Travel nursing is an exciting career path, that often takes many nurses to places they may not have experienced before. It’s an opportunity to get to know new people and patients, become acquainted with fellow nurses and healthcare staff and grow your network and experience in no time!

Once the rush of excitement passes, nerves can set in and all of the unknowns can come to mind. One thing you absolutely do not want to forget it making sure that you are properly packed for your ventures.. 

Travel nursing is not a permanent move, but it’s also not a short 3 day trip either. Knowing what to take with you - and what you can do without - is crucial. As it turns out, one of the most essential parts of travel nursing can also be one of the most stressful. 

With these packing guide, we hope to set you up for success and alleviate some of the pressures that come with the preparation for your travel assignment. 

Bring Paperwork and Essential Documents.

This first tip may be the most important - you want to make sure you have all of your necessary documents with you as you travel. An outfit or a pair of shoes can be easily replaced, but documents (especially official government documents) often take weeks or even months to be replaced.

The last thing you want is to be in another city or state and realize that you’re missing documents! It can cost a lot of money to get them replaced or get them shipped to you by a family member.

Essential documents can be things like: 

• Your State ID/drivers license

  • If you’re taking a car with you - don’t forget your insurance and registration!

• Social Security Card and Birth Certificate

  • These documents can help provide additional identification for important tax documents

• Nursing license, credentials and any additional documentation requested

• Travel nursing contract and documents or paperwork as required by your facility

  • Be sure to contact your assigned location and recruiter to ensure you have everything you need before traveling!

Pack Light and Smart.

Don’t worry - you don’t need to pack like you’re never going back home again! As we mentioned, travel nursing is not a permanent relocation but it’s also not a short trip. If you do end up deciding to move - well, that’s another post for another day!

When packing for your nursing related travels, you want to make sure you don’t pack away your entire life. Sit down with your belongings and get real about what you absolutely need and what you can go without for an extended period of time. A travel nurse packing list can help, and if you ever get stuck there are tons of helpful resources online - a YouTube search for packing tips can really come in clutch (pro tip: watch videos on capsule wardrobe packing)!

If you need help getting started, you want to make sure you have:

• Scrubs and/or the uniform designated by your assigned facility

• Off-duty clothes - casual outfits, business casual outfits, workout clothing and pajamas/loungewear are all great to have

  • Consider packing a dressier/formal outfit in case you have an outing with your new coworkers!

• Undergarments and socks (you can never have too many of either)

• Travel sized toiletries (especially if you’ll be flying)

• Shoes

  • At least one good pair of shoes for your shifts

  • Comfortable sneakers for your trip and walking/day to day use

  • Athletic sneakers for workouts

Think critically about what you need to pack vs what can be purchased when you arrive at your destination. For example, travel sized toiletries are not only the perfect size to get you through a few days but they’re also TSA compliant. You can always get that full sized bottle of your favorite toiletries once you’re settled into your new work location.

Get To Know Your New Home Away From Home.

As a travel nurse, your recruiter/agency will likely work with you to secure your housing - whether it’s through the housing offered by the agency or if you’re offered a stipend to secure your own housing.

Either way, you’ll want to get to know your temporary home! What does the food, transportation and general shopping look like in the area?

Will you need to travel far to reach the nearest Target? Or is everything in walking distance? Where is the nearest supermarket?

You’ll want to know before you go so that you can plan and pack accordingly! You’ll at least want to know what the kitchen situation is like, if where you’re staying is furnished and if there are tvs and other appliances available.

For example, in the event that say, pots and pans are not available you’ll want to make sure you can budget for some essentials throughout your stay. 

Be sure to keep in contact with your agency and recruiter and ask them questions - that’s what they’re there for!

Order Essentials Online.

To save yourself the headache of shopping for groceries and other necessities, you can arrange to have an Amazon Prime or similar delivery on your day of arrival. Once you know the date and time, as well as location of your temporary housing you can set a window of time and it’s one less thing you have to worry about upon arrival.  

You can also order any other necessities like bedsheets, towels and small appliances (if needed). Again, be sure to figure out what you will and will not need so that you can have a budget - don’t go overboard!

One of the perks of ordering online is that you can also set up subscription services - that means you will get laundry detergent (for example) sent to you on a monthly basis. If your assignment is a bit longer, this will definitely come in handy and saves you time from having to venture out and buy it - especially if your schedule and commute time will take up most of your day.

Investing in these small conveniences, if you have the opportunity to do so, will really alleviate a lot of the stress that comes with living in a new place. Sometimes you can even set the delivery cadence to weekly or biweekly and you can cancel at any time as long as you stay on top of your billing dates.

Travel nursing can ultimately be a rewarding experience that gives you an opportunity to learn more about yourself and your role as a nurse. While we can’t take away all the stress, we hope that these tips have provided a solid starting point for your journey. Be sure to check out the NurseDeck blog for more posts on travel nursing!