Having a profile on one or more social networks is essential to staying in touch with family & friends back at home. Keep in touch with colleagues from each of your assignments, even after you leave and move on to another. Being a travel nurse is an amazing way to network with countless other professionals in your field, giving you the opportunity to sharpen your skills and acquire job recommendations.

Today's social media outlets make it easier than ever to stay connected while on a travel nursing assignment. Rather than spending all of your free time calling or texting friends and family members, just sign up for an account on Facebook, Twitter or Live Journal and have everyone connect to you. You can then send out daily messages from your computer or smart phone, as well as photos or videos, and reach everyone at once. This is also a great way to stay in touch with fellow nurses you meet as you hop around from state to state.

Travel nursing assignments allow you to choose how long you want to stay in one position. Jobs are offered in contract form, and the length of contracts will vary. You can choose to work for just a few months a year, or perhaps select a contract that will keep you working all year.

Typical travel nurse jobs are 13 weeks, which has become the standard for the industry. This time frame, representing a quarter of a year, works best as it gives the nurse the time to acclimate to the hospital / unit and bridge the gap between the hire of a permanent RN or a temporary spike in census. Often times, hospital's will look to renew a nurse's contract for another 13 weeks as early as a month into his or her assignment if they anticipate a longer need for their services. Some hospitals may hire temporary nurse staff on a shorter than 13-week basis, however travel nursing agencies may not always be able to provide all the standard perks such as free private housing and benefits in such cases.