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Hopefully you are not keeping your savings in a regular checking or savings account earning 0.01% interest. If you are looking to park some short term and long term savings into a high yield savings account, I highly recommend Wealthfront. They offer 4% interest on your account balance each month. This definitely helps keep your money from being devalued from inflation. And whenever you need to use your money, you can transfer it to your checking account instantly.

I have easily earned $700+ per month just from having this account alone. I keep my emergency fund in there, along with other long term savings such as purchasing another rental property. I also like that you can have multiple savings divided within this account. For example: you can allot $10k listed under “House” and then $5k listed under “Vacations”. This helps keep things organized.

I have a referral link below that offers you an extra 0.5% interest in your first 3 months of being an account member:

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Many readers have asked me how I keep track of my 15+ state licenses. Previously, I just kept a list on excel with the expiration dates and set a reminder on my calendar, when it is time to renew. Then I would look up required CEU’s on the board of nursing website to see if I am missing any.

LocumTenens.com had me review a licensing tracking software they planned to provide as a benefit to their providers. This is a paid program called Mocingbird. LT.com was nice enough to add in my state licenses for me upfront, so I didn’t have to do the manual uploading myself. After going through the product and using it over a few months, I thought Mocingbird was beneficial. It sent email reminders when it was time to renew state licenses. It also listed specific CEU requirements which saved me time in having to go to individual board of nursing websites to look up which CEUs were required upon renewal. It also has a hub allowing you to centralize documents for credentialing or when needing to apply for other licenses.

Mocingbird provides a 30-day free trial if you want to see what it is like. It is quite pricey at $199/year, but beneficial to streamline CME tracking and compliance. It would be a nice benefit that agencies can offer their providers for free. Mocingbird offers other services for an extra charge such as completing licensing applications for you, which your agency can do for you at no cost to you.

On the other hand, the telemedicine company I work for uses a different paid program called Medallion. This is more of a credentialing platform which also requires you uploading copies of all of your state licenses. The benefit is that the information is streamlined to payors similar to having a CAQH profile. The telemedicine company pays for this, so there is no extra cost to me. However, they send me reminder emails 90 days out when my licenses are due for renewal. It will keep reminding me until I upload an updated license on the platform. It’s an added bonus to prepare me for license renewals ahead of time.

Before being presented to a job site, your agency or recruiter will need to request your permission to present you. They do this to have your “name cleared”, which means that the site will clarify that you have not already been presented to them with another agency in the last 12 months, nor have they had a bad experience with you in the past.  

If you were originally interested in that site earlier in the year with agency A, and was presented over, but didn’t end up working with the site, you will still only be able to proceed with that site only with agency A, and not other agencies. This is something important to know because you will want to make sure that the current agency/recruiter you are talking to is a good fit. Because once you agree to be presented with that agency, you won’t be able to work with that site through another agency within the next 12 months.

Many agencies have the same job options, so you will want to make sure you get presented to the site with the best agency for you. Initially, I used the approach of first come first served. That means, that the first agency that presented me with the job, I would go with them. Eventually, you realize you should take your time because maybe another agency you have a better relationship with has that potential job option too.

If an agency sends me a job listing, I don’t necessarily ask other recruiters if they have that job too, but I will talk to them to see what jobs they have available, and it’s possible they have the same one. That way if you really like a particular site, you don’t have to work with a specific agency you dislike just to be able to have a great assignment.

Another thing to keep in mind, is to be careful with recruiters presenting you to sites without asking for your permission. It has happened to me before and I know plenty of other travel NPs that this has happened to as well. This can happen when a recruiter sends you an assignment option, and you reply “I am interested”. This means I would like more information, but the recruiter takes it to mean I would like to move forward and presents me to the site without me knowing.

Fast forward to months later, another recruiter approaches me with the same job offering but in a different location. I give my approval to be presented, and the site says that I was already presented by another agency so they cannot move forward. This is frustrating because I didn’t give my permission to be presented to them in the past, and I don’t even remember which agency presented me, nor do they provide that information. So, I lost an incredible job opportunity due to this. Keep in mind, many sites have locations in different towns and states so this can exclude you from multiple job sites within 12 months.

I hope this tip benefits beginner travel NPs and serves as a reminder to experienced travel NPs.

