Looking for adventure on the road as a travel nurse? Follow the journey of two friends who take on new travel assignments together! Discover the ups and downs of traveling with a companion, and learn how these nurses navigate new destinations and new job challenges.

“They always call us the dynamic duo,” says Shelby Liddell, RN, referring to her friend and travel partner, Nora Enrique, RN. The two had recently wrapped up their travel assignments at a facility in Asheville. “They were trying to get us to come back!”

Liddell and Enrique met early in their healthcare careers, back in 2010 while working at the same nursing home. Enrique was working as a LPN, and Liddell as a CNA. Since then, the two have become Registered Nurses and worked in orthopedics, general-surgical, and medical-surgical nursing. Today, they both call Florida home.

Enrique got into nursing as a way to provide for her family. She felt it was an industry that would never go away, and provide security. Liddell was drawn to healthcare from the beginning. 

“I wanted to be a physician, and then I didn’t want to be in school that long,” Liddell laughs. “But I wanted to take care of people.”

About two years ago, the two transitioned to travel nursing. 

At the time, Liddell was a nurse educator, and she wanted to return to the bedside. Plus, Liddell and her husband were looking to buy a house. “Traveling definitely provided a lot of higher income for us to be able to make that dream come true,” she says.

Pay transparency is something that stuck out to Liddell when choosing to travel with Nomad Health.

“I like that Nomad is upfront about the pay packages, that makes a huge difference,” says Liddell. “I can see what would work for me.”

Enrique and her husband were also on the hunt for a forever home, but weren’t sure whether or not they wanted to stay in Florida. Travel nursing was a way to try out new cities; cities that may have not initially been on their radar. Nomad Health has relationships with facilities all over the country, so travelers can find assignments in cities that excite them or that they’re curious about.

Their favorite place to travel and work so far? The North Carolina/Tennessee border area has caught their hearts. 

Traveling together isn’t without its challenges. It can sometimes be difficult to get contracts at the same time in the same facility, but they’ve found that there’s usually a way to make it work. Another challenge is finding short-term housing that’s affordable, and big enough. They both stress that the good that comes from having a travel partner far outweighs the hiccups.

“It makes it 100% easier,” says Liddell. “It makes starting at a new place, when you don’t know anyone at work, a lot easier."

Travel nursing can get lonely; it’s a lot of goodbyes, and a lot of being the “new kid.” There’s an incredible sense of security that comes from having someone to share the ups and downs with.

“It makes being away from home a lot more bearable,” Enrique adds. 

“I’ve wanted to go to Texas for a long time,” exclaims Liddell. “You’re obsessed with Texas!” Enrique laughs, who then adds, “I’d love to go to South Dakota, that’s where my mom is, that’s where my sister is.” 

The two make it clear that at the end of the day, they’re open to going just about anywhere.

travel nursing with friends

With thousands of travel job listings, personalized push notifications, and direct access to our support team, our mobile app makes it easier than ever to find and manage your next travel assignment. It’s the ultimate tool for travel clinicians. 

Apply for travel nurse jobs in as little as one click.

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Search travel jobs using a number of different filters, including: specialty, location, start date, shift schedule, contract length, pay rate, and exclusivity.

Get a push notification whenever a travel job is posted that fits your interests.

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Gain access to expert support with in-app messaging.

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Track your hours, keep your shifts organized, and make payment selections using the app’s timekeeping function.  

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Start by downloading the app to your smartphone (iOS or Android). Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new Nomad account, or sign into your existing one.

Browse thousands of open travel nurse jobs and travel allied health jobs all over the country. If you have any questions, you can send a quick message to our team; our support team has real healthcare experience and is ready to help.

When you’ve found a job that you want to apply for, you can submit your application. For more information on what to expect after you’ve applied for a job, check out 

The Nomad Health App

What would you do with $50,000? At Nomad, we’re changing the way healthcare professionals find where they want to live and work. 

