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!
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.
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.
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! 😊
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!
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!
*There are multiple flavors of the Snack Selects with different types of cheese and nuts.
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.
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 🙂
Mardi Gras in New Orleans is one MASSIVE party! Fashion rules go out the window, alcohol can be carried openly down Bourbon Street, incredibly talented musicians serenade every corner, and women decide that shiny plastic beads are worth going topless for. There are multiple ways to “do” Mardi Gras, and I spent hours carefully planning to make sure that we safely got to experience everything New Orleans had to offer! Save yourself some time and use this itinerary as a template for your own trip!
I worked Tuesday night going into Wednesday, our travel day, so we slept during the day before flying out of St. Louis around 7 pm! This is one of my best planning tips for vacationing as a travel nurse (click here for that article!). We both snagged window seats on our Southwest flight to nap before arriving in New Orleans around 10 pm! After a 20-minute Uber into the city and dropping off our bags at the hotel, we found some Willie’s Chicken for dinner (more on that gem later) and tucked into bed.
We chose this hotel because it is located in the historic French Quarter, close to both Bourbon St (the party street) and Canal St (the main parade route). Our room was definitely “historic,” maybe even slightly dated, but it was spotlessly clean, and the bed was very comfortable! The bathroom was small but clean, and the shower was average with good water pressure. Housekeeping services and the concierge were friendly and happy to help with anything we needed. They have a small room with drinks, snacks, and basic necessities for purchase. For my full review on TripAdvisor, click here.
We pre-booked online via Expedia in December, which gave us the option to pay for the entire hotel cost at check-in. We’ve utilized the book-now-pay-later function multiple times for long trips when our accommodations need to be booked far earlier than we can afford. Free cancellation is usually offered up to 2 weeks prior to your check-in date! However, use this option with caution: you need to be able to swipe a credit card at check-in for the entire total of your stay! Our hotel was $170 for the first couple nights we were there, but it jumped to $404 per night once Mardi Gras weekend hit. Be prepared to spend around $500/night if you want to stay in the French Quarter during the peak season. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is serious business, so be prepared to spend more on your accommodations.
Thursday – New Orleans African American Museum
Fair warning, we slept in EVERY day and napped EVERY afternoon! As night-shifters, we looked forward to all the sleep we were going to get during this trip. No shame whatsoever.
After sleeping in, we walked to the river and enjoyed brunch at Cafe Beignet on Decatur Street. There are multiple locations in New Orleans, but ours had breezy open-air seating in a beautiful old building! The food was great, and the view was fabulous. We didn’t have to wait in line at all, easily snagging seats by the windows.
We were determined to walk anywhere that was less than 30 mins away, so we set off with drinks in hand to find the New Orleans African American Museum. Located in Tremé, the oldest African-American neighborhood in America, the museum aims to “preserve the history and elevate the art, culture, and contributions of African Americans in New Orleans” (noaam.org). We spent over an hour here looking through preserved historical photographs, walking through their interactive exhibits, playing jazz on a turntable, and watching an excellent documentary on segregation and the fight for freedom in New Orleans. We would highly recommend going to the Tremé neighborhood to visit this museum!
We found some fantastic BBQ at Pig Out Nola on Toulouse St near our hotel, and their pulled pork cheese fries were to die for! We actually went back again at the end of our trip too!
Friday – Creole Cooking Class and Frenchmen St Pub Crawl
Today we decided to switch it up a bit and cook our own lunch! The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is home to Deelightful Roux School of Cooking, and we had a blast learning to make an authentic Creole meal! Chef Dee and her sous-chef Candy are New Orleans natives and kept us laughing as they taught us to make jambalaya, smothered okra, and bananas foster. I had never made shrimp before, so learning to prep and cook them was a step outside my comfort zone. Chefs Dee and Candy were patient with our inexperience, encouraged us to try our best, and provided a beautiful table for our group to enjoy our meal. There were two other guests in our group, which left plenty of tasks for everyone. Whether you’re an experienced cook or a microwave aficionado, you can learn and participate in the class! Chef Candy even took pictures for us, attached in the slideshow below!
After trekking back to the hotel and taking a (long) nap, we met tour guide Pandi on Frenchmen St for a pub crawl. She led our group through music clubs and cocktail bars to enjoy the incredible talent that graces the historic street every night! The Airbnb Experiences tour included a beverage, a shot, and a glimpse into the real musical culture of New Orleans. For only $40 per person for three hours, I thought this was a steal! We danced the night away with new friends from all over the world, including multiple people from the UK. Highly recommend this tour!
