Travel nursing is a relatively new but booming employment option within the healthcare industry. Travel nurses work short assignments at hospitals and other healthcare facilities to fill high-demand positions where there is a shortage of qualified staff. Travel nurse jobs may be permanent positions lasting one or more years, or temporary positions, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a month or more.
Travel Nurses are typically registered nurses employed in short-term roles by independent healthcare staffing agencies instead of a single hospital. They work on a contract basis for a specified period before transitioning to another job assignment. Their assignments may be in various clinical settings, including hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, or independent living locations.
Traveling nurses may be sent to work at healthcare facilities throughout the United States and worldwide. Because of the temporary nature of travel nurse assignments, those pursuing this career path must be able to acclimate quickly to new work environments and new people. They must also be willing to relocate to a new location dictated by their assignment.
Along with a nursing license in good standing, you will need certifications in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) to be hired by a travel nurse agency. These basic certifications are necessary for travel nurses to perform routine healthcare tasks and procedures.
Additionally, if you plan to pursue assignments in a specialized care unit, it is recommended that you hold credentials in that specialty. For example, nurses pursuing roles in critical care should have CCRN certification, and nurses who work in labor and delivery should have Neonatal Resuscitation certification.
An emergency room nurse treats people who report to the hospital for immediate care. Some walk in, while others are brought by ambulance. Accidents, sudden symptoms of illness, assault, and heart attack are common reasons people seek treatment from their local emergency room. Emergency room nurses help triage patients and provide direct patient care. Some situations are not as difficult, but the patient was forced to seek emergency care because they had no other treatment options for the injury or illness.
Travel nurse agencies typically begin their recruitment of RNs by looking for a good balance of experience and education. A nurse recruiter will search for candidates who have experience working in various settings and prefer candidates who possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. Simply put, they want to make sure the nurses they hire are responsible and reliable workers.
Below, we list several essential traits of successful travel nurses:
The average salary for a travel nurse in 2023 is over $105,021 per year, which is the equivalent of $50.00 per hour. This average is almost $25,000 higher than those reported just a few years ago, in 2018. Pay has increased significantly in the past two years due to nursing shortages and the pandemic, which has caused tremendous demand for travel nurses, especially in areas where the virus has been most prevalent.
State | Hourly Wage | Monthly Pay | Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|
New York | $60.43 | $10,475 | $125,701 |
New Hampshire | $56.02 | $9,710 | $116,530 |
Wyoming | $52.71 | $9,135 | $109,627 |
Arizona | $52.48 | $9,097 | $109,164 |
Tennessee | $51.99 | $9,011 | $108,134 |
Hawaii | $51.69 | $8,960 | $107,521 |
Massachusetts | $51.39 | $8,906 | $106,881 |
Indiana | $50.86 | $8,815 | $105,791 |
Montana | $50.75 | $8,797 | $105,567 |
Nevada | $50.68 | $8,784 | $105,419 |