Whether you are a first time travel nurse or an experienced travel nurse, packing for each different location can be difficult. There are so many variables: season of the year, mountains vs. coast, latitude, etc. Then you add in the choice of flying or driving to your new home. One of the best things to remember when packing for a travel nursing assignment: you can always buy supplies when you get there.
One thing to be mindful of is OVER-packing. The bottom line: be realistic. If you only use it a couple times at home within a 3 month period, are you really going to use it while you’re halfway across the country exploring new things? Take a look at this awesome list before you start packing for your assignment!
1. Job Necessities
- Scrubs
- Work Shoes
- Compression Stockings
- Stethoscope
- Tools
- Pens, penlights (not all hospitals stock disposable lights- bring your own!), trauma shears
2. Clothing
Depending on the weather of where you’re moving to, your clothing packing list will vary tremendously. Here’s a broad list of what clothing items to pack for your 13 week contract:
- Jackets, sweatshirts, long sleeve tees
- Short sleeve tees, tank tops, camis
- Undergarments and socks
- Jeans, leggings, sweatpants, shorts
- A couple nice outfits (just in case you get invited to a party or go out to eat with friends)
- Shoes: athletic, sandals, slippers, boots, going out shoes
- Hat. sunglasses, belts, and other accessories
3. Toiletries
Unless you have specialty items that you buy from a salon or have shipped to you, all you need is a few days worth of travel sized toiletries before you arrive to your destination and can hit up a Wal-Mart or Target to replenish your supplies:
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Skin care products
- Contacts/glasses and accessories (contact solution, glasses case, contact case)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash
- Prescriptions and vitamins
- Make-up bag and make-up remover
4. Kitchen/Living Essentials
Most of the time, agency housing supplies you with the proper essentials, so not much packing is necessary here. You also have to mindful of how much you will actually be in your housing facility during your assignment. When you’re in a new place, you want to EXPLORE! So here are the things you have already invested in that you might not want to buy once you get to your destination:
- Pillow
- If you’re a chef and have a specialty knife or whisk that you want to cook with, go for it.
- Living room blanket
5. Electronics
This is one of the biggest areas of packing, since you can’t just buy new laptops every assignment:
- Laptop, external hard drives
- Camera & lenses, batteries
- Headphones
- Watch
- All charging cords
- Hair dryer, straightener, curling iron
6. Outdoor Activity Items
This is an area to take careful consideration as these items can be large in size: bicycle, snowboard, skis, rock climbing gear, etc. If you’ve got a really expensive snowboard and have an assignment in Colorado where you plan on getting a season pass to a ski resort, then it makes sense to bring that board! If you’re driving to an assignment you obviously have so much more room to pack your belongings.
Happy Packing! 😉
APPLY for travel nursing jobs today to get started on your travel adventure!
SOURCE: http://thewanderlustdiaries.com/what-should-you-pack-for-your-first-travel-nurse-assignment/