Happy Independence Day!

By Rich Smith, 07-04-2018

I don't want this to sound like a commercial for travel nursing. That wasn't my goal when I sat down to write it today. I want it to be more like a call to action. Maybe you don't do anything about it now. But later today, maybe at dinner, or watching TV, or walking the dog, you think about it again. Then again, and again, and again until the voice in your head is so loud you can't ignore it anymore.

The nursing profession is tough. You work weird hours. You rarely get a full lunch break, or any kind of break in general. It's a busy, fast paced, thankless job. Travel nursing doesn't solve any of those issues. They are all still there, plus a few more that a staff nurse wouldn't have to worry about. But there is an independence to being a travel nurse that the staff nurse doesn't have. You control your own destiny. You make choices that are in your best interest, not the best interest of some corporation or hospital system. Ten years ago, travel nursing was the exception, now it's the norm. You have more opportunity now than you've ever had before. That doesn't mean it's easy though. Getting a job isn't like shooting fish in a barrel. There is a lot that goes into the preparation, but that shouldn't deter you.

As we celebrate our nations independence this week, it's not selfish to think about your own. Only you know what's right for you. You control your own destiny. If this is your time, if the voice in your head is so loud that you have no other choice, declare YOUR independence! Push all your chips to the center of the table and bet on your strengths. There is a life out there that others only dream about. You can have it. You can live it. You won't know until you go. Don't let excuses hold you back. There is nothing worse than regret.