Travel Nursing with Your Family: How To Make It Work
As a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to experience different locations while saving lives. But sometimes, your family may come along on assignments, either because you are a single parent or purely by preference.
Regardless of your reason, choosing to travel with your family or your nursing assignment requires you to balance your nursing career and the needs of your family. To do this, you will need adequate preparation and some useful strategies.
Fortunately, this article will offer some practical tips and expert recommendations on how to successfully navigate travel nursing while keeping your family happy. Read on!
Should You Go On Travel Nursing Assignments with Family?
Travel nursing can be an excellent way to bring your kids and partner along on an adventure where they will be exposed to new locations and experiences. They can try new food, meet new people, and make lasting memories.
However, it’s also important to note that for the entire experience to feel seamless, you have to prepare way ahead of time. This means scheduling schools and daycare as well as budgeting your finances days or even weeks before going on your assignment.
You may also not be able to use the company-provided housing, which is usually a one-bedroom apartment. So you might have to spend more on a bigger place and on things that make everyone feel at home.
In the end, while your most precious people are with you on this journey, you need to plan and spend considerably to make the experience seamless.
1. Consider Accommodation
In your search for housing options, the most important thing is ensuring accessibility to family members. Certain agencies do offer housing for travel nurses, but you should always check if it works for your family.
If you will be looking for your own housing, consider locations close to your work but also near good schools, parks, and other family-friendly activities. Being close to these amenities allows for easy transitions from work to family time and to attend to emergencies without much disruption.
Also, look for neighborhoods that have good community support so that you and your family can settle down easily in a new place. This will make it easier for everyone involved.
2. Look for Good Schools Nearby
If you’re travelling with children, you will have to consider their educational needs first. You can try the route many travel nurses use by enrolling your kids in an online school like Prisma, so they won’t miss out on their studies.
While this means they won’t be able to make many physical friends, it’s a better alternative than changing schools every few months. But if you trust a physical school better than an online one, then you can find a temporary school in every location for them.
Irrespective of which school you pick, ensure they provide a good quality education and a smooth transition policy. You can also ask your travel nursing agency for help as they may have resources or connections that steer you in the right direction.
3. Pick Family-Friendly Assignments
Travel nurses get posted to different locations, some luxurious and familiar, while others are remote and nerve-wracking. If you’re going on travel nursing jobs with kids, then you should pick assignments that are convenient for the family.
This means your location must have facilities like a local school, recreational centers, and excellent safety. Most importantly, they must have healthcare facilities nearby that support your family’s individual needs, ensuring you all feel comfortable.
However, it’s worth noting that some agencies may not always have these pleasant assignments. That means you may be going on fewer assignments yearly compared to travel nurses without these restrictions.
4. Plan Your Finances
Going on travel nursing assignments can be expensive since you have to get accommodations, food, appliances, and other things to make you comfortable. That cost more than doubles when your family comes with you on these jobs for travel nurses.
To be on the safe side, we recommend budgeting your expenses by looking at key areas like housing, relocation costs, health, insurance, and others. For your kids, also factor in education cost, whether it’s online, home, or temporary schooling; it’ll cost money.
Don’t forget about transportation, as households spent an average of $13,174 on transportation in 2023. It’s a big expense that you need to monitor before activities like daily commutes, trips to local attractions and family activities, and even moving costs deplete your wallet.
5. Arrange for childcare
If your kids are too young and your spouse isn’t available to monitor them while you are on assignments, you should arrange for childcare. This means looking for local daycare services that can look after your kids while you’re gone.
The key is to start researching early so you won’t get overwhelmed with work and find a reliable helper to leave your kids with. You can also ask your colleagues or other travel nurses who have been in the area about the best place to leave their kids.
If all else fails, look online; most reliable babysitters and daycare businesses have an online presence. You can get their contact, schedule, and interview, and get them prepared to handle your little ones.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Travel Nursing with Family
In reality, travel nursing with your family can be exciting since you get to make new memories together. However, it still has its disadvantages. Here is a quick look at the pros and cons:
Pros:
- New experiences
- Quality family time
- New learning opportunities for the kids
- Personal growth for parents
- Financial benefits (including insurance)
- New connections
Cons:
- Consistent schooling challenges
- Finding adequate housing
- Balancing work and home
- Constant relations
While these cons are noteworthy, you can handle them with proper preparation and the right resources. Feel free to ask your travel nursing agency and colleagues for recommendations or look online for help.
Conclusion
Travel nursing is an opportunity to travel to new locations and create new experiences and connections while saving lives. But it can feel lonely at times, especially on longer assignments where you will be away from your kid and partner.
Fortunately, you can go on travel nursing jobs with your family; however, you need to set some things in order. These include budgeting, accommodation, schooling, daycare, and family activities.
However, it’s important to note that not many assignments will be located in places with these facilities. So, you may end up going on fewer jobs as a travel nurse if you insist on comfort; there are a lot of pros and cons to consider.
Good luck!
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