The How and Why of Travel Nursing

24/01/10 12:08 AM

Travel nursing, as a profession, is pretty much what it sounds like.  Traveling nurses become specialized in a specific field and can travel all over the country, or even the world, working for private clients or helping out at hospitals in need.  It is an opportunity to work in your chosen field with the luxury of setting your own schedule and the added bonus of experiencing life in different parts of the world.  But how does one become a travelling nurse…and why?

Travel nursing starts with your education.  Because there is a call for all types of nurses in the travelling field, you can start with a 2-year Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), a 4-year Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), or even a 3-year diploma (usually a hospital-based degree).  From there you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and practice at least one year in your specialty of choice.  Types of travel nurses that tend to be in demand include registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners, nurse managers, and those that specialize in dialysis, speech pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and radiology.  In all likelihood, you will be required to have one to two years of recent experience if you want to take advantage of employment in travel nursing.

So now that you know how to become a travel nurse, the question is, why?  For one thing, travel nursing is contract work.  That means you decide which jobs you want to take based on location, duration, and pay.  Looking for something semi-permanent?  Try working as a live-in caregiver.  These types of jobs are easy to find and can last for weeks, months, or even years depending on the needs of the patient.  If you’re looking for something short term, sign up with a travel nursing company that can place you based on your specifications.  If you’re working full time, you stand to make an average of $70,000 per year and many companies that place travel nurses now offer insurance, 401(k), and continuing education, just to list a few perks.

In addition, now is a great time to join the nursing profession.  Although jobs in every profession have been scarce due to the recession, nursing is a field that is expected to grow substantially over the next decade.  And if health care reform continues as planned, there could be a lot more Americans with insurance who are looking for health care, possibly for the first time.  So if your goal is to help people with their health care needs, and you would like to travel while you do it, take the steps necessary to become a travel nurse.  The schooling is similar to what you would face as a staff nurse and the pay can be substantially more, not to mention the opportunity to see the world while you work.

Posted by Heather | in Nursing | No Comments »

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