How To Become A Traveling Nurse Practitioner [Beginner’s Guide]

A person who wants to become a nurse has many career path options. A nurse practitioner is one of the paths a person can consider walking on. The nurse practitioner position is related to more advancing nursing in comparison to the famous role of a registered nurse. So, how to become a traveling nurse practitioner? Keep reading the blog.

The nurse practitioner is also called a traveling nurse because while working, you will get various opportunities to travel and work at facilities that require an urgent need for nurses.

In this blog, we explained what traveling nurse practitioners are and how to become a traveling nurse practitioner. 

What Are Traveling Nurse Practitioners?

The Traveling Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are healthcare professionals. They operate at a facility far away from their home base, which requires an immediate and frequently temporary staffing need. 

You can employ Traveling Nurse Practitioners in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, senior care centers, urgent care locations, etc. They almost operate in every kind of healthcare facility, which requires the experience of a travel nurse for patient care. 

There can be various reasons why these facilities may require the assistance of an NP, which may include an excessive number of patients or retirement/leave of the current employee.

The traveling nurse earns around $113,408 yearly. Although, most of these nurses obtain meal and housing stipends and reimbursement for other traveling expenses. Hence, besides salary, these compensations significantly increase their yearly packages. Traveling nurse practitioners earn more compared to those who do not travel.

Know How To Become A Traveling Nurse Practitioner

By following these steps, you can secure the designation of a traveling nurse practitioner:

1. Obtain A Bachelor’s Degree

Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing is the primary step if you want to work as a traveling nurse practitioner. While pursuing your bachelor’s degree program, chances are you will take courses in physiology and anatomy, microbiology, ethics, statistics, chemistry, psychology, and nutrition, among others. 

Few classes of these core may also include a lab in which you can get more experience and knowledge about the concepts you are studying.

While in the bachelor’s program, you are needed to finish the clinical rotation hours. During these hours, you will offer patient care to different individuals ranging from children, adults, and the elderly. Your nursing program determines the clinical hours you have to complete.

2. Appear For The NCLEX Examination

When you finally graduate with your bachelor’s degree, you have the eligibility to appear for the NCLEX. NCLEX is an exam performed to measure the competency and knowledge of aspiring nurses. It is taken so that the aspiring nurses can perform skillfully in the nursing position post-graduation. 

Upon passing the NCLEX exam, a person can apply for licensure in order to work as an RN in their state. To proceed with this process, you have to pay a licensing fee, submit paperwork, and get the fingerprints done.

Our Related Blog:- Licensed Practical Nurse Salary In The US

3. Get A Master’s Degree

To become a traveling nurse practitioner, you have to get a master’s degree in nursing. In this degree program, you can choose the nursing specialty for the one you are aiming for. You will likely take courses in the subjects such as nursing, pharmacology, nursing education, management, health care policy, and informatics. 

4. Pass The NP Board Exam

In many states, you may be required to obtain passing marks before you start working as a  traveling nurse practitioner. The board exam is considered challenging, and to pass it, you are required to study, review the previous coursework, and test skills by taking the practice exams.

Upon passing the boards, you have the eligibility to apply for a license for the state you want to work in, and you live in. 

5. Obtain A License For Multistate Nursing

There are numerous states which are referred to as compact states and are part of the NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact). What does that mean? It means these states participate in reciprocal licensing. 

Therefore, you may obtain the licensing in your state and accordingly be eligible to work for another state that is a part of the NLC. In case you are not a part of the compact state or trying to get licensure in a non-compact state, you are required to pay an additional fee and go through an endorsement process. 

You may also be required to complete an application given by the state before you obtain licensure.

6. Contact A Staffing Agency

It’s not uncommon to see a recruiter helping you as a guide in securing your position as a travel nurse in different medical facilities. These staffing positions are typically temporary, even if the person accepts regular assignments in a variety of locations and healthcare facilities. The employers, at regular intervals, seek the help of staffing agencies. 

In case you want to pursue the profession of traveling nurse practitioner, it is very much crucial that you contact these staffing agencies. They help by employing you in these vacant positions at various healthcare facilities. Try finding a recruiter who can provide assistance in finding the most suitable role for you.

Furthermore, a recruiter can also aid you in negotiating the payment, understanding the benefits package, and answering all the questions about the state licensing in which you will work in the future.

In A Summary

With this, we hope you got your answer about how to become a traveling nurse practitioner. The procedure of becoming a travel nurse is exciting and imparts many experiences to you. You also must understand that despite RN and NP offering patient care, there are few fundamental differences in their positions. 

The salary, education, and job tasks and responsibilities have fundamental differences in RN and NP. If you want to join the medical field while enjoying traveling, then nurse practitioner is the right profession for you. You will meet a lot of patients and build countless memories while working. 

As we mentioned in our sixth step, contacting a reputable staffing agency is important, and we are just the right person for that role. I’KARE Consulting Firm understands the problem of short staff nurses in medical facilities, which is why we offer medical staffing services. 

By connecting with our firm, you get more and more opportunities for employment in various medical facilities in the entire US. We are a dedicated company that offers employment opportunities for many nurses and medical staff. Take the next step in your career by connecting with our firm.