Absolutely any nurse or midwife can. I’ve met travel nurses/midwives of all ages and life stages but it’s important to learn exactly what to consider before signing a contract. It is definitely a good idea to have a few years of experience under your belt so you feel confident in your abilities. The main thing is that you know your scope of practice and be happy to speak up if you’re not sure about something. However, depending on where you go, support may be limited. Personally, I wouldn’t take a post where I would be the only nurse or midwife – I like to know I’ve at least got one other person to back me up if things all go Pete Tong.
You need to be flexible and able to adapt because each place you work will have their own way of doing things and their own policies. Before I travelled, I did a lot of ad-hoc agency shifts, which I found helpful, as I was going in to a variety of hospitals and working with different staff regularly. Mostly, I’ve found local staff to be really friendly and helpful and happy to show me the ropes. I try not to take it personally if a fellow nurse/midwife is a bit snappy – as a traveller I have the luxury of avoiding all the politics that can go on inside a hospital.
There are so many agencies out there, how do I know who to go with?
Well, that depends. A lot of the agencies will get similar or even identical roles and some agencies will just specialise in certain areas or places. For me, it was important to find someone that listened to what I wanted and who I felt comfortable talking to. There’s nothing to stop you registering with more than one agency BUT there is a lot of paperwork! And if you never end up working for them it may be a waste of your time….
I’ve found it helpful to be on the job alert emails for several agencies, then you always know what is on offer but being loyal to one agency will often come with perks such as “time worked” bonuses.
How do you decide where to go?
Is there somewhere you always wanted to see? Then travel nursing/midwifery is the perfect way to do that. Right now, when I’m looking for a new contract, I’ll call my agency and say which dates I’m available and how long a contract I want and see what they have on offer. For me, having private accommodation is important (I travel with my hubby), so I always put that out there at the start and see what they come back with. If I’ve seen something that looks good on offer from another agency, I can approach my current agent and say “I saw ZYZ had a contract in XYZ paying $XYZ. Can you get that for me??” You really can make your job work for you and fit in with your lifestyle.
Agencies I’ve worked for in Australia:
Alliance, Skilled, Vanguard and Greenstaff. So if I’ve inspired you to travel and you join up with them, drop my name as to who referred you (Carly Jowitt). You’ll be doing me a favour as I’ll get a referral bonus. It can take 2-3 weeks to get all your paperwork in order, so bear that in mind.
What to consider before signing a contract?
There are always a lot of variables to factor in before signing on the dotted line. Here are the main points to consider: length of contract, hours contracted, shifts (some contracts will be exclusively night shift, some day shift, others a rotating roster), travel costs and accommodation (is it freely included or subsidised? Is it private or shared?).
Figure out what’s important to you and decide on your non-negotiables. These will be different for everyone.
Take the leap, no regrets!!