Travel nursing is a career choice that allows an RN to take short-term positions across the country. The nursing shortage in this country is so pervasive and has gone on for so long that medical facilities are willing to pay a premium for temporary help when they need it.
These nursing positions usually span 3 months to a year. If the travel nurse is taking a position that is far from home, often the employer will provide a housing subsidy. One of the benefits for the truly mobile travel nurse is the savings that can be banked because there is no housing cost for a short period of time.
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.
It's really a life-style choice combined with a profession. A registered nurse with no family obligations or other major encumbrances can opt to work as a travel nurse and live in multiple locations over the period of a few years. This sort of mobility appeals to some people, who look on it as a chance to experience different parts of the country.
Finding Travel Nurse Jobs
Most travel nurses who have chosen to stay in the field long-term work through a placement agency. There are dozens of temporary job placement firms that specialize in travel nurses. As a travel nurse, you contract with the agency and they, in turn, contract with the hospital or clinic that needs nursing help. Typically the agency will negotiate terms with the employer including housing allowance, health insurance and any other benefits that might be on the table. With some agencies a travel nurse can specify what sort of work environment is preferred, what area of the country, and the length of the assignment.
Placement agencies take a fee, so it is possible that the compensation package may be lower than the going rate at home. However if there is a housing allowance, that makes up for some of the discrepancy. Working with an agency also provides you with access to multiple job opportunities that you do not have to search for.
Travel Nurses and Licenses
Every state has its own licensing procedure for nurses. Some of them have reciprocal agreements with other states, so that an RN from, for example, Rhode Island can work in Connecticut without going through an examination and vice versa. All states however, have temporary licenses available; some of them are good for up to one year. One of the primary tasks of a placement agency is clearing up any licensing issues prior to contracting on behalf of a travel nurse who is working with them. Pay scales will also reflect the cost of living in the area; travel nurses working in places like California and New York will be compensated for the higher cost of living in those areas.
