Besides all the wonderful assistance you’ll be giving the healthcare providers, there are other perks of becoming a travel nurse. Many nurses are flocking to these types of jobs between the freedom, traveling, and competitive pay to further their careers. When seeing and being a part of different healthcare facilities, you can learn different skills; with these skills, you can propel your career to the next level.
If you are on the fence about becoming a traveling nurse, maybe we can help with that. In this article, we will go over the joys of becoming a traveling nurse. So, soak in all of the information, and let’s see if this is a great career for you.
The Main Benefit of Becoming a Traveling Nurse
Choice; traveling nurses have a choice. The job is flexible, has freedoms that a traditional nurse may not have, traveling, and meeting new people. But you have choices. You get to choose when to work, when to take time off, and depend on the agency you are working for; you can choose your location.
That’s what nurses like; choosing. Many traditional nurses don’t get to pick their shift or when they can take time off. It all depends on how the hospital is doing with staff, and nurses that have seniority get to dictate their schedules and time off.
Typical Travel Nurses Benefits, such as 401K, etc.
It all depends on the agency; there are various coverages for traveling nurses, from health insurance, life, 401k plants, etc. Of course, every agency pays for the cost of living on the road; housing, food, etc.
Education Needed to Become a Travel Nurse
There are different certifications needed to be a traveling nurse, from the lowest certifications such as CNA’s or LPN’s to BSN’s and nigh educations. Healthcare providers require staff; usually, it doesn’t depend on the certifications the person has, just as long as their documentation is up to date, but there are cases that hospitals or nursing homes are looking for nurses with specialties.
Why do Healthcare Facilities need Travel Nurses?
There is a nursing shortage nationwide; hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers struggle with the staff they already have to ensure that each floor is covered. That’s where traveling nurse agencies come in. They help with the staffing gaps in all of these facilities.
Agencies help relieve burnout in nurses, help with gaps in scheduling, pandemics, flex in population in small cities, or areas that many Americans travel to during the winter, such as Arizona, Florida, etc. When these areas see bigger numbers coming into the hospital, they usually hire a seasonal traveling nurse; they usually work for about three to six months.
Travel nurses are needed to help pick up a lot of the slack dragging on the ground. Hospitals and other facilities can’t function without traveling nurses. That would mean that they would have to hire more permeate nurses that some places don’t have the funds for. Traveling nurses not only help with the hospital staff but the patients too.
Patient care could decrease if there is a strain on scheduling and the nurses. The patients shouldn’t have to suffer because there is a shortage. Traveling nurses are usually more patient-oriented, rather than checking on inventory, leading a team, etc. A traveling nurse is to care for the patients they are in charge of and ensure that their care is handled professionally and properly.
How to Choose an Agency
Well, we convinced you to become a traveling nurse, great, but now where do you start? What type of agency? What are you looking for in an agency? Well, that is up to you! You get to choose, do your research, look at the reviews, check to see if you can contact any of their employees on Linkedin or nursing groups on Facebook.
But we have somewhere you can start, TLC Nursing. TLC Nursing is a great start for new traveling nurses. They understand the fears, worries, and wants of new traveling nurses. They are knowledgeable, experienced, and have great assignments available.
Conclusion
Becoming a traveling nurse is a great professional. You can further your knowledge, create a larger pool of nurses, and see different locations. TLC can help you get started and integrated into the new industry of nomad nurses. Be sure to check them out when you are ready to leap into a new career.
