Nurse certification is a formal process that tests your clinical knowledge, judgment, and experience in a subject or nursing specialty. Certification is the perfect way to accelerate your travel nursing career, increase your salary, and boost your confidence. It’s also a great way to attain personal growth as you strive to live your best nurse life.
This post will cover the basics of nursing certification and explain why each is so important for travel RNs and clinicians who want to take the next step in their travel nursing careers.
The Benefits of Nursing Certifications
The world of travel nursing is vast, and there are many excellent job opportunities available across the country. But on a basic level, earning a nursing certification can significantly boost your career. See below for the benefits.
Better Travel Nursing Assignments
Becoming certified means you have validated, specialized skills in your RN specialty. The more skills you have, the more marketable you are as a per diem or travel nurse. Earning nursing certifications will improve your prospects of getting the travel nursing assignment you want and also make more travel nursing assignments available to you.
Higher Pay & Career Advancement
This also offers the opportunity for upward mobility once you have landed an assignment. The more responsibility you have as a nurse, the more you get paid.
In addition to higher salaries, nursing certifications command recognition and respect within the healthcare world. Your certification proves that you have worked hard to learn a valuable and specialized skill, which makes supervisors and teammates more likely to depend on you and invest in your professional growth.
Personal Growth
Aside from the professional benefits, earning a nursing certification also provides the opportunity for personal growth. The confidence boost from achieving a hard-earned goal can make a real difference in how you feel, which leads to better performance at work and better care for your patients.
Basic Certification Requirements for Travel Nursing
Two basic certifications are required to be a travel nurse: Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
However, earning additional nursing certifications will dramatically increase your standing in the job market as well as your earning potential.
Important certifications include Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN), Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN), Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) Certification, and many more.
Plenty of preparation is required to become certified. Check to see if you meet the eligibility requirements, like meeting the minimum years of experience providing care for a specific patient population.
For example, to become certified as a critical care nurse (CCRN) or progressive care nurse (PCCN), you do not need a formal education to apply. But it is helpful to prepare with any available prep courses, study materials, and practice tests so you can get ready for certification. If you’re acing the practice exams for the certification you’re trying to earn, that’s a great sign you’re ready!
While there are many different types of nursing certifications, several highly-regarded ones are common and could be a great place to start. See below to learn about a few different important nursing certifications.
Wound Care Certification (WCC)
Wound care nurses provide care for patients dealing with acute and chronic wounds, assisting with the development of their treatment plans and taking measures to prevent infection.
On any given shift, a MedSurg nurse could care for a patient suffering from an animal bite, a patient with diabetes, a patient recovering from a transplant, and a patient with asthma. MedSurg nurses also may carry a heavier patient load than other specialties, often handling 5-7 patients at a time. They are trained to recognize and understand a large range of medical conditions.
An individual must be a registered nurse (RN) with a current U.S. license, have practiced for at least two years as an RN in a medical-surgical setting, and accrued 2,000 hours of practice within the past three years to be eligible for medical-surgical certification.
Critical Care Certification (CCRN)
A critical care RN provides care for patients with serious or life-threatening injuries and medical problems. Because of the severity of their patients’ conditions, critical care nurses receive specialized training that allows them to remain alert and perform under intense pressure.
Did you know that the healthcare field is expected to face a nursing shortage? The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be over 200,000 openings for RNs each year through 2031. Many of these openings will result from the need to replace nurses who retire. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “by 2034, there will be 77 million people age 65 years and older compared to 76.5 million under the age of 18,” making it the first time in U.S. history that older people are projected to outnumber children. With the aging population and increased need for geriatric care, it’s essential for the younger generation to get hands-on experience and explore jobs in the healthcare field.
By attending career fairs and summer nursing camps, children and teenagers can gain valuable insight into the world of healthcare and potentially pave the way for their future careers. By 2030, over a million nurses will have retired, and with the right tools, we can help inspire future healthcare professionals.
