Travel to Build Skills and Advance Your Nursing Career
Recruiters share how travel nursing jobs can boost your résumé
By Melissa Hagstrom, contributor
Travel nursing allows the opportunity to visit new places and choose flexible assignments. But can travel nurses derive long-term benefits from a mobile career, benefits that will ultimately enhance their career development and their earnings potential? TravelNursing.com asked top recruiters from two of our staffing company partners to answer these questions and dish out some insiders’ advice.
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Choose traditional or short-term travel nursing jobs
Robin Connell, placement manager with NurseChoice, an AMN Healthcare company that specializes in quick-start, critical staffing, said nurses should first understand the differences between the two main types of travel nurse jobs. "A ‘traditional’ travel nursing assignment is 13 weeks with 36 hours per week, although there are some exceptions,” she said. “Our positions, on the other hand, range from 2 to 12 weeks, with 8 weeks being the typical, and usually 48 hours per week."
The short-term jobs often require nurses to be ready to go on short notice, as well, so they tend to compensate travel RNs on the higher end of the pay scale. In addition, some of these assignments revolve around special projects, such as a hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) system implementation. Connell noted that a travel nurse can even become an EMR super user, which is a great thing to add to your résumé.
Travelers who opt to go the traditional, 13-week route will find the widest variety of job opportunities, as facilities have more openings for these travel nurse jobs. These nurse travelers also have more time to explore their surroundings and develop new skills.
Both short-term and traditional assignments offer excellent pay and benefits, including free housing, travel reimbursements, 401(k), and guaranteed hours in many cases.
Expect personal and professional rewards
There are a lot of factors to consider when looking for travel nursing jobs, according to Holly Pharr, senior recruitment manager for NursesRx, an AMN Healthcare company. “An assignment is an opportunity to spread your wings both professionally and personally. Some nurses are looking to expand their résumé and work in a different hospital environment while making a difference in the patient experience. Of course, many are excited about the adventures outside the hospital, as well,” she said.
Pharr’s travelers have experienced many personal “highs” while on assignment--such as seeing the ocean for the first time, hiking in a national forest or attending a world-renowned jazz festival--and developed lasting relationships.
They have also learned best practices in patient care, developed new nursing skills and gained a greater appreciation for their profession. Several have even discovered new areas of interest that have had a direct bearing on their career choices.
Be strategic to advance your career
Are you looking for work in a cutting-edge, academic medical center? How about a smaller hospital that allows you to work in related specialties? A good recruiter can provide career guidance and help you find the work environment and assignment that will meet your goals. And just learning to work as a traveler will help you grow as a nurse.
"Just by becoming a travel RN, you are learning important skills that will help you in your nursing career," Connell said. "Traveling teaches you to adapt and thrive in challenging environments. At each new assignment, a travel nurse must learn how that particular hospital does things…This is an incredibly valuable asset to bring to the table."
In order to derive the most career benefits from travel nursing, both recruiters agreed that a nurse needs to keep an open mind and stay flexible.
“Every hospital is going to have different things it can offer, just like every area has its charms,” Pharr said, adding, “Travel has something for every nurse with a passion for making a difference and a heart for adventure.”
"Our most successful nurses are the ones who are open to new things,” Connell added. “They go where the need is, work hard, and enjoy the financial and career benefits. A tenured travel nurse can be successful anywhere they go."
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