If you are looking for a fulfilling career where you get to make a real difference in people’s lives, nursing would be a great option. The best thing about pursuing a career in nursing is that there are lots of opportunities depending on your specializations and nurses can also craft careers that work best for them. One example is travel nursing.
Travel nurses are called upon when hospitals or healthcare systems are experiencing nursing shortages. Through nursing agencies, travel nurses work wherever they are needed which means there are lots of opportunities for adventure and new challenges in new locations. If you are looking for a varied and fulfilling nursing career, travel nursing may be for you.
Why Travel Nursing?
Travel nurses combine travel and part-time work for a fulfilling career. They typically find employment with healthcare providers and varied healthcare providers in areas where there is a demand for nurses. Travel nurses often stay at one location for 12-34 weeks and then they are off to their next station and adventure.
Travel nurses are especially essential in rural and underserved areas where there is a high demand and shortage for both nurses and primary care practitioners. Travel nurses are able to provide so many services because they are trained to work in different healthcare settings including clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and anywhere else their services are needed.
Increasing Demand for Travel Nurses
The demand for travel nurses has been increasing in the past 20 years. There are several reasons for this, including more people having insurance and therefore access to healthcare services, a renewed economy and a nursing shortage caused by more senior nurses retiring and too few nurses available to fill all the positions left open.
Because healthcare facilities cannot cope with the demand, they turn to travel nurses. These nurses fill temporary roles until they are not needed anymore. Because of the demand for more nurses, the demand for travel nurses has been increasing over the years. This translates to better salaries and benefits for travel nurses including higher housing allowance, better healthcare and insurance benefits and a lot more.
The Benefits of Travel Nursing
One of the reasons why travel nursing is such a great and balanced career option is due to the flexibility travel nurses enjoy. This flexibility comes from being able to work when it is most convenient for them and taking the time off when they need it. Additionally, travel nurses have set hours and days off, meaning they can organize both their careers and lives around each other. The ability to work and have a healthy-life balance is very attractive for many of the people getting into nursing. Other benefits are discussed below.
Variety of Working Environments and Lots of Growth Opportunities
Many nurses would like to travel but are limited by their current work environments. With long hours and a demanding work environment, many nurses end up looking for something different and find travel nursing to be one such option. Travel nurses get the opportunity to enjoy a good salary while traveling to different places to work and experience a diverse range of day-to-day work environments. This is a great option for nurses who want to experience diverse work environments while encountering new work challenges. An added benefit of working in these diverse environments is the friendships as well as the personal and professional relationships nurses can forge.
Travel nurses can also set the requirements for the environments and institutions they work for. For example, if a nurse finds an environment to be too stressful, they can ask for a setting with a different pace in their next assignment. They can also request specific healthcare settings such as rural or urban hospitals or even nursing homes. The ability to work in these varied settings and with different types of patients allows nurses lots of growth opportunities through exposure to new demographics, technologies, and procedures.
Freedom and Flexibility
Travel nursing offers nurses greater control and flexibility over their careers. Travel nurses can choose assignments and work environments that align with their goals and needs instead of having to fit into what an employer or facility would ask of them.
Additionally, travel nurses can take time off for important life events such as the birth of their first child or pursuing an additional degree or certification without ruining their employment chances. Each of the assignments travel nurses can choose varies in length, location, and types of skills required, which gives nurses more opportunity to pick exactly what they need.
Becoming a Travel Nurse
The first step in becoming a travel nurse is completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. While you can complete a 4-year program at an on-campus location, there are also lots of online accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs available. Marymount University has a great accelerated BSN program which can be completed in 16 months. All you need is any bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, although a degree in a science field is preferred.
Once you complete the degree, you need to pass the required exams to become a registered nurse. You may also need to take additional exams in other states or countries to practice there, but the exams are usually similar so that should not be a problem if you have passed one exam. Once you become a registered nurse, all you need is some nursing experience and to find a travel nurse staffing agency. Some of these agencies will also find temporary work for nurses before they attach them to travel nursing opportunities.
Conclusion
Travel nursing is a great opportunity for those who are looking for some adventure, excitement, and great work opportunities. Travel nurses can plan their careers however they choose while also getting satisfaction from working in diverse environments and having access to great opportunities. Because of the increase in demand for nurses, travel nurses get to command higher salaries and better benefits than most of their counterparts, making travel nursing a great option for nurses who have the flexibility, adaptability, and attitude to thrive as travel nurses.