Healthcare Job Fairs
Exploring healthcare careers can be an exciting and educational experience, especially when attending healthcare job fairs. Kelly Grebe, Colorado Director of Business Development, recently attended the “Get into the Guts of Healthcare” career event hosted by the Northern Colorado Health Sector Partnership. During the event, 8th-grade students had the opportunity to explore careers in medicine and immerse themselves in the world of healthcare.
Kelly Grebe, Director of Business Development – Colorado
We asked Kelly why events like this can provide value to the younger generation, and she said, “I think it’s important for kids to begin exploring all career possibilities at an early age, educating themselves about different paths they can take that align with their skills and their values.”
At the event, students participated in interactive healthcare learning opportunities hosted by industry partners such as Favorite Healthcare Staffing’s Colorado Branch. With events like these, career fairs provide a unique opportunity to gain valuable insight and education in the healthcare field. Kelly says, “I think events like an interactive career fair give kids the knowledge and hands-on experience to motivate them and grow their confidence. It demystifies the work and hopefully helps them realize that they can do the work.”
Kelly described her time at the career fair as rewarding. “I had students come through in small groups, and I shared information about Favorite and the possibilities for travel healthcare positions. It was interactive, so I worked with the kids on using a pulse oxygen machine and then had them do brief deep breathing exercises to see if they could change their heart rate or oxygen level. The kids loved it.”
Summer Nursing Camps and Healthcare Programs
Another great way to experience the healthcare field is through attending summer nursing camps. These immersive programs offer hands-on experiences designed to equip students with the skills necessary to provide top-notch patient care, practice in state-of-the-art simulation labs, and even get CPR certified. Just ask Carter, a University of Texas at Austin student whose time at Ascension Seton Medical Camp set him on the path to a job in the healthcare field.
Carter, University of Texas at Austin Student
Corey Shepard, Carter’s mom and Senior Vice President at Favorite, noted that attending this summer camp “drove Carter’s passion to help others and pursue a career in nursing. After nursing school, his plans are to pursue a CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist) path.” Corey also emphasized the importance of these programs, noting that they give students invaluable real-life experience and a leg up in competitive healthcare programs. “These programs provide a great hands-on experience and give insight on what your future career feels like and validate the path you want to pursue,” Corey said. As you explore summer nursing camp options, keep in mind that they fill up fast – so start doing your research early on!
Below we’ve compiled a list of camps that offer a wide range of educational opportunities. From traditional classroom learning to interactive healthcare simulations, there’s something for every student. Explore the possibilities and find the perfect program for your future healthcare professional today!
Summer Nursing Camps
B.E.S.T. Summer Medical Academy
Location: Tampa, FL
Enrollment Dates: Jan 16-March 6
Program Duration/Dates: 2-day camp, June 4 – June 5
The B.E.S.T. Summer Medical Academy gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in a variety of medical-related fields, such as learning medical procedures, watching surgeries, shadowing health professionals, volunteering in hospitals, interacting with patients, and more. Included in the cost of the camp, attendees will be provided with a set of B.E.S.T scrubs, a medical kit, B.E.S.T sourcebook, and a B.E.S.T t-shirt. Although the registration period for this camp has passed, be sure to keep it on your radar for next year!
National Student Leadership Conference on Nursing
Location: Washington DC
Enrollment Dates: Contact the NSLC for more details
Program Duration/Dates: June 17 – June 25, June 29 – July 7, July 11 – July 19 & July 23 – July 31
The National Student Leadership Conference focuses on patient care and provides students with the tools necessary to provide high quality patient care and a hands-on experience to different challenges that nurses face daily. Students will also get to learn from leaders in the healthcare community through exclusive guest speakers. Unique to the National Student Leadership Conference, students can earn college credit by enrolling in supplemental online courses. Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours.
This High School Nurse Camp hosted by Liberty University provides students with the ultimate opportunity to experience nursing through a biblical worldview. Attendees will be presented with hands-on learning experiences in the School of Nursing Simulation Center. The cost of tuition includes daily meals, camp scrubs, a stethoscope and a camp shirt.