At Nomad, we’re changing the way healthcare professionals find where they want to live and work. Our goal is to remove boundaries, make job transitions as easy as possible, and empower our team of traveling nurses and Allied Health professionals to choose their own adventures with confidence.
‍
So we’re giving away $50,000 to do just that. 

We want to acknowledge all the hard work traveling clinicians do and celebrate healthcare professionals in a way we’ve never done before. We’re passionate about creating tools that help nurses and Allied Health professionals succeed while on the clock, but almost more so, we’re committed to taking care of them while they’re off the clock, too. The healthcare industry is a challenging one, and the added element of travel is no small undertaking. So we hope $50,000 supports someone’s next adventure.

Maybe it’s a brand new car, or a much-deserved vacation with family. Or, maybe it’s time to step away from work and recover, without worrying about bills or other financial stressors. Either way, it’s the biggest sweepstakes we’ve ever done, and we want everyone in on the action. It’s your move, let us help you make it a big one.

an account with us anytime between now and January 31, 2023. Already have one? Just make sure to 

 if you end up applying and getting submitted for a job on our site that excites you, from now until January 31, 2023. 

*Terms and conditions apply, max two entries per person, see below.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 21 or older as of sweepstakes start date. Sweepstakes dates: December 1, 2022 at 12:00:01 A.M. Eastern Time (“ET”) and will run until January 31, 2023 at 11:59:59 P.M. ET. For full Official Rules, including odds of winning, prize descriptions, and limitations, click here. (LINK) Void where prohibited by law.  Sponsored by Nomad Health, Inc., 335 Madison Ave., 5th Floor, New York, New York 10017. See official rules.

Nomad Health's Choose Your Own Adventure Sweepstakes

This week let’s celebrate how nurses have made a difference by providing care and comfort to patients, families, and fellow workers.

While at Nomad we celebrate nurses every day of the year, each year one week is set aside so we can all celebrate the talented and skilled nurses in our lives. Nurses Week is a time to honor the vital role of nurses in our healthcare system – and in our communities. Nurses Week is May 6-12, starting off with May 6th National Student Nurses Day, and ending May 12th, Florence Nightingale's Birthday. The 

, for Nurses Month to honor the impact nurses have in our lives. This week let’s celebrate how nurses have made a difference by providing care and comfort to patients, families, and fellow workers.

Happy Nurses Week! To all our amazing Nomad nurses and all nursing professionals nationwide, the Nomad Nation thanks you for caring for our communities.

Nurses Week was celebrated in 1954 to mark the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. The following year Congress introduced a bill to make the celebration an annual one but failed. The bill once again failed in 1972 and in 1974 President Nixon failed to designate the first week of February to celebrate nurses. It wasn’t until 1982 that President Reagan designated May 6th National Nurses Day. In 1990, the holiday got expanded into a week, May 6-12, by the American Nurses Association (ANA).

It has never been more important to recognize our nurses, thank them and honor them this Nurses Week. In honor of Nurses Week, Nomad will be recognizing 3 incredible nurses for their outstanding contributions as caregivers. We are excited to gift each nurse with a personal vacation package so they can take some well-deserved time to relax and recharge. Our winners will be revealed on our Instagram and Facebook! Make sure you are following us so you don’t miss out! Follow us on 

Our Nurses Week awards include the Nomad Cheerleader Award, the Spirit of Excellence Award, and the Nomad Loyalty Award.

How to celebrate the Nurses in your life:

Do you know a nurse? Take a moment to recognize them and the work they do. We all benefit from the care and service nurses provide to society. If your family has an at-home care provider, consider doing something special for them. These nurses are not only caregivers but often become part of your extended family. A gift or treat for a nurse who becomes a loved one's dedicated caregiver will always be remembered. Even if you don’t come in regular contact with nurses, here are some ways you can still celebrate them.

Say thank you with a handwritten card (or multiple!) for the nurses in your community. Here are some messages, from 

Donating blood is a great way to ensure that the healthcare system has the resources it needs. There is an ongoing need for blood donations and by participating in a blood drive you not only honor nurses but also help save lives. If you are eligible, consider donating blood on behalf of nurses this week. To find a blood donation center near you click 

Nurses work exhausting shifts with long hours and deserve a treat for their hard work. Send a gift to a nurse for Nurses Week. Check out our 

 for nurses here. Or consider sending a healthcare unit pizza or their favorite snack.

