A promising nursing career awaits nursing school graduates and nursing licensure passers. Learn how to become a travel nurse and earn while traveling!
With the problem of nursing shortage in healthcare facilities nationwide, the need for travel nurses continues to rise.
A travel nurse job is an on-demand nursing career with a competitive salary and many incentives.
On top of that, nurses get the chance to explore different places without worrying about housing or travel expenses.
So, if you’re a registered nurse looking for a nursing job to broaden your skills, you’re fit for this role.
This guide highlights the requirements and steps on how to become a travel nurse, with helpful tips to succeed in this profession.
According to Zippia, the labor statistics for travel nurses currently employed in the United States is over 1,700,000.
For such a high number of traveling nurses, there are only around 300 travel nurse agencies catering to the profession in the country.
At the same time, becoming a travel nurse is one of the most popular travel jobs.
This concept debunks the idea that nurses can only work within hospital premises or healthcare facilities.
Through travel nursing, nurses can also explore areas outside the healthcare setting.
They can work for several professional industries like education, pharmaceuticals, technology, and even customer service.
Apart from that, travel nurses can also work for the government and media.
Meanwhile, a nurse’s role mainly focuses on patient care. Here are some of the most common roles and responsibilities of travel nurses:
According to Indeed, the average travel nurse’s salary is over $2,250 per week, with some travel nursing agencies offering around $4,000 weekly.
Every year, travel nurses make an average earning of around $100,000. In fact, becoming a travel nurse pays more compared to staff nurses that are stationary in hospitals.
Moreover, specific qualifications and certifications impact the net salary of travel nurses; the more certifications you have, the higher your pay will be.
For example, a registered nurse with Basic Life Support or BLS Certification can earn 57.16% more than the base pay.
The same scenario applies to travel nurses with Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and Fetal Monitoring certifications. They can earn around 14% to 26.75% more.
A travel nursing job is a gateway to many opportunities and experiences that will look good on your resume and impact your outlook in life.
Here are the reasons why a travel nursing job is worth it:
Competitive pay with many benefits
A travel nurse’s job pays more than a regular nurse’s.
Additionally, travel nurses receive benefits that may include insurance, stipends, travel reimbursements, and healthcare packages.
See new places and meet new people
By traveling as a nurse, you experience different cultures and explore places you’ve only seen in books.
From blinding city lights to breathtaking rural landscapes, your job may allow you to indulge in sights you’ve never seen!
Break free from expensive living costs
Some companies offer free housing and tax-free stipends, so you can hop from one place to another without worrying about monthly bills.
Broaden your skillset
Professional growth is more valuable than money, and that’s the most important thing you’ll gain from working as a travel nurse.
If you’re looking to explore a travel nursing career, take a look at the following requirements and qualifications that you need to accomplish:
From finishing nursing school to earning certifications, it can cost from $8,215 to around $200,000.
This rough estimate is on top of other expenses and miscellaneous fees.
While it’s a grueling process, becoming a travel nurse is bearable as long as you’re competent, adaptive, and passionate about patient care.
The opportunity to travel and see new places is a bonus!
Apart from that, you can expand your horizons and hone your skills. Plus, you get to meet new people and experience different cultures.
A high-paying job that allows you to travel; that’s the definition of a gig job that most of us dream of.
However, becoming a travel nurse can take five years or more, given that you must finish a 4-year nursing program and obtain years of relevant experience.
Regarding job perks, a traveling nurse may receive benefit packages apart from competitive pay.
On top of that, they also receive insurance, stipends, and travel reimbursements. Note that benefits and salary packages vary per travel nursing agency.
While the compensation and benefits are pretty enticing, you need to know that there are several challenges in working as a traveling nurse:
Finishing a nursing program is a prerequisite to qualify as a travel nurse.
A BSN or ADN program lasts 2 to 4 years and equips you with the foundations you’ll need to work as a nurse later.
In nursing school, you’ll learn the fundamentals of nursing, pharmacology, and other related courses.
You’ll also gain exposure to the actual work setting through an internship or practicum, where you’ll serve a certain number of clinical hours in a hospital or healthcare facility.
After finishing nursing school, you’re now ready to take the NCLEX-RN. Here are the steps that you need to take:
Note that it’s more advantageous if you gained your license from a state that belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact or NLC.
The license you got from that participating state is also valid in other participating states.
Now that you have the license, it’s time to focus on your specialty and gain relevant experience.
Whether pediatrics, surgical, neonatal, or any specialty, your clinical background determines your traveling nurse qualifications.
In addition to experience, obtaining certifications is a must before signing in to different travel nurse agencies.
Certifications are essential in proving your expertise and making your resume more appealing to the travel agencies you’re eyeing for.
Here’s a list of other nursing certification programs you can obtain:
It’s time to research and explore which travel nursing companies suit you best.
Check out forums, websites, and don’t forget to read the company reviews.
It’s also essential to keep an eye out for incentive programs, pay packages, and benefits that many travel nursing agencies offer.
To help you decide, you can list your prospect agencies and compare their offers.
After that, start filling out application forms and submit preliminary requirements.
Now that you’re almost ready to begin your journey, it’s time to collect your certificates, skills checklist, credentials, and all the important documents you’ll need to complete the application process.
Ensure that all your documents or licenses are valid and up-to-date. Some nursing agencies may require you to have a valid driver’s license.
Pulse, you’ll need to undergo physical examinations or medical exams.
After accomplishing all requirements, you may be ready for an interview and contract signing
Oncology, home health, travel, and operating room nurses are some of the highest-paying nurse specialties.
Luxembourg is the top country in the world that offers the highest salary for nurses. Countries like Switzerland, Germany, the USA, and Canada are also on the list of countries with high nurse salaries.
If you love healthcare work and travel at the same time, here are other similar roles you might want to check out:
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