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Working as a travel nurse offers an exciting opportunity for qualified registered nurses (RNs) to combine a career in nursing with a passion for travel.
Travel nursing allows you to explore the U.S. while earning relatively high pay. Gaining experience as an RN makes it easier to transition into travel nursing.
This article overviews what a travel nurse does, how to become a travel nurse and the job outlook for these professionals.
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What Is a Travel Nurse?
Professionals in the travel nursing career path live and work in different cities around the U.S., filling temporary, short-term staffing needs in hospitals and other healthcare and medical facilities on a contract basis. Travel nurse assignments typically span 13 weeks.
These contract nurses have the same responsibilities as permanent nurses. In addition to general nursing, travel nurses may fill in gaps in specialty areas, intensive care units, emergency rooms, operating rooms and pediatrics, among other areas.
Role and Responsibilities
Travel nurses generally fulfill the same roles and responsibilities as traditional RNs. These nurses treat patients of all ages and collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to develop care and treatment plans. Their day-to-day duties often include the following:
- Coordinating patient care
- Diagnosing, assessing and monitoring patients
- Educating patients and their families about wellness, their conditions and treatments
- Administering medication, treatment and vaccines
- Creating and updating medical records
- Tracking supplies and inventory
Travel nurses’ tasks can vary depending on their specialization and the needs of the facility in which they work.
Work Environment
Travel nurses work in various settings. Their work environments may include:
- Hospitals
- Emergency rooms
- Urgent care facilities
- Nursing homes and assisted living facilities
- Rehabilitation centers
- Hospice
- Community health centers
- Healthcare organizations
Travel nurses’ work schedules can vary widely depending on their assignment. While there is no “typical” work day for travel nurses, they can expect to work at least three to four times a week in shifts spanning six to 12 hours.
Generally, travel nurses have more say regarding their work schedules and can seek travel assignments based on the days and hours that they prefer to work.
How to Become a Travel Nurse
The requirements to become a travel nurse can vary slightly by state, staffing agency and hospital or healthcare facility. Still, there are core qualifications that all travel nurses must have. Below you’ll find an overview of the steps to becoming a travel nurse.
Get an Education
A travel nurse must first become an RN, which requires at least an associate degree in nursing. However, most travel nurse agencies and clients prefer or even require nurses to have at least a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) from an accredited program and school. Earning a BSN degree typically takes four years of full-time study to complete. On average, nursing students complete around 120 credits as a part of their program.
Pass the NCLEX-RN
To begin practicing, all nursing students must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) created by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Before you can take the NCLEX, you must apply to do so with their nursing regulatory body (NRB). Once the NRB confirms your eligibility, you will receive an authorization to test via email.
Before taking the exam, make sure to review the NCLEX bulletin, which offers insight into the NCLEX test plan. Several in-person and online resources, such as practice exams and NCLEX prep courses, are available to help students create an NCLEX study plan to pass the exam.
You should register for the NCLEX exam well before your target exam date.
Obtain RN Licensure
Nurses must be licensed RNs to work as travel nurses. To become a licensed RN, you must earn an associate degree in nursing or higher from an accredited institution, pass the NCLEX exam and meet any other nurse licensing requirements set by the state where you plan to practice. You can apply for RN licensure six weeks before graduating from your nursing program.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing created the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLCs) to allow nurses to hold multi-state licenses that are valid in NLC-participating states. This nationally recognized agreement allows nurses to work in participating states without having to obtain additional licensure. Currently, 39 jurisdictions participate in the NLC. Travel nurses who want to work in non-NLC states must apply for individual RN licenses from those states.
Gain Experience
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities typically prefer highly skilled nurses with advanced training and at least two years of bedside, hospital-based experience. There’s also high demand for nurses with specializations in health care areas like neonatal, pediatric, critical care, emergency room and trauma. Travel nurses who plan to work in specialized units should have previous experience in that specialization.
Find a Staffing Agency
Staffing agencies help fill employment gaps by providing nurse placements to hospitals and other medical facilities. These agencies work with nurses to narrow down job openings based on the nurses’ needs.
Staffing agencies typically help to secure contracts, offering relatively high wages and robust benefits packages. They often provide their nurses with recruiters who match nurses with their ideal jobs and placements around the country.
When choosing a staffing agency, you should consider the following:
- Pay, including average hourly rates, overtime, per diem and bonuses
- Benefits package
- Housing options
It’s important to research different staffing agencies to see which offers packages and contracts most aligned with your professional goals, desired pay and benefits, available travel nursing destinations and support services, including on-the-job support.
Perks of Travel Nursing
Working as a travel nurse can come with numerous incentives, such as higher pay, competitive benefits, bonuses, subsidized housing and opportunities to travel.
Higher Pay
Because travel nurses fill short-term assignments in areas with staffing shortages, these nurses generally earn more than staff nurses who have the same qualifications and experience.
Staffing agencies offer competitive hourly rates, typically higher than the hourly rates that staff nurses earn, in addition to bonuses and benefits. In exchange, travel nurses must have flexibility, a willingness to relocate or experience in a specialty area. Travel nurses may also receive higher pay because they accept assignments in specialty areas that are hard to fill.
Travel nurse salaries vary greatly depending on their assignment, location, contract and specialty area. Some of the highest-paying travel nurse specialties include emergency room, medical-surgical and labor and delivery nursing.
Benefits and Bonuses
In addition to competitive pay, travel nurses often receive various incentives and bonuses. These benefits can include the following:
- Travel and licensure reimbursem*nts
- Subsidized housing, free private housing or tax-free living stipend
- Weekly paychecks
- Health and dental insurance
Travel nurses often receive bonuses in addition to their pay and benefits. These can include hospital, agency, retention and referral bonuses; hospitals may offer sign-on and completion bonuses.
Subsidized Housing
Some travel nurse staffing agencies include housing stipends in nurses’ pay to cover living expenses. Agencies may also provide housing accommodations or choose housing options for their travel nurses.
Opportunities to Travel
Working as a travel nurse offers exciting opportunities to travel, explore new cities and meet new people. Travel nurses can take on assignments in rural, underserved areas or in big cities. Some common travel nurse destinations include California, Texas, Massachusetts, Hawai‘i, New York, Alaska, Washington, Florida, Virginia and Illinois.
Travel Nurse Salary and Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median salary for RNs is $77,600 per year, and demand for these professionals is expected to grow by 6% between 2021 and 2031. It’s important to note that this data is not specific to travel nurses but rather reflects career data for all RNs. In general, travel nurses get paid more than staff nurses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About How to Become a Travel Nurse
How long does it take to become a travel nurse?
It can take two to four years to become a travel nurse, including the time it takes to earn a nursing degree and obtain licensure. Generally, staffing agencies prefer nurses with at least two years of RN experience, so it can take an additional two years after nursing school to begin working as a travel nurse.
Do travel nurses make a lot of money?
Travel nurses can make high salaries, but several factors impact their pay, including education level, specialty and location. In general, travel nurses make higher wages than staff nurses, with the potential to earn over $3,000 per week.