Companies are also looking to reward Nurses during Nurses Week. Keep an eye out for special discounts and deals for clinicians this week. You can find a list of companies and restaurants offering deals 

Nomad Nurses Week 2022

We’re excited to announce our new 401(k) plan presented by Principal, in partnership with Nomad Health. The new 401(k) offering will help you better prepare for your journey to retirement.

We’re excited to announce our new 401(k) plan presented by Principal, in partnership with Nomad Health. The new 401(k) offering will help you better prepare for your journey to retirement. And don’t worry, it’ll be easy! You can customize your saving goals, manage your investments and take advantage of employer matching. Learn more about Nomad’s 401(k) plan and why 401(k)s are a great way to save for retirement below.

According to Nerd Wallet, a 401(k) is a retirement saving and investing plan that employers offer. This plan allows you to contribute money directly from your paycheck into the funds you choose and helps you save for retirement. These funds are then given a tax break for being part of your 401(k) contribution. Depending on the plan you have these tax breaks may come when you contribute money or when you withdraw the money for retirement.

By contributing to a 401(k) plan you can save on your federal income taxes. Since contributions to your 401(k) are taken straight out of your paycheck before taxes, your total taxable income decreases, which means you owe less in income taxes. These pre-tax contributions get tax-deferred until your retirement when you decide to withdraw them. And your contributions are automatic which makes saving simple and effortless!

You get to control how much you want to put into your account and you have the flexibility to change your contributions levels whenever you see fit. Furthermore, your previous savings belong to you and you can transfer them straight to Principal so you get to keep any previous retirement plan earnings you had.

The earlier you set up your 401(k) the quicker your money can grow. Your savings can also collect compound interest. This is when you earn interest on the principal amount of your investment plus any accumulated interest. This can have a big impact on long-term investments and can be powerful when it comes to retirement.

Any travelers currently on assignment with Nomad are eligible for our 401(k) plan. In fact, clinicians are eligible starting the first day of their assignment! Clinicians can enroll by:

Please allow up to 1 week for your information to be processed by Principal. If you have any issues, you can call Principal for help at 800.547.7754 7am-9pm CST, Monday - Friday.

Non-stipend wages; i.e. wages earned from time worked (or on-call) are eligible for your 401(k) contributions, however, housing, meals, and incidental per diem stipends are not eligible wages. Of your eligible wages, Nomad clinicians can contribute up to 100% of their eligible wages. If you decide to change your contributions- no worries! Nomad clinicians can change their contributions as frequently as they want. Once you make a contribution change you should account for a 1-2 week delay so Principal can correct your contributions with Paycom.

Nomad also offers employer matching for your 401(k) savings. Travelers who have been with Nomad for at least 12 months and have completed at least 1000 service hours are eligible to have their contributions matched. The 12 month period starts from your 

 assignment start date, so if you’d like to take a break between assignments, your eligibility won’t be impacted. Once you qualify, Nomad will match 50% of the first 3% of contributions, and this employer match vests immediately.

Saving for retirement may seem scary but it doesn’t have to be. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the future but your retirement is something that can be easier to predict. It can be painless to set up money to contribute to your 401(k)- even if it’s a very small amount- and watch your savings grow over time. Nomad is excited to offer clinicians this new benefit and help you save for the future!

 to a traditional 401,or take the standard deduction.

 401(k) is a,a list of available offerings).

Nomad is Now Offering 401(k)!

Black nurses are a critical part of the nursing industry. While the US census reports the population as 13.4% Black, this is not reflected in the health care industry. The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey found that only 6% of the RN workforce identify as Black. 

