Hospitals all over the United States need your services in an ongoing effort to provide high quality patient care. Where would you like to go today?

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Locum providers are an integral part of many anesthesia teams, solo provider critical access hospitals, and CRNA only practices around the country.  Some travel around the country a little differently check out a FB blog of one CRNA traveling.  http://www.facebook.com/priorityfocus

Directly From Chrissy a Locum CRNA really on the move:

Many of you have expressed interest in the use of an RV for locum work. I moved onto a Class A Diesel pusher over a year ago. In terms of traveling for Anesthesia work you can experience limitations in where you can go. RV parks with full hookups are becoming more common due to the increasing number of people full timing. However not all are nice and not all allow monthly parking. Trust me if you are going to be parked longer than a week you want full hookups- power, water septic!

Selecting an RV is like planning an anesthetic! And an exercise in common sense. The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the different types available and decide what would work best for you. Go to dealerships, shows and even rent one for a trip to try it out. But most important- talk to and listen to RV owners! Please note I said LISTEN! I'm posting a link below that has a good explanation of the different kinds.

I chose the class A for size, features and comfort since it would be my only home for some time to come. I chose a floor plan that gives me a large bedroom/bathroom area and I have a half bath that I use for my utility/litter box. Yes the cat has his own bathroom! I have a washer and dryer. I do not recommend the washer/dryer combo units. They take FOREVER to do a load. My unit is very functional for me.

You must consider your daily driving vehicle as well. If you decided on a motor coach can your vehicle be towed wheels down or will you require a trailer? If you have a vehicle capable of towing what is its capacity? Will you require a new vehicle with this lifestyle change?

If you purchase a new unit from a dealership do not trust everything will be in perfect working order. Sadly quality control on RV production lines is not the greatest. Some dealerships are better than others with their "final walk through" before you roll off in your new home. If possible stay close to the dealership the first few weeks of use. I was unable to do this and had to find a mobile repair service. They are expensive but the dealership is responsible the first year and had to reimburse me. Still a total pain. If you buy a used unit of any kind-DO NOT DO SO WITHOUT HAVING IT INSPECTED BY A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP OR RV REPAIR SERVICE.

Speaking of reputable dealerships, do the best you can! Avoid the "big box" retailers like Camping World. Inventory in your area may be a problem as well. I purchased in the winter. There was only one unit within a 2 hour drive that was in my price range and met my needs. It was not my first choice of brand but it was new. Another helpful hint. If you can find a 3-5 year old unit some snow bird is selling go for it! They typically take great care of the units and all the kinks are likely worked out. The next owner of mine will be very happy!

So let's say you take the plunge. How is your daily life going to change? Pack rats and hoarders will struggle. You must utilize your space well. You get to learn all the buttons and what they do. Ok so that is sort of fun. If you purchase a motor coach like I did then you have to keep it serviced just like your daily driver. This can be difficult if you're full timing with pets or children.

You will think about climate control, electrical and plumbing more than you ever have. If you are handy that's great. If not you have to be willing to learn. Most units have 2 ACs, a heat pump function that's pretty much useless below 45 degrees or so, and a gas furnace. Possibly a gas hot water heater and fridge. If you are going to be in colder weather you will need an extended stay propane attachment and propane tanks for the furnace. Needless to say it's a disaster if you let your plumbing or holding tanks freeze and bust. Otherwise you will be unhooking and driving to a fill station frequently. I have three 30lb tanks because I can lift them without hurting myself when they are full- 60lbs.

Ahh the holding tanks. I know you all are wondering at this point where the poop goes . Your unit will have 3 tanks. Fresh water- usually kept empty. Unless you are going somewhere with no hookups or wintering on the RV. You would need water if the parks hydrant freezes. Gray water- sinks and shower. I usually leave my gray open, especially when doing laundry. Black water- toilet. You do not want to leave the black open because the will stick to the tank. You simply empty when full and treat. I like the Ridex RV treatment.

I'm sure this seems like a lot but it's really not. In most ways it no different than living in a house. It's just smaller and has a different "to do" list. I've tried to hit the big highlights with this and I hope it helps those of you with RV interest.

Let the questions fly below!

While I have time, my spill about RV parks.

I go to Good Sam first. You can pretty much look up and read reviews about almost every RV park in the country. RVers are very honest, sometimes brutally, in reviewing a park. Definitely believe what you read!

The main questions I ask myself:

1. How far is the park from the hospital?

2. Is it big rig accessible with level sites?

3. Does it have reliable full hookups and wifi?

4. Is monthly parking allowed?

5. Does it have good reviews?

Why I ask these questions is pretty obvious for the most part. If you are taking call you need to be able to get to the hospital quickly. Even if I'm not taking call I try not to be more than 10-15 miles. That's just my personal preference. I don't like a lot of drive time and I despise traffic 😂😂

Most but not all parks are big rig accessible. This is where reading reviews comes in handy. Some parks claim to be but it's very difficult to get a large rig into the park, set up and leveled. This could be because of narrow roads, large trees or just small campgrounds trying to make a buck. They don't care if you damage your rig. You could damage your awning on a tree limb or your slide outs if you put them out when the rig is unlevel. My rig has an auto level system for the jacks but I still have to put wood blocks out sometimes and tweek it on small inclines. It's not hard. I keep a small bubble level with me.

If you are going to park longer term, especially in the winter, you need to be at a park with reliable electric. Again read the reviews! Power losses and surges can damage many things on an RV. Some parks insulate and heat tape the water hydrant. Even so I highly suggest a heated water hose. I have a Camco and my water did not freeze in single digit weather this past winter. If your unit does not have a tank heater you may want to put a small heater in your wet bay. The furnace is the most persnickety appliance on the RV. Always make sure it's in working order before heading off somewhere in cold weather. And as I said in my previous post get an extended stay propane attachment!

Probably one of the biggest pains in the ass for RVers is TV and internet. Some parks provide wifi and very basic cable. You can get a roof mounted satellite if your unit did not come with one. They are pricy and you have to deal with Dish or Direct. You can take your residential satellite on a tripod if you're good at signal finding. I did this the first year. It wasn't too much of a pain but I got mad at Direct and got rid of them. My preference is streaming anyway. The last two parks I stayed in had decent wifi. I used the park wifi for my Firestick and my iPhone hotspot for my iPad- ATT unlimited plan. Park wifi is not secure so I don't like to do things like check my bank balance on it! This is all personal preference for everyone. It just depends on what is important to you and how much you want to spend.

Not all parks allow monthly parking. They make more money off the nightly and weekly rates. If their website does not say then you call them and beg very nicely. It usually works out.

Again READ THE REVIEWS! You will learn everything you need to know and more. Is the park clean, safe and is the staff good? Have realistic expectations. You will not always get a fancy vacation park. I honestly prefer what I've come to call the "necessity parks". They tend to be smaller and your neighbors will likely be there working like you. They are more quiet because the partying vacationers are at the other places. You will not have a swimming pool or club house but so what, you're there making the Benjamins!

On a side note if you are worried about safety don't be. Just use good common sense like you do for everything else. RVers are usually assumed armed. Your park neighbors are typically good, like minded folks who watch out for and help each other. I've been very lucky so far with great neighbors. I had a ADT home security system installed on mine. It monitors for breakin, fire, temperature and has a small camera that works off the cell in the unit. Alerts come directly to my cell. Gives me peace of mind since Bub is on board.