Saturday – Airboat Adventures Bayou Tour and Van Gogh
This was the coldest day of our trip (40 degrees), and we had an outdoor bayou tour planned. We bundled up as best we could and took a 45 min bus ride out to the bayou! We prebooked tickets the week prior on the Airboat Adventures website and chose the “large airboat” option. There were multiple other options, including a smaller airboat and a huge ferry-style boat, but we were happy with the option we chose! For $60/person, we shared an airboat with 15-20 other people but felt like we still had plenty of space. Our boat went FAST once we pulled away from the dock; definitely an adventure tour! We were lucky to see one large gator, a turtle darting into the water, and a bald eagle with her babies in a nest high in the trees. Our recommendation: go on a warm day! Unless the boat stopped to admire the scenery and in the sunlight, the wind in our faces was very cold! Also, according to Airboat Adventure’s website, “alligators are tough to find when temps drop below 70 degrees, no matter what time of year, but they can be found throughout the winter on warmer days.”
Although you can attend in multiple large cities across the country, we chose to spend our free evening visiting New Orlean’s Van Gogh Experience. Renderings of Van Gogh’s most popular paintings were displayed, and the exhibit was very museum-like until we reached the end. An immersive experience awaits at the end of the Van Gogh exhibit in each city, and this one was very relaxing! I attached some pictures below to show you how the walls change constantly, over a loop of about an hour. This is an easy photo opportunity with plenty of space for kids to (quietly) burn off some energy!
We got stuck by a parade on the way back to Bourbon Street from the Van Gogh Experience, and we couldn’t get back into the French Quarter for over two hours! We couldn’t squeeze through the crowds to get close enough to catch throws, so we went to The Roosevelt Hotel Bar to kill time. The parades are gorgeous and extravagant, but you definitely want to plan accordingly before you go to one. For fantastic tips directly from a New Orleans local, click here!
Sunday – Professional Photoshoot and Cemetery Tour
One of my FAVORITE activities to book on a trip is a professional photo shoot! Airbnb Experiences offers photoshoots in almost every city for around $50 per person. We booked a photoshoot in New Orleans for $50/each two weeks prior to the actual trip. Colton and I have done this in cities like Las Vegas, Nashville, San Francisco, etc. I love booking these because I don’t have to stress about getting high-quality photo memories of my trip: the photographer does all of that for me! Even if you’ve never had a photoshoot before, I highly recommend trying this. This is who we booked with both this year and last year!
Next, we toured St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, one of the most historic cemeteries in the area. Famous occupants include New Orleans voodoo queen Marie Laveau, civil rights activist Homer Plessy, and legendary chess champion Paul Morphy.
The only way to visit the cemetery is to book a tour online. I expected the cemetery tour to be expensive or difficult to get tickets for, but I was pleasantly surprised that it only cost $25 per person! We booked online six days in advance, more last-minute than I prefer, but they had plenty of options left. Our tour guide was clearly experienced and comfortably shared stories about the cemetery’s occupants. He waited for everyone in the group to catch up between stops, encouraged taking photos, and left ample time for questions. This tour is outdoors by nature, so watch the weather!
Monday & Tuesday – Lundi Gras & Mardi Gras
While we planned to go out on Lundi Gras, both of us were tired, and Jordan requested a rest day. We stayed in our hotel room, watched movies, and only ventured out onto Bourbon Street to find food! Doordash, Uber Eats, and other food delivery services can’t function in the French Quarter as it gets close to Mardi Gras because all the streets close for parades. Uber rides are the same way, so be prepared to walk or stay put if you stay in this area of town.
On Mardi Gras, we explored, walked around, peeked in shops, and ate food! Mardi Gras in New Orleans is intense, so I highly recommend scheduling naps and/or times to just wander the quieter areas of the city. Since we didn’t have pre-planned activities for this day, here are a few of our favorite restaurants that we enjoyed!
Cafe Maspero – $1 daiquiris served all day long and DELICIOUS beignet fries! They open doors on two sides of the restaurant to create an open-air vibe, so we happily snagged the last table with a good view!
Pig Out Nola – We went here on Thursday already, but the food was solid with no wait time, so we happily went back again! They don’t serve alcohol, but they have Coke products with refills allowed and plenty of seating available (indoor and outdoor).
The Will and the Way – Late-night snacks, outdoor seating with heaters, an extensive wine and cocktail menu, and daily happy hour. If you go here, check out the Polaroid photo we took to add to their wall!
Chemin à la Mer – “With panoramic views of the Mississippi River, enjoy a curated menu of Louisiana fare expertly executed with French technique,” located within the Four Seasons hotel. Our new friend Jeff added us to his reservation, and we stayed here for hours! Our service was fantastic, but make sure you skim the menu online before you book. (My suggestion: Go at sunset for the best view!)
Wednesday – Tattoo Appointment and Packing Suitcases!