Introduction to Nursing Program by Adelphi University
Students will examine and consider the profession of nursing and the various roles of a Registered Nurse. Attendees will participate in educational simulation experiences in a state-of-the-art Clinical Education and Simulation lab, understand different areas of clinical expertise and earn CPR certification from the American Heart Association. This will aid the students in exploring the importance of professional values and ethical behavior, the nurse-patient relationship, critical thinking and reasoning, as well as communication with patients and healthcare professionals.
Camp Kramer Way is an opportunity for high school students who are interested in nursing to experience realistic patient-care scenarios. This camp fosters a learning environment where students are challenged to think critically and holistically. Attendance is free for up to 20 students and camp participants will stay two nights in the university’s housing facilities where all meals are included free of charge.
HEALERS by UAMS Health
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Enrollment: Closes March 31, 2023
Program Duration/Dates: June 5 – June 16
Level: High school, 11th-12th grade
Estimated Cost: Contact UAMS Health for more details
This program allows students to ask questions about a variety of medical careers directly from professionals in the field to potentially jumpstart their career in medicine. Students will also learn how to administer first aid, Basic Life Support, demonstrate a better understanding of medical terminology, demonstrate increased awareness of health issues and gain experience in a clinical setting. Although this year’s registration has closed, mark your calendars and prepare for next year’s camp experience!
Arkansas Children’s Hospital Junior Volunteer Program
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Enrollment: Closes April 7th, 2023
Program Duration/Dates: June 12-23, July 10-21
Level: High school, 9th-12th grade
Estimated Cost: Contact Arkansas Children’s Hospital for more details
Students can also choose to volunteer their time at local hospitals to gain real-life experience in the healthcare field. Arkansas Children’s Hospital offers a junior volunteer program for high school students aged 14-18 to support their mission of making children better today and healthier tomorrow. Volunteers should be interested in entering the healthcare field and willing to have a hands-on learning experience. This year, they are also offering a summer program that will provide students with getting immersed in various hospital settings, all with the common goal of improving the patient’s and family experience and engaging young adults with opportunities in healthcare. Although enrollment for the summer program has closed, Arkansas Children’s Hospital also has a year-round volunteer program.
Keep in mind that there are many programs and volunteer opportunities to choose from that will help inspire future nurses and healthcare professionals! A good starting point would be to check with your local colleges, universities, and hospitals to see what programs are available.
Due to the nursing crisis, the rise in demand for healthcare professionals has created a need for qualified and well-trained individuals. Attending healthcare job fairs and summer nursing camps can offer the younger generation valuable insight into the different aspects of healthcare. With the knowledge and skills obtained from these programs, young adults can be inspired and better prepared to take on future roles needed in the healthcare field.
With hundreds of job openings available nationwide, Favorite can help find you the perfect position. Get started by searching our current job openings and connect with a recruiter today!
By Jaclyn Neilly, BSN, BA, RN, Director of Clinical Services at Amare Medical Network
Being a nurse is hard work. We are put through it shift after shift and hardly get any recognition at times. However small, there are some silver linings or perks that come along with working in healthcare, especially nursing. With Nurses Week (May 6-12) approaching, let’s look at some places that offer these discounts.
ID.me is an excellent resource for verifying and locating a wide variety of discounts up to 50% off year-round for nurses, including vacations, shoes, and apparel. Most cell phone carriers also have a discount for nurses through ID.me.
Some of these discounts include education, clothing, shoes, entertainment, and many more.
Check out these other year-round discounts for nurses:
Each year for Nurses Week, places like Dunkin, Starbucks, Applebee’s, Chipotle, and Chick-fil-A (just to name a few!) offer discounts and freebies to nurses. As the time gets closer, check to see what is available near you.
There may also be local small businesses that honor nurses and healthcare providers, like restaurants, barbershops, and hair salons. These may require a little more digging for you to locate, but they are well worth it.
