Travel nursing is one of the best ways to see the USA. Every few months, you’ll get a new assignment where you move and go somewhere different. This is a wonderful opportunity to use your skills in under served areas and advance your career. There used to be so many obstacles to traveling and working, but in our modern era, those obstacles have been broken. Travel nurses enjoy all the benefits of a stable job along with being able to take their family to new places. They can also be pretty lucrative such as being an endoscopy travel nursing. Here are some of the best tips for travel nurses who love to explore.

1. Research Before You Go

Whether you are going to the big city or a tiny town in the heart of America, there are incredible new things to see and do. Travel nurses get to work and play in new locations. Take time to explore Google maps and travel websites to find local sites to see. There are weird and unique things like giant rubber band balls, and extraordinary places like caves in Missouri. With a little research, you’ll discover all the interesting things in the region you’ll be working on your next assignment.

2. Find Fun Kids Things to Do

If you’re taking the kids on your next travel nursing assignment, there is always something fun for the kids to do. Check out local sites, Yelp, and more to find something kid-friendly in your city. If you need childcare, you can find quality options on Care.com or through local childcare centers who offer part-time and temporary care. Whether you’re looking for a local pool to go to or a Children’s museum, there is a lot of fun for the whole family anywhere you go.

3. Take Assignments within 2-3 hours of Great Destinations

While you may not get an assignment on the beach, what if you could say yes to one a few hours away? This means that on your days off you can easily drive into the beach and relax on your days off. What if you took an assignment a few hours from the mountains? You could spend your weekends hiking and discovering waterfalls. You get the picture.

While some rural locations may sound unappealing, look to see what’s within a few hours of the place you’ll work. You would be amazed at the cool places you could visit that you never would have thought to go to. Have you been to the Grand Canyon or swam with leopard sharks in the La Jolla Cove? Even if a job in a city like Yuma or Riverside seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere, the attractions nearby could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see it firsthand.

4. Take School Online

If you’re working on a new degree or expanding your nursing career, online education is perfect for the travel nurse. Online DNP programs give you the flexibility to grow your career from a BSN to a DNP from wherever you are. This means you can qualify for Certified Nurse Midwife programs, teach nursing classes and more. If you love what you do you can easily do it from anywhere. Online schooling gives you the flexibility to take travel nursing assignments without interrupting your education.

5. Say Yes to The Free Housing

A lot of travel nursing agencies pay for housing. This is in part because it’s hard to find housing in some areas, and it means that travel nurses don’t need to bring furniture or anything like that on an assignment, the cost of pod storage for your permanent items will usually be less than new housing and moving expenses should you not accept the perk of location-provided lodging. The free housing also saves you thousands of dollars that can be spent doing fun things on your days off. While it may seem weird, the free housing is a huge perk and some nurses say no to it.

6. Take Time Off In Between Assignments

Here’s where being a travel nurse gets really fun. Because you make a good income on your assignments and you don’t always need to pay for housing,  you can often afford to take one-month breaks in between. This time frees you up to travel anywhere in the world. You can see the pyramids, lay on a beach in Bali, hike through rain forests, or enjoy local coffee in Italy. The beauty of being a travel nurse is the flexibility it provides. It’s professional, it’s stable, and it’s a rewarding career. With a month off, what would you go see or do?