What Is a Travel Nurse?

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NurseJournal Staff

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Updated November 23, 2022

Reviewed by

Brandy Gleason

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How Long to Become 2-4 years

Job Outlook 9% increase from 2020-2030

Average Annual Salary $84,000

Becoming a travel nurse can be financially and professionally rewarding and offer nurses a chance to see the country. Travel nurses fill short-term vacancies across the nation, with assignments that may last from a few days up to several months.

Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for travel nurses is high. In addition, these professionals can earn considerably more than full-time permanent positions. Keep reading for more about what travel nurses do and how to become one.

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What does a travel nurse do.

As the healthcare industry experiences critical nursing shortages, travel nurses temporarily work on assignment in different locations to fill this gap. Instead of working in permanent positions at hospitals, travel nurses find employment at staffing agencies. Travel nursing assignments typically last a few weeks to a few months.

In terms of their day-to-day professional responsibilities, travel nurses take on the same roles as other registered nurses (RNs). Nurses perform these essential tasks:

closeup of nurse hands on computer keyboard

JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images

Key Responsibilities

  • Educating patients on health, wellness, and illnesses
  • Measuring patients' vital signs, like blood pressure and body temperature
  • Administering medication
  • Monitoring patients' conditions
  • Collaborating with healthcare teams

Career Traits

  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Critical thinking
  • Communication
  • Clinical Skills in both chronic and acute care

Where Do Travel Nurses Work?

Travel nurses work in various healthcare settings. They commonly find assignments in hospitals, but often staffing agencies send nurses to underserved areas like rural communities. They may also work in intensive care units, community health centers, clinics — in short, anywhere with a nursing shortage.

Rural Health Facilities

Travel nurses care for patients with both acute and chronic conditions, administer medication, facilitate communication with nearby facilities or hospitals, and educate patients on preventive health and wellness.

Travel nurses conduct physical exams, check patients' vital signs, take patients' healthcare histories, and work on healthcare teams.

Travel nurses provide patients who need specialized treatment with life-sustaining support, such as ventilators and other equipment. They also respond to medical emergencies with techniques like advanced cardiac life support and evaluate patients' progress.

Why Become a Travel Nurse?

Like any profession, travel nursing has its pros and cons. Make sure to carefully consider these factors when deciding on whether or not to pursue this career.

Advantages of Becoming a Travel Nurse

  • Getting to experience many different parts of the country
  • Meeting people of different cultures and backgrounds
  • Potentially earning higher pay than the average RN salary

Disadvantages of Becoming a Travel Nurse

  • Not receiving the same benefits as full-time RNs, such as paid vacation days or paid time off
  • Potentially spending much time apart from families
  • Challenging paperwork for tax returns
  • May have to hold multiple state licenses to be eligible to practice

How to Become a Travel Nurse

To be a travel nurse , you must first become a registered nurse (RN) by earning either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). After graduating, you need to pass the NCLEX-RN and apply for a state nursing license.

Because travel nurses must adapt rapidly to a new hospital or other healthcare setting and be able to contribute immediately, most employers prefer to hire travel nurses with experience, especially for higher-paying positions. Certification distinguishes your skills from other applicants.

Most travel nurses work with agencies, since these agencies do the work of finding positions and much of the paperwork. Establishing a reputation and relationship with a travel nurse agency makes it much easier to get the best assignments.

Learn more about how to become a travel nurse .

How Much Do Travel Nurses Make?

Because they travel to where demand is highest, travel nurse salaries are typically higher than full-time permanent positions. Some travel nurse positions provide room and board or offer an allowance in addition to pay, while others pay a set amount. Therefore, salary ranges without this context may be misleading. According to Vivian , a healthcare jobs marketplace, the average weekly salary for travel nurses reaches $2,666 per week.

Demand, local cost of living, experience, and nursing specialties all affect travel nurse pay scales. Shorter-term assignments tend to pay proportionately higher than longer-term assignments. While the nursing shortage continues, travel nurse salaries are likely to remain high.

Some travel nurse agencies have been accused of price gouging during COVID-19 . While it is not clear what, if any, legislation might pass to address this, most of the complaints focus on the agency share of payments rather than nurse earnings. However, you may wish to keep an eye on how this might affect travel nurse salaries.

Frequently Asked Questions about Travel Nurses

How long does it take to become a travel nurse.

It takes at least two years to earn an RN license and become a travel nurse. However, most travel nurse agencies prefer to hire nurses with some experience or certifications.

Can travel nurses specialize?

Many travel nurses specialize. Operating room, critical care, emergency room, telemetry, and labor/delivery nursing are some of the most in-demand specialties, according to The Gypsy Nurse, a travel nurse agency blog.

How long are travel nursing assignments?

Travel nurse assignments typically last 2-26 weeks, with 13 weeks being a fairly common standard. However, the length varies based on employer needs and budget.

Why are travel nurses paid more?

Travel nurses can travel to where the demand is highest. Travel nursing is not for everyone and requires long periods away from home or loved ones. It can also be more difficult to build work relationships. Short-term housing or hotels are also typically more expensive than longer-term leases, so travel nurses have more expenses.

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Different Types of Travel Nursing Assignments

By Sarah Wengert

When you’re exploring the idea of travel nursing or even just starting out as a traveler, there’s so much to learn! The best guide is often finding a recruiter you can trust at a company with great benefits that takes care of its travelers every step of the way. But even if you’ve found that, learning what you need to know about the world of travel healthcare can still feel pretty overwhelming at first.  

One good starting point is to learn that there are many different types of travel nursing assignments, as well as travel assignments for allied health professionals. This knowledge will help you navigate what these differences can mean for your career and how different healthcare travel assignments can present opportunities for you.

So, let’s take a look at some of the different types of travel nursing assignments!

Various Lengths of Travel Nursing Assignments

The vast majority of travel nursing assignments are 13 weeks long. However, assignments can be any length and the duration is something you’ll know before accepting a job. A few other common travel nurse assignment lengths are 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 16 weeks, and sometimes 32 weeks. These are the general rules but there are exceptions, read  How Long Do Travel Nurses Stay in One Place  for more. After a successful assignment, if the traveler and facility agree on it, there can also be an contract extension.   

Travel Nursing Assignment Lengths

Specialties differ between travel nursing assignments.

This is one of the most basic differences between travel nursing assignments but it’s still important to note. Just as specialties are present in any healthcare setting, each travel nursing job posting requests a certain nurse specialty to best fit the facility’s needs. That’s true whether it’s for emergency room, ICU, NICU, med-surg, labor and delivery, pediatrics, dialysis, operating room, CVOR, oncology, or another nurse specialty. Most nurses already have experience and work in the specialty they want to be in, however some will choose to gain education and experience in another specialty as well. Whatever the specialty or specialties you’re qualified in, that will determine what travel nurse assignments are a good match for you.  

Various Shifts of Travel Nursing Assignments

Just as in any facility, there are different shifts, and this is true in travel nursing too. Whether it’s how many hours per week, nights, days, or evenings, every assignment comes with its unique shift specifications. Like assignment length, you’ll almost always see the shift type in the travel nurse assignment job posting . 

Travel Nursing Assignment Scope

So, length is one thing, but what about scope? Most jobs are set up for the more typical 13-week travel nurse assignment where you travel 50 miles or more from home. But there are also PRN travel nurse assignments. Nurses already know the term from medications, but “PRN” basically means as needed. The term comes from the Latin “pro re nata” which literally translates to “as the need arises.” PRN nursing assignments can range from daily, on-call assignments to week-long assignments (for example, covering an employee on leave), or you might have a week without working any shifts. PRN can be a great fit for nurses who want maximum schedule flexibility and may not want full-time work. On the other hand, some full-time nurses may also take on additional work via PRN opportunities.    

Additionally, some travelers (and facilities) like to use travel nurse assignments as a bridge to take things perm if both parties agree. This gives travelers and facilities alike the chance to sort of audition each other and then make it official if it’s a long-term fit. Many travel nurses also like this possibility because they can try out a location before making a permanent move there.    

Reason for the Travel Nursing Assignment

There are many different reasons why a facility hires travel nurses. The most common reason is generally due to a staffing shortage that’s somewhat longstanding. In this scenario, staffing levels might be dependably low and the facility brings travelers in to help over a longer-term basis.

On the other hand, a facility may bring travelers in to help more briefly while their perm staff trains for a week or two on a new software or charting system. Some facilities, for example in Arizona or Florida, may have an influx of older folks who like to winter somewhere warmer. As a result, the community has a higher need for healthcare and more patients to treat, which causes a need for higher staffing levels at local facilities. Similarly, flu outbreaks, COVID-19 outbreaks, natural disasters, or even nursing strikes, are a few other reasons a facility may need to hire travel nurses.    

Travel Nurse

Types of Facility/Capacity for Assignment

Generally, the most common type of capacity and facility for travel nursing assignments is in an acute-care hospital. However, there are many other types of facilities and/or capacities. For example, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, urgent care and other clinics, vaccine clinics, and others may need to enlist travel nurses and travel allied health professionals to maintain safe staffing levels. As you can see, there are many different types of travel nursing assignments. But that’s good news for those working in travel healthcare because it only gives you more options and flexibility as you build you career. Ready to find your perfect travel nurse or travel allied healthcare job? Search travel nursing assignments now

Recommended Reads

Local nursing contracts: a guide for clinicians seeking career flexibility, top 15 travel nurse destinations for 2024, charting the course: resources to help you embark on your 2024 travel nurse journey.

travel assignments meaning

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When to Start Looking for Your Next Travel Assignment

December 4, 2023

Jazmyn Brown

WhenToLook-1

It happens every time — you start a new travel nursing job, get into the groove of the facility, and then before you know it, you discover it’s already time to decide where to go for your next adventure. Your options are limitless in the world of allied health and travel nursing jobs, and you get to choose where to take your medical travel career. So, when the time comes to start exploring your med travel possibilities, make sure you’re prepared for what’s ahead of you. 

When to search for a new allied health or travel nursing job

When looking for your next travel nursing assignment, "the earlier, the better" mindset is best. Many registered travel nurses and allied health professionals start to look for new assignments four to six weeks ahead of their start date and often are accepted for assignments within the one-month range.

"January is the most competitive month out of the year when looking for travel assignments," said Kayla Kelley, senior nursing recruiter. "Many travelers take the holidays off and start looking for their next assignment starting after the new year! It’s best to start looking for assignments sooner rather than later so you have a better chance at being first in line, especially if you are looking for a specific part of the country, shift, pay or other preferences that are important to you in a travel assignment."

However, before you jump in with both feet to explore the Midwest in all its glory or fly to the opposite side of the country to be closer to your BFF, figure out what matters most to you as a professional healthcare traveler — I mean, other than access to a killer total compensation package. 😉

For example, is it important to you to stay within a specific geographic area? Or, perhaps you want to exclusively work night shifts . Whatever your reasons are, make sure your Fusion Medical Staffing recruiter knows too so they can successfully and confidently match you with placements where you’ll grow and thrive.

doctor and nurse talking to patient

Your personal recruiter will be by your side to assist you every step of the way in your allied health or nursing career, from assignment to assignment, to offer a helping hand, answer questions, or give you some much-needed guidance during your travel journey.

When should you start your search for allied health or travel nursing jobs? Well that depends on what you want to do after your current assignment — whether you choose to extend your contract , move on, or take a break between travel assignments.

Extending? Yes, no, maybe so.

Imagine this — you’re three weeks into your travel placement and you’re head over heels for the medical facility and the perm staff team. If this is your real life, you may want to ask your recruiter about extending your assignment so you can stay even longer!

What does it mean to extend? Long story short, it’s when the allied professional or travel nurse and facility agree to a second assignment together for a given amount of time — sometimes it’s four weeks and sometimes it’s a full 13 weeks, you decide what’s best for your medical career.

"Travelers should consider extending their assignment for various reasons," said Riley Kister, nursing recruiter. "Benefits to doing so include staying in housing you've already secured, getting to explore the area you're in longer, and potentially getting longer amounts of time off approved that might not initially be considered when applying for the first time at the facility. Because you would be extending and staying on assignment, you get to keep your insurance if you are taking it through Fusion, too! Typically at most hospitals, you can extend up to a year if you like the facility and location."

Extending is a win-win for you as a professional medical worker and the hospital or medical facility. Not only are you already credentialed and familiar with the working environment and processes, you’ve also completed your onboarding and orientation so you can skip that part and go straight to patient care.

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Extending is beneficial for allied travelers and travel nurses in a few ways:

  • No need to apply for new state licenses (especially if you have a compact license!)
  • More schedule flexibility so you can work your ideal hours in top hospitals
  • Housing is secured and you’re all cozy and moved in
  • Enjoy the friends made and sights seen for longer (like a few months!)
  • Extra time to think about where you want to go next (think of the different cities you could explore!)

If these perks are right up your alley, talk to your recruiter ASAP! It’s never too early to lay down the groundwork for an extension request but try to get the ball rolling within a month or so into your medical travel job. The sooner, the better!

Once you’ve updated your MVP (aka your recruiter) on your hopes and dreams of extending your assignment, they’ll open a conversation with the facility to learn if a job extension is possible or not.

Sometimes healthcare facilities only need you for a limited time, like if you were there to cover an employee’s maternity leave. Other times, their budget wasn’t approved, so the center can’t afford your awesomeness. No worries though — the worst thing they can say is “no.” And if that’s the case, it’s time to move on out and move on up to find a new assignment.

nurse holding black cat

Moving on out and moving on up

Every travel assignment eventually comes to an end — regardless if you’re leaving after 13 weeks or post-contract extension. When the time comes for a new medical travel job, take comfort in knowing you’re in complete control of your allied health or travel nursing career.

Finding your next medical assignment isn’t as intimidating as it may sound. In fact, at Fusion Medical Staffing, your recruiter and back-office teams are constantly on the lookout for opportunities that align with what’s important to you in your travel nurse career. So, when it comes to securing future travel nursing jobs, your main role is simply to accept or not accept offers that come from your Fusion Medial Staffing team . Easy-peasy.

The timeline for moving on out and moving on up is about “four to six weeks after your start date,” said Aubrey Foley, senior nursing recruiter. Be aware that you’ll want to start planning ahead with your recruiter anywhere between four and six weeks from the day you started your current assignment, not the contract’s end date. The reason is to give your employers and your support team plenty of time to present you with new travel options. It’s always good to have options!

Treat yo’self

Your time is largely spent on others as a travel nurse or allied health professional. That includes patients, patient families, colleagues, families, and more. So, it only sounds fair that you dedicate time to care for yourself and strike a healthy work-life balance! Take time off, travel for fun, visit loved ones, and enjoy the reasons you became a med traveler to the fullest.

Related: 5 Ways to Maintain Work-Life Balance as a Healthcare Traveler

travel icu nurse checking on patient

Before you book your ticket, there are a couple of important details to consider with vacays in-between your travel assignments and nursing assignments:

  • Some time spent vacationing is unpaid. Save up before your trip and stick to a budget so you have plenty of funds for excursions, fine dining, premium lodging, and more! As a Fusion Medical Staffing traveler, you’re entitled to 40 hours of paid time off (PTO) for every 1,560 hours worked.
  • Benefits have an expiration date. If you receive benefits like health insurance from your staffing agency, you’ll need to ask your recruiter about the company policy and time off parameters to ensure you’re not losing your coverage (unless, of course, you have alternative coverage). At Fusion Medical Staffing, travelers have 26 glorious days of stress-free relaxation before you get back to the grind or forfeit your benefits.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance do allied professionals and travel nurses get their assignments.

