While the priority for people who go into healthcare is not how much they’ll be paid but instead the desire to help other people, it doesn’t hurt to ensure there are decent wages for providing care. There are a few ways to increase wages when in the nursing field, with some requiring an investment of time, travel, or added effort.
Not all nurses choose to travel, but the pay for a travel nurse is generally maximized compared to one who is grounded by roughly 20%, claims suggest. The lifestyle that goes with traveling for the profession is not always conducive to someone who has a family or children.
Still, while you’re able, you can take advantage of a few tips meant to work to increase your compensation while working on the go. Let’s check these out.
What are some tips to help make the most of travel nurse pay.
The suggestion is that travel nurse pay equates to roughly 20% greater compensation than grounded nursing professionals. The added income makes sense considering these nurses’ entire lifestyle is centered around their work.
Generally, it’s not conducive to having a family, with many choosing to work in this capacity either early in their career before having a family or after the kids are grown.
While the ideology behind entering the field for most nursing professionals is to help people, they also want to achieve the maximum earning potential for caring for their patients. Go to https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/03/14/travel-nurse-pay-caps/ for details on pay for travel nursing, and then check out these tips on making the most of travel nursing compensation.
The areas you travel to.
Some markets tend to pay more. It can be whether due to a need for qualified staff or the cost of living happening to be higher in the location. The indication is that Metropolitan areas will compensate travel nurses better than rural locations, as do non-hospital positions.
While locations with a higher cost of living might pay exceptionally better, you must be careful taking these positions. The extra pay you earn in those locations could go on an expensive lifestyle like high price points for meals, rental fees, utilities, and on.
Look into the addition of “per diem” or “PRN” shifts.
It’s wise to pick up additional shifts if it’s your goal to maximize your compensation. If you’re not so concerned about entertainment or perusing the city for adventure, pick up a “per diem” or “PRN” shift to add some hours and pay.
For contracts that permit additional hours, you can add extra shifts with the facility you’re assigned to. Still, it’s good for your resume to get a different experience with varied facilities when you have the opportunity.
The option to increase your network of additional doctors and nurses with a variety of facilities is beneficial for your career, plus you can learn different approaches to care plans and procedural techniques.
Medical providers are not created equal. Some might have a much more simplistic method for a treatment that’s as effective compared to another practitioner that prefers a more intricate care approach.
The option of per diem can offer many benefits to the nursing provider, but it is also an opportunity that keeps the professional with little downtime.
That means minimal time to rest. You want to ensure you’re getting plenty of time to recharge, so each patient receives a refreshed nurse taking care of their needs. Visit here for a guide to travel nursing.
The shifts that are challenging to fill.
The most pay a nurse will see is on the least desirable shifts. These will include the weekends, night shifts, and holidays despite the workday being consistent with that of a typical workday throughout the week.
Often these shifts can provide a few more dollars hourly for individuals who can fit them into their travel plans.
Again, if you’re adding these shifts to an already busy scheduled week, make sure that you have time to allow for rest in between all the extra work. You want to give 100 percent to the patients, not someone burned out or exhausted from a lack of adequate sleep.
Final thought.
A plethora of opportunities exist for nursing professionals who want to maximize their pay. The ideal way for a nurse to increase their income is to head back to school and establish a specialty or earn an advanced degree to increase their opportunities in the field.
Becoming a nurse practitioner is among the top potentials for earnings but with the need for an advanced degree. The ER and ICU nurses also pay well, but these are high-stress environments, a primary consideration.
In the end, what’s important is finding the balance that works ideally for you. That will look different for everyone, but the premise will be the same, helping people with beefed-up compensation to ensure your outside needs are met.
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