Careers to Consider: Becoming a Travel Nurse

Last Updated on May 30, 2018

If you are a nurse and you enjoy traveling you should consider combining both passions and becoming a travel nurse. These two terms placed together already generates interest; travel nurse…sounds exciting right? As a travel nurse you will be able to work all over the world and in various hospitals and medical facilities. These assignments could last between a month, a year or more, and you'll work under a number of different employers.

Travel nurses could find themselves tending to an injured ankle out at a ski resort in Aspen, Colorado one day, and then giving pre-natal care at a medical facility in Australia or helping to deliver a baby in Spain another day.

Do you think you might have what it takes to be a travel nurse? To determine whether or not this is the right profession for you, consider the following points:

Who can become a travel nurse?

Qualified nurses from various specialized areas of the profession are in high demand, and are heavily recruited to become travel nurses. These include labor and delivery nurses, pediatric nurses, emergency and operating room nurses, OB-GYN, emergency and critical care nurses. Before you are considered for the post of a travel nurse, you will be checked for qualifying factors such as your:

• Career
• Education
• Work experience
• Licenses and certifications
• Recommendations

In order to become a travel nurse, you must first become a registered nurse and work as a specialty nurse at a hospital or medical facility for a period of two or more years. A number of healthcare facilities require that recruits have at least three years of hands-on experience working in a clinical setting. You will also need to apply to a staffing company if you want to become a traveling nurse.

If you have not earned your Associate's or Bachelor's degree, but you are interested in becoming a travel nurse, you can take the NCLED-RN degree. Travel nurses, especially those who are certified specialists, and advanced practice nurses with their MSN or MN degree will be able to choose their preferred work settings. This can be a medical facility in a small rural town or one in a big city. It must be noted that most of these positions usually go to registered nurses with a BSN.

Special Benefits Enjoyed by Travel Nurses

As a travel nurse there are several benefits you will be able to enjoy as a part of your recruitment and employment. These are rather considerable incentives and include competitive salaries, free accommodations/furnished housing, travel allowances and bonuses. Travel nurses usually also earn a higher salary than their counterparts in a permanent position.

Other Things to Consider

There is also the issue of licensing before you can treat a patient in each state, as each one has its own nursing board, rules and regulations. Your travel nursing company will take care of the paperwork and other requirements so the licenses are sorted as you move around from place to place. Travel nursing is an exciting field of medical care that is most suitable for the adventurous who do not mind extensive travel and being away from home for extended periods of time.