Travel nursing 101: Housing around the country

A HUGE incentive to travel nursing is hands down the housing. You get two options, have your agency set up something for you or take a housing stipend. The stipend is based on the cost of living for the city your assignment is located and it is also TAX FREE MONEY.....I will repeat that again, it is TAX FREE MONEY! I for one have always chosen this option over having someone else (the agency) pick where I live. There are so many options these days to find furnished short term rentals, almost so many options it's overwhelming, but if you have the time and patience it is so worth it. I've heard fellow travelers take the housing that the agency provided and have been put in an absolute dump to the point it was practically unlivable and then other stories where someone has been put up in a super luxe building with Lakers players as their neighbor. It's just too much of a chance to take in my opinion.

Utilize all your resources when it comes to finding a place to live. Put a blurb out on social media to see if friends or family have any insight or recs on where to live or where to avoid. Also, look at Facebook groups geared for travel nurses...a lot of landlords will post short term furnished rentals. It's important to ask a ton of questions prior to signing a housing agreement. More often times than not I'm looking for housing remotely and don't have the opportunity to see the place before I move in. I ask for a ton pictures and my new thing is to do a Skype tour of the place so I can get a sense of the landlord and visually lay eyes on the condition of the property, also asking for references of previous tenants in helpful. Always speak with the landlord and trust your gut instinct. Another options is once you get to the destination of your assignment book a room at an inexpensive hotel and give yourself a couple of days to go out and look at some properties.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR LANDLORD:
1) Laundry: on site, in unit or none?
2) Dishwasher? Garbage Disposal? Microwave?
3) Heat/Air-condition?
4) Parking? Garage or street? Do I need a permit to park on the street?
5) Locks/security? Deadbolt, door lock, alarm?
6) Utilities included? Cable, electricity, internet, trash, water?

SITES TO FIND HOUSING:
1) Facebook
2) Craigslist (use with caution to avoid scams, my best friend was scammed $1500)
3) Airbnb
4) VRBO.com
5) Homeaway
6) Roomorama
7) Lookalo

Why I R_N: Why I decided to become an RN

A lot of people were surprised by my choice to be a nurse. I come from a fairly business oriented family and have quite a strong personality and a weak stomach, right off the bat it didn't seem like a normal trajectory for me to pursue a career in healthcare. I'm the type of person to ALWAYS look at the bigger picture, sometimes to a fault. Firstly, I knew I could not have a job where I sit in a cubicle and pound on a keyboard all day in a ill lit office building, the thought literally gives me hives; I knew I wanted a job that had a lot of opportunities. The number of different avenues you could take as a nurse are endless. It's an umbrella career that encompasses so much, you could become an Nurse Practitioner, take a path towards education, administration or anesthesia. The opportunities are endless. 

I graduated high school in 2007 when the U.S economy was absolute shit and only continuing to get worse. I realized that if I chose a career in healthcare I would always have a job no matter how bad the current state of the economy got. I did my research and countless polls and websites ranked nursing as one of top careers for those going to college, there was a nursing shortage and competitive universities were eager to get students enrolled in the nursing program. I continued to do my research and decided I would go into nursing and eventually go on to become a Certified Registered Nurse of Anesthesia (spoiler alert: not a CRNA, and have no desire to be at this time!!!!). 

I don't have some amazing, life changing story or event where the universe stopped me dead in my tracks, thunder bolts came down from the sky and I was told I am destined to be a nurse. I chose it because it was a smart choice, I would always have a job, make a decent salary and have a flexible, desirable schedule. Through the years nursing has shaped my mindset and perspective and has come so much more than a "safe, smart choice", I love interacting with people in such a vulnerable, fragile state of emotion. It's amazing to see the impact you can have on someone from one interaction. Hearing peoples stories of sickness, health, loss, love, gain, and hope change you more than you could ever realize. I won't lie, the current state of most hospitals seem very political but the patients I meet on a daily basis make it worth it ten times over. This isn't a career for everyone, it takes a physical, mental and emotional toll on you--it's something that people will tell you but you can't prepare yourself for it until you're in that moment facing it head on. I feel so lucky that 18 year old me decided to enroll into pre-nursing and embark on this journey because it was sensible. The almost 28 year old version of me feels so lucky I decided 10years ago to enroll into pre-nursing because of all the people I've met along this journey that have made me into a better person. 

My hope is with this blog is to reach more who are interested in nursing or healthcare and show them how amazing this career path is and where is could take you.