Nursing, Travel Nursing

Daily Life of a Travel Nurse: The Commute

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Fun fact: Not all travel nurses pack up all their belongings and move across the country! Many nurses have spouses and children that they care for and don’t want to be too far from their families. There is one clear solution: don’t go far away! Travel contracts are available all over the country, so lots of nurses choose locations that are within a few hours of their homes. Being able to drive home on off stretches can relieve homesickness and support family members left behind.

My Weekly Travel Nurse Commute

I am finishing a contract in St. Louis, Missouri, which isn’t far from my hometown. “Not far” meaning almost three hours away! My husband has an active social life and is a passionate guitar player, so it made sense for him to stay home during this contract. I chose to work my three 12-hour shifts each week and commute home when I had more than one day off at a time. Unfortunately, my shifts are not always together and I frequently have to drive back/forth twice per week. I also accumulate a lot of stuff that I have to take home!

Travel nurse commute: taking all my stuff home

After a full year of commuting, this girl is TIRED! Colton tries his best to come to visit me during long work stretches, but he can’t help me entertain myself during dull drives through the Midwest countryside. In this post, we take a look at my struggle bus (get it, vehicle joke?) and hopefully you’ll find some tips for your own traveler commute!

1. Problem: I get sleepy in moving vehicles.

I’m a baby, I swear! Planes, trains, automobiles, it doesn’t matter; if it rocks back and forth, I need a nap. Some of my traveler friends commute to St Louis from cities in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, and they complain of the same problem. If you’re usually on night shift like me, staying awake during a daytime drive can be difficult and even dangerous.

My action plan: Talk to people on the phone. Music and podcasts are fabulous, but they still put me to sleep! I have an emergency list of family members and friends who know that I drive frequently and are willing to talk to me on the phone.

For example, my mom works early hours, so she expects a phone call from me every day when I leave work. My best friend is free mid-mornings because she is a stay-at-home mom, and my husband is happy to chitchat during the afternoons. I’m blessed to have multiple siblings and close family members who fill in the gaps!

Perk: This can help busy travel nurses stay in touch with their loved ones. You have to drive and they want to talk to you!

2. Problem: I get bored and crave snacks.

Drive-thru, anyone? I get the uncontrollable urge to munch while I’m driving, and McDonald’s filet-o-fish sandwich and a Coke always tempt me as I leave the city. Not only are drive-thrus usually unhealthy, but they also get expensive. In the month of April, my husband and I spent a cumulative $600 on gas because we drive so often. We can’t afford to eat out every time we get in the car!

To combat this weight-gaining habit, I’ve started bringing small snacks with me in the car. Honey-roasted peanuts mixed with raisins is my go-to snack right now! Any high-protein and/or low-calorie food that you like to eat at work would also be a good option. I’m all for saving money, so if you can bulk purchase your snacks, I say go for it.

Coke from McDonalds travel nurse commute

3. Pro: I have time to listen to podcasts!

Okay, I actually look forward to my driving time for this reason! I alternate between Coffee Break Spanish’s language learning podcast lessons and numerous nursing education podcasts. For the full list of nursing resources that I personally love, including podcasts, read My Favorite ICU Nurse Resources!

A key part of listening to podcasts (or music) is to alternate what you’re doing. A constant influx of the same information is more likely to put you to sleep or make you dread your long drive. I like to listen to a podcast episode, switch to music for a little while, call a friend, and repeat! If you’re learning a language or a new skill, as I am with Coffee Break Spanish, a travel nurse commute gives you dedicated time to practice.

travel nurse commute driving

What podcasts or music do you like to listen to on your nursing commute? Any suggestions for me? Leave it in the comments below or message me! 😊

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Nursing, Nursing Education, Travel Nursing

How I Survive Night Shifts in the ICU

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Working during the day is pretty standard, but learning to survive night shifts can be rough. After a few years of experimentation, I’ve landed on a few key tips for making the night shift more enjoyable!

1. Caffeine

I still haven’t found a way around this. I used to drink endless bottles of Mt Dew until it finally hit me that I was sugar-crashing HARD by 4:00 am. Anyone who has worked a night shift is intimately familiar with that 4:00 am slump that hits hard and tempts you to sleep at the desk under a warm blanket. I HATE feeling sleepy but being forced to stay awake, so I chase away that feeling with liquid caffeine additives in my water bottles! Adding a little flavored caffeine to a water bottle allows me to consume the same amount of caffeine without added sugar. The extra bottle of water is a plus, too!