Black nurses are a critical part of the nursing industry. While the US census reports the population as 13.4% Black, this is not reflected in the health care industry. The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey found that only 6% of the RN workforce identify as Black. This lack of representation in the industry reflects systemic issues with diversity in medicine. America’s overall health and clinical professions depend on the continuous promotion of diversity in education, career growth, and employment.

While there is a long history of injustice in American healthcare systems, there is also a long history of courageous Black nurses fighting these injustices. Throughout the 19th-century nurses like Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first Black professional nurse, and Estelle Massey Riddle Osborne, the first Black nurse to earn a nursing education master’s degree, have pioneered change for today’s nurses.

To learn more about trail-blazing Black nurses check out Nomad’s 

Diversity in medicine is crucial to providing quality care for patients. The United States is more diverse than it has ever been, however that reality is not reflected in the medical industry. Increased representation in healthcare can lead to increased comfort levels, trust, creativity, communication, and enhanced understanding with reduced health disparities. 

 of Black patients have reported feeling discriminated against during their medical treatment.

 When a patient receives care from someone from their own racial or ethnic background they are more likely to utilize preventive care according to the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s 

 report. This is why it is imperative that more of America’s health care system includes Black nursing professionals.

How can the healthcare industry increase cultural diversity?

An important factor in creating a more diverse healthcare industry is increasing diversity in healthcare education. An 

 of graduates in baccalaureate nursing programs identified as Black/African American individuals. Additionally, the national center for education statistics found that only 

 of Black college students graduated from a four-year program within the first six years of enrollment compared to 

 of Hispanic students. This lack of diversity not only exists within the student body but also in the educators. in 2019, the AAMC found that only 

 of medical school faculty are Black or African American.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has 

 and launched the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group in 2018 to provide guidance to schools on how to increase diversity in their programs. This group works with schools, academic nursing groups, and the nursing workforce to create networking events, forums, and mentorship programs addressing diversity opportunities. The AACN also offers assistance to schools seeking diversity-based funding such as the Nursing Workforce Diversity program, the All of Us Research program, or the Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants.

Promoting diversity can be implemented throughout the people and styles of hiring, management, scheduling, communication, and social environments of your workplace. It is also important to make patient-facing adaptions like changing clinic hours to increase patient access, providing information about different payment options, or making service adjustments to meet the needs of your local patient community.

Luckily there are organizations that are working towards a brighter future for nursing. Here is a list of organizations focused on changing the medical industry into a more welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.

The Society of Black Academic Surgeons was founded in 1989 to address underrepresented minority surgeons in the US. The org offers mentorship and community for diverse surgeons in the field.

Formed in 1971, the National Black Nurses Association works to educate children about nursing and other health care disciplines, offers scholarships, and provides mentorship programs.

Starting in 2015, Project Diversify Medicine has been a space for Black doctors to have conversations about their experiences. The org’s social media platform helps underrepresented doctors get into medical school.

Black representation in the medical field is more important than ever. Over the past two years, we have seen how the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately 

 Black Americans. Better health care for the Black community is crucial and committing to promoting diversity in health care providers has never been more relevant. With more Black nurses in the field, the industry can better address and implement solutions to advance diversity. As we celebrate Black History Month let’s think about how to fight racism in medicine and address the lack of representation in the medical field.

Black Representation in the Nursing Industry

What a year! Nomad has had a record-breaking year thanks to all our amazing Nomad clinicians and employees. We thought it would be fun to take a look back at 2021’s trends and many milestones. We’ve compiled data from our thousands of Nomad jobs across the country to pull together a report to share all the best parts of 2021!

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2021 was a huge growth year for Nomad. We met tons of new clinicians and offered lots of new jobs all across the US.  Here is a quick look at our growth.

In 2018, Nomad only offered assignments in 11 states. Today, we’re proud to offer our clinicians assignments across all 50 states. So, where do our Nomad Clinicians go and where are they from?

Wondering how your travel clinician pay compares to other specialties, shifts, or areas? We got you covered. In conducting our analysis of Nomad assignments we took a closer look at our pay rate data.

