Traveling for work can range from being a couple towns over to being states away
Travelers make a lot more money for their troubles of being away from home
Being away from home can have its own challenges such as being away from family for extended periods of time, feeling lonely, and mental drain from learning to work somewhere new
Travel can have a ton of benefits as well such as getting a change of work pace, trying out new departments of nursing, and seeing new places around the state or country
Staff nursing can have major benefits such as being at home near family and friends, being able to chose hours better fit for the individual, getting to know the work environment well and being comfortable with the people working alongside each other
Staff nursing can also have things that are unfavorable such as the pay is less than traveling staff for convenience, burnout can happen when staff is always around doing the same things constantly, and not liking co-workers that are also staff and there all the time
Staff nursing is better for people who have families, like to be home at night, like a stable work environment, being able to get familiar with the area and people, new grad or older nurses to get things slowed down and not rushed, and can be easier to adjust to changes
The obvious difference that most consider between travel and staff nursing is the pay
Pay is going to be higher depending on shifts for the convenience of the hours and that is similar to how staff have the convenience of being close to home so they get paid less than traveling staff
Specialties can also effect pay but still are higher in traveling staff because having a higher stress job is going to pay better but there's also going to be a mental toll
Pay comes down to convenience ultimately between traveling, hours, and specialties
Sources:
Health Carousel. "Travel Nursing Vs. Staff Nursing: Who Makes More?" hctravelnursing.com, Health Carousel Travel Nursing, 2009, www.hctravelnursing.com/blog/do-travel-nurses-make-more-than-staff-nurses. Accessed 2023.