Respect your deadlines. Things can move fast once you have accepted a travel assignment. There will be a long list of things the recruiter, and the company or facility will need you to complete right away. Depending on the company, your recruiter may put you in touch with housing and customer service. Stay in touch with them and get them what they need as soon as you can. This may include licenses, ID, tax forms, testing, and miscellaneous paperwork. Get it taken care of in a timely fashion. Each assignment will have different requirements and if you don't get your stuff done you may lose the assignment.

Make yourself a binder or file that contains all the documents you may need for travel assignments. If you have all your papers in one place, it will make your life much simpler and way less stressful.

Keep in touch with your recruiter and/or agency. Keep them informed on what is happening, and when, on your end, and make sure there are no loose ends.

Go over your contract thoroughly. Make sure you know what you are signing up for and agreeing to. If something doesn't look right or is not what you have agreed to, get on it with your recruiter right away.

Leaving your home for a travel assignment obviously means many different things depending on your situation. If you have a home you are leaving behind, things will need to be taken care of while you are gone. If it's summer the yard may need to be mowed or maybe winterizing is necessary if it's that time of year. Do you have someone who can stop by and check on things for you? Have you taken care of your mail by either forwarding it or putting a hold on it?

Once it's time to start packing, always remember that Less Is More! Most travelers have their own unique way of packing and obviously you will get better with more experience. But you will learn that you can get by with very little. When packing your clothes, ask yourself, do I really like this item enough to pack and unpack it several times each year? Do I really need all these shoes? Probably not.I am happier eating in than out, so I would always bring a couple of my favorite cooking pots and coffee pot. Here are a few things I would recommend bringing:clothes, scrubs and shoes, some of your kitchen items, vacuum, tv, laptop and printer, bedding and pillows, binder with documents, medications and prescriptions, glasses and contacts, starter kit (for before you go to the store, couple rolls of toilet paper, water, soap, laundry soap).

And I am a firm believer in lists. I keep them for everything. If it's not on the list it ain't happenin! My smart phone has a notes section that is great for me and my lists. That way whenever I think of something I can add it to the appropriate list and when the time comes hopefully my list is complete.

The less you can pack and take with you the easier your move will be. But don't forget to budget for that initial shopping trip since you are basically restocking a house each time with the basics. Dollar stores, Wal-Mart and Target are all great for crossing a lot of these items off your list without breaking the bank.

As with everything, you will get better at it with each assignment. Think positive and keep moving forward and on to the next episode in your travel nursing adventures!

Mary Crawford, Healthcare Employment Network