Category: Uncategorized

As a locum tenens nurse practitioner, you should be making more income than your peers working as a permanent employee. Take advantage of this time so save up for your future. Whether it’s for retirement, starting your own practice, or preparing for your new family.

Each year I am surprised to hear how many of my peers both nurse practitioners and physicians that do not take advantage of company provided retirement benefits. Here are some basic recommendations to get you started in the world of investing:

• 401k- If you work with a W2 agency (such as Comp Health) even for a few months, take advantage of that time and set up a 401k with them. They will even match 50 cents to the dollar up to 6% of your income with them. Even if you take a break from them and work with another agency, that money will still be in your account (and growing) until you are able to work with them again and continue contributing to the account. How much should you contribute? The recommendation for most is to contribute 10-15% of your income pre-tax. Your income might as well go to future you instead of uncle sam. If you can’t contribute that much, try to at least put in 6% of your income to maximize the match from your employer.

• IRA – If you work with a 1099 agency, I recommend opening up a self-employed IRA. You can contribute up to 20% of your income or maximum of $55,000 each year. You can contribute monthly or at the end of the year, whatever makes your life easier. A SEP-IRA is similar to a traditional IRA, whereas you won’t be taxed until you withdraw.

• Stocks – If you have maxed at your 401k and IRA, you can look into investing in stocks. Try vanguard or fidelity to open a brokerage account.

• Real estate – Can be personal or commercial real estate. May be tricky if you are traveling and not home to keep an eye on the place. In that case you can hire a property management company to manage your property for you.  I personally like owning multiple properties because when I choose to retire, these places should be paid off and will be a nice source of income.

There is no better time to start investing than today 🙂

One of my good friends worked as a traveling nurse practitioner for 2 years. Eventually she missed home and wanted to move back to Florida. Fortunately, her last locums assignment was flexible allowing her to keep on extending as she searched for a permanent job.

Being a locum tenens nurse practitioner for the past 2 years, she was accustomed to a quick turnaround when applying for jobs. You could find a job, interview, and accept a position in a matter of days. Then you could start your job within a week or so.

Fast forward to searching for a permanent position. This was the complete opposite of working locum tenens. She applied for several jobs, and it took 1-2 months to hear back for an interview. After the interview it took 1-2 months to be given an offer. After accepting the offer, it took ANOTHER 1-2 months before she was able to start working.

My friend noted how crazy the difference was in applying for a locums position vs a permanent position. She states that the permanent job process took forever, for no real reason. It’s not like she had to go through multiple interviews or in front of a board of directors.

The other issue was the huge pay cut she was taking after transitioning from locums to perm. As a traveling nurse practitioner she was making $140,000 per year (including her unpaid time off). Originally the permanent position only offered her $90,000 per year. Considering her amount of experience, I thought the offer was substantially low and recommended my friend negotiate with them. Keeping in mind that Florida is a state that doesn’t pay nurse practitioners well (due to the abundancy of NPs), my friend ultimately was able to get them to go up to $100,000.

Making $100,000 a year is pretty decent but losing $40,000 a year from being a locums is the equivalent to another person’s salary. In addition to making less salary wise, my friend was also going to have more expenses being a permanent employee. She no longer would receive free housing each month. Instead she has to cover the $1500/month it costs to rent out her new place. So that brings her to a total lost of $58,000/year working as a permanent employee.

I understand that being a traveling nurse practitioner forever isn’t realistic for everyone. But I was really interested in watching her transition back to a permanent role. Luckily, my friend is enjoying her new position and the patient load is light. She is happy with the trade off – being back home and close to family, having all of her “things in one place”, and working at a job she likes. After all, money isn’t everything.

I think I made it clear this time that I would not be extending this assignment. I thought working briefly for 3 months, would prevent me from getting attached to patients again. I forgot that with this sick geriatric population, you can see some patients almost a dozen times within 3 months.

I did form some relationships, and those patients were sad when it was time for me to leave. Some of them passed by to say bye on my last day, while others went out of their way to call my supervisor and let her know how much they appreciated me. I sincerely enjoyed establishing connections with patients again.

