What is travel nursing?
A travel nurse is normally hired to work in different locations for a limited period. The work done by the nurses is similar to that performed by non-traveling nurses. These include patient care, administering medication and charting patient information. As part of the training, the nurses can choose different areas of specialization such as Case Filing and Management, Oncology, Orthopedics, ER, Labor and Delivery and Critical Care. Travel nursing companies and travel nurse agencies usually send nurses to places where their skills are required. Depending on the existing demand, the nurses typically work for 13 to 26 week terms before moving to a different assignment. The short-term assignments are usually issued on a contract basis. In spite of the grueling schedules, the nurses have the freedom to choose when and where they want to serve.
A career as a traveling nurse will take you across various states and countries. The travels offer plenty of opportunity to grow your career and meet different people. Before applying for the nursing position, you need to familiarize yourself with the agency requirements. For students who want to know how to become a travel nurse, a good start is to enroll on LPN, RN or BSN degree program. If you are an LPN travel nursing staff, the job entails providing basic nursing care and medication under the guidance of a registered nurse or doctor. Depending on the nursing agency requirements or the particular state License requirements, you may need additional accreditation to serve in the LPN travel nursing position. Some of the top accreditation include: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).
Travel Nursing Salary
Employment opportunities in the healthcare profession are slated to grow in the coming years. If you enjoy traveling and adventure, working as a traveling nurse may just be the right career for you. Because of high demand, the travel nurse salary and emolument package comes with a host of perks, including sign-in bonus, paid travel, flexible work schedules, medical insurance and free housing. According to 2016 figures obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses (RN) earned an average of about $34 an hour or about $72,200 annually.
Some of the states that offer higher hourly rates for nursing professionals include California, Alaska, New York and Massachusetts. By comparison, the annual average salaries for healthcare practitioners and technicians such as dental hygienists and physicians stood at $64,700 in 2017. During the same period, the calculated median annual wages of persons working in the healthcare support occupations earned about $28,700. Some of the occupations that fall under the category include medical transcriptionists and home health aides.
Why choose travel nursing?
There are many compelling reasons to become a traveling nurse in 2020. The benefits cover everything from attractive remunerations to flexible schedules and a chance to explore the world. Below are 7 top benefits:
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Competitive wages
Nurses are among the highest paid cadre of health workers. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual pay for nurses is $70,000 with the potential of rising further. Some estimates indicate the travel nurse salary can add up to $100,000 in 36 weeks. The other incentives that make the job attractive include transportation cost, housing stipends, completion bonus, shift differential, sign-on bonus and referral bonus. For positions that offer tax free reimbursements, the nurses can choose own housing arrangements.
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Gain experience
The on-the road assignments offer nurses the opportunity to sharpen skills and gain additional experience. When this information is reflected on the resume, it can open the doors to more lucrative assignments in the future. For example, after a series of assignments the nurse can take up a high paying job in a dream hospital and city. While working, crucial work experience can also be gained by taking classes in courses like Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
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Avoid burnout
Working as a nurse comes with familiarity and repetition that often leads to workplace burnout. The travel nursing jobs give nurses plenty of opportunity to switch assignments and enjoy time off. In practical terms, you don’t have to work until break point because the work schedules change every few weeks. Travel nursing agencies are known very flexible work schedules that look into factors like individual preferences and seasons.
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Go places
Working in different places gives nurses the opportunity to a change of scenery, develop new perspective on issues and expand the social and professional network. While on assignment, one can find time to visit different places of interest such as Museums and Parks and music theaters. Nurses can also use the occasion to discover new hobbies and carve new paths in life. The job almost feels like being paid to travel and discover the unknown world around us.
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Open doors to endless opportunities
The prospect of moving skills to places they are needed gives nurses a lifetime opportunity to select workstations that offer better pay package, a conducive work environment and a litany of other benefits. To enhance worker productivity and individual experience, nurses usually get a lot of moral and financial support from the hiring agencies. The support can come in the form of favorable placement and payment package negotiation.
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Enjoy on-job flexibility and freedom
Next to attractive pay, this is one of the major benefits of working as traveling nurse. Nurses can use the breaks between assignments to visit family members and friends. If you are an outgoing individual, travel nurse across America opportunities can open the doors to more flexible and exciting interests like community volunteering. The passion can take you to different places in the US and around the globe, from remote village outposts to large urban sprawls.
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Bypass usual workplace drama
The other benefit of working as a traveling nurse is the opportunity to evade the usual workplace drama. Working in a familiar, clinical setting usually exposes nurses to divergent encounters with managers, supervisors and co-workers. With the traveling assignment, the duration of stay is not nearly sufficient to allow nurses to get too comfortable. This is an important attribute for workers who want to maintain high levels of professionalism.
Conclusion
The rewards of pursuing a career in nursing surpass any challenges that lay on the path to achieving the academic goals. For professionals who desire to pursue a career as a travel nurse across America, there are many travel nursing jobs offered by travel nursing companies. Whiteglovecare.com has a fast growing career portal with plenty of flexible assignments. Registered Nurses and professionals with advanced training and specialties can apply immediately and start getting interviewed. All you need to do is browse through the jobs available filtering by areas of specialty and then apply specifying your nursing experience and contact email. Not yet a nurse but want to become one? Read through the information in our resource center to learn how to become a travel nurse. The job promises higher salaries, a chance to develop your career and enjoy traveling.
