What to do inbetween your travel physical therapy assignments

As a traveling therapist you are afforded the freedom many in the workforce will never get to experience. Typically those who work a perm position have to stick to a schedule and use paid time off to enjoy time away from the office. Traveling physical and occupational therapists on the other hand have many choices. As a travel physical therapist you have the option to work year-round and have options to plan on taking some much needed time off between assignments. There are of course times where you may want to keep working if  the location or assignment is what you desire. But if the situation arises, what are some things you can do until you start your next travel therapy job, that is if you choose to continue working as one?

Say you’ve been doing the travel physical therapy thing for a while, and maybe it’s time to settle down for a bit. Lucky you, there is the omnipresent  shortage of therapists all across the country and finding a permanent job shouldn’t be that difficult. Of course, it all matters where you’re living and what the demand may be in your area. Otherwise, you can pick up some temp jobs until you find the position you can tie yourself to.

If you can’t find the next travel therapy job you so desire right away, there are other things you can do to keep yourself busy. Most staffing agencies or at least the major players offer to pay for your continuing education classes to help you keep up to date with your profession. Do your research and see which companies offer these extra benefits.

Maybe you’re a little burnout and a little holiday is the prescription . Hopefully you have built up a little savings to allow you to take the much needed break. You’ve been all over, from big cities to small communities, but maybe you want to the rest of this great planet. Take a cruise, tour Asia, “Im going to Disneyland”, anything else but work! Take the time off and when you’re ready to rejoin the workforce, you’ll hopefully be refreshed and ready to do what you love, all over again.

Some of you though may not be comfortable with the idea of just sitting around doing not much of anything. As a therapist, it’s obvious you have a passion for caring, so why not choose to offer your services toward a worthy cause. As you know the earthquake in Haiti this past January stirred quite a response from the healthcare field and many nurses and other professionals traveled down to assist in any way possible, some were sent to help through organizations and others went on their own accord. Obviously, there is a need for this type of help all around the world and even in your own hometowns. Volunteering is a wonderful way to utilize your skills, expertise and compassion while away from your usual occupations. I’ve listed a few organizations in which you can sign up to volunteer for, either here in the United States or abroad.

Projects Abroad – Projects Abroad is the leading abroad volunteer organization. We offer a diverse range of international service projects, plus the opportunity to become part of one of our volunteer communities abroad.

Hands of Light In Action – a non-profit organization that is very simply focused on assisting people in need. 

Traveling therapists have so many choices when it comes to their vocation. You can work, or you can take advantage of the freedom and do what you want. Either way, being a travel therapsit will never limit you, the only limits those you put on oneself.