What is a Travel Nurse?
A travel nurse is a licensed healthcare professional who works many short-term assignments that require travel. Often a traveling nursing institution is matched with the staffing needs of various hospitals, physicians' offices, clinics, or any facility that needs nursing services, coordinated by registered nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN). Individual assignments typically take eight to 12 weeks, but vary depending on the facility's needs.
Any RN or LPN can work as a travel nurse, but nurses who specialize in a particular field, such as an ER or surgical nurse, are particularly desirable. Regardless of the specialty, the nurse receives education and training working as a permanent employee in the health institution. However, some travel nurse agencies require that those wishing to become travel nurses have at least one year of clinical nursing experience. The use of traveling nurses in the United States began in the 1980s due to the shortage of qualified nurses that continues to this day. Hiring this type of nurse is ideal for many healthcare organizations because it can meet seasonal demands for additional staff or the temporary need for nurses until a permanent position is filled.
Many people find that working as a travel nurse has invaluable benefits. They see many different places in the world while making a very good income. The nurse can decide on the travel distance and time frame for each assignment. They are also reimbursed for travel expenses and suitable housing is provided for the duration of their tenure. Family and pets are also often hosted, and many nurses are allowed to travel with friends in pairs of nurses.
A travel nurse also does not have to sign a contract with any healthcare provider and receives benefits such as retirement, health insurance and monetary bonuses. This job also looks great on a resume because it shows that a person is enthusiastic about their career, efficient and adaptable.
The concept of travel nursing emerged in the early 1980s, when many states in the United States experienced a shortage of nurses and needed nurses to alleviate temporary labor shortages. Hospitals hired traveling nurses to meet staffing needs because these nurses were willing to travel to new places and provide their nursing services. Nurses also enjoyed working in this field because this career gave them flexibility and the ability to visit new states and cities.
Over the years, this type of care has become widely popular among nurses because travel nursing careers offer higher wages and benefits, job flexibility, free housing and salary, and access to new technology. In addition, nurses had the opportunity to visit new places and gain extensive clinical experience. Demand for ambulatory nurses has also increased among healthcare facility owners because they can fill short-term staff shortages or assist them in local emergencies. They were also able to avoid unnecessary expenses incurred by regular nurses to meet their temporary staffing needs.
Requirements
To work as a traveling nurse, a traveling nurse must have an RN degree and 1 to 1.5 years of clinical experience. There are generally three ways to get an RN degree. These streams include: a) an associate's degree in nursing (ADN), b) a hospital-based diploma program, and c) a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). ADN is valid for approximately two years; The diploma program is three years and BSN is four years. Completion of any of these programs qualifies you to challenge the NCLEX-RN exam for an RN certification.
However, there is a high demand for undergraduate degree nurses in travel nursing because they have extensive clinical experience. However, registered nurses must specialize in areas of specialization for faster career advancement, lucrative jobs and earnings because there are higher requirements for registered advanced nurses with specialty certifications.
recruitment process
There are hundreds of employment agencies in the United States that offer temporary and recruitment services. Registered nurses should contact these travel nursing recruitment agents because these agents are also contracted with healthcare facility owners to meet and fill temporary staffing needs. These agencies have a variety of recruitment requirements that an RN must meet, including resume filing, completed applications, government-issued IDs, and references. Nurses should also have no criminal records, drug or drug addictions and undergo medical examinations, injections and vaccinations. Once applicants meet these requirements, recruitment agencies will schedule an interview with the owners. Selected nurses
However, there are a few things nurses should keep in mind before accepting these duties. Nurses must request a written and signed contract for the job offered. The agreement should include necessary employment information such as job description, working hours, holidays, wages and benefits, and termination provisions. The signed contract will be useful in any future business disputes.
Job prospects
A career as a travel nurse has a bright future because the healthcare industry is the largest and fastest growing industry in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2012 to 2022, 526,800 additional RNs will need to work in various positions, and their demand will increase 19 percent over the same period. The nurse shortage will further increase the demand for nurses in the country.