This process can vary from nurse to nurse and professional to professional. Typically, travel nurses receive their assignments about four to five weeks in advance, depending on nursing experience, specialty, location, and the current job market conditions.

What is the average stay for an allied traveler or travel nurse?

The average allied health and travel nursing contract length is about 13 weeks. However, you can extend your assignment for up to a year without losing your traveler benefits, such as a housing stipend and a per diem.

How often do travel nurses and allied health travelers change location?

It's up to the travel nurse or allied health professional, however, most stay in one location for about 13 weeks. After that, it's up to them if they want to extend their assignment or begin a new one!

Where can I find allied and travel nursing jobs?

Good news — you can easily search on our website for allied health and travel nursing assignments. From there, expect that your recruiter will reach out with details and updates on a potential new assignment.

Plan your time off with your recruiter because nothing ruins vacation vibes faster than work. Let them know you’re in need of a break six-ish weeks into your new assignment, or sooner if you already have one foot out the door and on the beach . They will focus on finding an allied health or travel nursing job with a later start date so you can fully appreciate life outside of the medical world for as long as you need.

The time in which you initiate your job search mission is up to you. You have the power to choose what you want to do, where you want to go, and when you want to do travel nursing opportunities. Explore your healthcare traveler options and see what comes next for you in your allied health or travel nursing career.

See our current travel jobs on Fusion Medical Staffing!

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Everything you need to know before accepting a travel nursing assignment.

Travel nurses and allied professionals go where the wind takes them. Or rather, where there is a shortage or immediate need for their skills. Travel nursing was created to address shortages of registered nurses in various parts of the country. There is always demand for qualified nurses anywhere you go, but there’s not always enough personnel to meet the demand. This is even more true in times of a medical crisis. 

Because travel nursing and allied pro assignments are run as-needed, the length of time and the kind of work you can expect to do as a travel nurse will vary from post to post. You might find yourself filling in for a nurse on parental leave for 6 months on one job. Then turn around and help an overloaded ER for a week on your next assignment. What you need to take with you and how you prepare for each job will change with each assignment. In this article, we’ll go over need-to-know information to help you prepare for your next adventure as a travel nurse.

How Does Travel Nursing Work?

Before we jump in, let’s talk about what it takes to be a travel nurse. The basic qualifications to become a travel nurse are the same as standard nursing. Travel nurses must hold an associates or bachelor’s degree in nursing, be certified in BLS and ACLS, and hold an LVN or RN certification. Here at Medely we also require a minimum of one to two years working in the specialty of the specific assignment. Find out more about being a travel nurse with Medely here . 

The most common length of travel nursing and allied pro assignments is around 13 weeks, although shifts can vary from 1 week to upwards of 26, depending on the need and your preferences. Many agencies, including Medely, allow travel nurses to search for assignments with specific time parameters. Getting travel assignments with Medely works essentially the same as any other job-hunting platform. Positions are posted by the facilities, allowing you to browse potential assignments. Urgent needs may be highlighted or promoted. Nurses and allied pros can apply for your ideal position with the click of a button, which will kick off an interview and approval process. Once the facility approves your application and you sign your contract, you’re off on your adventure!

But before you hop on a plane, there are a few things to get in order: 

  • Housing – Staying in a hotel gets old fast. The good news is, there’s better options.
  • Pet/Plant Sitting – Do you have plants or animals that will need care, either with you or while you’re away?
  • License – Travel nurses have to be licensed in the state they are working in. Make sure your license and other credentials are up-to-date for the state your assignment is in.?
  • Travel – How are you getting to your new assignment? Does your agency offer reimbursement? (Medely does)
  • Expenses – What is the cost of living in the new city? How much does your agency cover? (again, Medely has you covered with the maximum tax-free stipends available for your assignment)

In the next section, we’ll talk more about specific needs and top tips to follow, no matter the length of your assignment. 

Nursing and Allied Pro Assignments by Length

1 week travel nursing assignment.

Shorter assignments, including week-long jobs, typically fall under the “rapid-response” category. This means nurses working these fast-turnaround positions will need to be ready to go in as little as two days. 

These assignments are easy to pack for but the planning and financial aspect can be rough. Last-minute plane tickets get expensive fast. However most agencies reimburse travel costs, especially for rapid-response assignments. 

Housing can also be a little tricky, but you might be able to get away with staying in a hotel for such a short duration. 

If you have children or pets that need to stay home, longer assignments might be a better fit for you. 

As with all short-term assignments, be prepared for a potential extension.

2 Week Travel Nursing Assignment

These assignments are rare. But if you’ve been bit by the travel bug and only have a small window of availability, you ask your agency to keep an eye out for these short assignments. 

As with 1 week assignments, you might need to be ready to move fast as facilities will typically need you to start right away. We recommend finding housing through a travel-nursing specific website, for a more affordable and more amenity-filled home away from home during your stay.

3 Week Travel Nursing Assignment

The biggest considerations as nursing assignments lengthen are housing-related. It’s easy enough to pack everything you need for short-term assignments, but you want to start thinking about practical concerns as your job extends. Look for affordable, comfortable housing with proximity to your place of work, laundry facilities, and grocery stores or restaurants. 

4-6 Week Travel Nursing Assignment

One month is the magic number for many nursing assignments. In fact, it’s the minimum length of assignment  Medely offers. Additionally, many travel nurse housing sites also have a four week minimum. 

Four week and longer assignments typically have time between application and orientation, giving you some breathing room when it comes to planning housing and travel. We recommend looking for locations you think you’ll enjoy when considering these longer assignments.

8+ Week Travel Nursing Assignment

Nurses on tour! Home and home-away-from-home begin to blend together when you’re working in a new location for this long. But they are often easier to budget and plan for and you can take your time in figuring out next steps. Longer assignments are often a good bet for travel nurses with families and animals.  The assignment length means you have the time to make the necessary arrangements for your loved ones. 

Last Thoughts: Travel Nurse Assignments

What you need for your next travel assignment will vary by length. There’s a world of difference between a 1-week stay and a 2 month job. But by planning and preparing ahead of time, you’ll be ready to go no matter what. 

Not sure what to pack? Medely has the answers. Check out our post: The Nomad’s Packing Guide for Travel Nurses .

travel assignments meaning

Choosing the Right Travel Nursing Assignment

This is definitely a loaded topic because the answer is different for everyone.  When we first started traveling, we chose assignments almost solely on location. We had a list of places we wanted to live in during our travel nursing career and that dictated our decision making.

Last year, however, we became pregnant and decided we wanted to get out of debt fast so we made our decisions solely on pay rate. We literally lived in a location that I said we would never live because the pay was great (it ended up not being so bad of a location after all). And now this year, with a baby, our decision making process has shifted yet again.

Click here today’s best travel nursing opportunities.

The Many Factors that Play into Choosing the Right Travel Nurse Assignment

For us, the two main factors when making a decision on how to choose the right travel nurse assignment are 1) location and 2) money . Of course other factors come in to play too. For instance, my husband (Skyler) only works day shift CVICU or ICU – period. So being that specific off the top automatically weeds out many potential job opportunities. At first, recruiters hated working with him on the day shift only thing because it is very limiting. But we stuck to our guns and accepted that being that specific did limit our opportunities significantly.

But for us, it was worth it. We don’t even consider night shift positions anymore. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we know many nurses that only work night shift contracts because it can pay better. Obviously contract dates also play a role in choosing an assignment. Whatever job you take has to fit into your schedule. We were looking at a position just today actually that we were very interested in but the start date overlaps with our current contract so unfortunately, it’s was a no-go.

Other factors that can play a role would be the hospital itself and/or agency loyalty. We have turned down contracts just because of the reputation of the hospital before, so that does have some pull. Likewise, maybe there is a prestigious facility you have always dreamed of working for.

That could certainly sway your decisions. Also, some travelers are loyal to one agency and/or recruiter, so they only choose assignments that that particular agency offers. We work with several agencies so that isn’t an issue for us, but if it comes down to a couple of different positions to decide between, we do have agencies and recruiters we prefer working with, so that can sway our decision.

Money Talks

But like I said, location and money are the biggies for us. I am a numbers oriented person. I keep our budget on an Excel spreadsheet and with that I have figured what our minimum weekly take home pay can be for us to live the way we want to live. If an assignment doesn’t stack up to that minimum pay, no matter how bad we want to go to that location, we pass it up.

And likewise, a contract that pays exceptionally well will be weighted more heavily than one that does not.

Location, Location, Location

For us location plays a very important role. We started travel nursing to see the country. Others travel with the intentions of making lots of money, so their guidelines for choosing an assignment are quite different from ours I would say (although ours are shifting a bit these days too).

For us, we typically email our recruiters when we are looking for our next assignment with a list of locations we are interested in moving to. For instance, right now we are looking for Raleigh, NC or Charleston, SC as our first choices; but would consider Chicago, IL or maybe Nashville, TN or anywhere that pays exceptionally well. So I guess you could say that is our starting place when seeking out a new assignment.

on assignment travel nursing

Source: Thinkstockphotos.com

From there, our recruiters will email/call us with possibilities and then we weigh each of our options out and make a decision on which assignment(s) to apply for. Our current assignment was actually about to end and so we were going through this process but nothing was currently available that we felt was better than our current assignment, so we chose to extend here a few more weeks to give us more time to keep looking.

We are hoping that in the next few weeks either one of our preferred locations will open up or something very high paying will become available. In the meantime, we keep looking…

Start your search today!

Q: What are some things to consider when choosing an assignment?

A:  When choosing a travel nurse assignment, you first need to figure out what is important to you. Why have you chosen to travel? Is it money? To see Hawaii? To live near family? To work for a particular hospital? You need to have a clear understanding on what motivates you to uproot your life and begin this nomadic lifestyle.

Q: What are some things to avoid when choosing an assignment?

A:  Don’t let a recruiter pressure you into making a decision you don’t feel comfortable with. Of course, you have to be flexible to be a travel nurse, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon all of your goals for doing this in the first place. Be very clear about what is important to you and stick to that. There is a fine line between being flexible and being a push over.

When we were seeking out our first a travel nurse assignment our recruiter at the time told us about an opportunity that we weren’t really interested in. She tried telling us that nothing else would come along and that since he was a first time traveler if he didn’t take this one she wouldn’t be able to place him, blah, blah, blah. We said that it’s okay and that we still weren’t interested and to let us know if something else did open up. And go figure, something we were interested in became available the following week.  Don’t be afraid to turn down an assignment, another one is right around the corner.

Q: Can I request certain assignments (location, specialty, etc)?

A:  Absolutely! Not only can you, you should! You will have to have significant experience in your specialty so that is a given. Skyler is a CVICU nurse; however he will take general ICU jobs and the occasional Neuro ICU position. Other than specialty though, you can request whatever it is you are looking for. It may or may not be available, but it is always a good starting place. Maybe they don’t have the specific city you are requesting but one an hour or two away. Maybe that will work for you, maybe it won’t. It’s all up to you really.

Q: Are there any red flags I should be on the lookout for when offered an assignment?

A:  Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right to you, trust that and move on…something else will become available. Also, make sure to get everything in writing. That way if once you do get to an assignment and it isn’t what you were promised, you have some recourse. Also, be weary of pay packages that seem off . I am not a tax expert, but some companies play with their pay packages (what is and isn’t taxable) too much to make us comfortable. If you are weary about something ask an expert and/or pass up that particular opportunity.

Q: Is the length of an assignment negotiable?

A:  Most of the time, yes. Most assignments will have a specific length of time they are looking for a nurse to commit (often 13 weeks).  This typically isn’t set in stone. We have asked to have the length of a travel contract adjusted several times and I don’t think it’s ever been an issue. Also, extensions are almost always a possibility. But say you know you only have 10 weeks available before you have another commitment, or you really would like to stay 16 weeks to get you through to a certain date, it can’t hurt to ask. If they want you they will usually work with you on assignment length

Something else you can do is ask for time off mid-contract (during the negotiating process). Last spring we knew we wanted to fly home for Mother’s Day to tell our moms that we were expecting. So in our extension contract we negotiated that week off (and even worked out an interim travel bonus to help pay for the trip).

Q: What can I negotiate in a contract? What are some uncommon things that can be requested?

A:  Almost everything is negotiable, in theory. The pay package is just that, a package. So your recruiter can often shift the numbers around for you to tailor a package more toward your needs. Say your recruiter presents you with an assignment and you like it but there is something about it you would like to adjust; talk to your recruiter about that and s/he will either tell you 1) s/he can fix it for you, 2) s/he needs to speak with the account manager to see if it can be changed, 3) tell you to talk to the nurse manager about it during an interview, or 4) tell you it is non-negotiable. Here are some things we have negotiated in the past.

  • Housing Upgrades – W/D in unit, 2 bedroom, TV in package, assigned parking space, etc.
  • Shift – Sometimes a job is posted for D/N rotate or night shift only and Skyler will speak with the hiring manager about the possibility of a day shift position. Usually they can’t change this because they post what their specific need is. But occasionally if they really like him and they have some wiggle room they will take him on as a day shifter.
  • Start/End Dates – As I said above, we have negotiated this many times. Although end date is usually easier to negotiate than start date.
  • Time Off During Assignment – If you know in advance you will need specific dates off during an assignment it is very important to negotiate this into your contract.
  • Pay Rate – My mom had some luck recently negotiating a higher hourly rate. We have never had luck with that, but some higher demand specialties might.
  • How the Pay Package is Allocated – Our recruiter knows that we don’t like bonuses. They are taxed very high, so we prefer to roll any bonus money into travel or housing which is tax free.

Communication is Key

When it comes to choosing ‘the right’ travel nurse assignment, there is no right or wrong way to do it. It all depends on your personal preferences as a traveler and of course, what is available at the time. When there are a slew of positions currently available for your specialty you have much more room to be choosy. But when the pickins’ are more limited, you are stuck with choosing from what is open. As always, just be honest and upfront with your recruiter about what motivates you to travel. If it’s to make a bunch of money, they know to only contact you about high paying positions. If it’s to live in specific locations, they know to keep an eye out for those cities. If you are wanting to be a local traveler and stay near family, they know to alert you when something near home opens up. Just be clear on why you are traveling and make your decisions based on that. 

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  • Oct 7, 2022

Eleven Most Asked Questions About Working a Travel Assignment

Are you burnt out from your regular nursing or CNA gig? Want to experience a different way to administer healthcare to communities around the Midwest? Then a travel assignment might be the perfect fit for you!     

The healthcare field has a wide range of assignments to fit your schedule, lifestyle, and ultimately, your passions. If travel and adventure are among your interests, then you’ve come to the right place! If you are still hesitant to take the leap, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions about fulfilling a travel assignment with GrapeTree! 

1. What are travel assignments?

Travel assignments are when a healthcare professional fulfills urgent staffing needs in healthcare facilities that are typically 50+ miles away from your home address.  

