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When it comes to health and healing, the aid of a nurse is sometimes even more helpful than the hand of a doctor. Despite popular opinion, becoming a qualified nurse is an extremely difficult and time-consuming process. This helps ensure that nurses produce the best practice possible, and as a result of the work, seasoned nurses can make in the high five-figure range. The best paid nurses, however, fall under the title of ‘traveling nurses.’

Traveling nurses are nurses who go wherever they are needed the most. Some may even travel with certain patients in order to continue to provide them with they care they need.

In the nursing field, traveling nurses are often the most dedicated to the cause of health and healing. Some follow their job and leave husbands, wives and children behind. Others live an almost military-style house regime, often moving to different states with their entire family whenever the job demands it.

While the constant moving may be tolling for some, many nurses are willing to waylay their own complaints in order to help other heal. This doesn’t mean that moving isn’t without it’s own difficulties, however. Everyone, even nurses have to box everything, move everything, change addresses, stay in touch with old friends and get connected with new ones. Traveling nurses and other people whose jobs demand constant relocation learn how to make the process of moving efficient and affordable, often relying on getting the best moving quotes for wherever they may be living at the time.

Even if a nurse has a permanent home, the job of a nurse is never easy. Many nurses are attracted to the challenge (and the higher paycheck) of being a traveling nurse, and are willing to endure the rigors of moving for the sake of their profession. Next time you are served by a nurse, make sure to thank them and wish them well!

Older workers seeking to extend their working careers are looking at what is now being called encore careers. These new careers are defined as those that can let people put their careers toward greater good, while providing social impacts and personal fulfillment as well as a way to continue their incomes.

Numbers outlined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that there are many older workers in the workforce. This is even in light of the high level of unemployment across the country. The Bureau also says that the healthcare field can generate up to 3.2 million new jobs in the years between 200 and 2018. There are current shortages in the healthcare workforce as well.

The demand for professionals in the healthcare fields has never been higher. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by 2020 there will be a shortage of about one million nursing professionals, approximately 100,000 doctors and an additional 250,00 public health professionals. By the year 2014 it is projected that there will be up to 82,00 openings in the healthcare field. And older citizens seeking that encore career can fill many of these positions.

There many resources that can help these older citizens find work and training in these fields. For instance an organization named Civic Venture was created to help these encore workers find a second and productive career. Civic Ventures in partnership with MetLife awarded grants to community colleges to help promote programs for these older workers to assist them in finding healthcare based professions.

Good nurses are in high demand right now all over the world and clinics and hospitals are looking for nurses to fill in on a temporary basis. These nurses are called traveling nurses. This nursing work is like a job at a temporary agency in that most jobs last from three to six months. Sometimes you will be filling in for a nurse that is ill or taking a leave of absence and sometimes you will be hired because the hospital is short handed because of an emergency or waiting for an empty nursing position to be filled. Because the job requires re-locating fairly often, employers will sometimes offer a housing subsidy along with the regular nursing pay.

A traveling nurse’s pay will change depending on the job location and nursing specialty needed by the employer, but the pay is generally a little better than a permanent nursing job because of the additional expenses involved. Some agencies are so desperate to hire traveling nurses that they offer sign-up and completion bonuses. Benefits are also sometimes better than a regular nursing job and can include health and dental insurance as well as housing and travel compensation.

While working at traveling nurse jobs, you can contribute to your 401 (k) plan. There are employment agencies just for travel nurses and they sometimes offer discounts on all the equipment a traveling nurse might require such as luggage, roadside assistance, cell phones and pagers.

While each state has its own nursing license, all have temporary licenses that will cover the length of your employment in their state. Any nurse who likes to visit new places will enjoy working as a traveling nurse. This is a chance to see some of the world while receiving great pay and good benefits and doing a job that you love.