• News
    • Industry Trends
    • Hot Markets
    • Weekly Top 10
    • Hospital Strikes
  • Career
    • Traveler Tips
    • First-Time Traveler
    • Ask The Expert
  • Reviews
    • Agency Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
    • Hospital Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
  • Network
    • Your Photos
    • Traveler Stories
    • Traveler Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Find A Hospital
    • Compact Licensure Map
    • Licensing
    • Certifications
      • ANCC
      • AHA
    • Continuing Education
      • CEU Directory
      • Nurse.com
      • Relias Academy
      • Wild Iris Medical Education
      • WorldWideLearn
  • Find High-Paying Jobs
    • Search All Jobs
    • Search High-Paying Jobs
    • Connect With A Recruiter
    • Top Markets
    • Travel CST Salary By State
    • Travel Nursing Salary By State
  • About Us
HCT Today
SHARE YOUR STORY GET THE SCOOP

HCT Today Dedicated News Site For Healthcare Travelers

January 16, 2021
  • StaffDNA Career Profile Benefits
  • Career Profile Login
  • Highest-Paying Jobs
HCT Today
SHARE YOUR STORY

  • News
    • Industry Trends
    • Hot Markets
    • Weekly Top 10
    • Hospital Strikes
  • Career
    • Traveler Tips
    • First-Time Traveler
    • Ask The Expert
  • Reviews
    • Agency Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
    • Hospital Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
  • Network
    • Your Photos
    • Traveler Stories
    • Traveler Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Find A Hospital
    • Compact Licensure Map
    • Licensing
    • Certifications
      • ANCC
      • AHA
    • Continuing Education
      • CEU Directory
      • Nurse.com
      • Relias Academy
      • Wild Iris Medical Education
      • WorldWideLearn
  • Find High-Paying Jobs
    • Search All Jobs
    • Search High-Paying Jobs
    • Connect With A Recruiter
    • Top Markets
    • Travel CST Salary By State
    • Travel Nursing Salary By State
  • About Us
summer jobs-summer travel nursing
Career First-Time Traveler Traveler Tips

Traveler Tips: Tackling the Summer Slowdown in Travel Nursing

Ryan WagonerMay 2, 20190 Views0

Fit Travel Life-Travel Nurse Blogger

By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life

When I explain to non-healthcare friends and family that there is indeed a slow season for hospitals they seem a little amused. Surely we can’t predict when people get sick, right?

Any experienced traveler will tell you that there is a higher incidence of hospitalizations during the fall and winter months. Many facilities see a drop in the number of patients as warmer months approach and are less desperate to fill staffing needs as a result. All of these fluctuations in patient population have a drastic effect on the travel healthcare market and can make the summertime a particularly slow time for travel jobs.

While you may not have your pick of jobs during this time of year, it is possible to stay employed through the summer travel nursing slowdown. Keep in mind that all of travel healthcare is a give and take, and even if you have to make some sacrifices for the summer months there will be plenty of jobs popping up again around September and October.

Consider extending at your current location.

Managers are much more likely to keep a traveler they know who is reliable and knowledgeable before they go out and search for a new person to fill the position.

In a few cases, I have even been able to extend even though the unit was no longer in dire need of a traveler because I got along well with other staff and proved that I was a valuable asset.

Even if the job isn’t your favorite or you don’t love the area, having a job is better than a few weeks of unemployment. I highly recommend if a position offers an extension that will get you through to at least August you should jump on that opportunity.

The only exception would be if your license was in danger or you were suffering extreme mental health struggles as a result of the unit culture or other stressors.

Offer to act as a float or switch units at your current job.

While your home unit at your current contract may not have a need for a full-time traveler over the summer, the hospital may still need help in other areas.

If you do really love the area or you are having trouble finding a new assignment that looks appealing, ask your agency to reach out and see if there are any other ways to stay employed in your current contract.

You may be able to reach an agreement with your current position that buys you more time to shop around for your next job by being flexible and offering to work multiple units or switch units.

Stay open to smaller towns or less-popular locations.

While you may not be able to score that awesome “summertime in Seattle” contract, don’t be opposed to going to somewhere a little less talked about during the summer.

Many of these towns come alive during the summer and it is a great time to experience local culture and meet new people in the area.

Be on the lookout for local festivals, or check out the outdoor activities in the area. We tried paddleboarding for the first time on our first assignment and also found that local breweries had some sort of event going on almost every single weekend while it was warm. Another great memory was picking raspberries off the vine in Wisconsin—something we had never done before and made for some delicious homemade treats!

Keep active licenses in high demand states.

I currently have active licenses in both California and New York even though I have never worked a contract in those states. While they are not top destinations for me, I know that there have consistently been jobs listed in both areas no matter how the market changes.

If you have a compact license, this is another great advantage. Having a multi-state license definitely improves your chances of staying employed in a slow market, although you may notice pay rates drop a bit during the slower summer months.

Be financially prepared.

If I haven’t mentioned this enough in other posts, here is another reminder: Always have a financial cushion when working as a traveler. This is beneficial not only when you find yourself facing a contract cancellation, but it also gives you more power in times when jobs are not as plentiful.

A lot of travelers who have saved wisely will use the slower summer season to travel a bit internationally. Last year we were even able to go home for a month and do some vacationing between visits with family. The beauty of travel healthcare is you don’t actually have to work if you aren’t on a contract and you get to decide when to take contracts.

Just being aware of this summer travel nursing slowdown can put the power back in your hands.

