Each month I will include a blog entry answering some of the most common questions I get from readers about locum tenens as a nurse practitioner. Feel free to comment any questions you have or email me at travelingNP.com@gmail.com.
How does dating work as a locum tenens nurse practitioner?
Many traveling nurse practitioners I know travel with their spouse or significant other. The agencies will certainly accommodate your needs with lodging. Some partners have flexible jobs where they can work from home, making it easy for them to travel. Some partners will fore-go their current job and may pick up seasonal jobs in their new living area. I also know some couples that will just take turns visiting each other throughout the assignment.
For single locum tenens nurse practitioners, traveling actually helps with the dating process. People always ask me if it’s hard to date since I am always moving around. I tell them no, that in contrary it is actually easier to date since I am traveling. This is because I end up meeting way more people than I normally would. I am even able to meet different types of people too.
Miami isn’t known for having an intellectual atmosphere, which made dating pretty tough when I lived there. Being able to move to different cities, I am able to meet people that more closely fit my needs.
Some of my friends that are travel nurses, ended up dating someone while on an assignment. To figure out if things would work, they extended their assignment. If the relationship became serious they eventually just settled down in that city permanently.
In a couple of states that I traveled to, I ended up meeting and dating someone while I was there. By the near end of my assignments, I had to contemplate if staying was worth it. In one instance, I decided to move on. In another case, I decided to extend my assignment to see where things would go. It was nice to have that companionship while I was there, but I do not think I am at the stage where I am looking for something long-term.
