How To Become A Travel Nurse? [7 Essential Tips]

Getting Started as a Travel Nurse

A registered nurse (RN) license is required to work as a travel nurse, and you can obtain one by earning an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN). However, most healthcare organizations and their clientele favor nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Some also demand Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certificates. Although these qualifications help obtain jobs in specialized fields, they are not necessary for entry-level nursing positions.

Get A BSN Degree

Receive your high school diploma or GED. This is necessary because admission to a bachelor’s degree program in nursing requires the completion of courses in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Apply to a BSN program at an institute. Make sure the college has all the necessary accreditation; otherwise, staffing agencies and healthcare facilities will not accept your BSN degree.

Typically, it takes four years to acquire a BSN degree.

Pass The NCLEX Exam

After getting a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, you need to pass the National Council Licensure Exam. It is required for RN (Registered nurse) licensing. NCLEX exam is an adaptive computer test that takes up to six hours. It covers nursing practice, conditions, and treatments, how the healthcare system works, the legal and ethical issues they face, and patient communication and education.

Obtain R.N. Licensure

While some states participate in the Nursing Licensure Compact (nursing license earned in one state is valid in others as well), some states have their own requirements. Therefore you need to have an R.N. of different states to work as a travel nurse.

You can also apply for a compact nursing license. The Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) is an agreement between states of America that allows R.N.s to have a single R.N. Though it is invalid in a few states, multiple states have made it valid.

Which states have enacted and implemented NLC is looked after by the national council of State Boards of Nursing? So you can get the multistate license if you live in a state that is part of NLC. If you don’t live in a state that is a part of the Nursing Licensure Compact, you will have to seek the license in the state you want to work in.

Many healthcare/medical staffing agencies assist in this process. I’Kare Consulting Firm is a reputed and trusted medical staffing agency in the United States of America that provides essential assistance and placement solutions in the healthcare field.

Gain Nursing Experience In Your Specialization

You must also work in the nursing department for one or two years before working as a traveling nurse. Additionally, you must obtain certification in both Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

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During their studies, nursing students also choose a specialty, which determines their elective courses and the sites of their clinical rotations. The following situations are where travel nurses are most likely to specialize.

Intensive Care Unit: 16.5%

Medical-Surgical: 10.9%

Operating Room: 9.1%

Emergency Room: 8.8%

Additionally, travel nurses can focus on certain patient demographics (such as neonates, children, or the elderly) or care modalities (such as ambulatory care, obstetrics nursing, or infection control). Having the appropriate credentials can aid with travel nurse placements even when they are unnecessary.

Find A Trusted Medical Staffing Agency And Apply

Find a reputable medical staffing agency once you gain your nursing education, experience, and essential licenses. You can utilize multiple resources to find the right agency for you, such as rating services, lead generators, colleague referrals, and various social networking sites.

The benefits offered by different medical staffing agencies may vary. It primarily depends upon their clients, types of healthcare establishments, geographic locations, specialization, and nursing experiences.

Salary and Job Outlook for Travel Nurses

The median per annum salary for registered nurses (RNs) is $77,600, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Traveling R.N.s frequently earn more money than permanent employees since they can take trips whenever necessary, but the details of their employment agreements can change significantly between jobs. Although travel nurse salaries are not officially tracked, the majority of job ads indicate that they are on par with or even higher than permanent nurses with the same training and credentials.

Some employers may give a greater base salary but fewer benefits. It might pay less but provides sizable stipends for things like housing, transportation, and food.

Many agencies also include medical, dental, and vision insurance as a part of the salary package and housing arrangements or stipends. Some provide end-of-assignment bonuses, reimbursement for licensing costs, and paid time off (though these benefits are uncommon). When all is said and done, traveling R.N.s may be among the highest-earning nurses in the healthcare industry. It is due to the average income and benefits.

Conclusion

For those who appreciate giving medical treatment, discovering new cultures, and helping people, a traveling nurse career may be the ideal blend of adventure and purpose.

As a traveling nurse, you can choose to put your education to use on brief assignments that take you to locations all around the country or even abroad. The work is not only fulfilling and difficult, but it also frequently comes with a lot of flexibility, above-average pay, and additional incentives and bonuses. 

Also, if you have successfully finished a program to become a registered nurse and have a year of experience in your specialty, then apply to a reputed medical staffing agency near you. You can apply to the I’kare Consulting Firm. Being one of the best healthcare staffing and consulting firms in the United States of America, it will help you get the best traveling nurse jobs at the best locations. Uplevel your travel nursing career with I’Kare Consulting Firm and explore new horizons of career growth.