The key to making it through a potential slow season in the travel market is meeting it head-on. Knowing ahead of time that you may not be able to have your pick of jobs is empowering because it lets you make the best plan based on the options you have.

Keep in mind that less demand may also result in slightly lower pay packages, but rates will start to creep back up as flu season rolls around. Be flexible or utilize this time to take an extended vacation and before you know it those high-paying jobs will be pouring into your inbox!

Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and their dog, Summer. She enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and trying the best local coffee and wine.


Want to share your own advice, thoughts or stories on Healthcare Traveler Today? Learn more about our Contributing Writers program.

First-Time Travel NursenursingTravel Nursingtravel nursing jobsTraveler Tips
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • Comment
  • SHARETraveler Tips: Tackling the Summer Slowdown in Travel Nursing
    • Pin
    • Share
    • Share
Previous ArticleTop 10 Highest-Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs April 30-May 5
Next ArticleShort-Staffed Nursing Homes See Drop In Medicare Ratings (KHN)
Ryan Wagoner
Ryan Wagoner is a reporter for Healthcare Traveler Today.

You may also like

EMR Conversion: New Mexico hospital switching to EPIC in September

What I Would Change If I Could Reset My Travel Nursing Career

EMR Conversions: Appalachian Regional Kicks Off Meditech Upgrade In Kentucky, West Virgina

Leave a Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse Topics

  • Agency Reviews
  • Ask The Expert
  • Career
  • Compliance
  • Continuing Education
  • EMR Conversions
  • eNLC
  • Featured
  • First-Time Traveler
  • For A Laugh
  • Healthcare Roundup
  • Hot Markets
  • Housing
  • Industry Trends
  • Inspiration
  • Licensing
  • Market Data
  • News
  • Nurse Contributor
  • Strikes
  • Take A Break
  • Taxes
  • Top 10
  • Traveler Tips
  • Uncategorized
  • VMS/MSP
  • Weekly Polls
  • Your Photos
  • Your Stories

More Stories

×

10 Best Travel Dog Breeds For Healthcare Professionals

Tons of travel healthcare professionals love to bring their beloved pooches along for the ride, but not every dog breed is great for...

Travelers

cancel travel nurse contract-cancel travel allied health contract

Cancel Your Travel Contract Without Ruining Your Reputation

April 5, 2018
wisconsin-devils lake state park-travel nurse wisconsin

Traveler Stories: What I Loved About Working in Wisconsin

February 28, 2019
Nashville-Tennessee-travel healthcare jobs august 2018

Travel Jobs: Where Travelers Applied in July, Expectations for August

August 9, 2018

Industry News

5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Working as a Travel Nurse

December 7, 2020

How to Navigate Travel Nursing Facebook Groups

January 5, 2021

Take an Inside Look at the Most Advanced Self-Service Platform for Healthcare Staffing

January 15, 2021

Traveler Photos

RN, Amanda M., taking in the sights at Antelope Canyon near Page, Ariz.
RN, Amanda M., catching the morning sun near Durango, Co.
RN, Karyn E., posing for a selfie with her coworker.
RN, May D., enjoying a day off at Pachaug Pond.
RN, Naomi B., shares photos of her adventures from Arizona and other parts of the U.S.
RN, Naomi B., shares photos of her adventures from Arizona and other parts of the U.S.
RN, Amanda M., taking snapshots on horseback in Monument Valley near Page, Ariz.
RN, Trisha A. in California
RN, Amanda M., taking in the sights at Antelope Canyon near Page, Ariz.
Copyright © 2021 StaffDNA. All Rights Reserved.

Helpful news, travel tips, expert advice and online resources—delivered straight to your inbox once a week.

“Get The Scoop” on the travel healthcare industry with HCT Today.

Learn More

Agency Review

HCT Today wants to know what healthcare professionals think about their travel agencies. Below are 15 questions covering Recruiting and Accounting & Customer Service. This survey will take two minutes. You will either be asked a yes/no question or a scale with 0 being poor and 5 being excellent. All submissions will remain anonymous.







Recruiting

0 = Poor & 5 = Excellent



YesNo


YesNo


YesNoN/A



Accounting & Customer Service

0 = Poor & 5 = Excellent




Overall Agency Score





Photo of The Month Contest



By clicking submit you are agreeing to the Photo Contest Terms and Conditions.

We Want To Hear From You

We want to hear your stories, feedback, suggestions or tips! Have an insider tip on upcoming strikes or EMR conversions at your hospital? Let us know! Interested in contributing a story or sharing your experience to help other traveling professionals? We want to hear it!




You may optionally provide contact information below. Including this information helps our team reach out should we need more information regarding your submission. This information will not be shared with third parties.


NoYes






Unless you have chosen to remain anonymous, by submitting this form you give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to contact you for details regarding your submission. You also give permission for HCT Today to share your information on HCTToday.com. We will never publish your contact information. For questions, email hcttoday@staffdna.com or call 469-429-6608

Hospital Review


Healthcare Traveler Today is collecting hospital reviews from nurses nationwide to get a better idea of what it's like working in specific facilities. We want to hear from you! Share your experience by completing the form below. All reviews remain anonymous.










YesNo


YesNo


YesNo


YesNo



YesNo



RNNOLPNCNAOther




By submitting this form you give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to contact you for details regarding your submission. You also give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to share this information on the HCTToday.com site. For questions, email hcttoday@staffdna.com or call 469-429-6608.