Safety Tips for Travel Nurses
Working as a travel nurse can be a bit of an unorthodox career move from the outside looking in. Not only are travel nurses giving up a stable career, but they head out across the country--usually alone--and move into a strange home and spend most of their free time hanging out with strangers.
While all of these factors definitely give travelers a reason to be more cautious, there are some key ways you can keep yourself safe both while on assignment and on the way to and from each location.
Staying Safe While Finding Housing
One of the most intimidating parts of working as a travel nurse in a new city is finding safe, secure, affordable housing. Many people have the misconception that travel nursing comes with an awesome fully furnished premium unit to live in or a sky-high living stipend. The reality is that most travel nurses are working to pay rent or a mortgage back home as well as their travel housing costs, and being prudent when shopping for housing is important.
Not only that, but travel nurses face the daunting task of renting from afar. We can’t simply drive by a neighborhood or do a walk through of a unit to ensure that we are getting a safe, comfortable place to stay. Many travelers have heard horror stories of lost deposits or scary living situations that make them even more leery when renting sight unseen which is very understandable
Luckily, many landlords and companies have realized this issue and are doing some great things to help travel nurses feel more confident in their choice of housing, even when they aren’t able to lay eyes on the unit until they arrive. There are a lot of ways landlords can help make a traveler feel better about their decision, and some great tips and resources to make your travel nurse housing search a little less stressful.
A note on housing scams
One of the most common ways travelers get taken advantage of is through online housing scams, and make no mistake - scammers are rampant on the internet; especially on free listing sites. What they typically do is copy a listing with professional photos and robust description, but they’ll lower the rent so it really gets your attention, and of course their contact information is a burner phone.
If a really nice place seems underpriced for the area by about $400-$600, the odds are that you’re being set up. Their goal is to start a text or email conversation with you where they can slowly begin to introduce you to the con. “I’m out of town right now so I can’t show it to you, but I’ve got two other people who want the place...” “I’m managing this for my father/uncle who is sick right now, but if you want the place you need to send me the application fee and deposit right away so I can hold it for you.” Zelle also seems to be the payment type of choice for scammers these days.
Something else that could affect travelers is when you secure a unit ahead of time, but when you arrive it’s not the same unit or the images don’t adequately depict the condition of the place. For example, the tenant might show up and the unit is unclean, the furniture is dilapidated, or there are maintenance issues that make it unlivable. This is more about a bad landlord than a scam, but nonetheless, it can certainly put a strain on a traveler’s assignment.
This is a very stressful situation because a lot of the time the traveler has already put a deposit down and they are due to start work shortly after arriving. At that point you are put in a difficult situation: do you let your money go, spend more money on a hotel temporarily, and then also try to find housing while starting your new job? If you travel with pets or children this situation is then complicated tenfold. There are a lot of ways to avoid these scams if you travel smart and utilize some basic tools to double check your housing options.
Research basic tips for avoiding scams
Luckily, Furnished Finder has put together a great resource on how to Protect Yourself From Online Housing Scams on their resource page. This is a great breakdown on common tools used by online scammers, and has some great ways to double check if you are worried a housing option sounds a little too good to be true.
Another great tip is to speak with other travelers who have experience looking for housing. Unfortunately most seasoned travel nurses will have at least one housing horror story that will give you some real-life experiences to learn from. These tips could help you avoid similar mistakes when looking for your own short term housing or add to your list of what to do when looking for a safe place to live. The Travel Nurse Housing Facebook group by Furnished Finder is a very good community to join where you can ask questions and learn from other travelers and landlords.
Use housing services with built in protection
There are tons of avenues online to find monthly furnished housing. You can use Facebook housing groups, speak with travelers already in the area, or even try good old fashioned Craigslist, just realize that you should be more on-guard because free sites don’t screen or verify.
Some travelers will go these routes as an attempt to save some money on housing. However if you choose to use some of these roundabout ways to find short term housing, keep in mind it can be much harder to ensure the safety and reliability of the landlords in these situations. By using a housing service such as Furnished Finder, you add a layer of protection by knowing the person you rent from has been vetted prior to spending any money on their property.
Request visual proof
One way online scammers will prey on renters from afar is to use really beautiful photos of fake apartments. These photos usually look like typical staged photos a landlord would take when trying to sell a home.
To double check if the home is real, request a video walk through of the rental with your landlord. This will help you get a better feel for the landlord as well as verify that the space is legitimate. Simply explain to a potential landlord that you want to be able to feel secure about your choice as well as get a chance to chat with them a bit more. This is especially helpful if you are moving into a space where you will be sharing any sort of living space with the landlord as well.
Check on the safety of a neighborhood before renting
One of the scariest parts of moving to a new city is not knowing the difference between the different neighborhoods including crime rates or general safety. There are a few ways to go about researching an area where you are considering living.
You can start by using online resources like CityProtect.com to check what types of crime and how much crime has happened in an area. For reference you could look at the crime report for an area at home you are familiar with and see how it stands up next to a potential neighborhood on assignment.
Another great way to check on the safety of an area is to call the local police department. Simply explain you are new to the area and looking for a place and are unsure of what neighborhoods would be most recommended. If they can’t give specific advice they could at least point you to some community resources to help make your decision.
In addition, don't forget to reach out to anyone you may know in the area, or even try posting on a travel nurse housing page to see if any other travelers are familiar with where you are going. Having a firsthand account is often more helpful than looking at arbitrary data, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Your recruiter may also be able to put you in touch with other travelers who have lived or are currently living in the same city.
If you happen to know about a scammer and can provide documentation, you should report them to the platform you found them on, and you can also submit an anonymous tip here.
