CareerStaff Unlimited provided this article.
Are you inspired by this year’s National Nurses Week and its message of making a difference? Or maybe you’re just wondering how to take your nursing career in a more satisfying direction. With travel nursing, discover one of the best ways to supercharge your travel nursing resume!
Traveling has long been a go-to option for nurses looking for brighter job prospects. But today, as competition for the best jobs gets more intense, travel offers more value than ever. Discover seven easy ways to level up your travel nursing resume and get the most out of each travel experience.
How Can Traveling Help Your Nursing Career?
You probably already know some of the limitless benefits of traveling. As a nurse, if you’re willing and able to travel, you’ll unlock many more job opportunities. Plus, you’ll unleash your potential for higher pay and the chance to work where and when you want. There’s a good reason why it’s often considered one of the best jobs for work-life balance!
For those who love adventure, traveling also opens the door to exploring new parts of the country while your employer or agency foots the bill for pesky expenses. For example, housing and transportation. Best of all, traveling helps your career by showing future employers that you’re versatile, reliable, and adaptable.
However, travel nursing is also a game-changer for your career, with the chance to add specific skills to your resume that many other nurses simply don’t have.
Tips to Level Up Your Travel Nursing Resume
Travel nursing can help your resume in many other ways too, but it’s often up to you to get the most of those benefits! With that in mind, here are seven tips to take your traveling game — and career prospects — to an entirely new level.
#1: Work in a new facility.
From huge hospitals and health centers to nursing homes or post-acute rehab centers, the list of facilities that hire nurses may be longer than you think. Travel nursing gives you the chance to work in a variety of facilities, which can make your travel nursing resume much more appealing than nurses with less diversity of experience.
#2: Work in a new setting.
Working in a different department or unit as a travel nurse can be a game-changer for your travel nursing resume. For instance, doing so gives you experience working with more patients, condition types, and fellow care providers. It also shows that you can handle a wide variety of clinical treatments and methodologies, as well as technologies, EHR systems, and more.
Pro Tip: Add these new skills to your travel nursing resume!
#3: Join an association.
The certifications you need to land certain jobs or work in some specialties are usually offered by a specific organization. For instance, becoming a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) means following the guidelines of the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).
Joining some of the top nursing organizations can help you earn certifications and put them to the best use. Bigger groups like the American Nurses Association (ANA) can also help you get more from traveling by offering insider job info, a nationwide support group, and the chance to build closer relationships with members while on assignment.
#4: Focus on professional development.
In some travel nursing jobs, you can earn certifications and continuing education (CE) credits to add to your travel nursing resume. You can also sync up an assignment with a conference or event you want to attend — the Annual Meeting of the ANA Membership Assembly, for instance.
#5: Focus on cultural competence.
Working in new regions or settings can put you in direct contact with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and even languages. This experience can help give you a competitive advantage with future nurse employers. Therefore, if you usually work in cities, consider an assignment in a rural area (or vice-versa) to expand the cultural impact you get from traveling!
#6: Network.
Smart travelers make a point of meeting new people at each assignment. Networking offers the personal fulfillment of making new friends and advancement opportunities like references and insider job tips. Plus, having more colleagues in your network boosts your chances of scoring the referral bonuses offered by many recruiters.
#7: Find a recruiter who cares.
Lastly, the travel jobs you land are only as good as the recruiter who finds them. Therefore, connect with the jobs best suited to your needs and resume skills by working with a travel nursing recruiter who does the extra work to understand your ultimate goals.
Expand Your Resume and Career with Travel Nursing
Ready to level up your travel nursing resume? When it’s time to find your next assignment, it’s important to choose a trusted agency like CareerStaff to connect you with the very best opportunities and recruiters.
We hope you found this article on 7 ways to level up your travel nursing resume helpful. Are there any other things you think should be included on your travel nursing resume? Comment them below.
Happy Nurses Week from CareerStaff!
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