What is travel nursing?

Travel nursing is a career choice that allows you to take short-term positions across the country. As a licensed nurse in time with a big nursing shortage you are in demand. Hospitals and clinics are willing to pay top dollar for nurses to fill in for short periods.

Nursing Forum – travel nursing, salary and career discussion. 6000+ members.

These nursing positions usually span 3 months to a year. Depending on the duration and distance from your home, the employer will often supply housing, or alternatively, a housing subsidy.

Are these stable nursing jobs?

Some travel nursing jobs are meant to span just a short period where a full-time nurse has left and a replacement has not yet been found. However, a lot of hospitals will try to recruit a traveling nurse into a full-time position if they are happy with performance.

This puts the traveling nurse in the driver’s seat – you get a guaranteed short term position, with a good likelihood that you can turn it into a long-term position if you are happy with the position.

What are travel nurse salaries?

Nursing salaries, like physician salaries, vary by experience, location and speciality. Travel nursing usually pays $24-$35 per hour, with an additional housing subsidy. Pay is higher in regions of the country with the highest cost-of-living: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and other major metropolitan areas. California Nursing Jobs are in high demand because of the location, and it turns out that there are many open travel nursing positions in the sate.

How do I get a travel nursing job position?

Large medical facilities advertise directly for nurses. However, the easiest way of finding a position is to sign up with a nursing recruiter or travel nursing agency. The big benefit is that you can get several, well-targeted options and a guaranteed minimum quality of living conditions. The recruiter takes a good-sized fee, so your compensation might be lower than it otherwise would be, but it is usually worth it to get the best nursing job opportunities with very little searching.

How do nursing licenses work across states?

Each state has its own requirements for licensing nurses. However, they all have temporary licenses that, in some states, are valid for up to a year. People with an RN nursing degree, as opposed to an LPN or LVN nursing degree, are at big advantage since there is a national board exam for RNs, but only state accredetation for LPNs or LVNs. Another benefit of working with a nursing recruiter is that they will help you get a temporary license in the state where your job is located.

References

Travel Nurse Across America – a nursing recruiter specializing in travel nursing.
Access Nurse – a great nursing job resource, lists both short-term and permanent nursing positions.
Locum Tenens – Traveling physician information.
Physician Employment – Physician jobs information, trends and employment outlook.

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