Travel nursing is a rewarding and highly-sought after career in the healthcare industry. It provides opportunities for nurses to travel all over the country, caring for patients who need them the most while also experiencing different cultures and places.
However, working as a travel nurse requires you to not only be a certified registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, but you must also have experience in the nursing industry before you can be eligible for an assignment. While the minimum experience requirements depend on factors such as the type of nurse you are, your area of specialty, the facility and sometimes even where you would like to go on assignment, many organizations require that you've had consistent hospital experience. The majority of facilities will require RNs to have at least 12 to 18 months of experience in a hospital setting, while LPNs and LVNs often need a minimum of six years of experience.
The problem is not every nurse has the consistent hospital experience that some of these facilities are looking for, but they are perfectly capable and highly skilled healthcare professionals. Perhaps you are in this situation and are wondering what you can do to secure a travel assignment without this experience. For instance, perhaps you have worked in a management position at a clinic or have been teaching nursing students for some time now and you're ready to get back into a clinical setting.
It's true that there are more travel nursing positions available for nurses who have experience in a hospital setting. This is because travel nurses are typically hired to fill in the gaps at a hospital due to being short staffed. For this reason, during an assignment you could be responsible for a wide array of tasks that make having experience in many different hospital departments, and experience with a lot of equipment, helpful.
Fortunately for yourself and others in your position, an increasing number of fields in the healthcare industry are beginning to utilize travel professionals for staffing needs. Therefore, even if you do not have experience in a hospital setting, but you are an experienced nurse, you may be able to find a facility that is looking for someone just like you for an upcoming assignment. Consider contacting a travel nursing agency today to find out if there is a facility that could utilize your talents and help you realize your dreams of traveling around the country.