Economic crisis, nursing shortage, unemployment, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I said it. Blah! If you’re a nurse and in need of a job, all you need to do is broaden your horizons a bit and you’ll be set. One of the biggest trends in nursing these days is that of travel nursing. Either as an independent contractor (less likely) or through an agency (typical), nurses everywhere are packing their bags and going to where the jobs are. As a travel nurse, the extent of your traveling is dependent on you. How far are you willing to go? But you should also consider, how much are you willing to be paid? Travel nursing can be very lucrative if you are willing…
What is Required in Travel Nursing?
- Flexibility. You’ll be sent to facilities you’ve never been to and thrown into an active nursing role rather quickly. That’s not to say you won’t receive on-site training, but you’ll still need to be willing and able to learn new processes and get along with new people.
- The want and ability to travel – possibly for long periods of time. Some travel nursing assignments are short, maybe only days or weeks at a time. Other assignments could last up to 6 months or longer. If you have a family at home and can’t stand the thought of leaving them behind, maybe you should reconsider being a travel nurse.
- Depending on where your travel nursing assignment takes you, it is possible that you could be asked to update your license or acquire additional credentials for legal purposes.
Benefits of Travel Nursing
- New workplace experiences. Some nurses, or any working individuals, often become complacent or bored with their work environment. Travel nursing offers the chance to always be on the go and to work with new people and in new places with each assignment.
- Explore the country! Travel nursing could almost be considered a paid vacation. Granted, you’ll be working – and working hard. But your travel and living expenses will be covered in most cases in addition to your pay granting you the freedom to get out and see the local scenery. Travel nurses often request assignments (meaning you won’t necessarily be granted the request!) in Hawaii, Alaska, Florida and California – common vacation destinations.
- Higher pay. Because of the unique nature of travel nursing, the salary is understandably higher. Greater demands are placed on you, so you are rewarded accordingly. Plus, in many cases you can receive sign-on bonuses for hard-to-fill travel nurse assignments.
- As more of an abstract benefit, traveling looks great on your nursing resume. Employers see that you are dedicated to your career choice and the fact that you participated and found success in travel nursing shows that you are a flexible, team player.
If you are interested in becoming a travel nurse but are unsure of where to start – let me make a simple suggestion: head on over to Google and search for “travel nursing agencies.” Pick out a few of the agencies in the results and see what they have to offer. Or if you would prefer, you can always check out sites like Indeed.com or SimplyHired.com and search for travel nursing jobs there. Either way, travel nursing has a lot to offer the right individuals. So, pack your bags and prepare for a nursing career-adventure!
