Travel nursing offers the best of both worlds: decent pay, flexibility and the opportunity to live somewhere new every few months. However, it doesn't come without its challenges from seeking short-term housing to long hours and last-minute assignments. With the rising cost of housing, especially short-term leasing, many nurses are starting to rethink the idea of traditional housing for their nomadic lifestyle.  

This is why it may pay to consider an adventure van, like the ones offered by Outside Van, as a long-term solution to housing on the road. With premium features and many of the home-like amenities, a camper van makes sense for adaptable, resourceful travel nurses seeking alternative yet flexible housing. 

With a 63,000+ nursing shortage recorded in 2024, many hospitals around the U.S. are turning to outsourcing temporary nursing contracts to fill the gaps. Going into 2026, this number has only increased with an aging workforce in nursing, increased demand, nursing program bottlenecks, and workplace burnout.  As a result, the career path has grown with the average travel nurse making $103k+ yearly. With the surge in need, comes a substantial amount of travel nurses seeking temporary housing solutions from state to state.  

Travel nurses meet challenges with housing between jobs since many contracts are only 13-weeks long. This leaves them no choice but to go with temporary housing and short-term, month-to-month leases that are often substantially more expensive than a 12-month lease. Some staffing agencies will offer housing as part of the contract, but the nurses have very little control over the location or quality of the housing. While the salary is competitive in this line of work, the stress over housing comes with the job.

Given the challenges that come with seeking traditional housing, it's no wonder that more traveling nurses are considering camper vans for their living needs. While it has become a trend over the years, camper vans offer flexibility specifically for traveling nurses by taking the guesswork out of housing with the ease of navigating through towns compared to an RV or pull-behind camper. In comparison to higher short-term rents, traveling nurses can potentially take advantage of monthly savings while enjoying the flexibility and independence of a camper van. Plus, when it's time to hang it up for the day, a camper van allows for easy access for recreation and leisure time off the clock. 
 
As with most things like this, there are some caveats. Full-time van living isn't for everybody with space constraints, van maintenance, and tracking down where it's legal to park your home on wheels. However, Outside Van has some solutions that many travel nurses will find are just right for their constantly changing needs. 

Obviously, full-time living in a camper van is much different than renting an apartment, especially in terms of size, but that doesn't mean it lacks all of the same amenities. For instance, many of the vans built by Outside Van come standard with solar-powered climate control and power, along with Starlink internet capability. Travel nurses need reliability and comfort after a shift at the hospital, and somewhere to prepare meals or reheat takeout when it's been a long day.  
 
Most of all, they need somewhere to lay their heads that lets them feel recharged for another day and worry less about scouring the internet for their next work location. 

Once such van travel nurses should consider the Parks model from Outside Van. Buit on the AWD Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform, Parks is fully equipped for the traveling nurse or those living the working nomad lifestyle. The fully self-contained Class B adventure van is designed for daily, full-time living, sleeps two people, and includes a fully functional washroom with shower, toilet and vanity.

Powered by an up to 620Ah lithium-ion battery system that can be charged using the 140W rooftop solar panel with MPPT controller or through the high-output alternator, Parks is equipped to power everything from a small microwave to a TV to make it easy for anyone to unwind and enjoy the comforts of home. With an AWD drivetrain and 4-cylinder Turbo Diesel engine, Parks has all of the capability to get to work or get lost in the mountains on your off time. Experience complete control throughout the van with a centralized Garmin smart command center with touchscreen controls that power your lighting, water, outside awning, and more. 

Many camper van owners utilize gym memberships on their travels to take care of their bathing needs on the road, but with Parks onboard washroom, that’s no longer needed. The full-sized washroom features a high-top shower with extended height ceiling, storage tray, privacy curtain and an adjustable shower head. The vanity includes a sink with a medicine cabinet, mirror and dedicated vanity light that makes getting ready or washing the day away convenient. 

The interior of Parks supports real rest, not just the bare minimum while traveling. The FlipOut convertible bed system and seating area, along with add-on features like insulated privacy window shades, allows for a full reset that travel nurses often need. Whether they’ve been working all day or through the night, Parks has features that caters to even the graveyard shift. WiFi connectivity and Lagun dinette table makes connecting with loved ones at home seamless and comfortable.

While weighing options on whether a camper van is right for you or the traveling nurse in your life, it’s important to consider whether van-life in general is right for you. Full-time living in a van, like Parks, requires some adapting to a smaller space, being resourceful and flowing through the day in a non-traditional way. Keeping a regular maintenance schedule, seeking parking facilities, as well as finding dumping areas for grey tanks and waste containers, are all a part of the van lifestyle.

However,  Parks offers flexibility and independence that arranged and temporary housing solutions may not. It also offers the ability to quickly change locations on a moment’s notice while bringing home with you and allowing for more meaningful days off on the trail, beach or wherever you end up on your days off.

For the traveling nurse, life is always on the move. The Outside Van Parks model offers a fully equipped mobile housing solution that includes connectivity, comfort, and convenience. If you have a career built around moving frequently, consider Parks as your solution to independent living for a nomadic work environment.