A Travel Nurse is a nurse who provides short term working assignments in different medial facilities in different locations across the country. The medical facilities can include health administration, hospitals, medical offices, physician clinics, etc. A nursing or health staffing agency will normally be the facilitator of the assignments. The nurse will be a client of the agency and medical facilities will contract with the agency to fill positions as they become available. Assignments are normally for about 13 weeks but can be a few days or a number of months.
Travel nursing offers nurses the following unique benefits:
Lucrative Income: A career as a travel nurse provides nurses with a very lucrative income. Often a salary can work out to be about $ 40.00 or more an hour. The high wage is due to the specialized nature of the job such as providing short term work, traveling to the location, and finding accommodations for the period of the assignment. As well as a high pay, the nurses are provided with other economical benefits such as a travel allowance and insurance coverage.
Flexibility: A career as a travel nurse offers a great deal of flexibility. A nurse will be able to choose when and where they will work. The hours are normally quite flexible and a nurse will be able to work in a variety of different environments in different locations across the country.
Health Care/ Nurse Staffing Agency: Normally a travel nurse will be listed with a health care/ Nurse staffing agency. These agencies are dedicated to providing employers with qualified travel nurses. The nurses are hired to fill in for nurses who are on leave for a specific time period for such reasons as vacation, maternity leave, illness, or an extended leave of absence for personal or professional reasons. They will match the nurse with the employer and arrange for the interview. Employers prefer hiring these nurses from an agency because they do not require training and they are ready to start on the first day of work without requiring supervision. In addition, the agency will help with the travel arrangements, obtaining the nursing license required in the state or province, and help with securing appropriate accommodations.
Travel Experience: For people who love to travel and who are not ready to settle into a permanent full time position, travel nursing is an ideal career. The nurse can choose the location and experience the sights and sounds while on the work assignment. It is a great way to get paid while exploring the country.
A career as a travel nurse is about earning a high income and being independent. The life of a travel nurse is about choices which make it such an appealing career choice. To become a travel nurse, you need to be a nursing graduate with at least a year’s experience working in the nursing field. Travel nursing offers nurses many unique benefits and opportunities which make it an ideal career choice for people who have a passion for helping others, traveling, and earning a great income.