Great Warmer Winter Travel Nurse Assignment Locations

Great Warmer Winter Travel Nurse Assignment Locations

One of the perks of being a travel nurse is the ability to spend your winters in warmer weather!  Now is the time to start looking for that warmer winter travel nurse assignment.  Finding the perfect travel nurse assignment isn’t always easy so we have put together some great information on 5 states that are great for winter travel nurse assignments.   They are listed below in no order

Florida: Winter Travel Nurse Assignment 

Florida is a great option for a warm winter travel nurse assignment because during winter the average daily temperature is 70.7 °F.  It offers not only warm weather but also many beaches to go to on your off days!  Florida offers the second longest coastline in the United States, 8,436 miles 663 of that is beaches!  What better way to spend your cold winter months than on the warm sunny beaches?  Florida also offers many amusement parks to visit.  So many so that they are the top tourism state because of their amusement parks.  There is a lot to do in Florida and since it is warm there all year you aren’t limited by weather!  If you are thinking Florida would be a great choice for your next travel nurse assignment click here for openings in Florida!

Texas: Winter Travel Nurse Assignment 

Texas is another great option for winter travel nurse assignments!  It offers the 7th longest coastline in the United states with 3,359 miles.  It offers many beaches as well.  Texas offers mild winters with average daily temperatures ranging from 55 degrees to 72 degrees.  These temperatures can make for great days to walk or sit and enjoy the beaches.  Texas also offers many amusement parks as well.  Most known is probably Six Flags Over Texas located in Arlington Texas.  Six Flags Over Texas sits on 212 acres and offers 13 rollercoaster and 3 water rides.  Six Flags also offers a kid’s area with rides just for the kiddos, so if you have little ones with you this is a great option as well.  If Texas seems like the ideal place to take your next travel nurse assignment click here for open jobs in Texas.

Arizona: Winter Travel Nurse Assignment

Arizona offers something different than the other states on this list, as it isn’t a beachy state.  It is known more for its desert climate.   Arizona is the only state that contains part of the four North American deserts. The Great Basin, the Chihuahuan, the Mojave and the Sonoran deserts each touch part of the state, making up its diverse landscape. 

Arizona’s elevation varies depending on where you are in the state, because of this the winter temperatures vary as well.  Winter temperatures average anywhere from 40 degrees to 75 degrees from November through February.  Warm up starts in the middle of February. Arizona does see an occasional frost as well.    Arizona has 194 named mountain ranges.  If you enjoy hiking or you want to try it Arizona would be a great option for you.  If Arizona seems to be a good fit for your winter travel nurse assignment click here for job openings in Arizona

California: Winter Travel Nurse Assignment 

California is an excellent option for winter travel nurse assignments.  Because California’s size is so large the climate ranges from polar to subtropical.  Because of this the average state temperature during the winter months is 60.5 degrees.  California’s coastline is the 5th largest in the United states with 3,427 miles of coastline.   Like most of the other states on this list they offer many beaches to visit.  They also offer many tourist places to visit including; The Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite National Park, Disney Land, Big Sur, Universal Studios and many others as well. California also offers mountain ranges, deserts and forests to visit.  So, there truly is something for everyone in California.  If you think you would like to spend this winter in California for your next travel nurse assignment click here for open jobs.

Hawaii: Winter Travel Nurse Assignment 

When you think of Hawaii you instantly think of gorgeous beaches and great weather!  Making Hawaii an amazing option for a winter travel nurse assignment.  With 1,052 miles of coastline, Hawaii offers the 18th longest coastline in the United States.  This is amazing considering the size of the state itself.  Hawaii also offers less extreme temperatures and humidity because of the almost constant trade winds from the east.  Because of these trade winds the average winter temperature is 83 degrees.   There are many things to do while in Hawaii.  You can visit the Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona Memorial, Volcanoes National Park, Princeville Botanical Gardens and the list goes on.  Hawaii offers things to see and explore like no other state on this list.  If you think Hawaii may be where you would like to go for your winter travel nurse assignment click here for open jobs in Hawaii.

Have you spent your winter in one of these warm weather states?  Comment below and tell us what you enjoyed about spending the colder months in a warmer climate.

Why Every Nurse Needs To Try Travel Nursing At Least Once

The opportunity to be a travel nurse is one of the single best aspects of our profession. I cannot think of any other job which allows you to basically have a trial period of living in a new place of your choice, honing valuable career skills, and earning maximum wages for it. Travel nursing is an incredibly enriching experience both personally and professionally.