At Amare Medical Network, we show our nurses how much we appreciate them each year during Nurses Week by sending them gifts. Thank you for your dedication to providing care worthy of a million smiles
Going from staff nurse to travel nurse comes with a lot of new experiences. It’s easy to get in your head and talk yourself out of a good thing when you don’t know what to expect. However, ask most travel nurses, and they’ll tell you to go ahead and do it scared because there are a lot of worthwhile experiences coming your way.
Travel Nurse 101’s Brandy Pinkerton and TNAA ambassadors share what shocked them during their first year as travel nurses and how they grew from the experience.
Having the Same Goal But Different Methods
Brandy with Travel Nurse 101
I was shocked at just how different facilities/units do things. There’s more than one right way to do things as long as you are being safe and achieving the same goal. Don’t ever say, “At my old hospital, we did it this way,” unless they ask you.
The shock for me was how quickly jobs wax and wane. At the start of my first contract, there were tons of jobs posted, but just a few months later, there were so few that I was scared about how to keep traveling. When I first started traveling, I had no money, so going without a contract for a while would have been devastating. So learning how to adapt to take jobs, you aren’t really interested in location/shift/money-wise just to make ends meet can take a toll on you mentally if not prepared. But you have to learn to be open to it to make it work and pray that the contract won’t be so bad. It’s only 3 months, right?! With time and saving properly while on contracts, I’ve learned to keep a nest egg so I don’t have to rush into anything.
Brandy (Travel Nurse 101)
Leah T.
I knew I wanted to travel to certain areas. Sometimes it didn’t work out to go to one of those places at a certain time of year, and I got bummed about that. I learned to be more flexible (which is something I love that travel nursing changed in me), have multiple backup plans, and that things always seem to work out.
Lesson Learned
There are busy and slow seasons in the travel nurse industry, but being flexible will help you have consistent work and allow you to explore new places that lead to your favorite experiences.
Adjusting to New Environments
Ally F.
When I first moved to Dallas, I was in a hotel for the first week while my apartment got ready. I took my dog for a walk. After I got back, the desk asked where we had walked, and they looked at me, shocked. They said, “Don’t walk too far. It’s not safe.” Didn’t think anything of it until that moment.
Grace P.
So, I’m geographically challenged. I took my first assignment out in Reno, Nevada. Here I was, thinking I’ll be out West, and it will be beautiful and warm. Now, this was in January. Little did I realize how close I was to Lake Tahoe and just how much snow I was going to have to drive in. And I’m an Alabama girl and hadn’t dealt with snow like that since I was way younger. So there’s that. 😂
Lesson Learned
You might be a small-town nurse headed to a big city, or you might go to an area that has natural hazards you aren’t used to experiencing. We’ve all been there! Researching ahead of time can take away a lot of the anxiety.
Experiencing Loneliness
Debbie S.
The shock for me on my first assignment was being away from home and family for 13 weeks.
Staci S.
The loneliness of that first assignment can really be triggered after a hard shift. Find some activity in the community to help build relationships or some sort of local connection. I joined a local gym on my first assignment, and that really helped me have an outlet, as well as make friends in the area.
Lesson Learned
Having a great support system that you can tap into – whether that’s video calling your loved ones back home, making new friends on assignment, or using your agency’s support teams and resources – makes a huge difference in your day-to-day life and overall career.
Finding an Agency That Guides You To Success
You want to take on this new adventure as a travel nurse, but navigating the changes that come with it – from experiencing a new city and work setting to being away from your friends – can feel overwhelming. It’s imperative when researching agencies that you find the one that offers benefits, recruiters, and support teams that can guide you on your journey and can align your career path with your overall personal and professional goals.
Some agencies might have industry experts, like a clinical support team, that can walk you through difficult work situations, or they might have benefits, like free mental wellness resources that you can use whenever you need guidance. Having an agency that will support you makes all the difference when you’re taking on this new venture as a travel nurse.
*Travel Nurse 101 is an online community run by Brandy Pinkerton, who uses her experience in travel and flight nursing to provide resources and encouragement to those wanting to take on the career. TNAA reached out to Brandy for quotes due to the nature of the subject. For more about Brandy, you can follow her updates on Instagram and Facebook.
