If you’re a travel nurse with children or pets—no problem! You can still accept travel assignments. In fact, many travel nurse agencies make it easy for nurses with families to bring their loved ones along on an assignment. Your recruiter will work with you to iron out some of the details. Other aspects of your travel planning will be up to you.

What to Think About When Traveling with Your Family

Just like when you embark on an assignment solo, you’ll need to plan before you depart with your family. By thinking about the following well in advance, you’ll save yourself plenty of last-minute headaches. Remember to:

• Work with your travel nursing agency for appropriate housing and amenities. Your recruiter will help set you up with a place to stay during your placement. But you’ll want to make sure it has certain things you’ll need when traveling with your family. For example, does the housing allow pets? How many bedrooms are available? Are laundry facilities on-site, or will you need to travel to a Laundromat? Is there a playground or park nearby? Think of all the features that will help make your life with your family easier while on location.
• Ask your recruiter about family health insurance. He or she can give you all the details you’ll need to ensure you and your family are covered for medical, dental or vision visits.
• Find local doctors ahead of time. In the unfortunate case of an illness or medical emergency, know ahead of time the names of doctors, hospitals, veterinarians, etc. Keep these names and numbers in the contact list in your cell phone. This way, if you, a family member or pet needs care, you’ll save yourself the stress of having to find a provider at the last minute.
• Decide if you’ll need day care services. When traveling with young children, you may require day care while on assignment. If you’re traveling with a spouse, will he or she be available to watch your young children during the day? If not, find out if child care is available right at your facility, or find the names of reputable day care services in the area.
• Plan to drive to your assignment, if possible. This is especially true if you’ll be traveling with a working spouse or multiple children. Having to rely on public transportation can make things more difficult. Having your own, reliable transportation will be a benefit when grocery shopping, running errands, etc. It will also make it easier to transport your family’s supplies to your temporary housing.
• Determine a plan for schooling your children. Your recruiter can help you find enrollment information on local schools. Some travel nurses prefer to homeschool children while on assignment. Another option is to plan your travel nursing jobs for the summer, while your kids are out of school. This is also a great way for your children to have a new and exciting summer vacation. If your child or children are still very young, you always have the option of embarking on your travel career now, before they reach school age.

Benefits of traveling with your children

Travel can be good for kids—it can help them grow and experience new cities and different cultures. Also, they’ll learn to be flexible and how to meet new people. It’s important to remember that not everyone gets the opportunity to see the world in his or her youth—children of travel workers are quite fortunate!

Remember that there is no single solution for the best way to travel with your family. What works for one person may not work for another. By relying on your recruiter for information and support, you’ll be well on your way to an assignment that works for both you and your family.

Are you ready? All aboard!

If you’re currently looking for a travel assignment, check out MedPro Healthcare Staffing. We place travel nurses with temporary positions across the country. Our knowledgeable recruiters will work with you for a placement that matches best with your needs, skills and experience. To learn more, contact MedPro Healthcare Staffing today!