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Thinking about trying out a new specialty? Check out our guide on how to get 

Who exactly are Nomad clinicians? Over the past year, our team of dedicated and compassionate Nomad clinicians has grown exponentially. Let’s break down the data.

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Did you know Nomad has an app? Not only does Nomad offer clinicians a desktop online experience but Nomad also offers an app for on-the-go access. Download our App 

 to get job-specific alerts and notifications right on your phone.

Most Popular Female Clinician First Names:

This year Nomad was excited to expand our office team while maintaining our company culture. We are proud of the work we have done to foster a diverse, inclusive culture and are honored that those efforts were recognized by Newsweek's "Most Loved Workplaces of 2021", Forbes' "Best Startup Employers of 2021” and Built-In NY: "Best Places To Work 2021".

Nomad values empowering clinicians with the resources they need to feel confident about their staffing agency and we’re proud to share our 2021 End of Year Review Data with you.

We’re excited to continue to grow and introduce new features for the upcoming year. We’re dedicated to providing the best service to our clinicians to help each and everyone find the job of their dreams through Nomad.

Looking Back at 2021

Health care facilities prepare to follow state vaccination mandates after an additional 84,500 Covid-19 deaths in August and September. Facilities are faced with forcing nurses to resign if they do not agree to receive full vaccinations. 

Health care facilities prepare to follow state vaccination mandates after an additional 

. This comes as states like New York face 

 still not fully vaccinated. Facilities are faced with forcing nurses to resign if they do not agree to receive full vaccinations. These requirements are expected to further current medical staffing shortages, even for hospitals with high vaccination rates.

New York Implements Vaccine Mandate and Brings in the National Guard

Monday, Sept. 27, New York State required all healthcare workers to be vaccinated following the state's vaccination mandate. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a 

 and called on the National Guard to fill staffing shortages across the state.

Of the state's 650,000 hospital and nursing home workers, 92% have received at least one dose of a vaccine according to state officials. The mandate does not allow for weekly testing in place of vaccination or religious exemptions, although those who have applied for religious exemptions are permitted to work until Oct. 12. 

The state of emergency also entails a crisis operations center for health care facilities and waived licensing requirements. This allows workers from outside of the state to work in New York and waives the registration fee to speed up the process. The mandate does not apply to medical professionals who work in state agencies that care for inmates or disabled and mentally ill patients.

The days before the vaccination deadline, New York saw some of the highest rates of vaccination among health care workers nationally. However, lawsuits and angry protests against the mandates in New York serve as a reminder of health care workers who are likely to resign as a result of the mandate.

Other states have imposed similar requirements for vaccinations. In Houston at Methodist Hospital, 

 following a vaccine requirement. In Detroit, Henry Ford Health System reached a 

 after implementing a mandate. California, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are also implementing mandates for healthcare workers. For a full list of health care vaccine mandates by state 

Nurses have shared that while they aren't convinced they should get vaccinated, they don't want to lose their jobs. This is a positive sign for Biden's planned federal vaccination mandate for health care workers. President Joe Biden signed an executive order compelling about 100 million Americans to meet vaccine requirements. The Biden administration will also require more than 

 at hospitals and facilities that partake in Medicare, Medicaid, social programs, and programs for disabled and older Americans to get vaccinations.

While some nurses have left their jobs in protest of vaccine mandates many others have left due to exhaustion.

For information and resources addressing burnout and work-related stress read our recent 

 that staffing shortages are due to systemic problems in the healthcare industry that have only been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Facing staffing shortages, many facilities have had to activate emergency staffing plans, call in volunteers, and move personnel to cover shifts. It has also brought additional strain to health care workers who are asked to take on a larger workload in response to facility staffing shortages.

To learn more about state-level Covid-19 mandates and health care requirements check 

What Vaccine Mandates Mean For Health Care Providers 

In this article, we want to answer some commonly asked questions about the changes coming with the new tax plan enacted by the Trump Administration on December 22, 2017.

, which was signed into law with a final tally of 224-201. These changes went into effect January 2018 and are applied to the 2018 tax year.

