The Travel Nursing and the Pet
When your pet becomes a burden
There are numerous perks to being a travel nurse. You get to visit many different and varied parts of the country and you tend to enjoy a better salary then your stay at home friends. For some reason if you can't stand your co-workers you at least know that you'll only have to deal with them just for a short period of time before you can move onto a totally new set of co-workers. Most travel nurses get great dental and health care insurance plans. You have the opportunity to constantly expand your working experience. You also get a chance to work with a wide variety of patients.
Your traveling expenses are usually paid either by your travel nursing agency or your temporary employer. You seldom have to worry about finding a new residence. You are always making new friends all over the country. In some cases if you and your best friend are both travel nurses you can work side by side with a familiar face. The benefits are lucrative. You are probably part of a great reward program. Your temporary housing is fully furnished.
The down side to travel nursing becomes apparent if you are a pet lover. The lifestyle of a travel nurse is not suitable for keeping your own pet.
One of the big reasons is that you will probably have to find a new home for your dog and/or cat while all the traveling you will be doing. It is very difficult and stressful for a dog or cat to be constantly moving from one part of the country to the next. Some pets are more adaptable then others. If you have a pet which has a difficult time dealing with change, dragging it along on your cross country journeys could potentially shorten its life span.
Consider the expense of traveling with your pet. The travel nursing agency typically makes sure that your travel expenses are paid for but that doesn't mean that they will be willing to pay your pet's travel expenses. More then likely you will be paying for your dog or cat's plane ticket.
Travel nurses are generally provided with fully furnished housing that is near to the hospital or medical office where they are going to be working in. This housing is like a hotel room or a short rent apartment. On the average this type of housing does not allow any pets because pets shred curtains, chew on furniture, ruin carpets, and expose other tenants to allergens. If you insist on taking your pet along, you might find that you are going to have to find your very own housing, housing that will allow you to keep a pet.
Pets, especially dogs, require a lot of attention from its owner. This is especially true after you have transplanted them from the home they know into a home in a different part of the world. You will probably be working long hours. Do you really want to take your dog for a walk and play with it when you finally get home?
If you decide that your new lifestyle is not fair to your pet, ask your friends and family, find out if someone is willing to take your beloved pet into their own home provided that you pay for their expenses. This will give you peace of mind to know that your pet is in good hands while you are away from home, and you will see them from time to time when you return home between jobs.