Staying Safe While Traveling Across the Country
As travel nurses we also spend a lot of time alone in unfamiliar places. We may be traveling through remote areas, driving through unknown cities, or be forced to rely on GPS to get from point A to point B safely. Not only is this intimidating, but it can put travel nurses at a slightly higher risk for finding themselves in dangerous situations.
Unfortunately individuals who are looking to take advantage of other people typically have an uncanny knack for picking out the newcomers to the area. By seeking out someone who may be lost or unfamiliar with an area they have an automatic upper hand in taking advantage of the situation.
Even when I travel with my husband we usually take two cars to each assignment. This means we often do not travel with each other the entire time, so as a female traveling alone, I have learned a lot in terms of how to stay safe when stopping in remote areas or familiarizing myself with a new town.
Maintain a look of confidence even if you’re lost or confused.
Give updates to friends and family regularly, or use a location sharing service.
Stay hyper aware of your surroundings. ?
Consider carrying forms of personal protection.
Don’t be afraid to look weird or use your voice in uncomfortable situations.
Maintain a look of confidence even if you’re lost or confused.
Predators have a way of sensing when someone is stressed out or anxious and these are exactly the type of people who are easy to take advantage of. If you look like you are lost or need help, it can be an easy segway for someone to simply come up and offer to help with the ruse of having good intentions.
Even if you are feeling a little flustered or lost, do your best to maintain an outward appearance of being calm and collected. Always make sure to have your phone charged and a GPS tool available to help guide you. A good rule of thumb is to not close out of your GPS app if you are on the road because if you lose service the map will still be available, but you may not be able to find a new route without some sort of cell service. Also be sure to have either a charging cord for your car or carry a power block of some sort in case your phone dies before your next stop.
Give updates to friends and family regularly, or use a location sharing service.
It is a good idea to let someone close to you know when you are leaving a location and when you expect to be at your destination. This includes confirming when you have made it to said destination safely. A location sharing service is also a good idea so if you get slowed down or forget to update them they can take a look and know that you are still moving on the proper route.
These updates are great for road trips but are also super important if you are doing something like solo hiking, going for a run, or meeting up with a new friend. Unfortunately you can never be too safe, so just a quick text or update will help keep you safe if there is an accident or you end up in a weird situation with a new acquaintance.
Stay hyper aware of your surroundings.
Like I mentioned before, people looking to cause harm or take advantage are really good at picking out easy targets. If you appear distracted or unaware this moves you straight to the top of their list.
If you are on a road trip and stopping for gas or food, take a second before getting out of your car to scan the area. If someone or something makes you uncomfortable, don't be afraid to keep driving until you get to a place that feels safer. In case you find yourself already in a store or gas station and feel too uneasy to walk back to your car, reach out to staff at the business and let them know your concerns. Trust your gut and do not worry about seeming rude if it impacts your safety.
Consider carrying forms of personal protection.
Most travel nurses carry some sort of personal protection, especially when traveling alone or at night. Types of protection can include mace, pepper spray, bear spray, a blunt object and others personal weapons. To be clear, the best way to protect yourself is to enroll into self defense classes where you can practice scenarios and become familiar with how you would respond if you were attacked.
Ultimately, you will have to determine what type of personal protection is right for you, but whatever it is, you should feel comfortable with your approach, and if it involves lethal-type weapons, be sure to check individual state laws related to what you are carrying. Firearms and tasers specifically have strict laws attached to them depending on where you are, so be sure to research these laws before transporting any type of weapon across state lines
Don’t be afraid to look weird or use your voice in uncomfortable situations.
Unfortunately many people find themselves in dangerous situations because they were concerned about being rude or making someone else feel bad.
I was once asked by a male landlord to accompany him to the basement to check out a switch that was causing our furnace to malfunction. This made me very uncomfortable so instead of going to the basement with him, I stood at the top of the stairs with my husband on the phone and pretended to see what he was trying to show me. I simply did not feel comfortable following a man I barely knew into an unfinished basement without my husband present.
This made it somewhat awkward because my landlord could tell I couldn’t really see what he was trying to show me. Eventually he just left and said he’d be back to address the furnace situation later.
Regardless of if he had bad intentions or not, I was not obligated to keep him from feeling bad by following him into a situation that made me uncomfortable. In fact, most men I have talked to about a situation like this agree that they would be more than understanding about why females can be on edge about certain situations and would back off accordingly. If you find yourself in a weird situation stay calm and don’t be afraid to be direct or simply say “that makes me uncomfortable”. You have every right to feel safe and secure no matter the situation.
In the end, be smart and listen to your intuition.
Whether you have a bad feeling about a housing situation or a sketchy rest stop bathroom, listen to your gut and look for a better option. Sometimes we try to override our instincts because of stress or desperation, but in the long run that usually ends up causing more stress or can even lead to a costly situation.
If a landlord seems shady or something just doesn’t sit “right” about a situation, take a second to breathe and realize that your safety and comfort is the number one priority--even over time or money! By remembering this and utilizing basic safety precautions you can be sure to have a better experience as a travel nurse.
Traveler safety is always the highest priority for Furnished Finder. This is why every landlord must pass a background check before their listing goes live on our site. In addition, we will run the same landlord background check for any traveler who found their property elsewhere to help protect all travel nurses against bad actors online.
Furnished Finder is the largest online housing marketplace for travel nurses who take temporary positions across the US. With 300,000+ monthly furnished rental properties to choose from, they continue to expand their inventory and make housing easier and more affordable for traveling nurses nationwide. Download the app. Furnished Finder also owns travelnursehousing.com.