With a desire to travel and a nursing degree in your pocket why not consider the exciting world of a travel nurse? As a licensed nurse in an often demanding, fast paced and ever changing profession, being a travel nurse offers the opportunity to live and work where ever the travel bug takes you. Take short term or long term assignments in locations of your choice. Your willingness to travel demonstrates your commitment to the nursing profession as well as flexibility in your clinical practice, always a favorable twinkle in the eye of an employer.
Traveling nurses must be a graduate of an accredited nursing program and provide a valid license for the state that they reside and proof of the right to work in the United States. Each state has their own licensing regulations and your license may not comply in another state. Most, if not all, states will grant temporary license status to a nurse for up to a year, in some cases. Most travel nurse agencies will work with you to get the proper state licensing or a temporary license before you begin your assignment.
A travel nurse must be flexible, have a positive outlook, excellent clinical and communication skills and an eagerness to enjoy a new adventure. A travel nurse must be a quick learner and open to change as well as adaptable to new settings. Being a travel nurse will provide unique clinical opportunities not found at all medical facilities. That opportunity will certainly expand a nurses’ resume to be more in demand for those top nursing jobs. An experienced travel nurse will strengthened their ability to learn quickly and adapt to new environments. A traveling nurse deals with different approaches and styles to nursing which means they can hit the ground running and need only a minimum of orientation before becoming a key contributor to a nursing team.
There are agencies that offer opportunities and usually offer a complete employment package. Each agency is different in regards to the benefits they offer. A typical package of benefits might include above average pay, medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, paid time off, guaranteed work hours, housing or a housing stipend, continuing education programs, a sign on bonus or assignment completion bonus, airfare and rental car or moving expenses when appropriate, child care when necessary and 24 hour support for whatever your needs may be. Before deciding on which travel nurse agency to sign on with, decide what benefits are most important to you and make sure your agency of choice fits your criteria. One thing to keep in mind is some medical facilities require a minimum amount of work experience before considering a travel nurse candidate. That time frame may vary depending on the type of clinical area of work.
For whatever reason you choose to be a travel nurse, it will prove to be a career of a lifetime and bring you a wealth of experiences you might not otherwise acquire.