Travel nurses typically work for an agency, which connects them to short-term nursing jobs around the country. Travel nursing allows nurses to enjoy opportunities to explore new regions, immerse themselves in different cultures and meet new people.
Nursing is a fast-paced career where every day is different. With a love of learning and a desire to meet new people, some nurses might want to combine travel with their job. How does travel nursing work? You can work with an agency or find short-term positions independently, so you can provide your services to facilities in need across the country.
Harding University in Rogers, Arkansas, can help you take the first step. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 64 college credits, you can earn a BSN in as few as 16 months with Harding’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program.
The comprehensive ABSN curriculum equips students with the nursing fundamentals they need to pursue a career in any nursing specialty. With our hybrid learning approach, the ABSN is a more accessible way to fast-track your path to a nursing career.
Before starting, take a closer look at how travel nursing works and consider the travel nursing pros and cons. Then, explore the steps to pursue this exciting career.
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What Is a Travel Nurse?
Hospitals often have difficulty maintaining the necessary staff to care for the number of patients. Staffing issues can be compounded by long-term trends, like the ongoing nursing shortage, and short-term staffing gaps like parental leave. When hospitals and clinics don’t have enough staff, they often turn to travel nurses to fill short-term needs.
A travel nurse temporarily moves to a different city to work at a hospital for a short-term contract. After the term of work concludes, they might decide to accept an extension at the same facility, accept a different contract elsewhere or take a break.
How Does Travel Nursing Work?
Travel nurses are hired as temporary or contract employees to work alongside regular staff nurses. They typically work for a travel nurse agency, which then connects them to various job opportunities.
While it’s possible to find contracts independently, there are several advantages to working with an agency, such as benefits packages and housing reimbursements or stipends. Additionally, some agencies provide housing near certain facilities.
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What Are the Pros and Cons of Travel Nursing?
Before you pack your bags to pursue a career as a travel nurse, you should consider several travel nursing pros and cons.
Pros of Travel Nursing
- Locations: Travel nursing offers access to different cities, states or even countries and opportunities to explore new cultures.
- Higher pay: Travel nurses often receive higher pay than permanent staff and can also receive perks such as housing allowances and meal stipends.
- Professional growth: Working in diverse health care settings and with various patient populations enhances your nursing skills and knowledge.
- Flexibility: Based on the contract you sign, you can choose when, where and for how long you work in one location. You can also take extended breaks between assignments if you want.
- Networking opportunities: Travel nursing introduces you to different professionals, expanding your network and opening doors to future career opportunities.
Cons of Travel Nursing
- Frequent change: Most travel nurse contracts have a set duration of eight to 13 weeks, which means you’ll relocate frequently. Some people thrive on change, while others may not.
- Adjustment period: Travel nurses must adapt to a new work environment, hospital policies, charting systems and team dynamics within a relatively short time, which can be challenging.
- Distance from loved ones: Frequent relocation may make establishing long-term personal connections or friendships harder.
- Housing issues: Pre-booked accommodations are standard, but you may prefer to find your own housing arrangements. If you accept a housing stipend, finding your own short-term accommodations in a new town can be time-consuming.
Qualifications to Be a Travel Nurse
To become a travel nurse, you must earn a nursing degree and be licensed in the state where you will be working. Future travel nurses can apply for a multistate RN license through the Nurse Licensure Compact. The NLC enables nurses who hold a multistate license to be qualified to practice in any other member state.
If you want to work in a state that is not an NLC member, you must formally apply for a license in that state. Some staffing agencies can help and may even pay for the application process.
After earning a degree and gaining licensure, you will need clinical experience as a nurse in your specialty. Some common types of travel nurses are critical care, medical-surgical and telemetry nurses.
How to Become a Travel Nurse
Your first step toward becoming a travel nurse is to apply to nursing school. If you already have a completed non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 64 college credits, you may be eligible to apply to Harding University’s ABSN program. Once accepted to the program, you can work on fulfilling the following qualifications to be a travel nurse:
1. Earn a BSN
What is a travel nurse’s minimum academic requirement? Travel nurses are typically expected to hold at least a BSN, although some roles may require a graduate-level degree and board certification. At Harding, you can enjoy a hybrid approach to nursing education. You’ll complete:
- Online nursing theory coursework
- In-person nursing skills and simulation labs
- In-person clinical rotations at nearby health care facilities in Northwest Arkansas
The fast pace of the accelerated program will be intense, but you’ll have the support of attentive faculty and a close-knit nursing cohort to help you succeed.
2. Pass the NCLEX
After earning a BSN, your next step is to pass the NCLEX. This is the national licensure exam that all future nurses must pass to obtain a license. While Harding’s curriculum thoroughly prepares students for the NCLEX, you should also plan on spending time studying for the test. Answering practice questions and taking full-length practice tests are other smart test prep strategies.
After passing the NCLEX, you’ll be able to apply for your RN license. Because Arkansas is part of the NLC, you can apply for a multistate license with the Arkansas Board of Nursing.
3. Gain Clinical Experience
Before you can become a travel nurse, you’ll need to gain at least one or two years of clinical experience in your chosen specialty area. This helps ensure you can confidently work in any health care facility.
It’s a common misconception that travel nursing is a specialty in itself. Travel nursing is a particular approach to working as a nurse, but it’s not a specialty area. Some examples of nursing specialties include:
- Emergency nursing
- Medical-surgical
- Oncology nursing
- Pediatrics
- Women’s health
Travel nurse agencies typically require one or more years of experience; each sets its own particular requirements.
4. Pursue Professional Certifications
After you’ve gained some clinical experience at the bedside, you may decide you’re ready to enhance your resume with one or more professional certifications. Look for certification options in your specialty area or a closely related one. These can improve your career prospects.
5. Apply to Travel Nurse Agencies
Don’t apply to the first travel nurse agency you come across. Take some time to research, comparing their policies, benefits packages and reimbursements. If possible, tap into your professional network and ask travel nurses about the agencies they work for.
When you’ve found an agency that appeals to you, submit an application. You’ll have an interview and may be hired. Then, you can sort through the database of available jobs and apply to the ones you like.
Start Your Nursing Adventure at Harding University
Start your travel nursing journey by earning a BSN with Harding University’s ABSN program. If you have a minimum of 64 college credits from an accredited institution, you can earn your BSN in as few as 16 months upon completing any needed prerequisites. We offer a community-minded, values-based education in Northwest Arkansas that can help set you on the path to becoming a nurse quickly.
Contact an admissions counselor today to learn more about our ABSN program and how you can take the next steps toward becoming a nurse.