What is travel nursing really like beyond the paychecks, new cities and social media highlight reels?

Travel nurse Cori Hughes has spent years taking nursing assignments across the country, from Mississippi and Texas to Virginia, Arizona and beyond. In this episode of Voices of Vital Care, she shares what she has learned about building a nursing career around freedom, flexibility and the life you want to live.

Cori opens up about the difficult first assignment that taught her how quickly travel nurses are expected to adapt, the confidence it takes to walk into a new hospital, and why asking questions may be one of the most important skills a traveling nurse can have. She also gets candid about the less glamorous side of travel nursing, including loneliness, finding community in a new city, navigating housing and compensation, choosing the right recruiter, spotting assignment red flags and knowing when it may be time to walk away from a contract.

She also shares how the Travel Nurse Takeover community has become an incredible resource for nurses in the field, helping travelers find housing, compare assignments, learn about hospital culture and connect with people who understand the unique realities of life on the road.

The conversation also explores how much nursing experience you need before becoming a travel nurse, how 13-week contracts can create greater control over your schedule, what to consider when choosing assignments, and why Cori believes the most important question isn't simply where you want to travel, but why you want to travel in the first place.

Whether you're a nursing student, a working nurse considering travel nursing, or simply curious about what the career and lifestyle really look like, this is an honest look at what it takes to build a nursing career that can move with you.

Voices of Vital Care explores the people, careers and ideas shaping the future of healthcare.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, stance, or position of Pima Medical Institute.

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