Hey everyone! With the current medical crisis and overall strain on hospitals, I’ve been looking into travel nursing in my ICU specialty. My question is, for those of you who have done it with horses, what did you do?
Did you leave your horse behind in full training? Did you bring them with you wherever you took a contract? Any tips or info you think I should know? I’m just trying to know as much as I can before making any decisions…
Thanks!
I have a friend who was a travel nurse (pediatric) for many years. She loved it and has lived in and explored areas all across the US (although I don’t think she ever went to Alaska).
She did not have a horse, but given what I know of her lifestyle during that time, I can’t imagine being able to keep a horse with you. Many of her assignments were in large urban areas where boarding stables were both distant and very expensive. Plus, she often worked like a dog, long hours and minimal time off, because they were short-handed (hence the need for travel nurses).
Technically, she had a choice of where she went, so theoretically, I guess, you could select assignments in areas where it would be feasible to keep a horse. However, in reality, when one job ended, she had to take another, and she had to pick from what was available at the time - sort of a least worst choice situation - so there is no guarantee that you could pick horse-owner-friendly locations.
Nursing can be a great profession for people with horses, but travel nursing probably isn’t the best choice unless you can afford full board and a plane ticket back every two weeks to ride.
There are a lot of nurses on here, so maybe some will chime in on what they specialized in.
Middle daughter has been a Traveling Nurse most of her 12 year career. I agree with the others that it is not a good fit for a horse owner, unless a temporary choice --leave horse at trainers over the winter type thing. DD left her dog and child with us --but before you judge, this was agreed upon by all —grand daughter was already with us pretty much during school as she went to a private school --DD worked nights and didn’t feel GD should be home alone (of course not) so GD had a room here all her life --and a horse because that what granny does! The dog was logical too. When the opportunities to travel came (originally with a surgeon and a transplant team) she felt this was something she was called to do --she trained nurses many places to assist the surgeons who were learning the technique. Now she is a specialist in respiration and trains nurses on respirators and their use --she is in high demand going to “hot spots” one after the other. GD is in her last year of college and highly successful with a job lined up immediately after graduation.
Travelling isn’t for everyone —it is, I think, a bit like the military life --but DD is a skilled and dedicated nurse --she takes great pride in her work and helping others. I am proud of her. Did we miss her on holidays? Sure --but the people she cared for needed her --we adjusted our holidays and birthdays to accommodate her schedule.
My SIL is one. She’s not a horse person but I’ll echo what others have remarked about the experience in that “free” time seems to be about nil wherever she’s at. The pay is amazing, and a series of short-term opportunities could really beef up the coffers for future horsey endeavors. But I gotta say, she left her home base in Seattle to do 6 weeks in one of the early Covid hot spots in April (Boston? some major east coast city), and I’m not sure she’s ever going to be the same. It’s a tough gig in good times, and downright brutal right now. She hasn’t done one since.
I did the frontline stuff in NJ/NYC back in the beginning of the year and put my guy into a casual training program, and again just last month.
PS: NY is doing some crazy pay right now!
This is basically what I was thinking. Taking up shorter contracts, and then able to ride when I get back.
I’m lookin at Cali now!
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