Working as a travel therapist (OT, PT or speech) can be an absolutely terrific phase of your career. Naturally, not everything about being a travel therapist is terrific. Here are some of the less-than stellar aspects of working as a travel therapist:
Of course, one of the best benefits to working as a traveling therapist is…the travel! If you have a bit of wanderlust in your bones, if you enjoy working in different therapy facilities, working with different kinds of patients and continually working alongside “new” professionals, then travel therapy positions should be right up your alley.
Many travel therapy services can help you accommodate taking you family with you as you travel from assignment to assignment. But if you have family members who need you nearby, if you don’t want to uproot young children constantly, a career as a travel therapist may not be for you.
If you absolutely feel you need a steady paycheck, travel therapy may not be for you. You could find yourself with a few days or even weeks between assignments. Facilities tend to lay off temporary staff (including travel therapists) first when budgets are tight. So unless your budget can handle the possibility of having a few paychecks “go missing,” you may want to limit your job search only to full-time staff therapist positions.
If you’re a newly graduated OT, PT or speech therapist, you’ll probably have a difficult time finding travel positions. Most travel therapist services require that their employees have a bare minimum of one year of clinical experience. In fact, they may really be looking for therapists with at two or event three years of experience.
You’ll also really want to be sure you can handle constant change and even loneliness. If you’re an introvert by nature, if you are happiest in surroundings you know well, working as a travel therapist may not be for you.
If you’re still interested in working as a traveling OT, PT or speech therapist, contact Centra Healthcare Solutions. We have many great travel therapist assignments at rehab facilities and hospitals all across the country. We look forward to hearing from you!
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