What Is Travel Nursing & How Does It Work?

What is Travel Nursing?

Recently many healthcare professionals have been asking; what is travel nursing? A travel nurse is a licensed nurse who typically works in a hospital for usually 13 weeks at a time before moving to a different hospital in a different part of the country. Sometimes you might love your contract so much, you might have an opportunity to extend your stay.

Traveling nurses travel around the United States filling temporary nursing positions. If you are a nurse and love to travel this may be the right career move for you. There is a high demand for traveling nurses in areas in which the population changes. These changes can be seasonal like the snowbirds going to Florida for the winter and then returning to their home state. They could be in high tourist towns during peak travel seasons. Whatever the case may be where the population fluctuates a traveling nurse is needed.

Another scenario of a job that a traveling nurse might fill is when a full-time nurse quits and a replacement has not been found. A scenario like this could turn into a full-time position for the traveling nurse if she is happy with the facility and they are happy with her performance.

Hospitals like to hire travel nurses and other traveling health professionals for a variety of reasons. Travel nurses can bring a variety of experiences and knowledge that a hospital can benefit from. Lots of times, a travel nurse can act as a mentor for other nurses who have just completed their training and are not yet comfortable and/or confident with their new professional status. Medical facilities that have just opened will often hire the services of a travel nurse until they are up and running smoothly. The new, inexperienced staff will be able to benefit from the travel nurse’s previous work experience. Most travel nurses enjoy the experience of traveling, meeting, and working with new co-workers, and hope to gain a well-rounded work experience that will serve them when they settle on working full-time at a specific medical facility. Many travel nurses claim that the experience allows them to develop a better understanding of their chosen specialty. These same travel nurses also claim that their unique work experiences have helped reintroduce them to patient-focused nursing.

Before they start working at a new hospital, a travel nurse has already established an agreement with the hospital. This agreement states what salary the nurse will be making while she is working for the hospital. Before traveling to the new hospital the nurse knows how much of their travel expenses will be paid for. They also know where they will be living while they are working at the medical facility.

Travel nurses generally enjoy a more lucrative salary than they would receive if they worked in a single location. The salary the travel nurse earns is generally based on the location they are working, typically a travel nurse will not earn as much working in a hospital in a rural community as they will earn working in a large inner-city hospital. Some nurses prefer to travel nursing to nursing in a single medical facility because they enjoy the opportunity to see the world and other cultures. Working in a constantly changing location challenges a travel nurse’s knowledge and talents. The skills that travel nurses develop on their journeys are skills that they will be able to utilize when they settle on a home base.

Travel nurses find employment through a travel nursing service. This service pairs nurses with medical facilities that are seeking a travel nurse. The travel nursing service typically has a long and happy relationship with hospitals, medical facilities, and medical professionals. The nursing service helps reach agreements between the medical facilities and the travel nurse. The travel nursing service will also be able to help the travel nurse make sure that they have the proper licensing to work in the state they are about to be going to.

Before a nurse can become a travel nurse there are a few professional criteria that they must complete first.

Travel Nursing Does Have Sacrifices

There are some things you need to consider before becoming a traveling nurse. These are the things that can make up your mind on whether being a traveling nurse is right for you. The jobs that you accept may take you away from your family for up to a year. Depending on how far away the job may be this could be a deciding factor. Generally, it is best if you do not have pets because it is possible that the housing provided for you will not accept them. You will have to be licensed in every state that you choose to work in. These are things that a good traveling nurse agency will help you work out. Jobs are often assigned months in advance to give time to prepare. They can happen in as little as two weeks from application to beginning your traveling nurse job.

What Destination Will You See?

Being a traveling nurse, you will be able to work in many different settings. For example, there are hospitals and acute care facilities or surgery and outpatient surgery centers for the normal hospital-type settings. You could work with the elderly in nursing homes and assisted living centers or with children in the school and camp nurse’s offices. Other traveling nurse positions can include doctors’ offices, correctional facilities, occupational health facilities, and clinics and labs. It is usually required that you have at least a one year hospital experience when becoming a traveling nurse. This may vary from place to place.

If you are looking for a rewarding career that allows you to travel across the United States, then a career as a traveling nurse could be just what you are looking for. Look for agencies in your town or on the internet to help get you started on your journey as a traveling nurse. They will help place you in a job that is right for you and show you how to take care of the little details you may forget. If you are interested in travel nursing, download your free full guide on becoming a travel nurse.