I’m Kayla, an LPN who likes a fast pace and a full tank. A few years back, I jumped into travel jobs because I wanted to see new places and grow my skills. Was it scary? A little. Was it worth it? Mostly yes—and sometimes no. Let me explain.
Curious how my experience stacks up to other nurses? Check out this no-holds-barred LPN travel job breakdown that initially pushed me to hit the road.
I’ve done four contracts across different settings. Skilled nursing, corrections, LTAC, and home health. Each one had a vibe. Each one taught me something real. Here’s my honest take, with the good, the bad, and the “wow, I didn’t see that coming.”
Real Assignments I Worked (No fluff—just what happened)
1) North Dakota SNF, Night Shift (8 weeks)
- Pay: $34/hr + $900/week stipend (take-home for me was around $1,500–$1,700/week)
- Schedule: 3x12s, nights, every other weekend
- Ratios: 1 nurse to 23 residents on my unit
- Charting: PointClickCare; med pass on eMAR
- Housing: Furnished Finder studio over a bakery (smelled like bread at 4 a.m.—not mad about it)
The first night was rough. It was winter. I learned fast that gloves freeze hard in the parking lot. My shift was a classic SNF night: med pass, blood sugars, wound care, lots of call lights. I floated to memory care twice a week. One resident, Mr. H, would walk the halls at 2 a.m. and ask about his old farm; I kept small cups of cocoa ready so he’d sit and talk while I charted. It slowed the unit in a good way.
Training? One shift. After that, you’re swimming. Not sinking, but actually swimming. You know what? I liked that part.
2) Arizona Corrections (13 weeks)
- Pay: $38/hr + $1,200/week stipend; OT at time-and-a-half (I picked up a lot)
- Schedule: 4x10s; offered an extra 8 most weeks
- Charting: A very basic system; lots of paper forms for incident reports
- Housing: Extended-stay with a pool; too hot to use it most days
Corrections felt intense, but the team ran tight. I handled sick call, insulin lines, wound checks, and med passes with two officers nearby. Safety rules were strict but clear. I learned to keep calm voices and steady hands. We had one heat-exhaustion cluster after yard time—quick assessments, fluids, vitals, simple, steady care. It wasn’t for everyone. But I felt useful, and I liked the order.
3) Ohio LTAC, Nights (12 weeks)
- Pay: $32/hr + $1,000/week stipend; extra $2/hr for nights
- Ratios: 1 nurse to 5 high-acuity patients
- Charting: Meditech; lots of flowsheets
- Skills: Trach care, wound vacs, central line dressing changes (with policy review), tube feeds
I won’t sugarcoat this one. Heavier care, high stress. I had a patient with a large sacral wound and frequent dressing changes. A trach patient needed constant suctioning. I learned to prep everything before I walked in, or I’d lose time. The RTs were solid. The bad? One night I floated to a sister unit with zero preload. That part? Not fun. But the skills I gained stuck with me. I still use that prep habit.
4) Florida Home Health (10 weeks)
- Pay: Per visit, I got $40–$45; mileage at $0.50/mile; I averaged $1,200–$1,500/week
- Tools: Kinnser/Homecare Homebase on a tablet
- Schedule: 5–7 visits per day; lots of driving and quick teaching moments
This one surprised me. I liked the home setting. I did wound checks, med setups, and taught family members how to do simple care. One client made guava pastries for me every Friday—sweet but very real fuel. The flip? Charting at night was long, and traffic ate hours. I kept a cooler, a phone stand, and a tire inflator in my trunk. Small things, big sanity.
The Good Stuff I Felt Right Away
- Better pay than my local staff jobs. Not wild, but steady.
- Freedom to say yes or no. I could stack contracts or take a month off.
- Fast growth. Each place added a skill or sharpened one I had.
- Fresh teams. New ways of doing the same work taught me a lot.
Off the clock, I sometimes wanted straightforward social plans in a brand-new zip code. I’m single, and there were evenings when I just wanted low-key adult company without endlessly swiping on generic dating apps. If you lean toward meeting Black women and prefer platforms that skip the small talk and keep intentions crystal clear, check out these top ebony hookup apps—the guide breaks down which sites are actually active, what safety features matter, and how to avoid wasting precious off-shift energy.
During a California stint I spent a few weekends in Murrieta, and I found that browsing local listing boards offered quicker, no-stress meet-ups than the national apps; if you ever pass through that area, give AdultLook Murrieta a peek to scan verified profiles, check real-time availability, and decide in minutes whether the scene fits your vibe.
I’ve bumped into plenty of other travelers—respiratory therapists, CNAs, even medical assistants. If you’re wondering how the gig treats them, this candid travel medical assistant review is a solid peek.
And honestly, I liked being “the traveler.” Expectations were clear. Help us. Learn fast. Be kind. I can do that.
The Downsides I Actually Ran Into
- Canceled shifts. Once I drove in and got sent home. No pay that day.
- Short training. If you need a long ramp-up, this will sting.
- Housing stress. Frozen pipes in North Dakota. Ants in Florida. Yikes.
- Charting changes. PointClickCare here, Meditech there, paper in corrections.
- Agency goofs. My timesheet once got “lost.” It got fixed—but I learned to save screenshots.
One more thing no one told me: “guaranteed hours” can be tricky. Some places cancel you without penalty, especially if census drops. Ask for specifics in your contract. Before you sign anything, skim the quick contract checklist on ValidTravel — it’s concise and pointed out a few loopholes I almost missed.
I’ve laid out my personal highs and lows above, but for another angle on the bigger picture, skim this balanced LPN travel nurse pros and cons guide that lines up pretty closely with what I saw.
Money Talk (What I saw, not a promise)
- SNF and LTAC: $30–$40/hr, plus $800–$1,200 stipends weekly
- Corrections: Often a bit higher, with easy overtime
- Home health: Per-visit pay; watch your mileage and unpaid time
My normal weekly take-home sat around $1,400–$1,900 when I worked 36–48 hours. It went higher with overtime. It dipped when I got canceled or drove too far for home health.
Taxes and stipends matter. Keep a tax home. Save receipts. I used a CPA who knew travel healthcare. Worth it.
Need a clearer picture of how agencies slice up gross pay, stipends, and deductions? This thorough travel assignment pay breakdown spells it out.
What I Always Ask a Recruiter (And you should too)
- What’s the nurse-to-patient ratio?
- What charting system?
- Orientation length and does it include a buddy shift?
- Guaranteed hours, cancel pay, and float rules?
- Shift type, weekends, holidays, and call?
- Overtime rate and shift differentials?
- Who signs my time—and how fast is payroll?
If a recruiter won’t answer, I pause. If they answer fast and plain, I listen.
Tools and Tiny Habits That Saved Me
- One “go bag”: scissors, tape, hemostats, pen light, extra pens, mini lotion, gum
- Copies of everything: license, BLS, TB, physical, fit test, vaccines—saved on my phone and cloud
- Housing: Furnished Finder first, then Airbnb; I called landlords, asked about noise and parking
- A small printer. Sounds weird, but it saved me on onboarding days
- Food stash: protein bars, instant oats, electrolyte packets; night shift needs simple fuel
Hours on unfamiliar highways will test anyone’s nerves. More than once I muttered a quiet prayer for safe travel while the GPS