2. How long is a typical travel assignment?

Travel assignments are typically 8-13 weeks.

3. Can I stay longer than 8-13 weeks?

Absolutely! Let both your GrapeTree Recruiter and the facility that you are working at know, and your Recruiter will work on an extension at that facility. Our team loves extensions, because that means you and the facility are a great match! 

4. How much can I earn as a traveling healthcare professional?  

It’s no secret that traveling healthcare professionals earn a competitive wage compared to their local counterparts. This is due in part to the facilities you will be staffing, are likely very short staffed. Also, travel nursing is a huge commitment. You will be working away from your home for the duration of the assignment, so GrapeTree wants to make sure you are highly compensated is a guide of estimated weekly pay packages:

travel assignments meaning

5. What are the benefits of a travel assignment vs. working locally?   

The obvious benefit of working a travel assignment is travel. You have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the day-to-day life there while you work, stay, and play in different states all across the Midwest and beyond. Traveling also allows you to grow professionally in your career, learning to adapt and change in a new work environment plus making new friends like other traveling healthcare professionals. Both travel assignments and working local assignments with GrapeTree allow you the flexibility to choose what assignments you take on, allowing you to curate the perfect schedule. Travel assignments just have the added bonus of choosing where in the U.S. to go! 

6. Where can I travel as a healthcare professional with GrapeTree?  

Currently, GrapeTree is staffing healthcare professionals in 12 states throughout the Midwest! Our 12-state footprint includes Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana, Kansas, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. For travel opportunities specifically, we have also ventured into Idaho for one of our exclusive clients and are exploring some additional states in the near future, so stay tuned!

7. Do you offer stipends? How do they work?  

Yes, our travelers are eligible for travel, housing and meal stipends. GrapeTree will provide you with the funds, you find the travel and housing options that work best for you! These stipends will be paid out on your weekly paycheck and are dependent on facility type, specialty, location, and the certification you have.  

8. What experience do I need before I can become a traveling healthcare professional?  

Similar to GrapeTree’s non-travel assignments, CNAs must still have at least 6 months of experience, while LPNs and RNs must have at least 1 year of experience.  

9. What if I want to travel somewhere I am not certified/licensed?  

Healthcare professionals must be certified/licensed in the state they choose to work their assignment in. But the good news is we have an entire team dedicated to helping you easily transfer your license and get reimbursed in other states through a process called getting “reciprocity” or “endorsement.” Our team has compiled a list of all our states’ registries so you can easily transfer your license to the state of your choice! Get certified with other states here .  

10. Can I bring my family and/or pets with me on a travel assignment?  

Absolutely! The great thing about travel assignments is you are in complete control. Bringing your family? Perfect, they get to explore right alongside you! Can’t leave home without your dogs? We can’t either, bring them with! Like other trips you have no doubt been on, just make sure to clear the pet policy with your landlord/host/hotel.    

11. I’m interested! How can I start my travel adventure?  

Yay! We are so excited to help you find your next adventure. Our knowledgeable team of Nurse Recruiters are here to help you book into your dream assignment. Contact a recruiter today and let’s get you on the road! Have a question that you don't see answered here? Check out our travel FAQs webpage for additional information. 

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How Does Travel Nursing Work? Requirements, Job Description, and Outlook

August 29, 2023

View all blog posts under Articles | View all blog posts under Master of Science in Nursing

A smiling travel nurse stands at the foot of the stairs near a sunny hospital window.

Approximately 1.7 million travel nurses currently work in the United States, according to job website Zippia. Given that travel nurses in the 10th percentile of the salary range typically earn at least $120,000 per year, a nurse who wants to see the world may well consider pivoting to travel nursing.

Many registered nurses (RNs) are leaving the health care field altogether — to recover from burnout, to pursue an entirely different career, or to opt for early retirement. It’s a tough situation for health care providers because it takes years to educate and train nurses to replace those who leave the profession.

The RN shortage has challenged hospitals and health care facilities scrambling to do more with less. The ongoing pandemic has played a large part in creating this predicament. Additionally, an aging population, increased demand for health care services, and the nationwide nursing shortage have all placed even more strain on front-line medical workers.

Now more than ever, many understaffed facilities hire travel nurses to help with day-to-day health care demands until they can hire permanent nursing staff. This trend raises the question, "How does travel nursing work?"

Travel nurses deliver high-quality health care services to patients across the country by taking on short-term assignments at understaffed health care facilities. Travel nurse ranks among the better-paid nursing roles in the health care industry. Individuals interested in becoming a travel nurse can gain essential skills through an advanced education, such as an online Master of Science in Nursing program .

How Does Travel Nursing Work?

Travel nurses perform the same duties and play the same role in a health care facility as a local RN, but the difference is that they’re transitory, meaning they don’t live permanently in the locality in which they’re working. This is possible because geographical location has little impact on the training and skill set that’s needed from the nurse.

So, how does travel nursing work from the perspective of an understaffed health care facility that needs an immediate solution? Providers usually seek the services of a travel nurse because the hospital or health care facility has a gap in staffing. Finding a full-time local RN to fill that gap can pose a challenge for a facility. Either the pool of candidates is too small, or the facility has yet to find a candidate that’s a good fit with its current nursing staff.

Whatever the case may be, hiring a travel nurse is a temporary solution that can help the health care facility buy time while it looks for a permanent RN. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a hospital to make an offer to extend the travel nurse’s assignment given staffing demands.

A travel nurse’s employment is always on a contractual basis. The contract will usually last for three or more months, depending on the facility’s needs. During their employment, a travel nurse typically receives the following as part of their compensation package:

  • Weekly stipend for expenses
  • Lodging accommodations
  • Signing bonus

However, these contract offers vary in terms of perks and compensation. For instance, a travel nurse may be offered a generous salary, lodging accommodations, and a weekly stipend but no signing bonus.

Additionally, stipends and lodging accommodations can vary dramatically depending upon the region. For example, a New York hospital may offer a much higher stipend, along with lodging accommodations, compared with a Salt Lake City hospital because the cost of living is so much higher in New York. When selecting locations, travel nurses need to be aware of how far their money will go in the city they’re considering.

Finally, location and seasonality play a big factor in the decision-making process as well. For instance, a travel nurse may be considering a high-paying contract role in Cleveland versus a lower-paying one in San Diego. If the two contracts happen to span December through February, the travel nurse might decide to go with San Diego simply because California winters are so much more temperate than Ohio’s.

Job Role and Main Duties of a Travel Nurse

The primary difference between travel nurses and RNs is the traveling element. Beyond that, the day-to-day responsibilities are nearly identical. The typical job duties of a travel nurse include:

  • Assessing patients and logging their exact symptoms or conditions
  • Administering medications and treatments
  • Monitoring the status and vitals of patients
  • Collaborating with physicians and other health care staff
  • Explaining care plans to patients and their families
  • Teaching patients how to better care for themselves
  • Keeping detailed patient records
  • Communicating with family members about a patient’s status

Similar to RNs, travel nurses work in hospitals, health care facilities, residential care facilities, outpatient care centers, and government facilities.

What Are the Travel Nursing Requirements?

Travel nursing requirements are similar to requirements traditional RNs need to meet but with a few key distinctions. The main educational steps an aspiring travel nurse needs to complete remain consistent:

  • Complete an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program — though the latter is highly recommended for travel nurses who want to stand out to potential employers
  • Pass the NCLEX-RN exam
  • Obtain licensure in their state of practice

Once these three steps are completed, an ASN or BSN graduate is able to practice as a licensed registered nurse. However, travel nurses require two additional certifications: Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Travel nurses who plan to work in a specialized unit should also get the relevant certifications. For instance, a travel nurse who aims to work in an intensive care unit would benefit from getting the CCRN certification, which focuses on acute and critical care.

Another important step that travel nurses need to take is setting up what’s known as a "tax home" for the purposes of taxes and decreasing their overall tax liability. A tax home is the full-time residence where a travel nurse stays when they’re not working. Since travel nurses are away for months at a time, they generally try to secure tax homes with low rent and maintenance costs to help reduce their overall expenses.

For instance, a travel nurse would likely not set up a tax home in a luxury downtown apartment that rents for more than $2,500 per month. It makes more sense to find an affordable tax home to keep their overhead costs down. Travel nurses without a tax home can still work, but they must file under the status of an itinerant worker. This means they must pay taxes on all of their income, stipends, and reimbursements.

Finally, getting and maintaining licensure is of the utmost importance when considering travel nursing requirements. Through the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC), nurses can earn a multistate license to provide care to patients in eNLC member states. Furthermore, renewing the eNLC license is a simple process that can be done anywhere.

However, non-eNLC states require a travel nurse to obtain an additional state license. This means the travel nurse must meet all the requirements of the new state. Additionally, some states require nurses to obtain continued education units (CEUs) to be allowed to work. When it comes to selecting contracts, travel nurses need to be aware of what — if any — new licenses or CEUs they’ll need to get before they decide to sign on.

Travel Nurse Practitioner vs. Travel RN

Just as RNs can travel to different parts of the country to fill in the nursing gap, the same is true for travel nurse practitioners. Compared with RNs, nurse practitioners (NPs) have more education (an MSN degree, at minimum) and more on-the-job experience, and they usually focus on one specific area of medicine, such as family care, adult-gerontology, or neonatal care. Additionally, NPs generally earn much higher salaries than their RN counterparts.

Scope of Practice

One of the biggest differences when comparing travel nurse practitioners and travel RNs is scope of practice. RNs take their marching orders from NPs, physicians, and physician assistants; this is consistent across all states. NPs, on the other hand, have full practice authority in certain states, meaning they can practice with full autonomy.

In some states, however, NPs operate under restricted or reduced practice, meaning they aren’t allowed to do certain things, such as prescribing medications. Additionally, NPs in reduced or restricted practice states are held accountable and sometimes work under the direct supervision of a physician or team of physicians.

For a travel NP, this means taking on a new contract may significantly expand or reduce their role in the health care facility. Serving in a greatly reduced or expanded role may not appeal to them, which will play a factor in their decision-making process. Travel RNs don’t have to worry about this because their scope of practice is consistent throughout the country.

Licensing for travel NPs is also different compared with travel RNs. While the licensing process is fairly simple for travel RNs working in eNLC member states, NPs usually carry two or three licenses per state.

They include the RN license, the APRN license, and a prescribing license to order medications for patients. A travel nurse practitioner also needs to update their Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificate to the state they’re practicing in so they may prescribe medications.

As a result of these various requirements, travel NPs have more to keep track of to maintain licensure.

Work Environment

Travel RNs typically work in acute care in a hospital or health care facility. Travel NPs, on the other hand, have more options, including:

  • Health care facilities
  • Doctors’ offices
  • Community health centers
  • Schools and universities
  • Military bases
  • Outpatient clinics
  • Veterans clinics
  • Women’s health care clinics

A travel nurse practitioner’s specialty usually dictates the types of contracts they’re eligible for. For instance, a women’s health nurse practitioner seeking travel assignments would likely find a placement in a women’s health care clinic.

Salary and Assignment Length

Similar to travel RNs, travel nurse practitioners see varying salaries, depending on job demand, the facility hiring, the length of the contract, and other factors. Travel RNs earned an average annual salary of approximately $80,900 as of January 2022, according to PayScale. Those in the ninetieth percentile made approximately $107,000 per year.

Salary information for travel NPs isn’t as readily available. However, travel nurses in the top five highest-paying states earned $120,000 or more in 2019, according to TravelNursing.org. California was the highest-paying state, with a salary of $133,800. The takeaway is travel NPs generally earn higher salaries than travel nurses.

One other area that bears comparison is assignment duration. Typical travel RN work assignments are approximately three months long. Travel NPs have the three-month contract option too; however, their assignments can also be much shorter or much longer. Travel NP assignments can range from a single day to well over a year, which is ideal for health care workers who prefer flexibility in their schedules.

What Is Per Diem Travel Nursing?

Per diem travel nursing is one of the most flexible positions in health care. Per diem travel nurses have the same role and responsibilities as a travel nurse, but they pick up their shifts on an ad hoc basis.

They can choose how much or how little they work, even if it’s just a short shift lasting only a few hours. Per diem nursing is the ideal fit for a nurse who needs the maximum amount of flexibility in their schedule and prefers not to work on weekends and holidays. Additionally, per diem travel nurses often get paid more than the standard rate.

One major drawback of per diem nursing is the lack of job security. When a hospital or health care facility is fully staffed, that usually means it no longer requires the services of per diem nurses. Another drawback is that because per diem nurses work only on a fill-in basis and usually part time, they might not develop a rapport with the full-time staff.

Is Travel Nursing Worth It?

Being a travel nurse means working in a new city with a new group of health care professionals every few months. It’s the opportunity to take in a completely new culture and sights. A travel nurse could be in the heart of New York City one month, only to relocate to sunny San Diego the next.

It’s a position that’s rich with possibilities. Plus, travel nurses rack up a vast amount of experience since they work in so many different environments and with different teams. Lastly, travel nurses command higher salaries and receive stipends, signing bonuses, and other perks that their non-traveling RN counterparts don’t.

Is travel nursing worth it? For RNs and NPs who like a change in scenery and want to sample several different work environments across the country, the travel nurse role might well be a great fit.

Begin Your Journey to Becoming a Travel Nurse

Travel nursing is an exciting opportunity for a health care worker to see the world while offering high-quality care to patients in need. With the ongoing nursing shortage still in full swing, travel nurses will likely stay in high demand and continue to command competitive salaries.

To pursue a career as a travel RN or travel NP, investing in education is a great way to begin. Take the first step toward your career goals by discovering how Hawai‘i Pacific University’s online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program further develops the skills and knowledge of current RNs, allowing them to specialize in family care, psychiatric mental health, or adult-gerontology.

An MSN degree opens the door for a travel RN to become a travel NP, which can mean higher salaries, plus the advantages of a wide variety of work environments and flexible work assignments. Start your adventure as a travel RN or NP and help providers save lives.

Recommended Reading:

Burnout vs. Compassion Fatigue in Nursing

The Importance of a Nurse’s Role in Patient Safety

Trauma Nursing in Vacation Cities

American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Frequently Asked Questions About CCRN Certification

CareerStaff Unlimited, "Comparing Travel and Per Diem Nursing Jobs: Which Is Right for You?"

Health Affairs , "COVID-19’s Impact on Nursing Shortages, the Rise of Travel Nurses, and Price Gouging"

Healthcare Dive, "Nurses Burned Out, Dissatisfied With Careers Consider Leaving the Field, Survey Finds"

Indeed, "How to Become a Traveling Nurse Practitioner (6 Steps)"

Indeed, Travel Nursing Salaries in the U.S.

PayScale, Average Travel Nurse (RN) Hourly Pay

Remede Group, "Are You More Comfortable With Per Diem or Travel Nursing ?"

Travel Nursing, "The Difference Between a Travel NP and a Travel RN"

Travel Nursing, "How to Become a Travel Nurse | 5 Requirements 2021"

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses

Zippia, Traveling Nurse Demographics and Statistics in the U.S.