Jordan got a tattoo in Salem, Massachusetts when we visited last year, so she suggested getting tattoos in New Orleans before we left! She made us each an appointment via phone two weeks prior at Electric Ladyland, a tattoo parlor in the Marigny neighborhood near the French Quarter. With hundreds of positive reviews, Electric Ladyland runs 8-10 tattoo stations as well as a piercing station. We had appointments for 4 pm, and we only waited about 10 minutes to start our tattoos. They do take walk-ins but be prepared to have a longer wait! My artist, Josh, was patient with me as I got my first tattoo and got the exact result that I wanted!
Getting a nostalgic reminder of my childhood: Appa from Avatar The Last Airbender
After getting our tattoos and grabbing food on the way to our hotel, we packed our suitcases and went to bed early for our 6 am flight. We got plenty of rest and fully recovered from the Bourbon Street madness before we flew back home!
Have you ever been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans? Got restaurant suggestions for my foodie heart? Drop them below or shoot me a message!
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!
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!
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:
I was worried that learning a new language as a travel nurse would be too much for me to handle at once. The way I travel nurse requires a lot of planning, forethought, and constant commuting back and forth; when would I find time to practice an entirely new language? After deciding that this was a priority for me, I made the time for daily practice and am starting to realize how many benefits there are to learning this new skill. Here are 3 reasons why learning Spanish gets me excited to travel!
1. Convenience
Speaking the country’s native language makes it way easier to go anywhere!
I frequently think about international destinations and browse through flight costs as I dream about the trips I’ll take someday. Now that I’m beginning to understand conversational Spanish, traveling in a foreign country is already SO much easier!
My Lingoda Spanish classes are teaching me how to navigate an airport, talk to a taxi driver, find restaurant recommendations, and book tourist-y activities with ease.
Knowing that I’ll (eventually) be able to communicate effectively makes traveling to other countries far less intimidating. Spain is on our summer agenda, and Latin America isn’t far behind!
2. Immersion
Diving deep into unfamiliar cultures is the primary reason why I travel.
I want to be completely immersed in new countries. I want to eat local food, go dancing where the locals hang out, explore shops that are authentic to the country, and tour landmarks that are important to the region’s history. By speaking the native language, I will be able to relate to the history and culture of that country much better, and I hope to be more warmly welcomed by the locals!
During my online Spanish classes, sometimes jokes or sayings from a specific country come up in conversation, and I love catching my teachers using them later! That small joy gets me even more excited to immerse myself in cultures other than my own. My goal this year is to emerge from my comfort zone, and trying to speak Spanish with natives is shoving me out of it!
3. Broadening Horizons
“The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” – Aristotle
I am far from being a philosopher, but Aristotle knew what he was talking about! Starting Duolingo was easy, and speaking Spanish felt very attainable. As you might have guessed, there is a LOT that goes into learning a new language! I grow increasingly impressed by bilingual and multilingual people. Someday I would love to be a polyglot!
Bonus: A popular Czech proverb says, “A new language is a new life.”
Diving headfirst into Spanish has me thinking completely differently. People who don’t speak English used to appear less intelligent to me, which is completely unfounded. Now that I am starting to speak Spanish daily, it’s solidifying that there isn’t an intelligence difference at all. In fact, I have a rapidly growing respect for bilingual people! A white girl learning to fluently speak another language sounds impressive superficially, but countless people are learning English in our country every day but don’t gain respect for their efforts.
I firmly believe that we systematically become more compassionate towards others as we break bread with strangers and fumble through conversations in a foreign language.
A team of researchers in Chicago conducted a study in 2015 to test the theory that multilingualism increases empathy and found that early language exposure significantly increased a child’s ability to infer another person’s intentions, even when they themselves did not speak that person’s language. The researchers wrote, “To understand a speaker’s intention, one must take the speaker’s perspective. Multilingual exposure may promote effective communication by enhancing perspective taking.”
By communicating with others in their native language, we force ourselves to see ourselves and our environment from a stranger’s perspective! I think this is a beautiful thing for everyone, especially travel nurses. We are trained to be flexible, quick on our feet, and adapt to new environments on a dime; navigating a new language should be right along our skill set!
I hope these details encourage you in your language-learning journey or inspire you to try it out! To see what educational resources I use, check out the table below! To read why I started learning a new language, click here: “This Is How Travel Nursing Got Me Learning Spanish!”
Resources I Am Currently Using to Learn Spanish
Lingoda – I’m halfway through the Lingoda Sprint challenge as of this post date! Live Zoom classes five days per week.
Duolingo – Daily Spanish exercises and vocabulary drills
Pimsleur – 30 minute audio lessons for when I’m driving or need to be learning Spanish hands-free (great for commutes)
Watching Spanish TV shows on Netflix with English subtitles – Highly recommend “Cable Girls/Las Chicas del Cable”!
Reading children’s books in Spanish – Currently finishing Cuantos de la Selva by Horacio Quiroga
