If you're looking for a career that is both exciting and rewarding, travel nursing could be an excellent option for you. Unlike so many other jobs, where you spend each day doing the same tasks and sitting at a desk from nine to five, you have the chance to care for patients all over the country. This fast-paced environment can expand your skill set while allowing you to visit new cities on each assignment, meeting friends and experiencing different cultures.
Most travel nurses work on assignments that are 13 weeks, but these could extend to 26 weeks or longer, depending on the needs of the healthcare facility and the terms of your contract. Travel nursing is a dream job for many nurses and, like you, they can't wait to get started on their travel adventures. However, to be eligible for travel nursing, you must have experience in the nursing industry first. The minimum experience requirements vary depending on factors such as the facility you're interested in working at, where you want to go on assignment and most importantly, your area of specialty.
Many facilities require you have at least 12 to 18 months of hospital experience, but some specialties such as Med-Surg require at least two years of experience and LPN/LVN typically has a minimum experience requirement of six years.
It's challenging to find the fast track to travel nursing. After all, you will want to be knowledgeable and fully comfortable in your clinical skills and equipment abilities before taking on a travel assignment. Traveling can be stressful and because there may be little time for orientation when you arrive at a new place, you must be ready to jump in wherever you are needed. This is why the minimum experience is so crucial.
In the meantime, do your best to get as much experience in as many areas as possible. Having a wide array of skills and knowing how to operate many types of equipment and use as many types of software as possible will help you get accepted for a travel nursing assignment sooner. Being a well-rounded nurse is key to being marketable as a travel nurse. Talk to your travel nurse agency to find out if there is anything else they can suggest to accelerate the process and what types of continuing education would be beneficial. A travel nurse recruiter may be able to connect you with a facility that accepts nurses with less experience.
Either way, before you know it you will have fulfilled the requirement and you will be ready to begin traveling. For now, enjoy your time learning the ins and outs of the industry and preparing yourself for a successful career as a travel nurse.