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Embrace Your Downtime: What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments

by Trusted Nurse Staffing | Oct 25, 2023 | News | 0 comments

what-to-do-between-assignments-as-a-travel-nurse

Travel nurses are tired, burnt out, and mentally exhausted. With long shifts, long contracts, and weeks or months away from home, you’re likely craving some downtime between your travel nurse assignments.

And while taking time off sounds nice , you’re unsure what to do with that time to make it worthwhile.

Learn about many things you can do between travel nurse assignments that not only benefit you and your social life, but your community, career, and love for adventure, too.

Table of Contents

Can you take breaks in between travel assignments, 12 things to do between travel nurse assignments.

  • Do You Have To Take Time Off Between Travel Nurse Assignments?
  • Trusted Nurse Staffing: Your Partner Before, During, and In Between Travel Nurse Assignments

One of the many perks of being a travel nurse is the time commitment. Not only are travel nurse assignment contracts typically about 13 weeks, but travel nurses can take as long a break as they want or need between assignments. 

Are you hoping to go on a vacation between assignments? Do you have family business to handle back at home? Maybe you’re money-hungry and ready to jump right to your next contract. 

The length of your break between assignments is 100% dependent on what you want or need for yourself, your career, and how much time off you can afford.

And when you’re ready for another travel nurse contract, Trusted Nurse Staffing can help you find one that fits your needs. Our recruiters are hands-on and work with you to find the best travel nurse assignments available. You can also begin searching yourself using Pronto job search and subscribe to be notified about new contracts.

what to do between travel nurse assignments

The options of how to fill your time between travel nurse assignments are truly endless. The ball is completely in your court to do with it as you please.

Are you in need of an adventure? Maybe you want time off to simply sit and read a good book. Are you studying to further your education? Can you afford to take time off for travel?

Whether you’re looking to fill your self-love cup, your social life cup, or your career cup, there are many options for things to do between travel nurse assignments.

what do travel nurses do between assignments

What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments for You

Nurse burnout is real. And as travel nurses are working hard to fill the positions of nurse shortages, they are also feeling burnt out. 

Did you know that 80% of nurses feel burnt out due to low staffing, 76% are emotionally exhausted, and nearly 76% are struggling under high workload demands?

With such a physically and mentally demanding job, travel nurses deserve to take some time for themselves in between travel nurse assignments. 

Here’s what you can do.

#1: Go Home

Traveling is fun and exciting — hardly anyone can argue that — but when you’re doing it as your full-time job, it can be refreshing to just go home. 

Sometimes, spending time in your hometown and with your family and friends is all you need to feel refreshed, grounded, and ready to take on your next travel nurse assignment. 

#2: Reflect and Set Goals

  • Just because you’re taking time off from work doesn’t mean you have to go, go, go. 
  • Consider having some downtime to reflect on your last assignment. Maybe utilize guided meditation for travel nurses to help ground yourself, find a sense of calm, and help set goals for the future. 

What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments for Your Social Life

If you’ve been on a travel nurse assignment, especially one that’s 13 weeks long, it’s probably been a while since you’ve last seen your family or friends. 

Utilizing the time off between travel assignments is a great chance to pour into these relationships and ensure your social life isn’t taking a backseat to your career.

#3: Visit Family and Friends

As a travel nurse, you might be making friends in all different parts of the country. Or, maybe you miss your hometown friends, too. 

Take this time between travel assignments to plan visits and spend quality time with loved ones you might not see during your assignments.

#4: Join a Club

Let’s face it, hectic nursing schedules don’t allow for much free time. But as a travel nurse, you can take advantage of time off to do whatever it is that you’ve been putting off because of your busy career. 

Maybe you’ve always wanted to join a book club or try a new sport. Maybe you’re hoping to train for and run a race. Whatever it might be, use this time to meet people with similar interests and enjoy time outside of nursing.

What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments for Your Career

There are many opportunities available for nurses to continue their education and progress through their careers, but where do they find the time to dedicate to these things?

The time off between travel nurse assignments is a great opportunity to pour into your career outside the walls of a healthcare facility.

#5: Update Your Resume

With all your experiences and skills gained from your different travel nurse assignments, you’ve likely learned unique skills and made new contacts and references that can benefit you in the future. 

Why not spend your free time updating your resume to reflect your continued growth in your career?

#6: Continue Your Education

Continuing your education as a nurse is beneficial in many ways and taking the time to pursue additional certifications, attend workshops, or take education courses to enhance your nursing skills can pay off as you progress throughout your career. 

As a nurse, investing in continued education can help you:

  • Learn new clinical skills
  • Strengthen clinical skills
  • Maintain nursing credentials
  • Stay updated on industry trends
  • Adapt to technological advancements
  • Increase the quality of patient care

What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments for Adventure

With all the traveling you do for work, you’ve learned quite a bit about adventuring. And now you want to put your skills and knowledge to the test outside of a travel nursing contract. 

We’ve got good news — the time off between travel nurse assignments is a great time for an adventure.

#7: Travel Somewhere Different

Travel nurses earn more than staff nurses , so why not use a little of that extra money to travel to an exciting and new destination for a vacation ?

Take a week in Mexico or a month in Thailand. The flexibility of time off makes it easier for travel nurses to plan and execute these dream destination trips with no guilt about what you’ve left behind at work that’s waiting for you upon your return.

Instead, finish out a travel nurse contract, then take a stress-free vacation before committing to your next one.

#8: Explore Your New City

If you’ve recently finished a travel nurse assignment and already have your next one lined up to start in a few weeks, consider taking your time in between to arrive in your new travel assignment city early. 

Keep in mind that your travel and lodging expenses likely won’t be covered if you choose to arrive before your contract.   But with some extra time off and money in your pocket, you can spend a week or two getting a true feel for your new travel assignment destination before the work begins.

What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments for Relaxation

Traveling is fun, continuing your education is great, and visiting friends and family is fulfilling. But with all the hard work you put in at your job, you deserve to relax.

#9: Hit the Spa

Take time at the spa to unwind, take a breath, and engage in some serious self-care. Whether it’s for a one-hour massage or an entire weekend of pampering, you deserve it.

#10: Exercise 

Did you know that exercise reduces stress hormones and stimulates the production of endorphins?

As a travel nurse, we can bet you’re feeling stressed. 

Take the time off between travel assignments to prioritize your physical and mental well-being by committing to regular exercise, healthy eating, and self-care activities after many weeks of physically and mentally exhausting work.

What To Do Between Travel Nurse Assignments for Your Community

Are you someone who loves to give back to your community? Use this time to pour into your community or charities near and dear to your heart.

#11: Volunteer

Consider volunteering your time at a healthcare facility. Maybe your local hospital needs cuddlers to help rock and hold NICU babies, or your local assisted living facility could use some extra hands. 

You might know of an elderly couple who requires assistance with grocery shopping or mowing their lawn. 

Whatever it may be, volunteering can not only provide you with a sense of purpose and community but also help to improve skills that might be beneficial for your career.

#12: Donate to Charities

With some time on your hands between travel nurse assignments, you might find yourself researching charities that have personal meaning or connection to you. Or maybe your most recent travel nurse assignment brought a great need to your attention. 

Donating to charities is a great way to support your community and they qualify for a tax deduction .

what to do between assignments as a travel nurse

Do You Have To Take Time off Between Travel Nurse Assignments?

No, choosing to take time off between travel nurse assignments is fully your choice.

Trusted Nurse Staffing can help you secure your next travel nurse assignment, whether you’re looking to hop from one to another or take time off in between.

Sometimes, the idea of time off between travel nurse assignments can be stressful, especially if you have a family to support, bills to catch up on, or you need some extra savings.

If you choose to not take time off for whatever reason, here are some options you can pursue instead:

  • Inquire about extending your contract : Happy where you are? Ask your recruiter about a contract extension.
  • Plan for your next assignment : Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or new to travel nursing, planning ahead is key to a successful journey. Find housing, outline your commute, or plan fun things to do in your downtime.
  • Open yourself up to new locations: Need more money? A change of scenery? Warmer weather? Consider locations outside your usual search parameters. For example, Hawaii is far but might pay more. Arkansas might not pay as much, but the cost of living is low.
  • Take an assignment at home : You can take local contracts as a travel nurse. This might offer you the chance to continue as a traveling nurse while having some time at home to catch up on life’s other essentials.

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Are you looking to enjoy some downtime after a grueling 13-week assignment? Let us know when you’re ready for your next contract and we’ll help you find the perfect one.

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Understanding Travel Nurse Per Diem Rates

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Considering becoming a travel nurse, but confused about how you will be paid? Travel nurse pay packages are understandably confusing, but once you grasp the concept you can use it to your advantage to maximize your take home pay. 

Do you have questions on how to handle taxes or are you confused about stipends and reimbursements? You aren’t the only one! A common question amongst travelers is how do travel nurse agencies come up with travel nurse per diems. Believe it or not, there is a science (and Federal regulations) behind the rates for housing, meals, and incidental expenditures on your travel contracts. 

Read the following to find out what travel nursing agencies mean by per diem rates and how decisions are made for the amount you will receive towards lodging, meal, and incidentals expenses.

What is Meant by Per Diem in Travel Nursing?

The term per diem has two meanings in the nursing world. Per diem comes from the Latin term meaning “per day” and is also commonly referred to as being “on call” which can be quite confusing for nurses trying to navigate travel nurse pay. 

For the purpose of this blog, per diem will be used to refer to the two classifications for per diem rates that travel nurses receive. Per diems include lodging and meals and incidental expenditures (M&IE) for when you are traveling away from home. Lodging rates are often referred to as housing stipends to avoid any confusion. 

Per diems are typically offered as part of a stipend package for travel nurses. Even though most staffing agencies set their rates, there are federal guidelines that agencies need to follow for per diems. Most travel nurses qualify for a per diem daily amount to be added to their pay for meals & incidentals and housing during their travel assignment. 

To qualify for tax-free stipends or reimbursements, nurses must maintain a tax home or a place of residence that you maintain while they  are away on a travel assignment. 

If you choose not to maintain a “permanent” residence or tax home, you are considered an itinerant worker and be responsible for taxes on your income and stipends. 

Make sure you communicate with your recruiter about your tax home status. Your recruiter and our credentialing specialists will help determine if you qualify for per diems. You will be required to complete a worksheet to determine eligibility. 

How to calculate the Per Diem Rate?

The General Services Administration (GSA) establishes per diem rates for destinations within the Continental United States (CONUS). This system was initially used for Federal government employees. Its use has expanded widely and is now the standard for rates allowable for all types of non-government employees including healthcare travelers and private citizens who travel away from their tax home to work. The State Department sets the rates for foreign countries separately. 

Years ago a staffing agency might pay a low hourly rate and give the rest as extra money in tax-free reimbursements putting the agency and travel nurse at risk for financial penalties with the IRS.

Standardizing tax-free stipends helps to avoid confusion and makes sure nursing agencies follow regulations and offer the same rates and a reasonable wage that would be accepted under normal circumstances by someone in the same profession from one facility to another. 

‍CONUS per diems include non-standard or standard CONUS locations. Non-standard areas (NSAs) are frequently traveled by the federal community and are reviewed on an annual basis. Standard CONUS locations are less frequently traveled by the federal community and are not specifically listed on the GSA web site. Currently, the standard CONUS per diem rate is $96 for lodging, $59-79 for meals and incidental expenses, with minimal increases expected for lodging in 2023.  

The GSA website allows you to enter your travel destination and see column-by-column breakdown of per diem rates in each county in that state. Daily lodging is broken down by month, and meals and incidentals are categorized per expense. For example, the M&IE current total for Philadelphia is $79 per/day. It is further broken down into breakfast $18, lunch $20, dinner 36$, incidental expenses $5, and first and last day of travel $59. If you are researching travel assignments, use the GSA tool to find out expenses and per diem rates, for the area, you are considering. 

To calculate the maximum reimbursement allowed for lodging or M&IE, multiply the provided figure by the number of days. To determine your weekly total, multiply the daily value by 7. Multiply the daily total by the number of days in a month to calculate your monthly total. You can look up an area and determine the maximum per diem allowable for your desired destination online here. 

Health Carousel Travel Nursing takes every step possible to comply with all Federal regulations regarding our travel nurse’s pay packages including per diems. This protects you personally and our organization as well.

Rest assured HCTN follows all guidelines and will not put your long-term financial stability at risk for short- term, tax-free gains. Contact us to discuss your next travel assignment!

Ready for your next travel assignment? Work how you want and where you want, faster, when you travel with us. Get submitted quickly to top travel nurse jobs and be first in line for an interview.

Contact one of our travel nurse recruiters today!

What if I want to travel full-time and not keep a permanent home?

As a travel nurse, you have the freedom to travel as much as you want. Some nurses may prefer to keep a permanent home that they return to in between assignments, while  others choose to live more of a nomad life and make their “home” wherever the current assignment is. Either one of these is a  perfectly acceptable option, the difference will be that if you have a “tax home” or permanent home that you are committed to maintaining financially then your per diem benefits will be tax-free. If you choose not to have a tax home, than you will be subject to paying taxes on any received stipends. Did you know you can be a local travel nurse? Find out more here .

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Lauren Rivera is a nationally certified neonatal intensive care nurse with over 15 years of experience. She serves as a nurse expert offering support and educational classes for women from preconception through childhood. Lauren is also a freelance writer with works published on several nursing sites. She develops and curates content for various healthcare companies, and writes continuing education modules for other healthcare professionals.

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Sample Breakdown of a Travel Nursing Pay Package

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Travel nursing pay packages are complex because they incorporate many variables that are not common in traditional pay packages. Meanwhile, many people believe that travel nursing agencies are actively gouging hospitals and employees. In this article, we’ll provide a detailed breakdown of a travel nursing pay package, including all the costs that come out on the agency’s side. We hope this information helps travel nurses negotiate better pay packages and helps everyone achieve a more thorough understanding of how travel nursing pay works.

What is a travel nursing bill rate?

All travel nursing pay-packages begin with a “bill rate”. A bill rate for travel nurses is the hourly rate that an agency can charge the hospital for the travel nurse’s work. Essentially, bill rates account for all the revenue that travel nursing agencies generate. Therefore, all costs, including the travel nurse’s pay, come out of the bill rate.

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Bill rates vary from hospital to hospital and from contract to contract. As a result, travel nursing agencies calculate pay rates for each job based on each job’s specific bill rate.

In this article, we’ll use a bill rate of $90 per hour. This is a common bill rate for travel Registered Nurses in many parts of the country in the 2023 job market.

That said, it’s important to note that bill rates fluctuate depending on market circumstances. For example, bill rates are much higher when the travel nursing job market is hot and demand for travelers is high.

Are Travel Nursing Agencies Gouging Their Partners?

When bill rates are high, we routinely receive inquiries and see statements on social media asserting that travel healthcare agencies gouge hospitals and healthcare professionals. In most cases, the evidence is a comparison between the bill rate the agency charges the hospital and the pay rate the agency pays the healthcare professional.

For example, the evidence might be that the bill rate is $90 per hour and the pay rate is $53 per hour. Therefore, the accuser assumes, the agency is keeping the difference of $37 per hour, or 41% of the bill rate, as profit.

