Navigating Travel Nursing with Grad School

Ever wonder how you could juggle Grad school and continue to be a travel healthcare  professional? Honestly, it’s not for the faint of heart however, tenacity and determination will  supersede any doubts you may have. Embarking on this type of journey IS possible and I’ll tell  you how. Now, lets take a look at what type of degrees would be easier to navigate while on  the road… 
First, finding a university or college that’s online is a no-brainer; when starting an NP  program I would look for one that is 100% online. If you’re anything like me and have  distractions at home such as cleaning over studying or writing, 100% online is not going to  work. There are programs that meet every 2-3 weeks and are suitable for those on the road. I  would suggest mentioning this scheduling conflict in your interview or first thing at your new  assignment. Facilities are desperate these days, so negotiating this into a contract would  behoove you. Second, I would talk to an advisor at the university you’re wanting to attend and  see what programs are available that cater to the travel lifestyle. 

Now you may be thinking, “screw the nurse practitioner route!”. Not to fret…there are  so many opportunities for nurses to apply their multifaceted, organizational and critical thinking  skills across other industries. Take my decision to go back to school for business as an  example. I see the value in obtaining my MBA and matching this to my nursing degree. This is  an uncommon practice today but I have a feeling the more I can speak to the allure of a  business degree for healthcare professionals, it's going to catch on. As a business owner,  entrepreneur and nurse I’m learning they marry well and the knowledge I’m obtaining at  Pepperdine University is gold. Pepperdine’s Executive Programs have MBA’s you can obtain in  24 months and meet in person every third weekend. The opportunity to fly back to California is  easy for the weekend; there are other cohorts of mine who live on the East Coast and the  Midwest who commute, so it is possible! Thanks to technology, the pandemic and AI, virtual  group meet-ups are effortless.  
The tech industry is realizing the value of healthcare professionals and their ability to  innovate and create. You can easily obtain a software or coding certificate which would market  your skill above others. Amazon and Google have hired nurses to ensure COVID protocols and  safety measures are maintained. The possibilities for healthcare professionals are boundless.  You just need to look a little deeper than the surface. 
If you are truly considering going back to school, but uncertainty and hesitation are  consuming you, you’re not alone. You’re not ready to give up the travel healthcare life, I get it,  but don’t let this stop you. If you’re willing to put in the time and dedication, the benefits are  infinitely greater. Juggling grad school and the travel life won’t be a walk in the park but you are  capable. For more information on business and healthcare, I invite you to email me directly at [email protected]. I love chatting and talking about business, healthcare improvement and innovation and I look forward to connecting!

​Written By Chriss Diltz, Travel Nurse, Founder of NurseRX and current grad student