It was bittersweet to leave. I know the process works; I witnessed it again while the patient panel I built remained well taken care of and did not end up in the hospital. On the other hand, I was looking forward to working at a place where I could focus on my scheduled patients and not be constantly bombarded with walk-ins.

It was nice catching up with some previous co-workers and friends. I also established new friendships while I was there. I was even able to participate in the annual holiday party for the 3^rd year in a row. Remember last year when they flew me up just for the party?

Instead of saying bye – I told everyone “see you later”. As you never know what the future entails.

I mentioned back when I was working in Maine that I was considering giving up my personal car. I was over driving more than 8 hours per assignment, and half of the time my car just sat at home in Miami. It was an expensive car too. The audi s5 convertible cost about $800/month + $200/month for car insurance.

When my lease was up I decided to return my car without getting a new one. While working, I am provided with a rental car and car insurance. I kept my own private insurance just in case for $15/month as a backup. I thought I would rent a car when I am home for the week, but luckily I haven’t needed to as of yet. I can usually borrow one of my relatives car or have my friends pick me up.

Besides the $1000/month I am saving on car payments and car insurance, I am also saving money on avoiding paying for premium gas. I am also saving money on car maintenance and repairs.

Although I miss having my sports car, I am happy with my decision to give up my car. It helps me live a minimalist lifestyle and save as much as possible for the future.

Without having a car to pack up all my stuff, I am more limited to what I can bring on assignment. This has been a fun challenge because I get to practice being a minimalist. However, I usually go home at least once in the middle of an assignment, so I am able to switch out some of my clothes.

I also like having a rental car because when I need to get to the airport I can just return the car there. I don’t have to worry about who will take me to the airport or spending $30-40 on uber. I have also been upgraded to luxury vehicles for free, several times. I have gotten upgraded to a cadillac sedan, cadillac suv, and camaro.

This is just another example how you can save so much money by being a traveling nurse practitioner.

As a teenager you think being 30 years old is, well – old. In your late 20’s you realizing turning 30 is actually not so bad afterall. Especially these days people are living until their 90’s+. It’s crazy to think I’ve only lived 1/3 of my life – which feels like forever.

Upon my return from Egypt and Morocco, my sister threw me a surprise 30^th birthday party. It was a women’s only tea party, where I was able to share afternoon tea with my family and friends. I was shocked she was able to pull this off. As I am typically a very observant person and I know my sister so well, that I know when she is lying to me. I honestly thought we were just celebrating my birthday on our trip. Little did I know she had a big party waiting for me.

During my tea party, I was coronated as Queen Sophia. My family and friends joke that I was probably a Queen in a previous life because I always expect the best and have an indestructible confidence. I think I was a bit awkward during the spotlight. As an introvert I don’t like that much attention…

I am extremely grateful for the surprise and being able to celebrate with close family and friends. In fact, I am still on a high from the party that I feel like I can tackle any obstacle at this time.

This milestone has allowed me to reflect on my life and I feel extremely blessed. I have a career that I love; family and friends that are always there for me; I am comfortable financially; and I am happy to be able to continue to discover and learn new things. There seriously isn’t one thing I would change about my life right now.

I always thought that once I became 30 I would finally feel the desire to settle down. However, in actuality I feel like my zest for exploration has grown even more! I don’t have any expectations for the next chapter of my life, but I do know one thing – it is going to be remarkable!

I just celebrated my 30^th birthday last month. I wanted to go somewhere exotic and decided to plan a trip to Egypt. Since Morocco is on the way, that became part of the itinerary as well.

We spent a few days in Marrakech and Casablanca, Morocco. Morocco reminded me of the movie Aladdin. The people were friendly but always quick to ask for a tip, weather by giving you directions or offering to take your picture. I enjoyed the mixture of French and Arabic. I was able to practice my French while enjoying Moroccan crepes.

I have heard that it may be uncomfortable traveling to Morocco as a woman. I quickly learned why. My sister and I couldn’t walk on the streets or in the bazaar for even one minute without a man coming up to us to chat. “Where are you from?” “Wow you are so beautiful!” “What is your name?” “What language do you speak” etc. We were honestly greeted by hundreds of men all day with “hello”, even some passing by on their moped would whisper “nice!” in our ear as they drove by.