Travel nursing is a popular profession for many reasons. The pandemic led to a “travel nurse gold rush” as nurses were paid more to move from job to job where help was needed most. Higher pay for traveling is a big draw for many nurses, and the profession continues to be attractive for many.
Some nurses are understandably experiencing major burnout. Stress in the nursing profession is nothing new, but traveling on top of the job demands can leave these employees feeling overwhelmed and alone. Luckily, there are ways for travel nurses to connect with others and share their stories. This can aid you in your journey to becoming a travel nurse — or to continue the job you love so much in a healthier way.
Help Other Travel Nurses
Sharing your story and tips as a travel nurse can help others in the same profession. New travel nurses have much to learn that can only come from experience, but sharing what you wish you knew when starting out can help someone navigate the job more easily and successfully.
You can also share your experiences with certain locations. Acclimating to a new culture can be difficult for some travel nurses, so sharing your tips for this can be a big benefit to the travel nurse community as a whole.
Educate the Public
By sharing your experiences, you’re not only helping educate fellow travel nurses but also the public at large. While nursing is an extremely rewarding career, it can often be thankless. Sometimes, patients and their families don’t understand the struggles that their care providers are going through. Sharing your story can help foster compassion and make the travel nurse profession a little brighter, one understanding the patient at a time.
Care for Your Own Mental and Emotional Well-being
While you’re traveling and working long shifts, it’s easy to let your own well-being fall by the wayside. Recognizing your mental health needs is often the first step in getting help. Reading or listening to another travel nurse’s story, talking to other travel nurses with similar experiences, and sharing your own can highlight parts of your well-being that may be currently neglected. This way, you can work toward taking care of yourself and not feel ashamed for doing so.
Feel More Connected
Travel nursing can also become lonely at times. You’re often moving away from family and friends for extended or undetermined periods. Staying connected as a travel nurse can come in many forms. Shared experiences will help you feel closer to others in the same profession. It may also help you feel closer to other people that now get a glimpse into your daily life. People need connection, and putting your story out there can foster that for yourself and others.
How To Start Sharing Your Travel Nurse Experience
There are many ways to share your experience as a travel nurse. Talk to other nurses in person or in online forums. Post a heartfelt story on social media via text post or video format. Write a guest post on a blog or start your own.
Starting a podcast about your travel nurse experiences is a great way to establish yourself as an expert within your industry. Podcasting can also be an effective way to connect with others in your profession and share your knowledge with those who may be interested in becoming travel nurses. Just be sure to fully develop your podcast angle and sketch out ideas for several episodes before you start recording.
You never know how you may help someone by sharing your story — and you’re already helping yourself. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. In fact, it can make your job as a travel nurse more rewarding because you’re less burnt out and more able to make effective decisions. It helps the public, your patients, other travel nurses, and your well-being to share your story. Find the proper outlet, and let your stories and experiences flow.
The excitement within her had her heart beating at a rate not even three IV doses of Labetol would have been able to easily control! Yet here she was. After years of working at the bedside, she had chosen to pursue her dream. Nothing was going to stop her. Her kids were grown. She had no pets. Nobody to answer to except herself. The oil was changed, new wipers were on the windows, tires were at the proper pressure, and the car was filled with as many plastic totes and bags as she could squeeze in. She had just enough room to set her purse and a small cooler in the front seat beside her. The house was locked. The bills were paid. The alarms and security were set. She inserted the key in the ignition and was off to new beginnings.
As you read this, you might ask yourself what were in the plastic totes and canvas bags that she had gently at first and, in the end, forcefully shoved inside her car. What does a traveler need to take? My daughter tells the story of a travel nurse from Florida who came to Nebraska during the winter months. My daughter has a room she rents out and has had a lot of success doing this, having also made lifelong friends as she pursues her doctorate degree. But one nurse truly made her laugh. “I threw in anything that looked warm.” I’d been there upon the arrival of this particular new renter as she was an old travel buddy of mine. The floorboard and front passenger seat were just as full as the rest of the space in the car. She may have packed too much stuff. I thought as I helped her unload.
