Everything you need to know about Travel Nursing
Who is a Travel Nurse?
A travel nurse is a healthcare professional who helps homebound or chronically ill patients and assists in medical facilities that have a shortage of nursing staff. In order to perform nursing duties, professionals in this field have to travel from one place to another – schools, clinics, hospitals and patients’ homes. The education requirements for the job would vary based on assignments, however, a valid nursing license is a basic requirement.
What are the responsibilities of a Travel Nurse?
Travel nurses perform various duties – preparing nutritional specific diets, administering medication and so on. It is not uncommon to see travel nurses teaching caretakers and family members about proper medical and patient care. At other times, a travel nurse might have to administer physical therapy and provide follow-up procedures after the surgery. Travel nurses also administer medical care and monitor patient needs for individuals who cannot leave their homes. As a cost-cutting measure, certain school districts employ travel nurses to provide medications to select students.
What are the perks of being a Travel Nurse?
Unique personal growth
The lifestyle of the travel nurse requires them to work in various hospitals with a year – as a result of this, travel nurses get a lot of unique experiences and gain skills in far less time than it will take their stationary counterparts. As a travel nurse, you will learn how to become flexible in different settings, develop your people skills, enhance your cultural competency, and gain more independence.
In addition, there is an increase in demand for nurses with specific experience in intensive care, emergency departments, and other specialty areas. In your part of the country, finding jobs might be difficult – as a travel nurse, you are not limited by your location, you can simply go to where the work is available. Along with this you must be aware where to stay as a travel nurse.
Great benefits and pay
The work of a travel nurse comes with a lot of amazing salary benefits – discounts and deals, tax-free stipends, bonuses, generous reimbursements for license renewal, continuing education, and so on. By the time you sum up your salary package, health insurance, and housing, you are left with a tidy sum. As a bonus, when tax time comes, you get to enjoy tax deductions given to travel nurses. However, note that deductions will vary by location.
Countless adventure
As a travel nurse, you can find a job in any city. This means that you have multiple opportunities to choose your next adventure. In addition, as a travel nurse, traveling in a specific season becomes irrelevant because you can simply change your location if the weather conditions there are less than favorable– that is, you can go to a place that is experiencing summer even if your prior location was in winter. As a travel nurse, you can select your assignments based on interests, hobbies, weather, and so on. You can travel to where there are scuba diving or surfing options, you can take hikes or explore historical museums. The possibilities are endless.
Do Travel Nurses have control over their schedules and the location of their work?
Yes, travel nurses decide when they work at a facility and where they would like to work depending on shift and available positions. The beauty of this profession is that you can look around until you get the location and position that you want. The autonomy over your schedule is one of the top reasons why nurses become a travel nurse. Regarding staffing schedules, a lot of travel assignments allow nurses to predetermine their schedule before they resume.A special schedule request is also pre-agreed. If a special need arises, this is usually worked out by the nurse manager at the facility and the travel nurse.
What is the support available for a nurse from a Travel Nursing Agency?
A lot of travel nursing agencies strive hard to ensure good quality work for the clients and nurses alike. For the travel nurse, the most important individual is the nurse’s recruiter. The recruiter is always there for the travel nurse, acting as a concierge, ensuring the travel nurse gets his or her desired position. In addition, travel nursing companies employ registered nurses to act as career coaches, and clinical liaison to help travel nurses deal with emergencies and solve problems.
Other support that you can expect from a travel nursing company includes credentialing, chief nursing officers, payroll, workers compensation, and specialist risk management professionals.