My favorite kind is Mio Energy, especially the Wicked Blue Citrus and Acai Berry Storm flavors. You can get these (and many more flavors) at Walmart, Shnuck’s, Kroger, etc.

Regardless of which caffeine option you choose, I recommend reading the label to know exactly what you’re consuming! Many energy drinks are TERRIBLE for your heart. If you’re a cardiac nurse, it’s a double whammy. Do your research!

How I survive night shift

2. Protein

If you’ve made it through nursing school or have dug into nutrition, you already know how important protein is for maintaining sustainable energy. It’s tempting to run straight out of the house with a single banana or a handful of Cheez-Its, but I always regret it when I’m exhausted when the 9:00 pm med pass rolls around.

I have much better luck eating a full meal (often a frozen steamer bowl) before work and bringing a high-protein snack to carry me through charting. Maintaining a steady amount of protein early in my shift keeps the 4:00 am slump at bay and prevents me from getting grumpy! Here are a few frozen meals that don’t break the bank but help me survive night shifts! Their protein levels vary, and some have more carbs than I’d prefer, but I’ve settled on these after the past few years. I alternate each week so eating lunch doesn’t get boring!

best food to survive night shift
favorite snacks to survive nightshift

I didn’t notice before now that I buy a LOT of Healthy Choice brand options, but the ones listed really are delicious! 🙂

3. Bring something to do at 4:00am

Shhh, don’t tell the dayshifters that we have downtime! When you’re lucky enough to have stable sleeping patients overnight, and no trainwreck admissions are lurking in the ED, it’s very easy to get tired at the desk. You can only talk to coworkers for so long, and if you don’t actually like them (we keep it honest here), then you don’t want to be sitting around.

Leaving night shift

Depending on your hospital’s policies, you can bring simple activities to keep yourself occupied. I like bringing books to read because it allows me to listen for my patients, keep an eye on their alarms, and reading can be stopped immediately if crap hits the fan. Some people listen to TV shows and music with Bluetooth headphones, but be wary of these: many hospitals ban their use because it could impede your ability to hear critical alarms, overhead pages, and cries for help from patients or staff members. I’ve seen nurses bring mandala coloring books, small crochet projects, and homework! This month I’ve been reading Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series, learning to crochet a rainbow dinosaur through a company called Woobles, and building my Spanish skills on Duolingo. There are endless options, so find something that interests you to help you stay awake!

However, patient safety comes first; always follow your hospital’s policies and use the critical thinking skills you spent so long in nursing school to grow! 😊

To keep reading, click here for my thoughts on ongoing nursing education and my BEST ICU resources for studying!

If you’d rather read about travel nursing, I don’t blame you. Click here 🙂

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Boujie on a Budget, Nursing, Travel, Travel Nursing

My Easy Tips for Planning a Vacation During Travel Nurse Assignments

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One of the things I get asked all the time is, “How do you go on so many trips if you have a full-time job?” Planning a vacation during a travel nurse assignment is much easier than people think! My tips below are exactly what I do on a monthly basis to plan my trips and go on adventures despite my busy schedule. Here we go!

Skyler on vacation in San Francisco

1. Put it in your CONTRACT.

You can only plan a trip if you have the dates off in your contract. Period. Sometimes we have friendly coworkers who will switch shifts at the last minute, but you should NOT count on that! Only put money down on a vacation if you are guaranteed the days off.

With that being said, how do you get the days off? I give my recruiter a detailed list of dates I plan to request in a travel nurse contract. She looks over the dates and gives me feedback on whether or not she thinks the hospital will accept them. I’m lucky to have a fantastic recruiter through Aya Healthcare whom I trust, so I appreciate her input! However, you can submit any dates you want, regardless of your recruiter’s approval.

(If you need a great recruiter, I always recommend Pari Constan! Click here for her link!)

Your days off should be explicitly listed in your written contract BEFORE you sign it! If the hospital gives you the runaround and promises to work it out with the scheduler later without having it in your contract, don’t trust them. That is a huge red flag.

2. Plan your trip from Wednesday through Wednesday.

Most inpatient hospital contracts are for three 12-hour shifts per week (3x12s). I’ve discovered that if I can still complete my contracted hours in a week, management is much more willing to work with me on vacation days!

I purposefully schedule my time off for Wednesday through Wednesday, 8 days total. This allows me to work Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before I leave for a trip. I work the night shift, so I plan to be back to work on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the following week!

