in many other settings. These workplaces can sometimes be stressful. Traveling nurses experience the same challenges as traditional nurses, including long hours, demanding managers, scared and sometimes uncooperative patients, and short staffing (despite their role as a solution for nurse shortages). They also enjoy rewards such as the chance to help patients return to good health, a positive and collaborative work environment (in some settings), above-average salaries, and the opportunity to obtain experience. Outside the workplace, many traveling nurses pursue this option because they enjoy travel and experiencing new things.