How to Become a Travel Nurse in 2024

How to Become a Travel Nurse in 2024. Being a travel nurse is an adventurous and highly lucrative job that comes with numerous benefits. It takes you all around the country where you get to meet new people, visit new places, and work in different areas.

Now that you have decided to go down the path of being a travel nurse who works all over the country and helps save lives wherever they end up, I guess it only makes sense that you find what it all entails.

I don’t have to be a psychic to know that your reason for reading this article is to gather knowledge regarding How to Become a Travel Nurse in 2024.

Well, I can assure you that you will find what you are looking for here.

Before we proceed, let’s talk a bit about who a Travel Nurse is, and the kinds of benefits that they enjoy.

Who is a Travel Nurse?

A travel nurse is a registered nurse who takes up short-term employment at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities around the country/world. They are mostly employed in healthcare centers with insufficient staff to help fill the gap pending the time that they will hire more permanent staff.

Being a travel nurse is contract work that can last between a few weeks and several months at a time. Their services are usually very needed, especially during high-demand times like flu season or pandemic outbreaks.

Part of the allures of being a travel nurse is that they get to visit new places, work in different areas, and to cap it all, their salary is quite attractive.

Although the duties of a travel nurse are identical to those of a traditional/hospital nurse, their ability to work in diverse areas makes them highly sought-after. As a result, their pay is usually high (compared to traditional nurses).

One other thing to note though, is that not all travel nurse salaries are the same. There are two types of travel nurses – specialized and non-specialty nurses.

Specialized nurses are those with highly needed skills and credentials which makes them way more demanded compared to non-specialty nurses. They also get paid a lot higher compared to their counterpart.

Benefits Enjoyed by a Travel Nurse

The benefits that come with being a travel nurse are many, including:

• A huge salary (the highest in the industry).
• Housing, meals, and travel allowances.
• A 401(k) plan.
• Wellness benefits.
• Referral bonus plan.
• Discount program.
• Weekly paychecks, daily pay, and advances.
• Customized pay packages.
• Full/part-time work.
• Flexible contracts.
• Life insurance.
• Employee-sponsored health insurance.
• Loyalty program.
• Sign-on & completion bonus.

Now that you know what it means to be a travel nurse, and some of the many benefits that come with it, let’s talk about How to Become a Travel Nurse in 2024.

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How to Become a Travel Nurse in 2024.

Attend a nursing school.

The first step towards becoming a travel nurse is to get enrolled in an accredited nursing program. You can either opt for an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from a community college, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a university.

It is advisable to a BSN, as there is a limit to the kind of work you can get with an ADN.

Pass The NCLEX-RN

The next step is to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses NCLEX-RN. This is a computer adaptive test that nurses graduates must pass to be licensed as Registered Nurses.

It is advisable to take it as soon as you graduate nursing school so that you can attempt it while all you learned is still fresh in your mind.

Choose a Specialty

Now, pick a speciality. If you don’t have one in mind already, you can start in the medical-surgical unit. Here, you get to learn a lot about different specialists and this might help you choose a speciality.

Gather a few years of experience in your speciality

Whether you choose to become a pain management nurse, a Health policy nurse, a family nurse practitioner, a certified nurse midwife, a general nurse practitioner, or a registered nurse first assistant, you need to have a minimum of two years of experience in your speciality before you can make a career out of being a travel nurse.

Apply for state nursing licenses

Once you’ve chosen a specialty, decide the state where would like to work. This is because you would need to get a license to be able to practice in that state.

However, if you reside in a compact state, then you already have a compact license that lets you work in 41 states.

Begin your job search

Now you need to begin your job search in your chosen state. While you wait for your license to be approved, some states allow you to use a temporary permit.

There is a need to have a document that shows that you are in the process of getting your license.

Choose a travel nurse agency and recruiter

You need to choose a reliable agency that can get you good jobs with excellent terms. How it works is that, when you first make your findings about a job, you will probably speak with a recruiter, and that recruiter will be who you will deal with for your entire time with the company.

Ensure to vet the agency and recruiter well to ensure that they want the best for you.

Send out applications

The final step is to begin applying for the position of travel nurse. Feel free to let your recruiter know which job you like, and they will take it up from there.

Work on your resume and design it in a way that shows you are the best candidate for the job.

The point is:

Being a travel nurse is one of the most enterprising and highly profitable professions in 2024.

Now that you know what you have to do to Become a Travel Nurse in 2024, the rest is in your hands.