When Can New Grad RNs Become Travel Nurses?
By Aimee Clark, contributor
Once you have completed your degree — whether it's an ADN or a BSN — and passed the NCLEX-RN exam to receive your nursing credentials, you may be anxious to begin a career as a travel nurse. While a new grad RN travel nurse is not unheard of, most jobs expect you to have at least a year of experience as a working RN.
Why one year of nursing experience is important
The majority of hospitals and healthcare centers that utilize travel nurses expect the nurse to have enough experience that they can be added to their team without extensive training and orientation. To do this, you will need to be comfortable performing all the duties of that job. These facilities are going to pay you quite well to jump in and fill a void. They expect to get a travel nurse who is ready to get the job done with minimal assistance for that compensation.
That doesn't mean you can't start laying the groundwork as a new grad RN. Doing your research and knowing what the industry needs can help you gain the experience that will serve you best when it's time to start accepting travel nurse assignments.
Not all experience is created equal
Whether you should gain your year or two of experience in emergency room procedures or oncology lab operation (or any other specialty) depends in large part on what areas you plan on working in as a travel nurse.
While any experience is better than none, focusing where you work and learning all you can, in your first years as a professional, can add value to what you offer potential employers.
Specialized travel nurses generally make more than those without. That being said, adding specialization to your resume means adding another year or more to your prep time for entering the travel nursing workforce. Jumping in too soon is not advised. Taking your first year as an RN and earning your hours and working in a hospital will set you up for success in travel nursing.
Getting your first travel nurse assignment
Once you have the experience to know you can accept a contract as a travel nurse, it may still take you a little time to adjust to this unique opportunity. And that’s OK and very normal. Your recruiter will help you with this adjustment, as well as your nurse manager and team members.
Careful planning and understanding of the various aspects that are involved in travel nursing can help make getting into the swing of things much easier. Stipends, reimbursements, bonuses, tax write-offs, housing, transportation and the pile of other considerations that are unique to travel nursing can seem daunting but will soon become second nature.
Any new grad RN interested in becoming a travel nurse should try to learn as much as they can about this growing industry while they work toward their experience.
If you already qualify to start a travel nursing assignment, contact us to get started. Our recruiters will source the best options for your specialty, location and pay preferences.