In the Spring, I was feeling stressed thinking that I needed to find a locum tenens gig asap. There was no specific reason except my scarcity mindset. I wasn’t strapped for cash, nor for experience. In my mind, I was thinking that I last worked in clinic in October, and I didn’t want to go more than 6 months without working in clinic.

I feared that sites would no longer see me as competitive if I didn’t have hands-on experience within the last 6 months. I have heard of telemedicine providers not being able to get a job after 1-2 years without seeing patients in person. I did not want this to be me.

Fast forward to an opportunity I had to work in Florida with the geriatric clinic I often worked for in the past. They asked me if I was available, and made me an offer on the spot. Within hours, I had a contract in my email. They didn’t even ask for a CV or cared when was the last time I worked.

I ended up not proceeding with the offer, because I said on a previous post, my partner had just moved to the USA and wanted to stay in Miami longer to adjust. However, the opportunity showed me that after being a traveling NP for 10 years, I have enough contacts and networks that will allow me to always have job options no matter what. So even if I decide to take a break from being a nurse practitioner for years, I will still be able to find a job when I return.

In fact, I know a nurse practitioner that took a break from healthcare for 5 years. She worked in other capacities. And when it was time to renew your board certification, she decided to go back to being an NP. She said it was easy for her to find a part-time job (her preference). This proves what we already know – that our career is in high demand, and companies are willing to “bend the rules” to work with us.

Even though I am so used to jumping in and out of work, I no longer have the pressure to take a locum tenens assignment this year at all. I likely will work at least one assignment this year. Yet, if I decide to travel abroad instead, my career won’t be jeopardized.  

Plenty of aspects of locum tenens has changed within the last 10 years. For one thing, it has become more popular for nurse practitioners. I remember when I started, there was no information out there to become a traveling NP, hence why I created this blog. Now you can find travel NP influencers, books, and other websites.

A lot of medical facilities are now used to having locums providers, compared to when I started. At that time, other providers saw locums as “risky”. They assumed locum providers couldn’t get a permanent job anywhere else, which is why they had to do locums. Now many providers are interested in doing locums, whether on the side or even briefly between career gaps. I know plenty of full-time colleagues that asked me for locum tenens recommendations since knowing them. They now see locums as flexible and rewarding.

There are more way more agencies. Before it was just the large ones such as Barton and Comp Health. Now you have many mom and pop agencies, that tend to pay more and provider better concierge service. You can definitely leverage your opportunities by being credentialed with multiple agencies.

The pay has definitely increased. This may mostly be due to inflation and how companies had to become more competitive with pay after covid. Since starting a career as a locum tenens NP, my income has increased by 70%. That definitely surpassed the annual 3% raise you typically get staying at a full-time job.

Housing options has become more flexible. I remember initially locum tenens agencies only wanted their clinicians to stay at extended-stay hotels. It slowly turned into furnished apartments and Airbnb. Now they even offer housing stipends as an option.

It has been nice to see Locum Tenens evolve over the years, mostly for the better. Does anyone else remember any large changes in the locums space over the last decade?

Wow 10 years goes by fast! I can’t believe I have been working as a locum tenens nurse practitioner for 10 years now. It’s been a lot of fun and I am glad I made the leap 10 years ago. I never thought that I would still be a travel NP until this day. I thought I would settle down after a few years.

In the last decade, I have worked in 11 different states and 26 different practices. I have learned so much as a nurse practitioner, and grown a lot as a person. Being a traveler has set me up for success – emotionally, mentally, and financially.

I have enjoyed working in different places and meeting new people. I loved living temporarily in different states and climate hacking. This means I enjoy cool weather during summer and warm weather during winter J It has been a great way for me to keep in touch with friends, family, and former classmates.

Most of all, I do not think I would be financially independent had I never started working as a travel NP. Being a travel NP, allowed me to double my income; save on housing and car; and reduce my overall taxes.

My identity isn’t being a nurse practitioner; it is being a travel NP. The travel NP that always has new experiences and something to look forward to. The travel NP that came to “save the day” and help her fellow colleagues see patients and get in patients that have waited months for an appointment. The travel NP that can decide where she gets to live and how much she wants to work.

I think every NP should take a dab into locum tenens. You don’t need to work 10 years like me, but even doing it for a few months can set you up for success. It can make you feel more confident as an NP. It can help you build your skills. It can help you pay off debt. It can help you save up to start your own business.