In the excitement of one’s first travel position, miles away from home, we sometimes forget that we are likely not moving away from home for good. Just for a travel nurse assignment or two. We don’t need the kitchen sink, just the usual necessities, and a few other items. The most important things to take with us are merely the basics.
6 Items Travel Nurses Need to Pack
Healthcare
Medicines and insurance cards. Phone numbers of your physician and dentist.
Financial information
Credit card, debit card, cash, banking information, and phone numbers to all credit card companies in case something happens. Don’t forget your computer and the charger.
Travel paperwork
I always encourage my travelers to have information on their phone, on an external hard drive of some type, saved on a cloud, and a hard copy. Keep a copy of every document you were asked for when you went through your onboarding. Add to this as you continue to travel. I kept a hard copy of everything in a folder, in plastic sleeves, and easily within reach. Throw in the diary or journal so you can write down interesting details about the journey you are on.
Clothing
A couple of good pairs of pants, a few pairs of jeans, 5-10 tops, uniforms if needed, and a few pairs of shoes. You are going to be spending a large amount of time in your uniforms. There is likely no need to pack your entire closet. How many seasons will you be confronting before you come home? Remember, right now, we are packing only the necessary items. At least one nice outfit for a night on the town on your day off.
Toiletries
Hair dryer, curling irons, electric razors, hair gel, makeup, personal towels, etc. You may want to add some of your own bedding and a favorite pillow.
The rest of the totes
Now that you have the basics packed and loaded look around and see what else you would like to take with you. The more minimalistic you learn to become on these travel nurse assignments, the more likely it is that you will leave your apartment on your days off and do what you set out to do; become the explorer and traveler who embarked upon an adventure into the unknown to see new sights and meet new people. Be certain you make time to taste the local cuisine, visit an art museum, or go to a concert or a sporting event. And take your camera with you everywhere!
That nurse who rented the space from my daughter? Charlene went back to Florida for a week-long visit with her parents in the middle of the contract. Her camera was filled with pictures of her adventures. You’ve probably also guessed that she went home with a car full of stuff she really didn’t need. Upon her return, she had laughed at all that she thought she needed the first time, realizing that she wasn’t moving in. She was merely staying until the next adventure! May you all be blessed in your travel adventures and make the best memories!
Are you excited to start travel nursing but unsure how to maintain access to mental health treatment? I was ecstatic when I accepted my first travel nursing job, but little did I know the choice would soon cause me to lose access to my beloved therapist of 3+ years. This sent my mental health spiraling. Travel nurses can avoid my same predicament with a little planning ahead. Here are some ways travel nurses can maintain access to mental health treatment while on assignment.
Ask Your Current Therapist About Telehealth
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many practitioners have started offering telehealth to clients. If you have a therapist now, depending on the state they are licensed in, they may or may not be able to practice across state lines (for example, if they are in New York and you accept an assignment in Georgia). It is important to ask your therapist if a move will impact their ability to work with you. Many will make exceptions if you tell them your move away is not permanent.
Avoid Gaps in Your Insurance Coverage
Another big reason travel nurses lose access to mental health care is when their insurance status changes. This is a broad topic, and there is no “right” choice for any travel nurse when it comes to choosing insurance coverage. No matter what, keep your mental health coverage needs in mind when deciding. If you decide to use your agency’s insurance, beware of gaps in coverage between assignments. You can also ask your therapist if they will accept self-pay if they cannot accept your new insurance.
Find Out About Employee Assistance Programs
Many travel nurse agencies realize the huge toll working in healthcare takes on our mental health. Often, agencies will give nurses access to Employee Assistance Programs (or EAPs) that allow nurses between 5-10 free visits with a mental health professional. This can be a huge benefit to nurses who switch agencies and may not always have the same health insurance. EAPs can also help you quickly book an appointment with a new therapist when you move to a new state.
