Challenges Of Traveling Healthcare

Despite the many amazing benefits and luxuries that a traveling career can provide, there are downsides to this path. Here is a basic list of the main challenges you may face which I will discuss in more detail in this post:

 

• No mentorship or little mentorship

• Difficult to make and keep friends, co workers, relationships

• Emotional stress and anxiety

• Increased organization needed due to multiple leases/homes

• IRS and tax home requirements

• Frequent traveling, packing, re-locations

• Lack of ability to plan future due to short notice of contract

• Potential unemployment

• Required temporary break or relocation in traveling assignment if you are working within same 50 mile radius for 1 yr plus

1. Job Insecurity

Traveling contracts are often short term, lasting on average 13 weeks. Although some facilities will continue to need travelers at their location, there is no guarantee that after the 13-week contract, you will continue to be needed. This leads to potential job insecurity. There is a potential that you will be required to move to a new location to find new contracts or have to wait several weeks until a satisfactory position arrives. If you have to wait for your next contract, those are weeks without pay. You want to make sure that you and your family can afford that risk before signing a contract.

This also means packing up your life over and over again. Leaving new friends or family can bring additional stress to your life. In addition, the unknown of your next job and your next routine can bring anxiety.

Thus, traveling healthcare can be amazing. But it can also bring physical inconvenience via moving and the emotional frustration of uprooting to leave your family and friends.

2. Lack Of Advance Notice

Traveling contracts are usually not advertised until about 4 weeks before their need. This means, that although you may want to plan to live in a specific state and city, you may not receive the advance notice you desire. This causes added emotional stress as well as potentially increased time unemployed.

3. Proving Your Tax Home Status

In upcoming posts, I will be discussing special IRS rules for tax-free housing and meal stipends. But maintaining the required evidence of your permanent tax home may be stressful. With tax rules constantly changing, the IRS requirements are sometimes confusing and one may feel that the risk of IRS audits outweighs the tax-free stipend.

4. Time Away From Family/Friends

As a traveling PT, you may be required to work in various states or cities. This possible distance from your family and friends can be difficult. Also, if you are in a relationship, it may be difficult to maintain traveling contracts in close proximity to your loved one. This may cause increased financial burden, increased stress and fatigue from commuting long distances, or increased emotional distance from your loved one due to periods of time away from them for work.

If you are able to work several traveling positions within a 50-mile radius, you will have to work outside of this radius for one contract (13 weeks) to restart your IRS clock. I discuss these requirements and rules further but the take home message is that traveling PT may come with hard choices and sacrifices.

5. Lack of Mentorship

Lastly, as new or recent graduate, mentorship is key to help introduce you to becoming a successful physical therapist. As a traveler, you will often receive little to no orientation. You will also often receive no formal mentorship and begin a full caseload by day 2 or 3. Facilities are paying you big bucks, so they expect you to be ready to work.

If you are not ready to be confident, quick on your feet, and comfortable asking questions then you may want to reconsider traveling healthcare. I often recommend to new graduates to work in a full time job for at least 6 months before moving on to a traveling career in order to gain confidence as well as basic time management skills.

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 Here is an easy checklist of the challenges you may face as a traveling healthcare worker:

 

Challenges of Traveling Healthcare Checklist

• No mentorship or little mentorship

• Difficult to make and keep friends, co workers, relationships

• Emotional stress and anxiety

• Increased organization needed due to multiple leases/homes

• IRS and tax home requirements

• Frequent traveling, packing, re-locations

• Lack of ability to plan future due to short notice of contract

• Potential unemployment

• Required temporary break or relocation in traveling assignment if you are working within same 50 mile radius for 1 yr plus

Click here for more information on traveling heath care! 

How To Overcome These Travel Challenges

Although travel healthcare is challenging, so are may other positions as therapists. The challenges that travelers face can be overcome and can actually be used to your advantage if you are smart.

1. Little Mentorship: You can easily overcome this by making friends with your fellow staff members. Be helpful and professional, and be open about what you know and what you are less experienced with. With time, staff members will be willing to help you with any questions you will have.

2. Emotional Anxiety: Traveling can be stressful, as a result, it is important to have friends and people who can understand your situation. Join the FREE Facebook community that provides support and video tutorials for travelers new and seasoned. Join here! 

3. Tax Stress: Worried about your taxes as traveler? Get a tax expert and have them help you guide your way through tax season. Travel Tax is a great resource for many travelers and can found at www.traveltax.com. 

4.  Decreased Work:  If you are worried about not working enough as a traveler then there are several keys you can do to help minimize this chance.  Find travel assignments that frequently need travelers, ensuring your ability to renew your contract or return to the facility later in the year. Find assignments that are willing to provide gaurentted pay so that you can still get paid even if you get called off due to low census. Make sure you are organized and are ready to start a new contract at least 2 weeks before you current contract ends.

These are just some methods to overcome the challenges that come with travel therapy. Click here to learn why the advantages of travel greatly out weight its risks!

 

 

 

Don’t forget to join the Travel Therapy 101 Facebook Group!