Nursing is a demanding career that requires hours of studying and long shifts once you land a job. As a result, many make sacrifices to become nurses, choosing to rent instead of becoming homeowners to invest more money into their education or putting off having a family to focus on their careers. Individuals who love to travel even sacrifice their vacations. Luckily, you don't have to choose between your dream career and traveling—you can do both by becoming a travel nurse.
What is a Travel Nurse?
A travel nurse is exactly what it sounds like. These individuals travel for work by filling PRN nursing shifts and positions where needed. These positions range in duration, lasting anywhere from a few days to several months. Unlike PRNs, who can work wherever they want, travel nurses sign contracts with specific facilities and can choose to renew or travel somewhere new.
What to Expect
If you choose to become a travel nurse, you'll travel from facility to facility, filling understaffed roles. You'll be expected to perform the same duties as other nurses, and it's often difficult to learn how a facility works and what's expected of you because you're thrown into a fast-paced environment.
Travel nurses can take assignments at understaffed hospitals where other nurses don't have time to train or explain their specific systems for patient care. Therefore, it's important to be flexible and learn new things quickly without becoming overwhelmed.
Travel nurses sign contracts to fill positions temporarily that can last as long as the facility needs them. The length of contracts varies, but you can expect to spend at least a few weeks at each location. In addition, some travel nurses can secure full-time positions after a temporary contract. However, others prefer to stay as travel nurses to enjoy more flexible employment.
A travel nurse cannot travel around the country on a whim. Instead, you must be licensed in the state where you work. Therefore, some travel nurses simply travel from facility to facility rather than state to state because licensing takes time and money. Therefore, while travel nurses don't necessarily get to travel around the world, they can still experience new places.
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Travel Nurse?
Travel nurses must be licensed in the state where they work. Therefore, you can't find employment anywhere in the country without going through individual licensing. Other than being licensed in the state where you work, there are several personal characteristics you need to be successful in the role, including the following:
- Quick learner: Travel nurses must be quick learners because all healthcare facilities use different technologies and processes. These individuals have broad knowledge as nurses, but some facilities use different standards and tools. Therefore, you're expected to learn these practices and technologies quickly.
- Flexibility: Travel nurses can create their own schedules because they work with agencies. For example, you can work for two months and then take time off. However, when you work will likely depend on the demand for someone like you. Therefore, there may be long periods when you're not working and those when you're needed daily.
- Comfortable in new environments: When you're a travel nurse, you won't get to sleep on your own mattress every night. Instead, depending on how long you're working in another location, you may spend time in a motel or even choose to buy an RV. In addition to your living environment, your work environment will change regularly, so you must be comfortable in new places and around new people.
Becoming a Travel Nurse
Being a travel nurse can be rewarding and improve your career by helping you learn about different facilities and the systems they use. Luckily, becoming a travel nurse is easy, especially if you're already a licensed nurse in your state. To become a travel nurse, you need to:
- Earn a nursing degree
- Become a registered nurse (RN) by passing the NCLEX
- Get job experience
- Get Licensed
- Sign up with an agency
Remember, you must obtain a license in any state you want to work in, even if you don't live there full-time. Once you've obtained your license(s), you can work with a travel nursing agency. Of course, since there are many agencies to choose from, you should do your research to determine whether they work with specific hospitals or healthcare networks or in particular areas.
How Much Can You Make?
How much you can make as a travel nurse depends on your education and specialty. In general, travel nurses make more than RNs because they fill open temporary positions in healthcare facilities. Ultimately, how much you can make will depend on your travel nursing agency and contract terms but the more certifications and specialties you have, the more you can earn.
Of course, travel nurse work can vary, so while you might be busy for a few months out of the year, it can be slow the rest of the year based on the relationships your agency has with different facilities. If possible, consider working with multiple agencies to ensure there's an assignment for you in every location you want to work. In addition, signing with multiple agencies can increase your opportunities and salary because hospitals pay agencies different rates. Travel nurses are also often rewarded with travel insurance.
Becoming a Travel Nurse
Travel nurses have the freedom and flexibility to choose when and where they work. However, to become a travel nurse in a different state or country, you must obtain licensing in those areas to attract more hospitals. Luckily, many states have a quick licensing process, allowing you to start working immediately. However, many states have a lengthy process, so if there's somewhere you want to work, you should apply for licensing as soon as you can.
Being a travel nurse isn't for everyone. Many nurses prefer working for a single facility because it allows them to develop relationships with coworkers and patients. However, if you enjoy experiencing new things regularly, becoming a travel nurse might be the right career path for you.
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Megan Isola
Megan Isola holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and a minor in Business Marketing from Cal State University Chico. She enjoys going to concerts, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends.
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All time nursing care is in which patients have their own nurses to take care of them at their homes.
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This means that the hospital staffing market value would climb up to USD 53.02 billion by the year 2028.This Hospital Staffing Market research report intensely analyses the potential of the market with respect to current scenario and the future prospects by considering several industry aspects of Cardinal Health industry.
