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School
Being a traveling school nurse presents many opportunities to meet new people, add to your résumé, and learn about different environments. It's a great way to break your routine and add some adventure and travel to your life without giving up your income. You choose where you go and whom you work for, and you can choose to take time off between assignments – or not. You can choose the sun or the snow, the beach, the heartland, or the mountains…positions are often available anywhere you can imagine. The possibilities are endless, and each one is rich with new experience.
About the Job
Average contract lengths are 13-15 weeks, and the job will present the same responsibilities and duties as those required of a permanent school nurse position. Expect little training or orientation, since being a school nurse is generally a one-person operation, and there won't be anyone to explain more than where the clinic is located. In some cases, the school nurse is assigned to only one school; in others, she will travel the district visiting different schools within a geographical region on a predetermined schedule.
Pros
There are many positive aspects and perks of a traveling school nurse job, including sampling new environments to determine where you'd be interested in settling into a permanent position. It will give you the opportunity to experience the difference, not only in location, but in different types of schools – from exclusive private schools to inner city schools. Travel nurses in general make more money than their counterparts in permanent positions, and all travel and housing expenses are paid. Bonuses are often offered as well. Unlike other traveling nurse positions, the school travel nurse is unlikely to encounter competition or resentment from other nurses who know they're making less money; in fact, you may never meet the person you're temporarily replacing. Chances are very good you'll be met with relief, and the school staff will be eager to please and helpful.
Cons
Travel nurses are faced with leaving home and family, as well as adjusting to a new environment every few weeks. Much like working as a long-distance truck driver, a cruise ship employee, or an airline pilot, the adjustment is difficult for some, but others will love it. School nurses are often needed in school environments that are not ideal, and it may be hard to determine what kind of environment you'll be walking into before you get there. Some schools will be overrun by drug problems, and others will be mainly skinned knees and sprained ankles. You already have the experience to deal with anything that comes your way; you'll just have to mentally prepare for what may be a jarring difference from one assignment to the next.
Travel school nursing is a job you have to love, like any job involving kids. It's easy to get attached, and sometimes hard to walk away. On the bright side, bad situations are temporary, and if you find a place you really love you can apply for a permanent position. That's the real beauty of a traveling position. You always get to decide what to do next.
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