Looking for Adventure? Work as a Traveling Registered Nurse |
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September 12, 2005
By Kathy A. Johnson
kathy.johnson@healthcare-programs.com
Health Care Programs Columnist
Hospitals and other health care facilities desperately need nurses. One way they fill that need is by working with agencies that specialize in traveling registered nurses.
Travel nursing agencies are always seeking qualified professionalsto fill the demand for registered nurses. Travel nurse positions offer flexibility, travel, and above-average pay.
Travel nursing options
Do you want to work at a teaching hospital? Check out an area before permanently relocating? Work with a friend or be near family? Tell your agency recruiter, and chances are he or she will find a position that meets your requirements.
Typical traveling nurse assignments last anywhere from eight to 26 weeks (eight to 13 weeks being the most common). Occasionally, assignments are renewed by mutual agreement. While many assignments are truly temporary, sometimes a permanent job becomes available.
The travel nursing agency pays travel costs. Housing will either be provided for you, or you will be given a housing allowance. Most travel nursing agencies provide full health care coverage, and some have retirement plans.
Traveling nurse pay depends on your specialty and location, but usually ranges from $22 to $40 per hour. (Pay rates are usually above average.) Many facilities also offer sign-on, completion, and assignment-extension bonuses.
How do you become a traveling registered nurse?
Traveling registered nurse positions are open to registered nurses who have at least a year's nursing experience. (A few agencies have "new grad" openings or require less experience.) You'll need to be licensed in the state in which you'll be working, but your agency will usually help you obtain the appropriate license for your assignment.
If you're interested in being a traveling registered nurse, nursing publications and the Internet provide travel nursing agency information. Talk to someone who has had a travel nursing assignment to find out what it's really like. Travel nursing offers choices, flexibility, and learning opportunities for nurses with a sense of adventure.
Sources:
www.nursetown.com
www.travelnursing.com
About the Author:
Kathy A. Johnson has written articles on health, fitness, and many other topics in her career as a freelance writer and editor. She lives in Florida, and is the features editor of Forum, a bimonthly publication of the national mothers group, Mothers & More.
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