By Melissa Wirkus, associate editor
March 10, 2010 - You love to travel, experience new things and are interested in developing your nursing career.
Sound like you? If so, chances are that travel nursing could be a perfect fit. But, you may still be wondering if it’s the right career choice, and if so, how to get started.
TravelNursing’s “must-do” career checklist can help you decide if travel nursing is right for you, and help even seasoned travelers make the most out of their chosen career.
1. Find the right travel nursing company
Without a doubt, working with a secure and stable nurse staffing company is the first and most important step in a successful travel nursing career. Don’t be afraid to shop around and find the company that is the best match for your career and personal needs. When looking for an agency, make sure you research the company’s history and take a good look at its compensation and benefits packages, traveler satisfaction, and of course, the opportunities they have available.
2. Love (or at least like) your recruiter
Once you find a company that you feel confident working for, the next step is finding a recruiter who acts as your advocate, explained Amber Kaufman, senior recruiter with leading nurse staffing company American Mobile Healthcare, an AMN company. “If you ask any seasoned traveler what’s most important to them while traveling, the vast majority will tell you it is the recruiter…and I agree 100 percent! A great recruiter is one that you trust, who will work hard for you to make things happen and be your biggest advocate,” Kaufman explained. “If they also work for a great company that is stable with a great reputation and a lot of orders to choose from, that is the winning combination.”
3. Advance your career
Most nurses understand that travel nursing offers freedom and adventure, but they may have overlooked its ability to advance and propel their careers forward. “Travel nurses can absolutely advance their careers in so many ways,” Kaufman said. From learning new clinical techniques to gaining coveted experience at some of the nation’s most prestigious facilities, a travel nursing career is a sure-fire way to boost your resume and take your career to the next level.
4. Ask questions
Never be afraid to ask questions as a travel nurse—it’s an essential part of the job. From asking about your travel nursing company to learning more about a potential assignment, it’s always best to be well informed. Asking questions and clarifying details about your contract terms, compensation and housing should be an essential item on every travel nurses’ checklist—especially those just starting out.
5. Be open to new places
Half the fun of being a travel nurse is the opportunity to live in a brand new city every couple of months, so be sure to take advantage of this built-in perk! Take it from American Mobile recruiter Travis Bushard, who said, “I have many travelers that find their new home while traveling. You may just love a place enough to make a life-changing move there permanently. Give it a try!”
6. Practice flexibility
Even though the job market is improving and more orders are opening up throughout the country, it is still important for all travelers to have flexibility on their career checklist. “I have found that flexibility is the name of the game in travel,” Bushard said. “My travelers that are open to different locations and different shifts tend to have the most success.”
7. Take a chance
In addition to flexibility, a successful travel nursing career sometimes requires nurses to take a chance. Whether it is on an out-of-the-box location or an unfamiliar facility, taking a chance on the unknown can lead to the best experiences. “Make sure you are open to a new experience. Travel is going to be different and require you to get out of your comfort zone. It can be very rewarding, both personally and financially,” Bushard noted. After all, the great thing with travel is that nothing is permanent, so you can always rest assured knowing that a new assignment is right around the corner.
8. Explore new specialties, units and facilities
More and more facilities are requiring travelers (and staff nurses) to have experience that spans across multiple specialties. Travel nursing offers the perfect opportunity to gain experience in a new specialty or unit, or work for a hospital that has always been on your wish list. “Hospitals all over the country are looking for nurses that are skilled in multiple specialties. This is going to be the new way of staffing,” Bushard explained. “Nurse managers and hiring leaders want ICU nurses who can do ER and telemetry nurses who can do med-surg, and so forth. So travel will give you a huge leg up on the competition.”
9. Enhance your work/life balance
Burnout is unfortunately a common occurrence in the career of a nurse. Fortunately, travel nursing can be the perfect remedy to being underpaid, overworked and exhausted from hospital politics. Taking your career on the road can give both your personal and professional life the breath of fresh air that it needs. “If you are looking to make more money, have more freedom, flexibility and control over your time and career—and gain valuable experience, all while having the time of your life, then traveling is right for you,” Kaufman said.
10. Reach for the stars
Whether you are just starting to consider a career in travel nursing or have multiple assignments under your belt, remember that the sky is the limit when it comes to a travel nursing career. Make a list of all of the hospitals you want to work at and cities you want to live in, and have fun checking them off! “Traveling is an adventure! If you are working with the right recruiter and the right company, then the right position will happen,” Kaufman concluded. “Nursing is one of the few careers that allows the kind of mobility travel nursing provides. There are so many benefits – tangible and intangible! In 11-plus years as a travel nurse recruiter, I have yet to work with anyone that has regretted their decision to 'hit the road.’”
© 2010. AMN Healthcare, Inc. All Rights Reserved.