I usually try to fly home on Wednesday night to adjust my sleep schedule before Thursday night, but I have also flown in last minute before a shift. Be careful doing that! Wednesdays are one of the cheapest travel days, so you may as well head home for cheap and not push it too close. 🙂

For example, I took time off in February 2023 to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In my current contract extension, I requested time off from Wednesday, February 15th – Wednesday, February 22nd. I will work Thursday night, February 23rd, and I didn’t lose a dime in wages! Since I didn’t miss any required shifts, management had no problem with my days off. I’ve done this at least 10 times with no issues! 

You can submit new vacation dates every time you start a new contract or extend an existing one.

Note: Some hospital contracts sign for four 12-hour shifts (4x12s). In that case, you would only be able to take off Thursday-Tuesday if you still plan to work your required shifts.

3. Be ready to jump back in!

carry-on suitcases

This one is vital to making vacationing feasible during contracts. I once worked 5 nightshifts in a row and then flew out of state the morning after my last shift. The trip was fantastic, but I came in hot before my next shift to find….dirty scrubs. No food in my house. Missing sneakers and work badge. It was horrible! I didn’t set myself up for success, and I will never make that mistake again.

Since then, I always ensure that I have at least one pair of clean scrubs ready to go when I get home. I leave my name badge on my nightstand, NOT in my travel luggage, and I have backup frozen meals in my freezer for emergencies!

“Coming in hot,” or getting back into town the same day that I work a night shift, has actually become manageable when I do this. Prep yourself for success!

Following these simple tips has made planning a vacation during contracts easy for me. I love going on adventures and never want to give that up for a job!

If this topic sparks your interest, you might be interested in the following articles:

“Traveling Light: How I Vacation with a Carry-on” – All about how I pack light and make quick trips easier!

“Skip The Line: The Magic of TSA Precheck” – I confidently sleep after my shift/before flying out because my TSA Precheck reduces my security line wait time!

“Flying Cheap: The Hopper App and Spirit Airlines” – I’ll admit it, I am the queen of planning a vacation last-minute because these tools make it easy!

Skyler RN photo in surgical green
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Balancing Family Dynamics, Lifestyle, Nursing, Travel Nursing

My Husband Doesn’t Work Full-Time (and I love it)

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As we hope you know by now, Skyler is a travel ICU nurse and usually works out of state. That’s me! Colton used to work full-time at a local hospital as a telemetry tech interpreting cardiac rhythms in their cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). When an opportunity to travel in Florida came up in late 2021, I convinced Colton to quit his full-time job and go with me to soak up the Florida sunshine. After returning to our home base in Illinois in May 2022, we realized that it wasn’t beneficial for Colton to return to work. Believe it or not, it’s perfect for us! Here are the nitty-gritty details of how it works, what he does, and why I love it!

1. Colton handles the day-to-day chores around the house.

I haven’t taken out the garbage in almost a YEAR! Colton does the routine cleaning, including the kitchen, living room, dining room, and our bedroom. I deep-clean the bathrooms, mop floors, and change decorations for each season! Aka, I get to do the fun stuff!

colton working

2. He does all of the grocery shopping and the majority of the cooking.

Turns out, Colton is a FANTASTIC cook. Ever had a cheese toastie with paprika butter? Or a grilled cheese if you live outside of central Illinois? Colton can give you the recipe; you’re welcome!

3. Someone is always home to take care of our animals.

While we don’t have any dogs who need to go out regularly, we do have two cats who tend to fight and want endless attention. My mother-in-law adores coming to check on her grandcats, but it’s so much easier that Colton is always home with them!

Colton doesn't work but he loves our pets!

4. Don’t want to do an annoying task or errand? No problem.

I’ll be honest that I REALLY hate talking to insurance agents. And calling the plumber to fix things. And dropping off packages at the post office. And quarterly meetings with our financial advisor. And taking down the Christmas tree. Essentially, if it’s an errand or task that I dread, Colton cheerfully takes over!

I swore up and down this week that I was going to call our insurance agent this week to improve our dental coverage. He said he was happy to do it, but I was determined to take something off his plate and I’m very comfortable on the phone, so why not? Flash forward one week when the agent is scheduled to call me, and I’m throwing a hissy fit that I don’t want to talk to “these darn people again!”

Can you guess where this is going?

Colton took over, and I have zero guilt. We split responsibilities very evenly, and he has my back every time.

