Travel Nurse Jobs

About Travel Nursing Jobs

Travel nursing is a good match for nurses seeking adventure, premium compensation, and the opportunity for professional development. In order to work as a traveler, a nurse applies for contracts with healthcare facilities by going through a travel nurse agency. Once an agency has sufficient information on a nurse's qualifications, employee health record, experience, and preferences, a profile is created and submitted on behalf of the nurse to client facilities where there are contract openings. If the facility is interested, an interview is scheduled with the nurse and, if successful, an offer is made.

When a nurse travels with an agency there is usually a contract put in place between agency and nurse that defines such things as dates and location of the assignment, pay rates, stipends and other benefits. Deal points and the way assignments are packaged differ from agency to agency but the amount of compensation afforded the nurse is determined in a fairly consistent manner. The agency takes the bill rate for the assignment, subtracts out costs, overhead and profit margin, and then uses the remainder to create a compensation package for the nurse. The fewer benefits the travel nurse chooses, the higher pay rate they can command. Some of the benefits in lieu of wages offered by travel companies can include: relocation assistance, housing, furniture rental, rental car, license reimbursement, and subsidies for various living expenses. When full compensation packages are considered, travel nurses generally make more money than staff nurses do.

Travel nursing also appeals to nurses who enjoy travel, have a sense of adventure, or want to further their careers by gaining exposure to new practices and technologies. With opportunities from coast to coast, travel nursing enables nurses to experience cities and states they've always wanted to explore. Travel nursing assignments are usually 13 weeks in length, providing sufficient time to get the feel of a city while being short enough to move around and see many destinations. Since travel nurses can work in different hospitals in different parts of the US, they are able to work with a wide variety of healthcare peofessionals in a variety of settings. This exposure is valuable for professional growth and can contribute meaningfully to development.

Note: One year of experience is typically required