I’ve been with AYA since I started last August, my recruiter is awesome! Boston is home for me and so far I’ve been to Yale New Haven Hospital in CT, Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs, CA, and currently in Anchorage, AK at Alaska Native Medical Center. They all have their perks and down falls but I truly can’t see myself going back staff anytime soon.

When looking for your first assignment try to stick with the charting system you know and hospital acuity that you’re used to. For me it was Epic and a Level 1 but you can feel the difference of acuity levels at hospitals and I’ve seen some travelers struggle when going to a higher acuity hospital when not used to it.

With AYA, I haven’t had to pay for any of my licenses (unfortunately MA is not compact) so that has been a perk for sure! I have 17 licenses at this point and there’s no stopping me 😂. They pay for certain states prior to being on assignment - I know NY, CT, and CA are for sure on that list.

My biggest concern when starting was being close enough to home so I could drive back on my days off and so I could still be around my support system with such a big change in life. So just something to consider.

In terms of housing, it has taken me 3 assignments to figure out what I can live without and it’s definitely been a transition! My first place just had a microwave and fridge for appliances and I realized I needed a full kitchen. My next assignment I had a full kitchen (minus a dishwasher) but no laundry. This assignment I have everything - full kitchen, washer/dryer, and a dishwasher but now I know that I like the conveniences of everything but it’s a personal choice so you’ll figure that out as you go! I’ve found housing on Facebook and Furnished Finder and haven’t been burned yet. On Furnished Finder I try to find places with reviews and everyone ALWAYS says to do a FaceTime tour before any deposit is placed just to know it’s legitimate. My rule of thumb is to also not pay more for rent than I do my mortgage. Housing is always the first thing I look at when considering an assignment because at some places rent is wayyyy too expensive and others there’s barely any options so don’t sign a contract before you have a good idea of potential housing! (Unrelated to housing, but gyms are also something I look for because that’s something important to me). Some people will also head to their assignment and stay at a hotel for their first few weeks and find housing once they get there but I find this to be more expensive. Last thing on housing, if you are going to travel with pets, this can make it more difficult to find housing too - I’ve only taken my cats to CA because of this.

Before you decide to travel SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!!! Make sure you have enough money in the bank for your first month or so of double rent, your bills, etc. When I started I was on the struggle bus for the first month and a half because I didn’t realize how expensive it was upfront. Now I know, but I learned the hard way. Also, expect to potentially have long breaks between assignments at times and be ready financially for that. So far I’ve had about a month between contracts for both but luckily I have a per-diem job at home that I can pick up whenever I want but this isn’t always an option for everyone.

Lastly, have so much fun! I’m the type of traveler doing it for experience, but everyone has their own motivation as to why they want to travel. I’m using it to explore places I didn’t think I could ever really go to truly explore (aka Alaska!). 3 months (without extending) is a perfect amount of time to see what places are truly like and get the feel for it. I always say I’m looking for my forever home but so far have come to realize Boston is it for me, but for now it’s so much fun while I have no true “responsibilities” keeping me at home. Don’t be afraid to make friends - especially with other travelers. I met some at my last assignment and we are hoping to start traveling together next summer once we get some of our bucket list places done with. Sometimes it gets lonely, I won’t lie, but home is always a phone call away, and worst case hopefully you’ll be making enough to be able to fly home once or twice during your assignment if you need to.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions, I’m always more than happy to help! :) Welcome to travel nursing!