Travel nursing is an exciting career opportunity that allows for new experiences and the potential to earn a great paycheck. And while it does require being away from home for as long as 13 weeks at a time, it doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. There are many travel nurses who choose to bring along a pet, significant other, or their entire family when they take a new assignment. For the rare couple who are both nurses, travel nursing represents a unique opportunity to travel together while working the job they both love. It’s even a great opportunity for two nursing friends to travel together and keep each other company as roommates in a new city.
Finding Travel Nursing Jobs Together
While not as simple as finding travel assignments for a single nurse, it’s possible for a nursing couple to find jobs together at the same hospital or at least in the same city. In cases like these, it’s important to work closely with a staffing agency to find assignments that work for your unique arrangement. But with the help of a great recruiter and a willingness to be flexible, it can be a great experience for everyone involved.
Tips For Landing an Assignment Together
Of course, a decision like this all comes down to the hospital in the end, but there may be opportunities. Here are a few tips for securing an assignment together:
- Find a great recruiter. Your specific recruiter or staffing agency will play a big role in a situation like this. Shop around to find one that will work hard to find you exactly what you want. At LRS Healthcare, our recruiters will work with you to find the best assignments possible.
- Be flexible. It would be great to get the same shift as one another, but remaining flexible on schedules may give you a higher probability of finding a hospital together. The more demanding you are, the harder it will be to find an assignment together.
- Be upfront about your situation. If one of you lands an interview with your desired hospital, let them know you would like to work with your partner or friend. If you’re both strong nurses, it can be to their advantage to hire you both.
Explore Other Options
Due to the hiring process, it may be easier for both of you to try to land an assignment at the same hospital. But if that isn’t an option due to limited job openings or other issues, you can also try to get assignments at hospitals that are close to one another. This option will take very intricate planning, but as long as the time frames match up, it should be possible to live together.
Free Housing and Housing Stipends
Apart from being able to share experiences with a friend or significant other, travel nursing as a couple has a financial benefit as well. By living together, the housing benefits of being a traveling nurse are amplified, and both nurses are able to earn more as a result. Since most staffing agencies offer a choice between free housing or a tax-free housing stipend for each nurse, there’s a great incentive for nurses to live with one another.
Which Housing Benefit Is Better?
The couple will get to choose their personal housing benefit, so it’s best to coordinate in order to get the most bang for your buck. Since it wouldn’t make sense for both nurses to take the free housing, there are essentially two options to choose from.
Free Housing Plus Housing Stipend
One option is to have one of the nurses accept free housing provided by the staffing agency while the other accepts the housing stipend to pocket as additional income. This option would work well for a couple who shares their income with one another, but it isn’t a great choice for friends who want to travel together.
Taking the Housing Stipend
The other option is for both nurses to accept the tax-free housing stipend and split the cost of rent. This popular option would work well for couples, as well as nurses who don’t share income. In this scenario, both nurses would receive additional tax-free income and pocket more due to the decreased cost of rent.
Work with LRS Healthcare
If you’re looking for a staffing agency that’s willing to work with you to find the best possible travel assignments, look no further than LRS Healthcare. You’ll work with one experienced recruiter throughout your entire time with us, so they’ll be able to get to know you so they can better assist you throughout your career. We’ve worked with travel nursing duos, including couples and friends who want to live with one another. Apply to become a traveling nurse with LRS Healthcare today.