This assumption is wholly incorrect. Unfortunately, it is also prevalent and pervasive. It is routinely spread by self-proclaimed experts who have unfortunately become social media influencers.

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The truth is that there are many compensation variables and costs that are not reflected in the pay rate or on the pay stub. When we account for these variables, the agencies’ actual profit margins become much more reasonable.

That said, it is still possible for an agency to gouge a traveler or a hospital. We hope that this breakdown of all the variables will help us recognize the difference more easily.

What are contract time variables?

In addition to the bill rate, we must also consider the travel nursing contract’s “time variables.” This is because agencies bill hospitals for time the traveler works. More time equals more money. Moreover, more time means that fixed costs, like a travel stipend, become a smaller percentage of total expenses.

Time varies from contract to contract. For example, you’ll find contracts for 36 hours per week and others for 40 hours per week. Some contracts are 13 weeks, while others are only eight weeks. Moreover, some contracts, like those in California, pay overtime after 8 hours in a day .

For this example, we’ll use 13 weeks and 36 hours per week as the time variables. These are the most common time variables for travel nursing contracts. We’ll also use standard overtime rules in this example (so there won’t be any overtime hours involved).

So, here are the details we have so far:

  • Bill rate: $90/hour
  • Duration: 13 weeks
  • Hours per week: 36
  • Total contract hours: 468
  • Total anticipated revenue: $42,120 (468*$90)

What are travel nursing pay package burdens?

Now let’s take a look at a set of costs that the industry commonly refers to as “burdens”. These are expenses agencies incur which are directly related to the healthcare professional or securing the assignment for the healthcare professional. However, they are not listed on a pay stub or the contract between the agency and the traveler.

The original Universal Profile and Credential Management for travelers.

Please note that different agencies may classify these costs differently. However, we will be accounting for all costs in our example, so our calculations will ultimately end up in the same place. That said, here are some examples of burdens:

Orientation hours

Many agency/hospital contracts include non-billable orientation hours . Essentially, the agency agrees not to bill the hospital for a specified number of hours during the travel nurse’s orientation.

The standard range for non-billable hours is anywhere from 4 hours to 12 hours, but it can be more. Note that the agency still has to pay the travel nurse for this time. Therefore, it essentially turns into a cost for the agency.

Vendor management fees

Many hospitals utilize Vendor Management Services (VMS) . These services provide a host of tools that help hospitals and agencies centralize, standardize and streamline the process of talent acquisition.

Of course, these services cost money. To collect that money, the VMS typically takes a cut of the bill rate. In the past, the VMS’s cut would typically range between 2% and 6%. These days, we’ve heard numbers as high as 20%. For example, if the bill rate was $150 per hour, then the VMS would take $30, leaving the agency with $120.

Tiered bill rates

Tiered bill rates are very similar to Vendor Management Fees. With tiered bill rates, the VMS separates their staffing agency partners into tiers. Each tier gets a different bill rate. However, the hospital is always billed the same rate.

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It’s important to note that the only bill rate the hospital ever really knows about is the actual bill rate. Therefore, when hospitals share bill rates with travelers, they are almost always sharing the bill rate before any VMS fees or tier modifications.

Billing fees

Sometimes hospitals charge agencies a billing fee. The intent of this fee is to cover the hospital’s costs for settling the bills between the agency and the hospital. If this fee exists, then it’s typically 2 to 3 percent of the bill rate, sometimes less.

Liability Insurance

Almost every agency/hospital contract has a clause that requires the agency to carry liability insurance for each traveler. The contracts typically require both Professional and General liability insurance. The coverage is necessary regardless of whether or not the traveler carries their own liability insurance.

Licensing / Credentials / Medical Record Costs

Next, hospitals require agencies to submit and maintain credentials for each traveler that an agency has working at a hospital. These credentialing requirements vary from hospital to hospital. The requirements often include licenses, certifications, medical exams, drug screens, background checks and more.

Credentialing costs vary depending on what’s involved. It’s often between $150 and $1,000 per contract. Agencies know that sometimes it will cost more and sometimes less. Therefore, they usually try to determine an average cost they can apply to all contracts.

In this example, we’ll use 12 hours of non-billable orientation, a 6% vendor management fee, $650 for liability insurance and $500 for compliance costs.

So, at this point, we have the following:

  • Non-billable orientation: $1,080 (12 hours*$90) = $2.31 per hour (1080/468)
  • Vendor Management fee: $5.40 per hour (.06*90)
  • Liability Insurance: $1.39 per hour (650/468)
  • Compliance: $500 = $1.07 per hour (500/468)

Taxable base rates and payroll costs

Next, we’ll review the payroll costs the agency will incur. We begin with the “taxable base rate,” which is the taxable hourly rate the agency pays to the travel nurse.

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As we previously discussed , the travel nursing pay package is like a pie. Some agencies will offer a low taxable base rate and higher stipends , while others will offer higher base rates and lower stipends. The important thing to understand is that paying higher taxable base rates increases the agency’s payroll costs.

You see, both employees and employers pay Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes. The FICA tax for employers is currently 7.65 percent of gross compensation. Therefore, if an agency pays a taxable base rate of $10 per hour, they incur $0.765 in FICA costs per hour. By contrast, if an agency pays a taxable base rate of $20 per hour, they incur $1.53 in FICA costs per hour.

Similarly, agencies must also pay certain taxes to the state based on the taxable base rate. These taxes can include disability insurance, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance costs. These taxes and burdens vary dramatically from state to state.

Finally, it’s important to note that federal payroll taxes and most state payroll taxes cap out at various income levels. However, the taxes typically apply to all the taxable income that travel nurses earn because travel nurses tend to receive a relatively small percentage of their income as taxable pay which means that travel nurses often do not reach the cap levels.

In this example, we’ll use a taxable base rate of $25 per hour and a state tax and burden cost of 3.5%.

  • Taxable base rate: $25 per hour
  • Employer’s FICA: $1.91 per hour ($25*.0765)
  • State DI/UI/WC: $0.88 per hour ($25*.035)

Travel nursing tax-free reimbursements and benefits

Now we’re left with the tax-free reimbursements and benefits that the agency can potentially provide to the traveler. The most common tax-free reimbursements and benefits are:

  • Travel stipends
  • Meals and incidental expenditure (M&IE) stipends
  • Lodging stipends or company-provided housing
  • Medical benefits.

However, agencies may also offer rental cars, 401ks, tickets to major sporting events, and many other offerings.

In this example, we’ll use a travel stipend of $1,000, an M&IE stipend of $350 per week, and a lodging stipend of $2800 per month. We’ll also assume that the travel nurse will take the agency’s medical insurance. Let’s assume the cost to the agency for the medical benefits is $450 per month.

  • Travel Stipend: $2.14 per hour (1000/468)
  • M&IE Stipend: $9.72 per hour (350/36)
  • Lodging Stipend: $17.95 per hour (2800*3/468)
  • Medical Benefits: $2.88 per hour (450*3/468)

Sample breakdown of a travel nursing pay package

Let’s put everything together to see how this sample pay package breaks down. We’ll start by subtracting the burdens and payroll costs from the bill rate. While this is an unconventional approach, it will provide us with a clear illustration of how the bill rate breaks down to the pay rate.

We started with a bill rate of $90 per hour. From that, we are going to subtract our burdens and payroll costs. They are as follows:

  • $2.31 per hour: Non-billable orientation
  • $5.40 per hour: Vendor Management fee
  • $1.39 per hour: Liability insurance
  • $1.07 per hour: Compliance and credentials
  • $1.91 per hour: FICA
  • $0.88 per hour: State DI/UI/WC

These costs total $12.96 per hour. So, we’re left with $77.04 per hour ($90 – $12.96).

Now let’s subtract the compensation variables from the remaining $77.04 to see what the agency is left with to run their operations. The compensation variables are as follows:

  • $25 per hour: Taxable base rate
  • $2.14 per hour: Travel Stipend
  • $9.72 per hour: M&IE Stipend
  • $17.95 per hour: Lodging Stipend
  • $2.88 per hour: Medical Benefits

The compensation variables above total $57.69 per hour. So, this leaves the agency with $19.35 per hour as their gross profit per hour worked ($77.04 – $57.69).

What’s the travel nursing company’s gross profit margin?

Everyone has probably heard the term “profit margin” or “gross profit margin.” A company’s gross profit margin is calculated as follows:

Gross Profit / Revenue = Profit Margin%

Different travel nursing companies calculate this in different ways. The main difference is in how they treat “revenue.” Some companies consider the total bill rate to be their revenue. In this case, the agency’s gross profit margin is 21.5% percent in our example. That’s the $19.35 gross profit divided by the $90 bill rate.

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Other companies define their revenue as only what they receive after removing the Vendor Management fee ($90 bill rate minus the $5.40 vendor management fee). In this case, the revenue would be $84.60. Therefore, their gross profit margin would be 22.87% percent. ($19.35 gross profit divided by $84.60.)

Travel nursing agencies typically strive to obtain gross profit margins between 20 and 25 percent. Therefore, this example would be a decent rate for the travel nurse.

Clearing the confusion

Now we can revisit the confusion caused by comparing the pay rate to the bill rate. In our example, the “pay rate” that the healthcare professional sees on their pay stub is $52.67. That’s the taxable hourly base, the lodging stipend and the M&IE stipend.

If we thought that the remaining $37.33 per hour went to the agency, then we would think the agency’s gross profit was over 42%. However, as we demonstrated above, the agency’s gross profit is only 21.5%.

Finally, it’s important to note that agencies must use the gross profit to cover their own operating expenses. Those expenses include pay for their recruiters, account managers, compliance team, payroll team, accountants and others. The costs also include software licenses, office space, phone systems and more.

Understanding the pay package in this light is highly beneficial for travel nurses. Travel nurses can use this information to inform their negotiations. They can also use this information to help them compare competing pay packages . As a result, they’ll be better able to spot good deals versus bad ones and ultimately make more money!

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Related posts:

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Hey Kyle, Thanks this is a great article! How do you find out the bill rate? Is your recruiter allowed to deny that info if you ask for it? What I’m not getting is how do you know its a good offer vs a low ball without first knowing the bill rate? Is there a somewhat standard hourly that tends to be a good offer vs a not so good offer? Thanks, Elizabeth

Hey Elizabeth,

I’m glad to hear the article is useful! You can ask for the bill rate. The recruiter is allowed to deny your request. In some cases, the contract between the hospital and the agency makes the bill rates confidential. I think it’s best to view it like any other job. For some reason, there is a tendency for travelers to think that agencies are “making money off of them”. This is obviously true, but no more so than any permanent employer. The Hospital Corporation of America is a publicly traded hospital company. They report gross profits of 80%+ and net profits of 3%-6%. We typically wouldn’t require a permanent employer to let us know how much revenue they were generating off of us. We have an article on this topic here .

That said, we should always negotiate to get the best deal. I see many travelers these days saying you shouldn’t work for less than $1500 net (not including free housing) outside of California and $2000 net in California for a 36 hour/week contract. However, I don’t believe in negotiating with bottom lines. The best way to know whether or not you’re getting a good deal is to compare offers from multiple agencies. It takes a little extra time, but it’s worth it.

We actually have a free eBook on negotiating. You can get it by joining BluePipes through this link . If you’ve already joined then you can get it by logging in and going to bluepipes.com/ebook. Here are a couple of articles that might help too:

Negotiating Tips for Travel Nurses Improve Travel Nurse Negotiating Strength

I hope this helps!

I am new to traveling I will begin my first assignment in January 2017 I am not sure what to ask or what to look for. How do I obtain housing, do I drive my own car? Its all very new to me

Congratulations on your first assignment, Michelle. Yes, it can be overwhelming with all of the variables. In most cases, you can obtain housing through the agency you work with, or you can secure your own housing and receive a housing stipend from the agency. Most travelers bring their own car because rental cars are expensive and will reduce the pay rate your receive from the agency.

You can find more detailed information on all these issues on our blog. Use the search option in the navbar. This video seems to be particularly useful to new travelers. I hope this helps!

This is the best thing I have read about my profession since I started travel nursing! Many, many thanks

Thank you so much for the wealth of knowledge your site comprehensively provides. After doing some research, I’ve determined that I will not be maintaining a tax home and will therefore be an itinerant traveler. As such, I will not be eligible for most Tax Advantage Plans, which typically include meals and incidental expenses. Do you have any advice for how an itinerant traveler should evaluate and negotiate a contract? Thanks!!

Hey Catherine!

You’re very welcome and thank you! We’re glad to hear the information is useful. I would say that evaluating and negotiating would be much the same. For evaluating, you still want to make sure that you’re considering every pay component that the agency is offering. For negotiating, it’s always best to work with multiple agencies so that you have alternatives and get them competing for your services. That said, I don’t have a blog post specifically for this topic, but I’ll work on one (thanks for the idea!). In the mean time, here are some links that might be of use (you may have seen them already, but just in case).

Travel Nursing – Is It Worth It Without a Tax Home? Travel Nursing Pay Comparison Video Travel Nursing Overtime Pay Video Negotiating Travel Nursing Pay Free eBook

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Crisis Response Jobs FAQs

What are crisis response jobs.

Crisis response jobs are urgent openings at facilities in response to emergency situations such as natural disasters or health emergencies. Hospitals require immediate support from travel nurses and allied health professionals to play a vital role in treating those impacted by the crisis.

How much do crisis response jobs pay?

Pay for crisis response jobs varies based on specialty, location and your level of experience. Typically, a crisis response job will have a higher pay rate than other travel assignments due to the urgency and high level of flexibility needed.

What kind of benefits do crisis response travelers receive?

Benefits for crisis response jobs vary based on location and assignment details, but can include health insurance, sick pay accrual and company-paid housing (or a housing stipend). Aya travelers may also qualify for our 401k plan. Your recruiter will review your pay and benefits package before you accept a crisis response position.

How do I find crisis response jobs?

When you register with Aya, you get access to our jobs database and the ability to filter your search to only see crisis positions. Browse our open jobs, or express interest in crisis response positions to your recruiter to learn more.

What are the requirements for crisis response jobs?

Requirements vary by facility, but most travelers will need a valid nurse license or professional certification and experience in the specialty you’re applying for so you can hit the ground running when you arrive. Your recruiter will inform you about any other facility specific requirements you’ll need to complete.

Privacy Overview

UNCLASSIFIED (U)

OFFICIAL TRAVEL

(CT:LOG-343;   02-11-2022) (Office of Origin:  A/LM)

14 FAM 531  EmploymenT and Assignment Travel

(CT:LOG-343;   02-11-2022) (State/USAGM/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture)

When two or more types of travel are combined, the pertinent provisions apply separately to each segment of the trip.  Types of official travel follow below.

14 FAM 531.1  Appointment Travel

a. Official travel and transportation for U.S. citizen employees, their families, and effects, may be authorized from place or places of residence or other place specifically authorized to official duty station.

b. Effects may be authorized to be shipped at U.S. Government expense from place of storage.  Shipment of effects is authorized for employees whose tour of duty at post is one year or more or who serve less than a year and are transferred or otherwise removed from post for the convenience of the U.S. Government (see 3 FAM 2440 regarding curtailments).

