Today, just in the United States alone there are over 100,000 vacant registered nurse jobs. The demand for nurses is expected to climb over the next few years, and by 2020, there will be over 800,000 vacancies for these health care professionals. With the population aging and life expectancy lengthening, the demand for quality health care is on the rise.
This is where a travel nurse can become a valuable asset to a company or a health care institution. These people are able to travel to various locations to fill an urgent medical need at a hospital, clinic, or even special, private nursing jobs. A typical assignment will usually last from eight to thirteen weeks, and these assignments can be extended by the nurse if they so choose.
The educational requirements for a travel nurse are that you be a graduate of an accredited health care program in the United States or Canada. You also need to have a minimum of eighteen months to two years of work as a registered nurse at an acute health care setting. Once you've accomplished these two things, you can begin by looking at the travel nursing companies and their job openings.
When selecting a travel nurse company, make sure that you are aware of the benefits that are offered, as well as the pay and available assignments. All travel nursing companies offer competitive pay, bonuses, travel pay to and from an assignment and housing pay. Many traveling nurse assignments now offer retirement and health care plans. Dental care, disability, and vacation pay are also available at some of the companies that are actively recruiting nurses for travel assignments.
There are companies that also offer local travel options, which means you could stay in your present location and still have a job that offers you almost endless variety in your work. Some nurses have even taken nearby travel assignments and received additional money that will cover housing, regardless of whether they commuted home on a daily basis or stayed with friends. With these local jobs, you will have the opportunity to take assignments in various local hospitals for a day, a week, a month or even longer.
The possibilities for a nurse who opts for one of these traveling assignments are endless. If seeing the country is something that you really long to do, you may wish to give this serious consideration. These assignments will give you the chance to work and play in many great locations. Ask about available assignments in some of the places that you have always wanted to visit. Maybe the beaches of Hawaii are something you would like to see and experience.
If you are a lover of nightlife, museums, fashion and the Big Apple, then an assignment in the New York area would be perfect. Perhaps you love the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas and have longed for a way of visiting Las Vegas for more than a few days. Accepting a travel assignment as a nurse in Nevada would be an ideal way to visit the area for 4-8 weeks. Nursing jobs overseas have their own special appeal for many individuals. There are jobs in Saudi Arabia that will let you earn tax-free money through your assignment and you will be given free airfare, housing, and vacations during the time you are overseas.
This type of job gives you the opportunity to have a fulfilling career while enjoying things that you may not yet have had a chance to experience. There are assignments in small, rural settings and in almost every large city in every state. You may find yourself working at a small clinic in the mountains of Virginia or NC, before accepting a new assignment in a prestigious teaching hospital located in a major city. Being able to choose where you go instead of being told where you have to go is one of the best highlights of working as a travel nurse.
Travel expenses moving from one city to the next are typically covered 100% by the nursing company that has employed you. The travel company that hires you will subsidize your housing in all cases. Sometimes they may provide a completely furnished apartment near the hospital or clinic; but you can also choose your own place and use your housing subsidy to pay for it. Depending on the amount of your subsidy and the apartment or condo you choose, you may be responsible for a portion of the cost. You can even receive a housing subsidy per month if you are staying with friends.
Some people may be concerned about having a license for each state that they go to. While each state has their own individual requirements for licensing, your nursing company will help you to obtain the various licenses needed prior to the start of your assignment. Nursing licensing groups work well with each other and reciprocating licenses are usually available in many states, which means that you can have your new license in under a day in many cases. At no time will you ever have to retake the board in order to be granted a new license. For some states, you will be required to be fingerprinted before being given a license to practice there.
Pay for a traveling nurse is highly competitive and will often pay more than standard nursing jobs. If you have your RN license, the average pay is 40 dollars per hour. If you have an LPN license, you will find the pay is an average of 28 dollars per hour. Continuing education courses are also normally offered free through the travel companies.
Travel nurses are greatly appreciated by the staff members at the facilities where they help out. This can be an incredible morale booster for anyone in the health care setting. You can even choose to stay at a location on a permanent basis if you find the perfect job. Nurses can opt to work with travel companies once or twice a year or on a permanent basis, which means incredible flexibility in planning your own life and career.
