Travel Nursing 101
When I was 18 deciding what I wanted to do with my life my heart kept pushing me towards travel. At this point in my life I had just gotten back from a summer abroad in Europe and could not fathom doing a job that kept me in one place.
I thrived in school getting good grades while being in clubs and participating in sports but the only classes I truly enjoyed were science classes, microbiology, anatomy and physiology and all things medical.. so I decided on healthcare. From that point after my two years of pre recs I knew I couldn’t handle the loans of 12 years of med school and chose nursing as I knew it would allow me to pursue a lot of avenues to venture into which now two years into my career as a nurse has led me to my most favorite position yet, travel nursing. This blog will be a tell all into how to enter into the travel nursing field, pros and cons, contract details, things to look out for and more.
Credentials needed to become a travel nurse:
ASN or BSN with a NCLEX pass score of course.
Minimum 1-2 years as a staff nurse. This rule is kind of gray and flexible depending on a lot of variables but I will say that I left my staff job after a year and a half from a inner city large level 1 trauma / Magnet hospital and had some seriously hard times finding contracts that fit my needs. I ended up getting a contract that had everything I wanted but the requirements were two years. They only accepted me due to the fact that I was coming from that hospital they knew was higher level and the unit was identical in diagnosis and patient population. If you are able I would wait until 2 years to travel but if not my tips would be to apply for contracts that are rural and most needy as most bigger hospitals will take nurses with 2 years over you. Overall general rule is to ensure you are competent and comfortable in your skills.
1 year in your specialty. For example if you are a nurse of ten years and have experience in CVICU, med surg and post op you can travel in all three as long as you have done a year in each one.
Good references, usually 2-3. Travel agencies notoriously will need at least 2-3 references from a higher position (think charge nurse/ manager / admin personnel) from your past job. The agency will usually just give them a quick call or email to verify.
First steps as a Travel Nurse:
You’ll need to first give notice of leaving your staff job at least two weeks in advance. I had a good professional relationship with my manger at my staff position so I actually gave two months so he could fill the position but that is entirely up to one’s discretion.
Start reaching out to get other travel nurses favorite companies. By this I mean reach out via social media, colleges, friends etc. any travel nurses you know and ask what companies they recommend and even their recruiters info if they have had a good experience with them. I personally rely on word of mouth to ensure the agency and recruiter has a good reputation. For example, prior to my contract there had been a couple bumps in the road regarding a physical info and the company gave me a 1,000$ bonus my first pay check to make up for that extra week of not starting on time!
Pick your top 5 agencies and fill out contact and info forms / make a profile. You’ll need to have your updated resume, license info, NCLEX pass proof, transcripts, vaccine history etc. Be sure to have all of these forms nearby when makes profiles.
After making profiles with your top 5 agencies you’ll be receiving calls, texts and emails around the clock regarding contract info. You can also search jobs on Facebook Groups such as “Travel Nursing: 4000$ and Up Club”.
Keep a list of all contracts you are being applied to. Write pros and cons of each one and specific unit details, facility into etc. so when you get a phone call interview you are aware of which contract it is!
You need to then feel out each recruiter and decide which is for you. You need to see which is the most responsive, which will go out on a limb for you, if the contract price is fair, low or high etc. This is where you need to use your gut feelings.
After this you’ll need to write out your contract musts.
Contract Stipulations:
Location Location Location: you’ll need to narrow down vague or specific of cities/ states you are looking to work in. You’ll also need to check and see which states accept your license, if you have a compact license you’ll be able to apply to many more jobs.
Length is important. Most contracts are 13 weeks, but some agencies also offer 4,6,8, and 10 week contracts as well. Be sure to know how long you wish for the contract to be prior to giving recruiters info as they will send you all and any contracts if not.
Figure out your “contract must” for example here are these you can try to write into your contract. The hospital can either approve or disapprove but it does not hurt to try! I have heard of block scheduling, no floating, vacation dates to ensure they have off, clause that says you must give a 2 week notice if they hospital is terminating the contract or else they must pay you out the remainder of the contract, if the staff nurses go on strike your contract will also terminate (this means you are wanting to leave when the staff nurses do to not cross the picket line), guaranteed hours which means if you are promised 36 hours a week if they tell you they don’t need you one day that week they need to pay you regardless, max patient ratios, your “role” such as no being sitter, no monitor tech etc. strictly being RN. There are a lot of “negotiable things” you can put into the contract if you want!
You should also consult someone with experience in financials and ensure the pay is adequate as in for example say the contract is for 5,000 a week but the hourly is only 22$. Yes that’s awesome because most of your pay is untaxed but when you go to get a house loan, etc. there could be pushback because your income will not add up if that makes sense.
Have a lawyer or very experienced travel nurse read over your contract. A contract is a binding legal official statement saying you must work here.. it is very useful to consult someone with law knowledge or years of travel nursing to ensure the contract is fair.
You can also ensure that they won’t stack you shifts more than you can handle. For example, I was scheduled for 6 in a row and it was simply too much for me. I wish I would have said no to that before the contract.
Ask what the reimbursements are. For example be sure to ask for travel reimbursement if traveling to another state, ask for license reimbursement if needing to obtain a different state license for the contract, scrubs if a certain color is needed and ask for reimbursement if you are required further education for something ( I had to complete 36 hours of mandatory education to renew my FL compact RN license and my agency reimbursed me since I was on contract with them!