14 FAM 531.2  Alternate-Seat-of-Government Travel

a. Official travel and transportation for U.S. citizen employees, their families, and effects, may be authorized to and from the alternate seat of government.

b. There is no per diem at destination unless specifically authorized. Shipment and storage of effects, and privately owned vehicle, may be authorized.

14 FAM 531.3  Relocation Travel

Official travel and transportation may be authorized for employees to move from one official duty station to another.  This includes permanent change-of-station (PCS) and transfer moves.

14 FAM 531.4  Home Leave Travel

a. Official travel and transportation may be authorized for U.S. citizen employees and their families from post or any place abroad where presence is due to U.S. Government orders to home leave address within the United States (or U.S. commonwealth or possessions) and return to post of assignment or a new official duty station.  Home leave travel is not authorized for family members already on separate maintenance allowance (SMA) authorization (see also 14 FAM 536.1 ).

b. Employees and their families traveling should spend 20 workdays in the United States (see 3 FAM 3434.2 for exceptions).  Except as provided in 14 FAM 532.4 the family may not travel until the employee is eligible for home leave and has been issued home leave orders.

14 FAM 531.5  Rest and Recuperation Travel

a. Travel of an employee and eligible family members may be authorized and performed in accordance with 14 FAM 523.2-1 , subparagraph f(1)(d) and in 3 FAM 3720 .

b. Each post eligible for rest and recuperation (R&R) travel will fund one of the following three travel options to employees and eligible family members:

(1) Round-trip travel to post's designated foreign relief point.  Lists of eligible posts by regional area and their designated relief points are in 3 FAH-1 Exhibit H-3722(1) through 3 FAH-1 Exhibit H-3722(5) ; or

(2)  Round-trip travel to any one city in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia) or one city in its territories including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; or

travel assignments meaning

c.  Only the designated foreign relief point, the traveler's selected city in the United States or U.S. territory, or "R&R Cost-Construct Cap" can be shown as the destination on the authorized itinerary of the R&R travel authorization.

e.  Employees authorized premium class travel through MED/DRAD will have a cost-construct cap established on a case-by-case basis using the same methodology used for economy caps outlined in 3 FAH-1 H-3726.3 .

f.  The Department recommends that posts use the lowest cost unrestricted airfares for travel to the designated relief point or U.S. city or U.S territory.  However, funding for R&R travel is a post function and, as such, the final decision whether to use restricted or unrestricted fares for R&R travel is a post responsibility.

14 FAM 531.6  Marine Security Guard

See 12 FAM 435 .

14 FAM 531.7  Military Furlough, Resignation, Retirement, and Other Separation Travel

a. Official travel and transportation may be authorized for U.S. citizen employees, their eligible family members, and effects, from post or any place where presence is due to U.S. Government orders to designated place of residence in the United States (see definition of "United States" in 14 FAM 511.3 ).

b. When a U.S. citizen employee elects to reside at other than the designated place of residence, expenses must be allowed based on constructive cost (for "cost constructed travel," see 14 FAM 511.3 and 14 FAM 612.3 ) to designated place of residence in the United States.  See 3 FAM 2510 on separation of U.S. citizen employees and 3 FAM 2560 on military furlough.

c.  This regulation provides Civil Service employees, who mandatorily converted to Civil Service from Foreign Service under the Foreign Service Act of 1980, those benefits of travel and/or transportation of effects to which they were entitled at the time of such mandatory conversion.

14 FAM 532  Family tRAVEL

14 FAM 532.1  Family Travel for Representational Purposes

14 FAM 532.1-1  Eligibility and Purpose

Travel for representational purposes may be authorized for one family member only.  The authorizing officer is expected to make sparing and judicious use of this authorization.  In all cases, the justification must demonstrate a clear advantage to the United States.

14 FAM 532.1-2  Within Country of Assignment

a. As a general guideline, local travel of a family member should be authorized when:

(1)  Representation by the officer alone could not be accomplished effectively; or

(2)  Protocol or local customs would be served; or

(3)  The travel is necessary in connection with VIP visits or important meetings at which spouses of foreign dignitaries are present.

b. The chief of mission in consultation with heads of other agencies in their country of assignment will develop local rules and practices to promote the maximum degree of uniformity in the exercise of this authority.

14 FAM 532.1-3  Outside Country of Assignment

Representational travel outside the country of assignment is restricted to family members of high-level officers and will be authorized only when a clear need for dual representation exists.  Normally, travel will be restricted to eligible family members of chiefs of mission, deputy chiefs of mission, country public affairs officers, and USAID mission directors or USAID representatives.  However, in exceptional circumstances, the eligible family members of a subordinate officer may be authorized such travel.  Typical of the circumstances warranting representational travel outside the country are the following:

(1)  When an ambassador or USAID mission director accompanies a foreign dignitary to the United States on a state visit or as a presidential guest and the dignitary is accompanied by a spouse or other members of the household;

(2)  When a State, or USAID officer attends an international conference or meeting sponsored by a group or organization of nations, such as the United Nations, and the spouses of participants have also been invited to attend; and

(3)  When the President sends U.S. delegations abroad or congressional or other high-level delegations proceed abroad, accompanied by their spouses.

14 FAM 532.1-4  Domestic-Based Employees

Representational travel by family members of domestically assigned employees is restricted to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, and Under Secretaries, unless a waiver is granted by M, and will be authorized only when a clear need for such representation exists.

14 FAM 532.1-5  Authorization and Documentation

a. Department of State : The chief of mission may (subject to the availability of travel funds) authorize representational travel within and/or outside the country of assignment for employees at post.  This authority may be redelegated only to the deputy chief of mission.  The Assistant Secretary of the regional bureau may authorize for the chief of mission.  For representational travel outside the country of assignment, advance approval must also be obtained from the assistant secretary of the regional bureau.  For domestic based employees, the Under Secretary for Management must approve all representational travel for family members.  Representational travel by a family member of M must be approved by D.

b. USAID :  The director of the USAID mission or USAID representative may (subject to the availability of travel funds) authorize representational travel within and/or outside the country of assignment.  This authority may not be redelegated. For representational travel outside the country of assignment, advance approval must also be obtained from the regional bureau Assistant Administrator in Washington.

c. The officials cited above must provide and sign a justification statement.  For control and inspection purposes, the authorizing officer should record and file the justification statement in the Department's eTravel Services (ETS) software (currently E2 Solutions).

14 FAM 532.2  Adding New Eligible Family Members

Employees who wish to add a new eligible family member – EFM - (see 14 FAM 511.3 for the definition of "eligible family member") do so by completing Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residency and Dependent Report, to GTM/EX/IDSD or HCTM/FSC for USAID staff.  Once the new EFM is added to the Form OF-126 then the employee’s travel authorization will be updated to include new EFM and travel expenses may be incurred based on the updated travel authorization, notwithstanding the time limitation specified in 14 FAM 584.2 .  Travel will be authorized from either the location at which the new EFM joined the family (for example, place of birth or adoption) or from the employee’s official home of record.  Shipment and storage of additional effects may be authorized in accordance with 14 FAM 613.2 .

14 FAM 532.3  Advance Return of Family Financed by U.S. Government

14 FAM 532.3-1  General Policy

In certain cases, an employee's family may be authorized, before the employee's eligibility for travel, to return to employee's residence in the United States.

14 FAM 532.3-2  Conditions of Authorization

a. The Department of State, USAGM, Commerce, Agriculture, or the USAID mission director or USAID representative may authorize advance travel of an employee's family members when the chief of mission or the head of the agency establishment abroad determines that the public interest requires the return of a member of the family for compelling personal reasons of a humanitarian or compassionate nature, including but not limited to cases which may involve physical or mental health or death of any member of the immediate family.

b. The Department or Agency in Washington, DC, may authorize advance travel of family members when there is an obligation imposed by an authority or circumstances over which the individual has no control.  Advance travel may be authorized by the Department or Agency in Washington, DC, after family members have been at the post at least 6 months under the following conditions:

(1)  A child who is not eligible for educational travel (see 14 FAM 532.5 ) has been at a post abroad and educational needs (for the equivalent of grades 1 through 8 only) so require; or

(2)  A child 21 years or older, is unmarried, and has traveled to the post before attaining such age (see 14 FAM 532.6 ).

14 FAM 532.3-3  Authorized Costs

Only one-way transportation will be authorized for advance return of family.  If a family member subsequently travels at U.S. Government expense to the same or another post to which the employee is assigned, the total cost of the advance return and subsequent travel may not exceed the cost which would have been incurred had the family member traveled at the same time as the employee.

14 FAM 532.3-4  Repayment Agreement

Before any obligation of U.S. Government funds is incurred, the employee must execute a repayment agreement in accordance with the format in Form DS-4020, Repayment Agreement for Advance Travel of Family.  The original and one copy should be forwarded to:

(1)  State :  GTM/CDA, by memorandum, subject:  APER;

(2)  USAID :  M/PM, USAID/W as an attachment to a memorandum;

(3)  Commerce : USFCS/OIO/OFSP as an attachment to a memorandum;

(4)  USAGM :  E/O, P/N, VOA/X, and D/OHR as an attachment to a memorandum.

(5)  USDA/FAS :  Foreign Agricultural Affairs, International Services Division; and

(6)  APHIS :  International Services/Administrative Services/Personnel.

14 FAM 532.3-5  Repayment Requirements

The conditions under which repayment must be made by the employee for travel expenses borne by the U.S. Government in connection with the advance return of employee's family are as follows:

(1)  The employee fails to complete the service period (see 3 FAH-1 H-2423 , subparagraph c) required to become eligible for travel and transportation at U.S. Government expense; or

(2)  There is a change of dependency status which cancels the eligibility of family member(s) for return travel to the United States (see definition in 14 FAM 511.3 ) at U.S. Government expense.  (A divorce or an annulment prior to the issuance of travel orders no longer cancels eligibility of family members for return travel to the United States.)

14 FAM 532.3-6  Repayment Liquidation or Refund

(CT:LOG-343;   02-11-2022) (State/USAGM/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture)

If the employee is subsequently transferred, assigned, separated, or returned on leave at U.S. Government expense to the United States and the expenses of the advance travel become a proper obligation of the U.S. Government, the employee will be relieved of the obligation set forth in the repayment agreements to the amount of allowable expenses (see 14 FAM 532.3-4 ).  If the employee has previously made repayment, employee may request and receive an appropriate refund.

14 FAM 532.4  Advance Travel of Family Financed by the Employee

a. The employee may arrange for advance travel of family, paying the cost initially and claiming reimbursement after the employee has been issued travel authorization which covers the travel of family and after the employee has reached eligibility date.  Reimbursement is limited to the amounts payable had the family traveled at the same time as the employee.

b. Reimbursement may be made for advance travel or return travel to the United States for a spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3FAM 1610 and/or minor children of an employee who have traveled to the post as eligible family members even if, because of divorce, annulment or dissolution of domestic partnership, such spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 and/or minor children have ceased to be eligible family members as of the date the employee becomes eligible for travel.  Reimbursable travel may not be deferred more than 6 months after the employee completes personal travel pursuant to the authorization.

c.  If the advance travel of family was to the employee's temporary duty (TDY) post and the employee was transferred to the post at the end of the employee's TDY, employee may claim reimbursement for expenses of allowable travel and transportation of family and effects which were incurred prior to the effective date of transfer of the employee and the date of employee's transfer travel authorization.

14 FAM 532.5  Educational Travel

a. Travel of a child may be authorized in lieu of an educational allowance, once each way annually between school and the employee's post for secondary education and for college education in accordance with section 280, Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas) and the Federal Travel Regulations.

b. Unaccompanied air baggage is allowable in accordance with 14 FAM 613.3-1 .

14 FAM 532.6  Travel of Children 21 Years of Age or Older

a. An employee's child who is unmarried and who is 21 years of age or older may be authorized return travel to the employee's place of residence for separation purposes in the United States (see definition in 14 FAM 511.3 ), provided the child, when attaining the age of 21 was at, or proceeding to, a post abroad to which the employee was assigned.  The first travel authorization that is issued to the employee authorizing travel of the family after a child has reached the age of 21, constitutes authority for such travel.  The return of the child to the United States should be completed within 1 year of the date the employee's travel begins.

b. A child 21 years or older, who proceeds to the employee's post, may not be returned to the United States nor perform any travel at U.S. Government expense, except as provided for educational travel up to the 23rd birthday, plus additional years allowed for any military service, in subchapter 280 of the Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas).

c.  Travel of a child who is under 21 will usually be authorized to an employee's next assignment if the employee's transfer is to occur before the child's 21st birthday.  If that child's travel does not commence prior to turning 21, that authorization is no longer valid.

d. If a child commences R&R or home leave/return travel before attaining the age of 21 and turns 21 while in travel status, the child is authorized return to post under the travel authorization that was in effect prior to his turning 21.

14 FAM 532.7  Travel of Family While Employee Is on Temporary Duty (TDY) En Route to or from Post of Assignment

a. Payment of per diem during an employee's period of TDY, which may not exceed 30 calendar days total, is authorized for members of an employee's family accompanying the employee to the post of assignment only under the following conditions:

(1)  When the employee is ordered to stop within the country of destination for orientation, training, or consultation while en route to post of assignment;

(2)  When the employee is ordered to stopover outside the country of destination for orientation, training, or other TDY while en route to the post of assignment, provided that the stopover is in the positive interest of the U.S. Government and is made necessary by a threat to the health, safety, or well-being of the employee’s family if required to continue on to post of assignment other than in the company of the employee;

(3)  In cases where the family member, because of representative responsibility in the U.S. Government's interest, is required to stop at agency headquarters while en route abroad to employee's post of assignment in order to undergo special orientation and/or training designed to ensure the effective discharge of those responsibilities; or

(4)  In any other cases when specifically authorized by the agency in advance in writing in travel orders.

b. When an employee is ordered to stop for TDY in the United States or abroad en route to or from employee's post of assignment, the family does not have to accompany the employee as long as they join the employee at the stopover point.  Per diem at the stopover point may be allowed for members of the family only during the period of TDY of the employee and for the actual time at the TDY location.

c.  Per diem, not to exceed 3 work days, may be authorized when an employee or the employee's family members who are at a constituent post and are traveling on home leave, transfer, or separation orders must stop, at the time of travel, at the Embassy in country or at an embassy in a neighboring country for the purpose of storing or retrieving effects or obtaining passports, visas, or immunizations.

d. Stopovers should generally not be authorized for family members in connection with international, interagency, interregional, or intermission conferences, unless specifically authorized by the agency in advance in writing and reflected in travel orders.

