How to Handle Housing During Travel Nurse Assignments
Your housing scenario can make or break your travel nursing assignment. It can be your home away from home for 13 weeks, or a place you dread coming back to at the end of your shift. Housing stipends give you more control over where you live, but they often leave you responsible for finding a place to stay. Here’s how to find the best housing for your assignment.
Stipend Pay Basics
When your agency doesn’t provide your housing, you’ll receive a stipend to pay for your own. The dollar amount will vary based on your assignment and contract. Your agency will quote you a monthly rate and pay it out as part of your weekly check.
Most people choose fully furnished vacation rentals. These usually have everything you use on a daily basis, and the rent includes utilities. Most of the time you only need to pack your clothes and personal care items, pretty much like you do when you go on vacation.
Sometimes it’s possible to find an apartment or house to rent short-term, but landlords often charge a premium for a three-month lease. Also, if the rental is unfurnished that means extra packing for you.
Stipend Pay Benefits
To many people, travel nursing is about getting to know different parts of the country. Stipend pay lets you control where you live. If you want to live right by the beach in California or in a New Mexico canyon, you pick the spot. Sometimes stipend pay is more than you need for rent, so you keep some of it in your pocket.
How to Locate Housing
If you decide to go the vacation rental route, websites like VRBO.com and homeaway.com have listings all over the country. Airbnb.com and sublet.com provide options for renting a room or an entire home. If you’re looking for a more traditional rental situation use online resources like forrent.com and apartments.com to see what’s available where you’re headed.
Emerald City Medical Staffing can help you find your next nursing job and help you make the most of it when you get there. Contact us today to find out what jobs are currently available.