The main change that everyone is talking about is the update to federal income tax brackets. The updated brackets look like this:

Travel nursing often comes with a number of benefits that may be affected by this new tax law. Let’s answer some of the questions you might have about them.

How will the new tax law affect travel nurse deductions?

the biggest change is that many of the deductibles you could once declare are no longer deductible.

 This means things like travel-related expenses, licensing costs, or continued education costs cannot be considered a deductible on your tax return. We recommend reading this 

 looking at the major changes introduced if you want to learn more.

Does this also mean travel nurse per diems and stipends are no longer allowed?

No - the new law doesn’t affect per diems and stipends. Your employer can still give you allotted stipends for housing, meals, travel pay, incidentals, and other reimbursements you would normally receive from the employer.

The main change is you will no longer be able to deduct expenses for extra miles traveled beyond your stipend or expenses for meals or housing that exceed your per diem.

Does this mean I no longer need to keep detailed records of travel nursing expenses?

These changes do not mean you no longer need to keep detailed records going forward. Because employers can still give you housing stipends, meal allowances, travel pay and other reimbursements it’s important to keep all records related to these allowances to cover all your bases.

Will travel nurse pay packages change to accommodate these changes?

That’s up to your employer to decide. Your employer may decide to adjust the structure of your pay package to help accommodate for travel, licensing or CEU costs. Since these are no longer covered by deductibles, your employer may reduce the amount given for housing or meal allowance to help pay for other areas.

What actions should travel nurses take in response to this new tax law?

There are a few things you can do depending on where you find you’re spending more than you can afford for your travel assignments.

Here are a few helpful resources to reference to learn more about how to do your taxes as a travel nurse:

There you have it! The new tax law is complex and there are many changes that were made, but hopefully you feel a little more informed going into the new tax year.

 We aren’t CPAs or by any means experts on this subject. We strongly suggest talking with a CPA who has experience working with travel nurses to help you find the best rates for your specific situation. This article is intended to give you a place to start thinking about this very important part of your career.

How The 2018 Tax Plan Affects Travel Nurses

On March 18, 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a regulation that will soon allow clinicians to practice across state lines.

On March 18, 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a 

 that will soon allow clinicians to practice across state lines. This means, a medical professional who carries an active license from any state in the United States can use that license to practice in any other state.

HOWEVER, due to the recency of this announcement, it will take time to go into effect.

 This is a very exciting and welcome change from the government that will enable all clinicians to go where their services are needed most. We are actively speaking with our hospital partners and as soon as they say they will start to accept applications, we will let you know. 

Please read the job details on each Nomad job page before applying to see if that job is accepting out-of-state applications to prevent your application from being automatically closed. 

The main reason why this regulation cannot be immediately enacted nationwide is that 

each state must individually apply for and opt-in to enact this policy.

, states must request and apply directly with the CMS for a licensure waiver to enact this regulation. State governors will be able to submit a 1135 waiver that permits out-of-state providers to render services within their state without the need for a license from that state.

This waiver may also include the ability to temporarily suspend certain provider enrollment and revalidation requirements, allow providers to provide care in alternative settings, and waive prior authorization requirements, among other flexibilities.

Currently 48 states have been granted Section 1135 approval letters by the CMS. Letters will be posted 

 We highly recommend referencing that document for any questions you have about state licensing as NCSBN keeps that document up to date (just refresh!). 

States with Section 1135 Approval (as of 4/15/2020):

We will continue to update this list as more states are approved. Please keep in mind, it will take time for each state to apply for and be approved by the CMS. It will also take additional time for each facility to begin accepting applications from out-of-state providers. 

We will update our job postings when we have confirmation from each of our hospital partners that they are accepting out-of-state applications. 

 which already allows nurses with compact licenses to practice in participating states. 

There are also a number of states allowing for temporary licenses.

 These are licenses that any nurse can apply for that are usually granted within a few days. Please contact the corresponding 

For any questions or further support, reach out to your Nomad Navigators or call 866-OK-NOMAD.

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