For the last 2-3 years I have cut down to working as a travel NP only 6 months out of the year. I remember when I first started as a travel NP, there were other locums that would come to the clinic I was at in WA, and they told me they worked 3 months on and 3 months off. I thought that was amazing. I never thought that that would be me someday – even in my 30’s!

Although I don’t know how much longer I will continue to practice as an NP, I know I will always have locum tenens as an option for me.

Whenever I start a new locum tenens position, my new coworkers always ask me what’s my favorite place I’ve worked. It’s a difficult question to answer when you’ve worked in over 20 different locations. It’s similar to when people ask me what’s my favorite country I have visited, when I have been to over 50 countries – aka too many to choose from.

I usually proceed with – I have two answers: my favorite job itself, and my favorite city/state to live in. I have two favorite jobs, so I often use either one to provide as an answer. My first favorite job was my very first locum tenens assignment away from home, which was the community health center in Washington state. It was a really organized practice and showed me that not all FQHC’s are the same. I also learned a lot and proved to myself that I can be successful as a traveling NP.

My other favorite job was the first time I worked with the geriatric clinic in Virginia. I mean I stayed there for almost 1 year so that says something. I learned a lot in that job and developed amazing relationships with patients. I liked being accountable for patient outcomes, which is why I have continued to work with that practice in different locations for the last 7 years.

My favorite city/state to live in or practice in also has two answers. I absolutely love living in San Diego, CA. The job there is really an afterthought. I love the diversity of the city, laid back atmosphere, perfect weather, and being able to live on the beach. My second favorite place I lived in was surprisingly Maine. I liked that it was also laid back that the physicians at work would go fishing at a nearby pond during their lunch break. I appreciated being able to go for walks and hikes during the summer since the temperature was only in the 70’s.

What has been your favorite job or location as a traveling NP?

Honored to have been included in FeedSpot’s Top 50 Travel Nursing Blogs! Check out the full list below.

https://bloggers.feedspot.com/travel_nursing_blogs

Check out my latest post for Locumstory.com about the nuances of doing locum tenens as a family nurse practitioner:

https://locumstory.com/spotlight/family-practice-np-locum-tenens

I finished my last locum tenens assignment in October. My partner moved to the USA in December so my priority has been getting him situated. I planned on us being in Miami for 2 months so we could spend time with my family and friends for the holidays. I rented a mid-term rental in Brickell/Downtown Miami because it is walkable. I figured that would make the transition easier since he is used to that coming from Europe. Then I was going to take a locum tenens assignment possibly in my favorite place, San Diego, CA.

However, it has been a bigger adjustment for my partner to move here than we expected. So, he would like to stay in Miami a few months longer. He would like to get more comfortable with driving here, as he never really drove in Europe since public transportation is convenient there. I am so used to moving and living in different places, that I forgot it can be a challenge to live somewhere new.

In the meantime, I have been working telemedicine part-time. This has allowed for greater flexibility. I can make the same amount I make working as a locums tenens NP full-time, as a part-time telemedicine NP. The only difference is my housing and rental car is not covered. It makes me wonder if it is worth going back to being a travel NP – if I can make double the income doing telemedicine, and/or work less.

The thought of traveling and living in new places still interests me. I supposed I can always just get a mid-term rental and pay for it myself, while working in telemedicine in a new state. Although telemedicine is easier than working in clinic, it still has its challenges. It drains me to tell patients again and again that they do not need antibiotics after being sick for 1 day; and having to deal with angry patients who think seeing a telemedicine provider is like going to McDonalds and they can order whatever they want from the menu.

I do miss working in clinic sometimes because at least there is more complexity. Vs in telemedicine I am doing simple visits such as UTI’s, erectile dysfunction, cold symptoms, and birth control, etc. It can get tedious. I also want to keep my “hands-on” experience. I believe after working in telemedicine only for 2 years it may be difficult to get an in-person job.

So, I am at a crossroads. I will have to continue working telemedicine for now, and I think at a minimum I will pick up at least one 3-month locums assignment this year.

Would you rather work part-time in Telemedicine and pay for your own housing and car for the equivalent pay of working full-time in clinic? Or would you rather work full-time as a Traveling NP and have your housing and car covered? Not to mention free travel…