While staff nurses can fall into a routine by performing the same activities over and over again in the same place, travel nurses will work in different environments several times a year. This provides them with a wide range of professional experiences and great adaptability. They may also witness a variety of different ways of performing tasks in the different health systems where they work.
One of the reasons for this trend is probably because travel nurses are better able to achieve their career goals. Travelers can live in three or four places each year and avoid one of their biggest annoyances: getting stuck in a rut. They can also learn unique skills in the different hospitals, further enhancing their knowledge.
You usually start each contract period with an orientation session that lasts several days. While you are on assignment, your work schedule is designed to give you time to periodically return to your permanent residence. For example, if you have to work four 10-hour shifts, you’ll have three days available to travel to your home base or to explore your new surroundings. The shortages of nurses are expected to worsen over the next decade, increasing the need for sustainable solutions among nursing staff.
Some travel agencies even offer higher hourly wages instead of housing allowances. While a BSN diploma is not technically required for travel nurses, some medical facilities and hospitals prefer BSN-trained travel nurses. If you want to fill a position at a specific facility, you must first check your official requirements. Travel nurses are in high demand in the United States thanks to their specialized skills, short-term contracts, and willingness to move. While there are many benefits to becoming a travel nurse, it’s not a job without challenges. While you may be working in a new environment every two months and increasing your nursing understanding, you also need to be able to constantly adapt to unfamiliar situations and roll with the bumps.
Many travel nurses can rent furnished homes or apartments through their employment agency and usually stay at each location for at least three months. If travel nurses prefer to insure their own housing, the employment agency often offers them a tax-free housing allowance. As patient safety is one of the biggest concerns of nursing directors in 2020, hospital leaders are looking for ways to hire long-term qualified nurses to bring stability to their wards.
In hospitals and other healthcare organizations, it is critical to keep staff at the right level to meet patient needs. Thus, when there are short-term vacancies throughout the year when nurses take maternity leave or other temporary absences, employers need to find professionals who can fill these roles temporarily. A travel nurse is a licensed registered nurse who accepts temporary contract assignments. Travel nurses manage their own schedule, choose their work locations, and experience a variety of healthcare facilities. Every time you accept a position, you sign a new contract, which means variable pay percentages.
If you work for a travel nurse recruitment agency, they can offer you travel expenses, health insurance, and even an apartment or apartment for the Healthcare Staffing duration of your contract. Compensation is usually based on a number of factors, including the location of work; calendar of the contract period.