Call Your Health Insurance Company
When you move states, sometimes a quick way to land a new therapist is to call your health insurance company directly and ask if they can help you find a qualified mental health professional. Rather than Googling and searching yourself, concierge services at insurance companies might speed up the process of booking an appointment.
Try an Online Therapist
Online therapy also exploded after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Many travel nurses use services like BetterHelp, Cerebral, and Talkspace to maintain mental health coverage. Some services accept health insurance, and some only allow self-pay. Know that these services will also ask you what state you are in because many of their therapists are restricted to practicing only with clients in the same state.
Use Prescription Delivery Services
A great way travel nurses can keep up with mental health medications is by using prescription delivery services. Your pharmacy might offer prescription delivery (like my CVS pharmacy did, for example), or those who qualify can try online services like Hers, which allow you to connect with a prescriber and get medications sent to your door.
Remember the Importance of Self Care
While it is crucial to have access to mental health treatment and therapy as a travel nurse, I also cannot underestimate the importance of self-care. Travel nurses can engage in self-care activities such as meditation, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and connecting with a support system.
Travel nursing can lead to a lot of big, exciting changes in your life. That said, you should take steps to ensure that this does not include changes in your mental health routine. You will only love your travel nursing assignment more if you are thriving and at your best mentally.
If you’re a registered nurse looking for a unique career opportunity, now is an ideal time to try travel nursing. Experienced nurses are in high demand due to the persistent shortage of healthcare workers in the U.S., and the shortage[i] of RNs is projected to continue through 2030. In response to this shortage, many hospitals and medical centers are turning to travel nurses to fill their staffing needs.
Travel nursing contracts can last from several weeks to a year or longer. Some hospitals will even opt to extend contracts beyond the original term when a placement is a great match. Whether you’re thinking about making travel nursing your full-time career or are open to trying it on a case-by-case basis, travel nursing can be a rewarding choice for RNs in all stages of their careers.
Fresh Perspective
One great reason to give travel nursing a try is for the adventure. It’s an ideal way to see new places, enjoy different cultures, or experience another climate, all while making a great living. The fresh perspective gained from traveling can also help you avoid the burnout[ii] that nurses and other healthcare workers commonly report experiencing.
Whether a bustling city interests you, or you want to experience a winter without snow finally, there are plenty of travel nursing opportunities to meet your needs. Remember that no matter where you end up, each new contract comes with a fresh group of coworkers, so new friendships are an added advantage.
Generous Compensation
It’s no secret that travel nurses receive generous compensation. Pandemic pay for travelers increased dramatically due to the stress that was placed on hospital systems at the time. While this spike has leveled out in 2023, traveling wages remain very competitive. Full-time RNs may wonder if the grass is greener for travel nurses, and it’s not hard to see why. Hourly pay varies greatly from state to state, but the reality is that travel nurses do make substantially more per hour than their full-time counterparts.
Keep in mind your high hourly pay also comes with fewer professional responsibilities beyond direct patient care. Full-time staff may be required to serve on committees or attend meetings outside of their regular shifts. In contrast, when you clock out as a travel nurse, you’re free to pursue your favorite hobbies and pastimes. In fact, many travel nurses can make enough in a 12 to 13-week assignment to take some time off between contracts for personal travel.
Speaking of travel, your staffing agency will likely pay for your airfare upfront and reimburse you for mileage or rideshare expenses. Depending on your contract, your housing may be covered by a housing stipend, or affordable housing arrangements may be offered. Some employers even offer signing bonuses to attract qualified nursing talent.
Manage Career Transitions
Whether you’re a recent nursing school graduate exploring career paths, in between full-time positions with time to fill, or a veteran RN pondering retirement, travel nursing is an ideal way to bridge your career transition.
Travel nursing also presents an excellent pathway to experiencing a variety of healthcare systems, specialties, and clinical settings within a timeframe that meets your needs. Communicating your goals to your staffing partner upfront will help you land the contracts that align with your professional aspirations and advance your nursing career.