It got to a point that we hired a guide just to pretty much be our body guard.

My favorite part of Morocco was staying at this gorgeous Riad in Marrakech. A Riad in an Andalusian home where there is a courtyard in the middle.

My second favorite part was visiting the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. It was absolutely breath taking!

Prior to going to Egypt, a lot of people asked me if I was afraid. I answered no because these days it’s even scary living in the USA. Plus, I learned that what you see on TV isn’t necessary true. I am so glad I didn’t allow fear to prevent me from visiting Egypt because it was such an amazing experience!

Our first day we visited the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. We rode on camels and explored the majestic world wonder in awe. We visited the Egyptian Museum where we were able to see King Tut’s treasures and royal mummies.

We also traveled to Abu Simbel to see the gorgeous temple and were mesmerized by the hieroglyphics inside. We then went to Luxor which was my favorite city in Egypt. Our hotel was on the Nile River and we visited the Valley of Kings, where there were dozens of tombs we got to explore.

I loved learning about ancient Egypt and seeing the relics in real life. It was really fascinating.

Interestingly, all of the Egyptians we spoke to made it clear that they would love to live in the USA if they had the opportunity to. It seemed that a lot of the Egyptians are struggling financially, especially those in the tourism industry. I honestly felt safe the entire time I was there, and hope that this post will inspire others to visit Egypt as well.

 

Being a minimalist means you practice an intentional life and freedom from the passion to possess. Americans are known to be consumers and spending the majority of their lives working to buy things. Being a traveling nurse practitioner has put a lot of things into perspective. Since I cannot travel with all of my belongings, it keeps me from purchasing items on a regular basis. It also has led to me declutter both my home and life.

Before when I would travel abroad, I was that person that had to buy dozens of souvenirs. These souvenirs end up just sitting as decorations and collect dust in my home. Now when I travel, I have to remind myself that there is no point in buying souvenirs (or more than 1 item hehe) because the best part of traveling are the memories created – not the things purchased.

I used to have 3 tall bookshelves full of books. I have always loved to read and like owning books, and holding them in my hand. I later realized there is no point in keeping a library at home. It just becomes more things that collect dust and you need to pack up every time you move. I ended up donating or selling the majority of my books, of course keeping some of my favorite ones. Now when I purchase a new book, after I finish reading it I will just give it to a friend to share the love.

My other guilty pleasure is clothes. I have always enjoyed having a full closet, with many options – so when the time comes for a special occasion, I am already prepared. Luckily, I discovered the app “Poshmark”. This is an app where people sell their used clothes. I have made hundreds of dollars selling my old clothes on this app. This allows me to get rid of clothes on a regular basis. I now have a rule that whenever I buy new clothes, I have to get rid of the same amount of old clothing items.

Growing up 1 of 4 children, I lived in big houses. Thus, I always thought I wanted to own a big house when I was older. The more I travel for work, the more I realize I would actually prefer to have a smaller home. A bigger house means more items you need to fill it up, more time spent cleaning, and more money wasted.

How has being a traveling nurse practitioner enabled you to become a minimalist?

My first week back in Virginia, I stayed at the Renaissance Marriott Hotel. It was a nice hotel on the water with city views. I actually ended up moving into a high-rise condo next door. I was initially not that interested in moving into the condo because I prefer living somewhere where I can park right in front of my home. However, once I toured the condo, it was an immediate yes. I am on the 23^rd floor and have views after views. The unit is also very spacious, sometimes I wonder if it’s a bit too spacious. But I guess I shouldn’t complain that my food pantry is meant for a family of 6.

The amenities are great too. There is a gym, pool, tennis court, pool table room, and walking trail on the water. There is a concierge and valet parking if desired.

Before moving into the condo, furniture was delivered and cable/internet was set up. I was able to pick up my keys on Friday after work. I moved in the following Saturday (the agency kept the hotel for me overnight).