14 FAM 532.8  Return Travel of Spouse, Domestic Partner as Defined in 3 FAM 1610, and/or Dependent Children to the United States in Connection with Marital Separation, or Divorce, or Statement of Dissolution of Domestic Partnership

a. Return travel of an employee's spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 may be authorized to the employee's service separation address in the United States (see definition of "United States" in 14 FAM 511.3 ) or any other location on a cost-constructive basis from the employee's post of origin to the employee's separation address when a permanent marital separation or divorce is intended, or a statement of dissolution of domestic partnership has been submitted.  Generally, a separation agreement should exist, but in the absence of an agreement, the chief of mission or head of agency's establishment abroad may determine that such travel is warranted and may initiate authorization action.  The circumstances upon which this determination is based should be summarized in writing and retained at post in accordance with 5 FAH-4, Records Management Handbook.

b. Return travel of spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 may be included in the first travel authorization issued to the employee authorizing travel of the family after an agreement to separate, divorce, or dissolve a domestic partnership is reached.  In the circumstances referred to in paragraph a of this section, such travel may also be requested as advance travel in accordance with 14 FAM 532.3 and 14 FAM 532.4 .

c.  Only one-way transportation to the employee's service separation address, or to any other location in the United States on a cost-constructive basis from the employee's post of origin to his or her separation address, will be authorized for return travel of spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 .  If the employee subsequently requests travel of the spouse at U.S. Government expense to the same or another post to which the employee is assigned, the total cost of the return and subsequent travel may not exceed the cost which would have been incurred had the spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 traveled at the same time as the employee.  In such cases, if the cost of the return and subsequent travel exceeds the employee's authorized travel, the employee will be liable for payment of the excess cost.

d. Before any expenses are incurred for return travel of spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 , the spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 must execute an agreement in accordance with the format in Form DS-4021, Agreement for Return Travel of Spouse (or domestic partner).  This agreement states that the spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 understands that travel back to the same post will not be authorized at U.S. Government expense, and that the agreement is signed voluntarily.

e. Travel of dependent children of an employee may be authorized under this provision only if a legal custody agreement exists or the employee otherwise agrees in writing to permit the children to leave post permanently with the spouse.  The employee must also submit a revised Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report, to declare as a loss those children for whom return travel is requested under this provision (see 3 FAH-1 H-2347.8 , subparagraph a).  The employee may also request advance travel of children in accordance with 14 FAM 532.3 , if travel is not intended to be a permanent return to the United States.

14 FAM 532.9  Transfer Travel

(CT:LOG-343;   02-11-2022) (State/USAGM/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture) (Foreign Service)

a. Official travel and transportation may be authorized for U.S. citizen and Foreign Service national employees, their families and effects, from old post, or any place where presence is due to U.S. Government orders, to new post.  Transportation of effects is allowed from old post to new post and/or to point of storage; or to new post from old post, previous posts, and/or points of authorized storage.

b. Effects may be shipped between places other than those authorized subject to provisions in 14 FAM 612.3 .  When emergency conditions exist at the new post, another destination may be designated for travel of the family and transportation and storage of effects and a motor vehicle.  Upon termination of the emergency, travel and transportation to the new post may be authorized.

14 FAM 532.10  Spouse Travel to Obtain a Visa or Reset Residency

Management officials at post may authorize, from post funds, travel expenses when the spouse of an employee assigned to post must travel out of country to obtain appropriate visas or reset residency permissions to remain in-country when the host government will not accredit the spouse.  The travel expenses under this provision may include transportation expenses, per diem, and authorized miscellaneous expenses (e.g., visa fees, where authorized under 14 FAM 562.1 , subparagraphs a(1) through a(4).  Expenses incurred are for the spouse only.  Time in travel status should be minimized to the extent possible to obtain a visa or reset residency permissions at the most cost-effective point to post.  Spouses who are employed on family member appointments (FMA) or personal services agreements (PSA) are not authorized administrative leave for the purpose of the travel.

14 FAM 533  Temporary Duty (tdy) Travel

14 FAM 533.1  General

Official travel and transportation may be authorized for U.S. citizen employees from any place to TDY station or stations and thence to such place or to post (see also 14 FAM 532.7 covering travel of eligible family members). Official travel and transportation may be authorized for Locally Employed (LE) Staff from their post of employment to TDY station or stations and for return to the post of employment.

14 FAM 533.2  Authorizing Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel

a. State only :  Form JF-144, Temporary Duty (TDY) Official Travel Authorization, is used for approving TDY travel.  Approval may cover travel performed for administrative or medical purposes, rest and recuperation, short-term training, attendance at conferences, etc., between the United States and other countries, within the United States, or abroad.  Authorizations issued in the form of telegrams, etc., are confirmed by the subsequent issuance of a Form JF-144, or equivalent official form.

b. USAID only :  See ADS 522, Performance of Temporary Duty travel in the United States and Abroad.

c.  Commerce only :  Form CD-29, Travel Order, is used for authorizing TDY travel when headquarters, Washington, DC, issues the travel orders.  Otherwise, Form JF-144 is used when post issues the travel orders.  Included is travel for administrative purposes, rest and recuperation travel, short-term training, medical purposes, attendance at conferences, etc., performed abroad, within the United States, and between the United States and points abroad.  Authorizations issued in the form of telegrams are confirmed by the subsequent issuance of either a Form CD-29 or a Form JF-144.

d. USDA only :  Form AD-202, Travel Authorization, is used for authorizing TDY travel.

e. USAGM only :  Form IA-34-A is used for authorizing TDY travel; Form JF-144 is used for overseas correspondence travel.

14 FAM 533.3  Training Attendance

Official travel may be authorized for employees to receive training.

14 FAM 533.4  Conference Travel

14 FAM 533.4-1  Attendance

Agencies must select conference sites that minimize conference costs and conference attendees' travel costs.  Agencies must minimize conference attendees' travel costs by authorizing the minimum participation necessary to accomplish agency goals.  The authorizing official must assure that the number of attendees from the Department is necessary and justified.  In addition, the need for conference and meetings for which the total travel and per diem estimate exceeds $5,000 must be authorized by an Assistant Secretary, executive director, or equivalent.

14 FAM 533.4-2  Conference Site

When available, use U.S. Government-owned or U.S. Government-provided conference facilities to the maximum extent possible.  The authorizing officer should avoid conference sites that might appear extravagant to the public.

14 FAM 533.4-3  Conference Site Selection Process

a. Locality selection procedures :

(1)  When arranging to conduct a conference, the authorizing officer must consider at a minimum three alternative conference sites;

(2)  Each considered site must be selected based on the belief that it would result in lower overall conference costs and conference attendees' travel costs.  The sponsoring or co-sponsoring office must survey the cost of conference facilities at each of the considered sites, and must determine the potential cost to the U.S. Government of conducting the conference at each of the alternative sites.

b. Exception :  A conference site may be selected without following the procedures outlined above for the reason of disproportionate participation.  The procedures outlined above do not apply when a majority of the U.S. Government attendees are from the locality proposed as the conference site, or when only one site accomplishes conference goals.  In the latter case, the authorizing officer must certify in writing that the selected locality is the only conference site compatible with accomplishing the sponsoring or co-sponsoring office's objectives.

c.  Documentation :  The authorizing officer must document the cost of each alternative conference site, and must retain a record of the documentation for every conference held.  The authorizing officer must also make the documentation available for inspection by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), or for other interested parties.

14 FAM 533.5  Experts and Consultants Travel

Persons employed intermittently as consultants or experts and persons serving without compensation (including citizens or subjects of other countries) are authorized travel expenses, including per diem, while away from their homes or regular places of business, in accordance with 14 FAM 560 .

14 FAM 533.6  Information Meeting Travel

(CT:LOG-343;   02-11-2022) (State/USAGM/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture) (Foreign Service and Civil Service)

Official travel and transportation may be authorized for employees to attend a meeting to discuss general agency operations, and/or to review status reports or discussion topics of general interest.  If a site visit is conducted as part of the same trip, the entire trip should be considered a site visit (see 14 FAM 533.10 ).

14 FAM 533.7  International Conferences

When travel to, or in connection with, conferences is financed under Department of State appropriations available for international conferences, such travel must be performed in accordance with the provisions of the travel authorization and other appropriate instructions issued by the Department pertaining to the conference.

14 FAM 533.8  Invitational Travel Authorizations Federally Financed

Each invitational travel authorization must specify the purpose of the travel (e.g., conference attendance, information meeting, speech presentation, etc).

14 FAM 533.9  Invitational Travel Authorizations Non-Federally Financed

To defray the cost of air travel, any donations from non-Federal sources must comply with the Department's regulations in accommodations on airplanes ( 14 FAM 567.2 ), including all applicable OMB guidelines (OMB 93-11), as well as the Department’s regulations regarding gifts of invitational travel (see 2 FAM 962.12 ).

14 FAM 533.10  Site Travel

Travel of an employee may be authorized to visit a particular site in order to perform operational or managerial activities; e.g., oversee programs, grant operations, or management activities for internal control purposes; carry out an audit, inspection or repair activity; conduct negotiations; provide instructions; or provide technical assistance.

14 FAM 533.11  Special Mission Travel

Travel of an employee may be authorized to carry out a special agency mission such as involvement in noncombat military unit movements; providing security to a person or a shipment (e.g., diplomatic pouch); moving witnesses from residence to other locations; and covering travel by Federal beneficiaries and other nonemployees.

14 FAM 533.12  Speech or Presentation Travel

Travel of an employee may be authorized to make a speech or a presentation, deliver a paper, or otherwise take part in a formal program other than a training course where the authorizing official makes a specific determination in writing that such activity is related to and in furtherance of the agency’s mission.

14 FAM 534  Medical Travel

a. Official travel and transportation may be authorized for U.S. citizen employees and their eligible family members from any place where presence is due to U.S. Government orders to nearest locality where suitable medical care can be obtained and thence to an official duty station.

b. Travel of attendants may be authorized.  For other special provisions, see 16 FAM 316 and 14 FAM 523.2-1 , paragraph e.

14 fam 535  oTHER TRAVEL

14 FAM 535.1  Directed Departure

14 FAM 535.1-1  General

When, in accordance with 3 FAM 2443 , it is the judgment of a chief of a diplomatic mission that the departure of an employee assigned by the Department or Agency to a post under the chief of mission's jurisdiction would be in the interest of the U.S. Government, the authorizing officer at the post may issue a travel authorization detailing the employee to a nearby country.  For the Department, the post-authorizing officer may issue a travel authorization transferring a State Department employee and that employee's eligible family members to Washington, DC.  For USAID, a travel authorization transferring an employee to Washington, DC, must originate in or have prior approval of Washington, DC headquarters.  For USAGM, a travel authorization transferring an employee to Washington, DC must originate in or have prior approval of Washington, DC headquarters.

14 FAM 535.1-2  Procedures in Connection with Directed Departure

To authorize purchase of transportation permitting the detail of an employee or to transfer an employee and eligible family members in accordance with 3 FAM 2443 , chiefs of mission may allow issuance of Forms OF-1169, U.S. Government Transportation Request (GTRs).  The travel order establishing the official obligation of funds will be issued by the Department or the Agency, after the travel commences, upon receipt of the report required in 3 FAM 2445 .  Travel will be chargeable to the current applicable appropriation.  Other fiscal data will be supplied by Washington, DC.  Movement of household effects and shipment of automobiles must not be authorized until receipt of instructions from the Department or Agency.

14 FAM 535.2  Travel under Authorized/Ordered Emergency Evacuation

14 FAM 535.2-1  General

a. When the Under Secretary for Management (M) makes a determination that an emergency exists at a post requiring the evacuation of official U.S. citizen employees, official travel and transportation may be authorized for the employees, their eligible family members, and effects from post of assignment to place designated in the travel orders, and thence to post.

b. When M makes a determination that an emergency exists at a post requiring the evacuation of Foreign Service national employees, official travel may be authorized for the Foreign Service national employees and their immediate families to the nearest practicable place for the duration of the emergency.

c.  The authorizing officer at post must issue individual or blanket travel authorizations (see 14 FAM 628 for shipment and storage of household effects (HHE)).

14 FAM 535.2-2  Travel Authorizations under Authorized/Ordered Emergency Evacuation

a. State only :  The authorizing officer at post must issue individual or blanket travel authorizations.  Each authorization must cite the names of the persons traveling.  In addition to the usual post distribution of copies, the authorizing officer must furnish information copies of all evacuation travel authorizations to the:

(1)  Bureau of Global Talent Management (GTM/CDA/AD);

(2)  Travel and Transportation Management Division (A/LM/OPS/TTM);

(3)  Appropriate regional bureau; and

(4)  Office of Accounting Operations (CGFS/F/AO).

b. Commerce only :  The authorizing officer must furnish evacuation travel authorization copies to the:

(1)  Office of Foreign Service Human Resources (USFCS/OFSHR);

(2)  State's Travel and Transportation Management Division (A/LM/OPS/TTM); and

(3)  Office of Planning and Management.

c.  USAGM only :  The authorizing officer must furnish evacuation travel authorization copies to the:

(1)  Office of Foreign Service Personnel (D/OHR);

(2)  Office of Administrative Operations Division (M/AO); and

(3)  Appropriate administrative office.

d. USDA/FAS only :  The authorizing officer must furnish evacuation travel authorization copies to the:

(1)  Foreign Agricultural Affairs/International Services Division (USDA/FAS/OFSO/ISD); and

(2)  State's Travel and Transportation Management Division (A/LM/OPS/TTM).

e. APHIS only :  The authorizing officer must furnish evacuation travel authorization copies to the International Services/Administrative Services/Travel Section.

f.  U.S. Despatch Agents :  The Department's or Agency's transportation office will ensure that the appropriate U.S. Despatch Agent receives a copy of the evacuation order or request and authorization for use in clearing the employee's shipment(s) through U.S. Customs.

14 FAM 535.2-3  Prohibitions Against Official and Personal Travel to Posts under Authorized/Ordered Emergency Evacuation

See 3 FAM 3770 regarding requirements and restrictions for official and personal travel to posts under authorized departure, ordered departure, suspended operations, contingency operations, and posts designated partially unaccompanied or unaccompanied.

14 FAM 535.3  Emergency Visitation Travel

The cost of emergency visitation travel in connection with the serious illness, injury, or death of an immediate family member is performed in accordance with the provisions of 3 FAM 3740 .

14 FAM 535.4  Visitation Travel

14 FAM 535.4-1  Authorization

Travel of an employee or eligible family member may be authorized and performed in accordance with regulations in 14 FAM 523.2-1 , subparagraph f(1)(h), and in 3 FAM 3730 .

14 FAM 535.4-2  Travel to Countries With Closed Posts Or No U.S. Diplomatic or Consular Relations

See 3 FAM 3780 regarding requirements for official and personal travel of employees to countries with which the United States has no diplomatic or consular relations or where all U.S. posts have been closed, and where travel may be prohibited or restricted.

14 FAM 536  SPECIAL TRAVEL

14 FAM 536.1  Voluntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (SMA) Travel

14 FAM 536.1-1  Authorization

a. Travel may be authorized for all eligible family members for whom SMA is granted under Section 260 of the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR).

b. Per 3 FAM 3232.3-3 , only one change of status of SMA for each family member will be permitted for a single tour of duty.  See DSSR 264.2(b) regarding change in status in an evacuation.

14 FAM 536.1-2  Authorized SMA Location(s)

a. The following SMA travel at U.S. Government expense may be approved to authorized location(s):

(1)  When the employee's point of origin is in the United States, an employee's family members may remain at the employee's last official duty station in the United States, or travel to the home leave location designated on Form OF-126 or Washington, DC when the employee is transferred to a foreign post of assignment;

(2)  When an employee transfers from one foreign post of assignment to another, an employee's family member(s) may travel to the home leave location designated on Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report, or Washington, DC;

(3)  If an SMA is granted during an employee's tour of duty abroad, the employee's family members may be authorized travel to the home leave location designated on Form OF-126, or Washington, DC.

b. For shipment of household effects under SMA Grant, see 14 FAM 613.7 .