Make a Difference
Travel nursing is an excellent way to put your skills and education to work to treat patients in underserved communities. If hospitals in every major U.S. city are strapped for good nursing talent, just imagine how dire the staffing needs of medical centers in remote communities must be.
Commonly referred to as healthcare deserts[iii], remote rural communities often struggle to staff enough qualified doctors and nurses to meet the needs of their patients. In fact, many of these facilities rely on a constant rotation of travel nurses in place of permanent full-time employees.
Nurses make a positive impact on the health and well-being of their patients, whether they work in cities big or small. Your willingness to accept travel nursing contracts in underserved communities can truly make a meaningful difference to patients who might otherwise lack access to the healthcare providers they need and deserve.
When it comes to travel nursing, many RNs think of traveling and exploring faraway places. However, that’s not always an option for everyone, as some nurses want to be closer to home. Nurses can actually choose to be local travel nurses and only “travel” close to home or within their own state. Local assignments provide an option, different from per diem shifts and traditional travel nursing assignments, that benefits both nurses and the facilities they serve.
Want to take advantage of the perks of travel nursing – like higher pay and flexible shifts – without leaving your hometown? Then this might be the right option for you. Learn more below!
First things first. What is a local travel nurse?
A local travel nurse is an RN that takes on short-term contracts (4-13 weeks) within his or her hometown or neighboring locations. Like travel nurses, local travel nurses are typically employed by an independent staffing agency rather than one healthcare facility. However, unlike travel nursing, local assignments do not include stipends for housing and meals or travel expense reimbursements. Local assignments are 1099. Thus, taxes are not withheld, and the professional is still considered an independent contractor.
How are local assignments different from per diems?
Local assignments are longer term than per diems, and they can last between 4-13 weeks. They’re referred to as local because RNs can use these assignments to find long-term or permanent assignments at local facilities.
How does local travel nursing, a.k.a local assignments benefit nurses?
Local travel nursing is advantageous to those nurses who love travel nursing and might not want to stay in one place but also want to be close to home or family, especially if they were unable to take their families with them on travel assignments.
Coming home at the end of the day. Local assignments let nurses come home to be with friends or family at the end of every workday and on their days off.
Flexibility. Local travel nursing can also be a great option for travel nurses who want to work near home in between travel assignments or when visiting friends and family in their local areas.
Money! Travel nurses that take on local assignments in their home states will get higher pay on average than permanent staff nurses.
Exploring local facilities. Many local travel nurses leverage the opportunity to work across different facilities in their hometowns to learn about all of their options, which is helpful if they were to consider taking a permanent staff position in the future. Plus, local travel nurses can choose the amount of time they spend at each facility.
Exploring all options. If nurses are looking to shift out of working in a hospital setting and into home health nursing, this can be another local assignment option. Some agencies offer in-home shifts taking care of older patients and adults with disabilities who need help in their own homes.
How do local assignments benefit healthcare facilities?
It’s been three years since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but hospitals and healthcare facilities are still under-staffed and under-resourced. Local assignments are beneficial to healthcare facilities that need people in the local area to fill shifts quickly in order to help the patients they need to serve within their own communities.
Overcoming being short-staffed. Healthcare facilities struggling to overcome staffing issues can utilize local assignments to bring in people as soon as possible.
Utilizing local talent. Facilities can meet their staffing needs without having to find someone from out of town and wait for them to arrive in the area to fill it.
Covering more than one shift at a time. When healthcare facilities need coverage for more than just one shift, they can employ local travel nurses. Instead of posting several per diem jobs, they are able to book one professional for the desired days or over a number of weeks.
Long-term possibilities. The facilities that bring in local talent for short-term work may gain them as full-time employees later on. Some local travel nurses that find facilities they love to work in may want to put their names in the hat for permanent staff positions in the future, potentially helping these facilities overcome their staffing issues in the long term.
As you can see, local assignments or local travel nursing offer a compelling option for both nurses and facilities. Nurses can still take advantage of the flexibility and higher pay options of travel nursing while staying close to home, and facilities can bring in much-needed staff from a local talent pool.