The decision to try travel nursing is not easy. It’s very common to find ourselves comfortable — comfortable in our current role, comfortable in our environment, comfortable with predictable shifts, comfortable with coworkers who feel like a small family. However, to truly grow as a nurse and as a human, it’s important to challenge ourselves. To experience the unknown is uncomfortable, but it makes all the difference. That is exactly what travel nursing is — exposure to new environments, new coworkers, new clinical skills — and it will enable you to reach the next level of your potential.

My own journey as a travel nurse has been a rollercoaster. I’ve experienced the fast-paced city life of Chicago, enjoying runs along Lake Michigan during the beautiful summer months and walking to work through harsh winter winds wondering why I chose to live in such a place. I’ve experienced the lush green California forests with coastlines of mountain cliffs meeting the Pacific Ocean during vibrant sunsets.

I’ve experienced working for the nation’s top hospitals with some of the most brilliant minds in the country, learning how to utilize breakthrough research and treatments to help my patients. I’ve worked with an entire spectrum of diverse patient populations. I’ve been thrown into countless situations where I felt lost — unable to locate supplies, unable to manage challenging patient ratios, unable to remember hospital-specific policies — but those were always learning moments.

I’ve also worked with amazing travel nurse companies and companies who didn’t treat me with the respect I deserve. It’s a lifestyle that you can’t imagine until you try it — and I dare you to try it!

There’s great salary potential.
There’s another HUGE benefit to travel nursing that we cannot ignore — salary. Travel nursing pay can vary greatly based on a number of variables, so I will try to break down the basics of getting a lucrative contract.

Staffing Company. Choosing a travel nursing company can be difficult because there are so many out there — some are sister companies, some claim to have exclusive contracts with hospitals, etc. The best advice I can give is to shop around and do some research. Pay packages are higher than staff nurses are used to, so first-time travel nurses often settle for mediocre contracts.

When a position opens at a hospital or facility, that organization offers a set bill rate for the position. Travel nursing companies recruit and manage travel nursing contracts, so they earn money by taking a percentage of what the organization is willing to pay. (The average is 15-30%, but sometimes higher.) This is why transparency is best when negotiating a contract. It’s also completely professional and acceptable to tell recruiters that you’re comparing pay and benefits between companies.

Pro tip: Everything is negotiable in your contract — hourly pay, overtime wages, non-taxable housing stipend amount, travel and licensing reimbursement, and even extension bonuses.

Specialty. Pay packages tend to be higher for in-demand specialties like Labor & Delivery, OR, Oncology, and ICU. If you are a nurse with specialized experience, be sure to note that on your resume. Also, earn any certifications that quantify your experience like CCRN or ONS.

Location. Where you take a travel contract heavily determines what kind of pay package to expect. In general, big cities offer higher wages, and states like New York and California. Alternatively, rural hospitals in need of staff may also offer very competitive salaries.

Timing. The best times to earn money as a travel nurse are during the holiday months, during cold seasons in northern areas, and during acute staffing shortages like strikes. Most contracts are 13 weeks in length, but there are contracts much shorter or longer depending on the needs of the facility. If you connect with multiple travel companies, you’ll be contacted frequently during times of need, which guarantees higher earnings.

There’s opportunity for adventure.
So, you’re somewhat convinced. Earning some great money seems nice, trying a new experience sounds like fun, now how do you choose where to go?

To work a nursing contract in any location, you need an active licensure from that corresponding state. A large majority of states in the US are covered under the Compact RN license. If you want to work in a state outside of your license network, you’ll have to apply for a new license. Many travel nurse companies can help you with the process, and many will even pay for your new license.

The process is fairly straightforward. Most require a background check, proof of an active RN license, and a fee made payable to the state nursing board. There are even states that allow faster processing for “temporary” licenses, so you can take an assignment on short notice. Before you have your heart set on a location, know that processing times vary. California, for example, is notoriously long for processing, about 4 months. Once you have narrowed your choices to a few states and your licenses are in process, look for travel assignments often — new travel nurse assignments pop up every day. Alternatively, recruiters ask for your top picks for location and contract and match you as jobs arise.

If you’re not sure where you want to travel, make a list of places in the country you’ve always wanted to explore, are near family and friends, or have top hospitals that you’d love to work at. Travel nursing can take you anywhere you like. Travel nurse companies usually reimburse for travel expenses (like flights and gas) to get to your new location too. If it seems like too much to uproot or the thought of embarking on your own overwhelming, know that many travel nurses adventure with their friends, their partners, their pets, and even children!