I love sharing my current housing situation while on assignment, because many of my readers worry about living full time in a hotel or traveling with their family and not being accommodated. I just wanted to show that many times the housing arrangement exceeds expectations.

For the Fall I originally wanted to go back to the West Coast. Yet, I realized that I needed to be home several times for holidays, trips, and other festivities. So being on the west coast wouldn’t be ideal because of the distance.

The medical director from a site I used to work at in Virginia reached out to me asking if I could help in the fall. I originally was going to say no, because it was at a different clinic than I was at previously, so I wouldn’t even be able to see my old patients. When I thought about it more, I thought it was probably best that it was at a new clinic so I wouldn’t get attached to my patients again.

In addition, Virginia is a 2 hour flight from Miami and on the same time zone, making it pretty convenient to go home frequently. The site is also typically accepting of my time off – and knowing I would be taking almost 3.5 weeks off during that 3 month assignment, I figured it would be a good idea to work in Virginia after all.

I ended up doing a brief orientation again because it had been over 9 months since I worked with the company last. Fortunately, the EHR and work flow came back to me easily. On a positive note, the nursing staff and medical assistants at this clinic are all cordial and hard working. The patients are pleasant too. I do have to admit my first week was challenging emotionally. Although I knew some of the other providers from before (not well), I felt alone. Everyone I was previously close to was at the other clinic. I cheered up once I was able to meet up with everyone after work or on the weekend.

I know I have to give the new clinic a chance, and there is really nothing wrong with it. But obviously my old clinic has my heart since I was there for one year. I am still able to see how my old patients are doing when we have our monthly provider’s meeting. And I have even seen some of them around town :).

Side note: my first day working, the medical director already asked me to extend. Here we go again…..

After working in Maine and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, I went on a 2 week trip to South Africa. Direct flights from the US are about 18 hours. So my friend and I opted to stop in Brazil on the way to South Africa to break up the trip. The flight from Brazil to South Africa is only 8 hours.

We had an amazing time in Brazil. I was a bit nervous to go because I have heard stories about tourists being kidnapped and mugged. I wasn’t much of a target though since most Brazilians thought I was local. We stayed on Copacabana beach which was gorgeous with the mountain backdrops.

 

My favorite part was seeing Christ the Redeemer. I had seen the one in Peru previously, but the one in Rio de Janeiro is much bigger and more breath taking. I also enjoyed trying acai bowls for the first time (acai is native to Brazil).

 

After a few days we headed to Johannesburg, South Africa. It was interesting to watch my friend’s culture shock. There were a lot of Africans on the road, just hanging out, and moderate amounts of trash all over. To me it didn’t seem that bad in comparison to Haiti.

However, apparently Johannesburg isn’t the safest place in South Africa. There is a high unemployement rate (mostly from Northern Africans migrating south) and poverty. Unfortunately, we were told that tourists were often targeted in the city and were encouraged to avoid walking on our own.

In Johannesburg we went to the apartheid museum which I found interesting and learned a bit more about Nelson Mendela. It was interesting to see how much he is still beloved by his people.

The following few days we spent at Kruger National Park on a safari. It was fascinating being able to witness many animals in their natural habitats. I loved seeing a herd of elephants walking together with their baby elephants. I loved seeing the same elephants knock down trees to eat their roots.

Other animals we saw include baboons, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, lions, vultures, impalas, hippos, rhinos, buffalo etc. We stayed overnight in a bungalow which exceeded my expectations. There was a shower and even a heater in the room (it was cold at night). The lodging reserve also had a restaurant on site.

The last leg of our trip included Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town blew me away. It was absolutely beautiful there! It reminded me of California, between the beaches and mountains, along with the cool weather and wineries. Some highlights were going to see the penguins at Boulder Beach and the views from Table Mountain.

The Southern Africans were very nice and polite. I appreciated that they didn’t try to take advantage of us (tourists and Americans) and wouldn’t expect/demand a tip. Everything was super cheap so we tried to be as generous as possible.

Overall I had a great experience on this trip! It’s crazy to think that I will already be back at work in a different location in a few days. I feel like I am still processing all of the amazing things I saw on the trip and recuperating from the jetlag.