During the interview:
You will not have a specific interview time, date etc. The hospital from a random place at a random time will call you. You may be showering, grocery shopping or drunk at bar. They will call you without notice. Now, if you don’t answer its not end all be all. For me I work nights so I missed a few calls while sleeping. Just make sure to call back ASAP! The manager will not usually ask much about you but more or else tell you what the unit entails, patient population etc. You need to be prepared to ask for which hospital this is, name of manger, unit name etc. so you can identify which contract this is.
Make sure to verify which shift the contract is for and ensure you are ONLY working that shift.
Ask if overtime is allowed. I did not ask this my first contract and it was not allowed which was a bummer. I ended up getting a few shifts here and there when they were really needing me but that’s it.
Ask what the normal ratios are on the day to day and if there are ratio laws. For example if you are interviewing for a medsurg position and they say the average ratio is 1:8 that may be a quick way of declining that contract. Be sure ask what the MAX patient load is as well.
Ask if the unit is typically adequately staffed with CNA’s, what charting system is used, what IV pumps are used, what the contact system is (Pagers, iPhones, cell phones etc.), if lab gets the morning labs or if nurses are responsible, ask the hospitals credentials (magnet, trauma level), provider information (do they have residents or just attending), scrub color if they have a mandatory color, orientation process such as how long, how many hours on the floor with a preceptor, are the education hours on campus or from home, and finally ask what the teamwork is like on the unit and if the unit has other travelers currently. If you walk on as the ONLY travel nurse on the unit the process can be a bit rough.
Things you would not think of but need to:
Do not sign a 3 month lease or pay for a long term airbnb for at least a week into the contact. This is a con traversal statement as I personally also was questioning it and would want to arrive to a contract a week early to get settled BUT you need to first work at least a work on the unit and ensure that 1. This contract is doable 2. They don’t cut you 3. You need to feel out the area, see where you would want to live, visit local coffee shops and restaurants, see where grocery stores and public transit are etc. After this you then should sign for A MONTH AT A TIME. Travel nursing is not always reliable and in my opinion its smarter to sign for 30 days at a time or airbnb for 30 days at a time in case the contract is cut short and you are not out 2 months of rent for no reason.
Go to the facility prior to your first day and figure out where to park, where to enter etc. This will save you so so much stress your first day.
Save the number of your manager, educator etc. in your phone.
Bring goodies to the unit during your first week. For example I brought brownies for everyone. I never said they were mine I just left them in the break room and then when someone was like omg these are so good I was like “aw thanks, I felt like we all deserved something during this crazy shift” make it subtle BUT its good to try and from a foundation with the staff nurses, by no means do you need to be friends or anything but nursing requires a lot of team work its helpful to have someone you can rely on!
Going off the last point, be overly helpful, always. Ask everyone if they need help, if they need supplies during an admission, grab patients waters and answer call lights. I am not saying to run yourself into the ground but if you have free moments it means a lot to the unit if you help out. In my personal experience doing this has made my contract amazing. Everyone is always so willing to help me when I need it because I do the same!
Secure a good pre shift routine early on in the contract. The stress of travel nursing can be overwhelming during the first few weeks and for sure the first contract. I personally like to have a coffee, water, and eat a big health meal, go for a walk in the sunshine or move my body in some way and do my skincare routine. Not feeling rushed and stressed before my shift helps me manage anxiety during my shift!
Pros of Tavel nursing:
$$$$ I was going to be subtle with this but no, I’m going to be blunt. The money without a doubt is a huge determining pro of travel nursing. It is without a doubt no where near comparable to staff pay. I walk out of my shift and regardless of it was a total shit show I at least feel as if I was paid my worth for the work I did.
Travel. I personally did not just get into travel nursing for the money. I chose travel nursing because I am you guessed it, obsessed with being able to experience new places every 3 months. Travel nurses gives you the opportunity to visit new states and even go to some insane destinations such as Guam, The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and any U.S. territories and states as far as I am aware.
If its bad, you have a end in sight. No matter what if you despise the contract there is always light at the end of the tunnel. And on the contrary if you love it you can usually extend!
Your skill set will increase. You’ll be working on different units, in different areas with a different patient population.
You’ll be meeting tons of new people.
Your independence and confidence in yourself in and out of work will blossom.
Cons of Travel Nursing:
Unusual environment. You will quite literally feel like a new grad nurse for at least the first week of your contract. EVERY. SINGLE TIME. No you won’t lose your nursing skills but you’ll feel very out of place constantly asking for codes, where supplies are, who to call etc. Just be confident and always ask when in doubt. These are peoples lives you are working with here, be responsible always. Better to be annoying than do something wrong!
Very very short orientation. You are there to fill a spot, not to be taught. It’s important you can jump right into the flow of the unit within 2 days if that.
Staff versus travel nurse beef. I personally have been so lucky to not have had issues with this personally that I know of but I know this is a big factor sometimes. Like I said above, treats and being sure to help out all the time is so so important.
First to float and SOMETIMES first to get the worst patient load. Again this has not been the case for me but it is in some circumstances.
New equipment, charting systems, polices etc. You have to learn a lot of new things each assignment. It seems daunting but nursing is nursing country wide and it’s important to just stay true to your skills and ensure patient safety!
The taxes. Get a good CPA and even a financial advisor.
Being away from family, friends and significant others.
Always being on the search for a new job and having to go through physicals, drug tests, forms etc. all the time. Lots of admin work.
Contract cancellation risks.
Okay, as of right now this is my all inclusive blog of everything you need to know about travel nursing if you are looking into it! I personally love it and it has changed my life in terms of money, confidence, adventure and relationships. I fully suggest making the leap if you want and just going for it. I hope this helps you and be sure to read my other nursing blog posts for more nursing content.