14 FAM 536.1-3  Alternate SMA Location

a. U.S. family members traveling to an alternate SMA location in the United States (see definition in 14 FAM 511.3 ) may do so on a cost-constructive basis.  The maximum amount of reimbursement is the cost required to move the family members from the authorized point of origin to the authorized SMA point.

b. Foreign location: An employee's family members traveling to a foreign SMA location may do so on a cost-constructive basis.  The maximum amount of reimbursement is the cost required to move the family members from the authorized point of origin to the authorized SMA point.

c.  Should an employee's SMA grant be terminated due to the employee's subsequent transfer to another post of assignment while the family members are at a foreign location, the employee will be responsible for the payment of excess travel costs involved in relocating the family members to the new post of assignment.  The excess travel costs, if any, must be determined through a constructive cost analysis that compares the travel cost of the employee's eligible family members that would have been authorized from an authorized SMA location to the next post of assignment compared to the amount that is actually incurred.  Any amount in excess of the amount allowable is payable by the employee.

d. Family members in a foreign alternate SMA location have no diplomatic status or privileges.

14 FAM 536.1-4  SMA Travel Financed by Employee

An employee who initially pays the costs of advance travel of family members may subsequently claim reimbursement of travel and transportation expenses if the agency later authorizes an SMA grant for the affected family members.  An employee may not recover a greater amount than would have been incurred had the U.S. Government procured the travel (see 14 FAM 544.2 , paragraph c).

14 FAM 536.2  Death of U.S. Citizen Employee

The following applies to an employee abroad, on domestic assignment, or on TDY.

14 FAM 536.2-1  Expenses in Connection with Remains

a. Following the death of a Foreign Service employee or EFM while in a foreign area, expenses may be authorized for the reasonable cost of preparing remains including the cost of embalming, clothing, cremating, casket, or container suitable for shipment to the place of interment; expenses incurred in complying with local and U.S. laws; and transportation of remains from place of death to the employee's authorized separation address. Transportation of remains to any other place in the United States or its territories as designated by the next-of-kin may be done on a cost-construct basis against the authorized separation address, by surface, or by air.  For shipment of remains to a foreign country, see 14 FAM 536.2-4 .

b. Following the death of a Foreign Service employee or EFM while on assignment in the United States or a non-foreign area, expenses may be authorized for transportation of the remains from place of death to the employee's authorized separation address. Transportation of remains to any other place in the United States or its territories as designated by the next-of-kin may be done on a cost-construct basis against the authorized separation address, by surface, or by air.

c.  For Civil Service employees, refer to FTR, chapter 303.

14 FAM 536.2-2  Family Travel Expenses

Expenses may be authorized for the travel of the family from the last place at which dependents resided and traveled at U.S. Government expense, to any place in the United States designated by the next-of-kin as separation residence or place of interment.  For travel to foreign countries, see 14 FAM 536.2-4 .

14 FAM 536.2-3  Transporting Effects

Expenses may be authorized for the transportation of effects from the last post of assignment, and safe haven if effects are located there, and from any place where effects are stored at U.S. Government expense, to separation residence designated by the next-of-kin.  For transportation to foreign countries, see 14 FAM 536.2-4 .

14 FAM 536.2-4  Foreign Destinations

Actual authorized expenses may be authorized for travel, transportation of effects, and/or shipment of remains to a foreign country and are allowed up to the constructive cost to place last designated by employee as separation residence.  Place of interment may differ from residence for travel and transportation of family.  When one location or the other is in a foreign country, this does not limit the next-of-kin's discretion in designating an authorized location in the United States for either interment or travel and transportation of family.  Authorized expenses may be incurred at any time within 12 months following the date of death, unless the time limitation is waived by the GTM/EX Director or USAID Executive Officer for USAID staff.

14 FAM 536.3  Family Member Death

a. This section applies when the employee is assigned abroad or is on domestic assignment.

b. Actual expenses may be authorized for round-trip travel of a family member and for transportation of remains to the separation address or on a cost-constructive basis to any other point in the U.S. or foreign country.

14 FAM 536.3-1  Expenses in Connection with Remains

See 14 FAM 536.2 .

14 FAM 536.3-2  Family Travel Expenses

Travel expenses are authorized for an employee or an eligible dependent to accompany the remains of a family member to the place of interment in the United States or abroad and return to the duty station (see 3 FAM 2550 ).

14 FAM 536.3-3  Transporting Effects

Transportation of effects is not authorized in connection with a family member death.

14 FAM 536.4  Travel and Transportation Expenses Authorized in Connection with Deaths of Locally Employed (LE) Staff when in Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel Status

Travel and transportation expenses are authorized when a LE Staff dies at a post abroad to which that LE Staff has traveled at U.S. Government expense.  Types of expenses authorized are detailed below.

14 FAM 536.4-1  Expenses in Connection with Remains

Expenses in connection with remains are authorized only as prescribed by 5 U.S.C. 5742, and within made available to the post.  The chief of mission must determine the payments to be made.

14 FAM 536.4-2  Transportation of Effects

Transportation of effects is authorized from the TDY post where death occurred to the LE Staff's post of employment.  Payments are to be made from allotments made available to the post.

14 FAM 537  through 539 unassigned

What Do Travel Percentages Mean in a Job Description?

Written by Nathan Brunner .

Last updated on December 12, 2023.

“Travel percentages” refer to the amount of time that an employee is required to travel as part of their job responsibilities. Travel percentages include traveling to other cities, states, or countries to meet with clients and attend conferences.

For example, if a job description requires “50% travel,” the employee will be required spend roughly half of their time traveling and the other half working from their home office or the company’s headquarters.

Some jobs may require no travel at all, while others may involve extensive travel on a regular basis. Before accepting a job that involves travel, it’s important to carefully consider whether you’re willing and able to meet the job’s travel requirements.

Tip : Find Jobs on Salarship .

The Implications of Travel Percentages on Work-Life Balance

Different travel percentages can have significant implications for work-life balance.

For instance, if a job requires very little or no travel, an employee may be able to maintain a more consistent schedule and have more time for personal activities or family commitments.

On the other hand, frequent or extended travel can lead to fatigue, stress, and a lack of personal time, which can negatively affect an employee’s mental health and well-being .

Here is a quick table to help you understand how the different travel percentages will impact your life once you start your job:

  • 10% travel — It means one or two months’ worth of business trips each year. In my experience, it is relatively easy to endure as it means a few travel days (or sometimes weeks) here and there.
  • 25% travel — You will spend at least a quarter of your working hours away from your usual place of work. It amounts to 3 months per year, one week per month, or two days per week.
  • 50% travel — It means constant overnight or international business trips for at least two weeks per month or six months a year. 50% of travel is usually mentioned in international business job descriptions.
  • 75% travel — You will essentially live out of your suitcase and move from hotel to hotel for nine months per year, or three weeks each month. Most jobs that require you to travel three-fourths of the time are pretty stressful (e.g., high-paying jobs or jobs in the transportation industry ). You may rake in a hefty salary, but the tradeoff is little time for yourself, your family, and your non-work-related hobbies and goals. 

On the bright side, companies usually shoulder most (if not all) of your travel expenses, including food expenses, hotel expenses, and transportation expenses.

How To Get a Job That Requires You To Travel

If you’re deadset on getting a job that includes a travel percentage in the description, here are a few tips to keep in mind — whether you’re writing your cover letter or answering an interview question on whether you’re willing to travel or not.

  • Highlight any previous travel experience you have. You want to reassure your potential employer that you’re not likely to, say, suffer from jet lag, or commit novice mistakes like forgetting to apply for a visa in countries that require them.
  • Be honest about the amount of time you’re willing to spend traveling. The more honest you are about what you want at the job application or interview stage, the more likely you’ll end up with a job that’s a good fit for you. 

Tip : 1,407,272 Jobs Are Available on Salarship .

Final Thoughts

Evaluating the time you’ll be traveling in a job description can help you decide whether a position is right for you.

On the one hand, traveling often translates to more opportunities for promotion and career growth. On the other hand, traveling can be stressful and take a toll on your physical, mental, and psychological health.

Ultimately, it all boils down to your personal priorities and values.

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Topic no. 511, Business travel expenses

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Travel expenses are the ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home for your business, profession, or job. You can't deduct expenses that are lavish or extravagant, or that are for personal purposes.

You're traveling away from home if your duties require you to be away from the general area of your tax home for a period substantially longer than an ordinary day's work, and you need to get sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away.

Generally, your tax home is the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home. For example, you live with your family in Chicago but work in Milwaukee where you stay in a hotel and eat in restaurants. You return to Chicago every weekend. You may not deduct any of your travel, meals or lodging in Milwaukee because that's your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago isn't for your work, so these expenses are also not deductible. If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located.

In determining your main place of business, take into account the length of time you normally need to spend at each location for business purposes, the degree of business activity in each area, and the relative significance of the financial return from each area. However, the most important consideration is the length of time you spend at each location.

You can deduct travel expenses paid or incurred in connection with a temporary work assignment away from home. However, you can't deduct travel expenses paid in connection with an indefinite work assignment. Any work assignment in excess of one year is considered indefinite. Also, you may not deduct travel expenses at a work location if you realistically expect that you'll work there for more than one year, whether or not you actually work there that long. If you realistically expect to work at a temporary location for one year or less, and the expectation changes so that at some point you realistically expect to work there for more than one year, travel expenses become nondeductible when your expectation changes.

Travel expenses for conventions are deductible if you can show that your attendance benefits your trade or business. Special rules apply to conventions held outside the North American area.

Deductible travel expenses while away from home include, but aren't limited to, the costs of:

  • Travel by airplane, train, bus or car between your home and your business destination. (If you're provided with a ticket or you're riding free as a result of a frequent traveler or similar program, your cost is zero.)
  • The airport or train station and your hotel,
  • The hotel and the work location of your customers or clients, your business meeting place, or your temporary work location.
  • Shipping of baggage, and sample or display material between your regular and temporary work locations.
  • Using your car while at your business destination. You can deduct actual expenses or the standard mileage rate, as well as business-related tolls and parking fees. If you rent a car, you can deduct only the business-use portion for the expenses.
  • Lodging and non-entertainment-related meals.
  • Dry cleaning and laundry.
  • Business calls while on your business trip. (This includes business communications by fax machine or other communication devices.)
  • Tips you pay for services related to any of these expenses.
  • Other similar ordinary and necessary expenses related to your business travel. (These expenses might include transportation to and from a business meal, public stenographer's fees, computer rental fees, and operating and maintaining a house trailer.)

Instead of keeping records of your meal expenses and deducting the actual cost, you can generally use a standard meal allowance, which varies depending on where you travel. The deduction for business meals is generally limited to 50% of the unreimbursed cost.

If you're self-employed, you can deduct travel expenses on Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship) , or if you're a farmer, on Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming .

If you're a member of the National Guard or military reserve, you may be able to claim a deduction for unreimbursed travel expenses paid in connection with the performance of services as a reservist that reduces your adjusted gross income. This travel must be overnight and more than 100 miles from your home. Expenses must be ordinary and necessary. This deduction is limited to the regular federal per diem rate (for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses) and the standard mileage rate (for car expenses) plus any parking fees, ferry fees, and tolls. Claim these expenses on Form 2106, Employee Business Expenses and report them on Form 1040 , Form 1040-SR , or Form 1040-NR as an adjustment to income.

Good records are essential. Refer to Topic no. 305 for information on recordkeeping. For more information on these and other travel expenses, refer to Publication 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses .

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Fortnite: How to Time Travel into the Future Slowly

Players will have to complete a rather unusual quest if they'd like to complete the Cowabunga event in Fortnite.

Fortnite is hosting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles event until February 27. During this time, players have the opportunity to complete a mini, TMNT -inspired Battle Pass. Eight quests are released every three days until the end of the event. As players complete these quests, the Splinter Assignment Quests, they'll unlock Ooze, which is the currency that's used to claim rewards in the Cowabunga event pass.

Fortnite ninja turtles

All Fortnite Sewer Pipes and How to Travel Through Them

Phase Three of the Splinter Assignment Quests, the Cowabunga Clash phase, requires players to time travel into the future slowly. It is certainly an odd request, but this guide will show fans how to complete the quest so they can earn their well-deserved Ooze and unlock some TMNT rewards.

Splinter Assignment Quests: Cowabunga Clash

splinter assignment quests phase 3

There is no other way to earn Ooze besides completing TMNT quests in Fortnite . Cowabunga Clash, the third phase of the Splinter Assignment Quests , was released on February 15, about halfway through the event. Many players were happy when eight additional quests became available, allowing them to unlock more Cowabunga event pass rewards at last. Here are the quests that were released and how much Ooze players can earn from them:

  • Reach the Top 25 players remaining (1): 400 Ooze
  • Visit different named locations in a single match (3): 300 Ooze
  • Time travel into the future... slowly (300): 300 Ooze
  • Search Weapon Cases (3): 400 Ooze
  • Assist in eliminating Society henchmen (10): 300 Ooze
  • Crouch, jump, and mantle (200): 300 Ooze
  • Take or eat pizza slices from pizza boxes with your friends (8): 300 Ooze
  • Damage opponents while airborne (100): 400 Ooze

How to Easily Time Travel into the Future Slowly

battle bus warning and gliding through the map

There is no doubt that the quest requiring players to time travel into the future is worded strangely, but it (sort of) makes sense. As time passes, you are leaving the present and getting farther into the future. To time travel into the future slowly in Fortnite , players simply have to play the game and let the seconds go by until they reach 300, and they can finally complete the quest .

In order to finish this Cowabunga Clash Quest, gamers will need to play a total of 300 seconds of Fortnite Battle Royale, which is exactly five minutes . However, quest progression won't start until players have left the boot camp island and entered the Battle Bus.

To quickly get through this quest without being eliminated, players should stay on the Battle Bus until it reaches the end of its route and forces them off . Then, they should open their glider and stay in the air as long as they can - this makes it easier for players to stay alive longer.

477922-fortnite-battle-royale-xbox-one-front-cover

Fortnite is a massively popular game that has several modes, the most famous of which is the online battle royale mode. In this mode, players collect items, build structures, and battle it out to be the ultimate victor.

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  6. Travel Assignments: How to Land Them in 2023

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  11. travel assignment

    travel assignment in English dictionary travel assignment Sample sentences with " travel assignment " Declension Stem Match words The outstanding amounts owed were in respect of telephone bills and advances relating to official travel assignments MultiUn this will be your first traveling assignment TEP This will be your first traveling assignment.

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    Travel nurses without a tax home can still work, but they must file under the status of an itinerant worker. This means they must pay taxes on all of their income, stipends, and reimbursements. Finally, getting and maintaining licensure is of the utmost importance when considering travel nursing requirements.

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    "Travel percentages" refer to the amount of time that an employee is required to travel as part of their job responsibilities. Travel percentages include traveling to other cities, states, or countries to meet with clients and attend conferences.

  21. Topic no. 511, Business travel expenses

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