Colton likes to work on projects around the house

5. We never have to ask for vacation time!

Okay, this might be the best perk! I love scheduling monthly trips (yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds), and he usually comes along when it’s a destination that interests him. Since he isn’t obligated to pick up shifts at his as-needed job, his schedule is open for me to plan international trips as I please! I renew or begin another travel contract every three months, so I simply have to put my vacation time in my new contract, and off we go! Flexibility is a high priority in our lives, so Colton’s open schedule has been super convenient.

colton doesn't work, he goes on vacation

Hold on: if Colton does all of that, what do YOU do?

Do you think I’m slacking yet? I assure you that is not the case! I work at least 36 hours weekly (3×12 hr night shifts), but I usually pick up extra shifts to hit 60 hours each week. While working, I live in an apartment in St. Louis where I manage my own cleaning, grocery shopping, errands, etc.

The time of year and other life commitments determine who commutes that week. Most frequently, I drive the 3 hours back home to spend my off days with Colton, family, and friends. We enjoy working on house projects and inviting people over when we are both there! Colton comes down to see me if it’s more convenient for our schedule that week. His hard work and cheerful spirit have been a blessing to me as I explore travel nursing, and I couldn’t do this without him!

Travel nursing looks different for each family. Colton doesn’t work, but our setup wouldn’t work for everyone! If you have more logistical questions, feel free to leave a comment below or message us on social media!

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Lifestyle, Nursing, Travel Nursing

This Is How Travel Nursing Got Me Learning Spanish

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starting Florida nursing contract
Skyler starting her travel nursing contract in Kissimmee, Florida, in January 2022

I grew up in an English-speaking American household where learning Spanish and other languages was encouraged, but I didn’t know a single person who actually spoke Spanish! When I became an adult, I realized that my region was not particularly international and that many people spoke multiple languages. My mom taught me how to ask where the bathroom was, “Donde está el baño?” That’s as far as I got with Spanish!

Fast forward to January 2022.

As an experienced travel nurse, I decided to try my hand at finding a contract in Florida for the winter. Sunshine, beaches, and the absence of frigid cold called my name! I got lucky and found a contract near my parents’ house in Kissimmee, Florida, outside of Orlando.

I didn’t know (yet) that Kissimmee is nicknamed “Little Puerto Rico” because of a huge surge of Puerto Rican migrants the area has received since 2015. I haven’t been able to find an accurate number for 2023, but there are over 300,000 Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin living in Central Florida.

So yeah, I was outnumbered!

It only took a week to realize that I couldn’t communicate with most of my patients and had no clue what my coworkers were discussing at the nurses’ station in rapid Spanish. It was time to take some steps to help myself!

I became seriously interested in learning Spanish, which was sink-or-swim in that ICU! Can you imagine me popping my head out of rooms, calling down the hallway to my coworkers, “How do you say ‘toothbrush’ in Spanish?!” I was motivated to learn out of necessity; I had to communicate somehow! My Latino coworkers were incredibly kind to me and patiently interpreted for me on a daily basis.

Skyler learning Spanish
Skyler studying Spanish, January 2023

I spent six months in that hospital figuring out how the basics of Spanish grammar worked, how to introduce myself, and how to say important nursing phrases like, “Don’t touch that” and “I’ll be right back!”

Unfortunately, I had to move on to another contract.

Once I left Florida for a Midwest contract, I stopped using my Spanish skills on a daily basis and fell into a boring routine of studying the same words I already knew. I didn’t get my stride back until three months later, during the summer of 2022. I decided to dive headfirst into self-immersion, and I haven’t looked back!

I would love to take another contract in a Spanish-speaking region such as Arizona/New Mexico/Texas/California/etc. Right now, I’m finishing a contract in St. Louis, Missouri, and then hopefully spending the summer in Spain to continue learning Spanish!

If you have suggestions on contract locations for my Spanish practice, I’d love to hear them! If Spanish isn’t your thing but you still love to learn, check out my article, “Why Nurses Should Never Stop Learning – My Favorite ICU Resources”

Resources I Am Currently Using to Learn Spanish

  1. Lingoda – I’m halfway through the Lingoda Sprint challenge as of this post date! Live Zoom classes five days per week.
  2. Duolingo – Daily Spanish exercises and vocabulary drills
  3. Pimsleur – 30 minute audio lessons for when I’m driving or need to be learning Spanish hands-free
  4. Watching Spanish TV shows on Netflix with English subtitles – Highly recommend “Cable Girls/Las Chicas del Cable”!
  5. Reading children’s books in Spanish – Currently working through Cuantos de la Selva by Horacio Quiroga
Skyler trying Lingoda for the first time
Spanish book, Cuentos de la Selva
My cat thinks she can learn Spanish too
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