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You already have a good idea of how your brand-new career path will unfold as a travel you nurse. As you get ready to move to different places while continuing to care for patients as a nurse, pack your bags. You are all set to go! Before you start the application process for your first traveling nursing job, there are a few things you should know. Before deciding on a professional path, it is essential to have all of the relevant information at your disposal, just as it is with any other type of work.
What Is The Travel Nursing Process?
Medical professionals have the opportunity to provide high-quality treatment when they accept employment in travel nursing that allows them to work from home. They provide the flexibility to go to different areas of the country where there is a shortage of registered nurses to fill the vacancies. Children and older people are two types of patients who often need the help of specialized travel nurses.
Because you’ll be talking to doctors and nurses a lot, you’ll need to have great verbal and written communication skills. You need to be able to communicate clearly with patients and their families and give them comfort when they are going through hard times. In some hospitals, traveling nurses have to go through background checks, but in others, they don’t have to. You also have to look at things like traveling nurse housing.
How Long Are Assignments In Travel Nursing?
The typical length of a travel nursing assignment is 13 weeks, but it can run anywhere from 8 to 26 weeks. If you request one, hospitals frequently extend travel nursing contracts. If you decide to ask for an extension, make sure to do so early enough in the assignment so you have time to make plans. By doing this, you can avoid having to rush to find accommodations and child care while you’re still waiting for a response.
A hospital does not need to wait to get in touch with you. Recruiters frequently contact nurses within the first few days of employment. Hospitals may get in touch with you directly once you start working there to ask how things are going.
Travel nurses are typically paid by hospitals based on the hours they are allotted. However, some institutions use a combination of both hourly and monthly payments, while others use neither. You will often get paid once a week, though this depends on your employer.
Who May Work As A Travel Nurse?
Registered nurses (RNs) who work as travel nurses often have 12 to 18 months of hospital-based RN experience. They are frequently employed full-time by organizations that hire nurses for temporary jobs. Others work full-time, while some travel nurses work part-time.
Depending on the expertise or special needs of the facility, the required number of years of work experience could be shorter or longer. Some travel nursing agencies want applicants to have worked in the field for 4 to 6 months, while others want 2 years.
Critical care, emergency medicine, paediatrics, surgery (medical or surgical), orthopaedics, neurology, psychiatry, urology, gynaecology, neonatology, OB/GYN, and general practice are examples of specialities.
Where Can Traveling Nurses Work?
When you first start researching it, travel nursing is one of those career choices that can seem very far away, but there are actually a lot of chances all across the country. Furthermore, while Hawaii and California may be the ideal locations for many people just starting out in their careers, other locations might provide a higher salary and more benefits.
The good news is that finding work doesn’t always require you to choose a particular state. You can even submit an application online to be added to a list to receive emergency assignments. This way, if a position opens up in a city you’re interested in, you won’t miss the chance because you weren’t made aware of it beforehand.
Is Career Advancement Possible In Travel Nursing?
One of the best ways to develop your career as a registered nurse is through travel nursing. Although it does have certain negatives, it can improve your skill set and make you a stronger candidate for future nursing positions. One reason is that traveling frequently necessitates long workdays and numerous overnight stays away from home. It could be difficult for your personal life. Travel nurses also work with a wide range of patients and healthcare systems, which helps them learn more about diseases and treatments. These interactions can also help you get along better with other medical professionals, which will make you a better nurse overall.