Should You Do Travel Nursing With a Friend?
When you’re off on a new assignment and enjoying life in your new home, you might be thinking how awesome it would be to experience it with someone else, but there are pros and cons in doing so. Read on to find out if you should take your next travel nursing assignment solo or with a friend.
Pros to Travel Nursing with a Friend
Not everyone knows what it’s like to be away from home weeks at a time, live in a completely different city, and be the new nurse at a facility. When you have a friend with you on assignment who’s also experiencing the same changes as you are, it can be beneficial for the both of you to lean on each other for help and support. Plus:
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It’s more affordable
When you’re sharing a living space with a friend, you can split living costs with one another. This includes rent, furniture and appliances, and groceries. Your transportation costs can also be split by carpooling and ride sharing.
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You have a travel buddy
What better way to make memories in a new city than with a friend? From sightseeing to eating out, you’ll always have someone you know with you to experience this time in your life.
Cons to Travel Nursing with a Friend
While it’s beneficial to adventure and work in a new place alongside your friend, you might not actually have that much time to spend together. For example, you could work completely opposite shifts. With one of you working nights and the other working days, your expectations on exploring the city with your friend might fall short. Other cons to take into account include:
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You’re less likely to stretch yourself
You’re bound to grow when you’re on your own. Rather than leaning on someone else to be there with you, working and traveling alone pushes you to befriend coworkers, go on solo adventures, or learn how to live on your own.
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You’re limited on where you can go
If you’re both set on getting placed in one destination, you may have to wait longer for opportunities to open up for the both of you.
Tips for Deciding What To Do
If you’re still on the fence on whether or not to take your next travel nursing assignment with a friend, we suggest the following:
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Assess your relationship
Traveling with your friend opens the door to living together for 13 or more weeks. If you aren’t ready to be roommates, it might not be the best idea to go on this journey together.
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Create a goals list
You and your friend should, separately, make a list of what you both want to experience on assignment. When you come together to share your lists, assess the similarities and differences. If you want to have fun together, traveling together may be your perfect option. If you’re more focused on experiencing a new city at your own pace, it might be better to take an assignment on your own.
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Ask your recruiter for guidance
Your recruiter can work with you to find opportunities in your ideal role and location with your friend. You can also ask for your recruiter’s insight on the pros and cons of travel nursing with someone.
HealthCare Support Can Get You Where You Want To Go
Solo or with a friend, our highly responsive, compassionate team works with you to find your ideal travel assignment. HealthCare Support is a staffing resource for the healthcare industry that places talented, passionate healthcare professionals in careers where they’ll thrive. With our national reach and vast network, you can start working in the location and role of your dreams.
To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.