All travel nurses must be licensed RNs by earning an undergraduate nursing degree, either a BSN or an ADN, and passing the NCLEX-RN examination. In very rare cases, there may only be positions in highdemand areas. Basically, by the time you add everything up, including your housing, health insurance for travel nurses, and competitive salary package, its a very lucrative career. Although highly paid, working as a travel nurse is difficult and can be dangerous to nurses and patients alike. Transform your mindset to think of these instances as challenges that you can overcome. Find the right nursing program for you. For hospitals, travel nurses provide a huge advantage in flexibility and response time in a crisis. Nick has gained a mass following of over 100,000 travel nurses. Oops. Travel nurse jobs can vary greatly from one region of the country to anotherthis includes dealing with different diseases, special cases, and operations at different facilities. Its hard to find a con when it comes to adventure! In most other professions, bouncing around from employer to employer is frowned upon. Or, perhaps, a small town with charm and a slow lifestyle has more appeal (think: New England). Because of the many nursing roles and specialties for travel nurses, extensive research is essential to the job search. The BSN curriculum includes prevention and health promotion;, evidence-based nursing practice; statistics/research methods; healthcare systems and management; community health; and communicating with and educating patients. When travel nurses are thrust into an unknown situation in a hospital/medical center that isnt familiar to them, and they are working with systems theyre not familiar with, whats the best way for them to cope? Travel nurses can also expect many incredible salary benefits: SEE ALSO: Why the Average Travel Nurse Salary Will Surprise You. When you live in agency travel nurse housing, you lower the stress of finding a living location and planning your move. The idea originated in New Orleans in 1978, as a response to the annual influx of patients during Mardi Gras. Some areas might be cheaper while others may outweigh the pay offer. Suggest changes to inaccurate or misleading information. Mobley also sees the novelty with each contract as a perk, offering nurses (and by extension the hospitals they normally work for, and in the past at least, usually returned to) the chance to learn how other hospitals operate. A BSN degree takes at least four years, though many schools have RN-to-BSN programs for nurses with an ADN. This is a stressful time for everyone, so dont be afraid to reach out to colleagues with questions and for support. Where were you? Find out what types of travel nurse positions are available and where. My initial contract was for just 13 weeks. I was what was called a travel nurse someone who was brought in from a different city, and sometimes even from a different country to meet a hospitals temporary staffing needs. Sometimes nursing can become boring when youre stuck in the same specialty year after year. This computer adaptive test takes up to six hours and covers nursing practice, conditions and treatments, how the healthcare system works, legal and ethical issues, and patient communication and education. And if you find yourself in a hospital or clinic where the drama is overwhelming, thats the blessing of short-term travel nursing contracts. Are hospitals throughout the country calling on travel nurses to relieve frontline workers? According to Indeed, the average travel nurse's salary in the U.S. is $2,046 per week with New York and San Diego as the top-paying cities. Pittsburgh-based UPMC, for example, paid an estimated $85 an hour for a traveling nurse or a nurse from an agency before the pandemic. The American Hospital Association says health care staffing agencies are exploiting the pandemic, forcing them to pay astronomical wages for temporary nurses and other staff. Theres no limit to the type of experience you can gain as a travel nurse. The 100,000 open positions then has now doubled. With travel nurse housing, you can set down short-term roots in a variety of locations around the country or even around each state until you discover the pros and cons of each area and are able to choose the location that best fits your needs. The idea originated in New Orleans in 1978, as a response to the annual influx of patients during Mardi Gras. Before the pandemic, hospitals sought to hire about 7,000 traveling nurses at any one time. In some parts of the country, these jobs may be difficult to obtain or limited in opportunity, but as a travel nurse, you can travel to where the job contract is located instead of waiting for it to come to you. paid liability, health, and dental insurance premiums. Want to work at a large-scale teaching facility? The nurse should describe the task or assignment they dont feel equipped to handle, the reason for their feelings, and the training they would need to be more confident and better prepared. These contributors: Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for NurseJournal.org as a side project. While its very unlikely, it is possible that none of those locations appeal to you. As a travel nurse, you dont have to depend on location. In the past, travel nursing wages varied widely by state and region and were often higher than permanent staff salaries (though some of that difference came from the free housing or housing stipend and other incidentals that were often included). The most notable advantages of being a traveling nurse are the ability to spend time traveling around the U.S. working in a diverse range of environments, and forming lasting friendships that you cant find in many other environments. JAMIE HEARD: It all boils down to, I'm doing this for my family. Please enter a valid email and try again. Part-time students working full time may take longer. During the nationwide public health emergency due to COVID-19, some statutes and regulations regarding licensure portability may be relaxed or waived, so it is important for nurses to be aware of what the requirements are both during and following the emergency period. The National Nurses United is the largest professional association of registered nurses, with more than 175,000 members working at the bedside in nearly every state.
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