What is a travel nurse? Travel nurses are skilled nurses who fill short-term positions at healthcare facilities. They can travel within the U.S. or internationally with contracts ranging from a few weeks to months. To become a travel nurse, the first step is earning a BSN through an accelerated program.
Travel nursing can be a great career option for nurses with an adventurous spirit. What is a travel nurse, and what does a travel nurse do? We’ll delve into all the details of this nursing role and explore how to become a travel nurse if you’re starting from a non-nursing background.
Traveling nurses have been in existence since at least the mid-1800s when wounded soldiers needed care during the Crimean War; however, the term originated in the 1970s in New Orleans. During Mardi Gras, local hospitals were overwhelmed with injured patients, so hospitals contracted with nurses from around the country to temporarily work there. Today, travel nursing is a common role for experienced registered nurses (RNs).
At Concordia University Texas, we educate students to the highest nursing standards so that after graduating from the 16-month Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) track, they can enter the field as practice-ready nurses. With the accelerated track, students can earn their education quickly and go on to pursue their desired specialty, such as travel nursing.
In this post, we’ll cover all the key information you’ll need to know before jumping into a career as a travel nurse, answering questions such as, “What is travel nursing?” and “What do travel nurses do?”
What Does a Travel Nurse Do?
Travel nurses are temporary staff members who work alongside permanent staff nurses at healthcare facilities to fill in during nursing shortages. A shortage can be caused by nurses going on maternity leave, retiring or a hospital might simply have a large influx of patients.
Travel nurses have a similar job description as permanent nurses, managing patient care and treatment. They can work in any nursing specialty, from medical-surgical nursing to orthopedics and beyond. Travel nursing assignments tend to have a short onboarding process, so it’s best to already have experience in your specialty, so you can jump right into your assignment.
What to Expect as a Travel Nurse
As a travel nurse, you’ll work short-term assignments, generally ranging from eight weeks to a few months. You can find travel nursing opportunities within the United States and internationally. Healthcare employers do not hire travel nurses directly; rather, employers contract with travel nursing agencies who manage travel nurses’ employment from one hospital to the next.
As the end of a contract approaches, a travel nurse may be asked if they are willing to extend the contract if their services continue to be needed. Otherwise, the contract ends. Then, the nurse might immediately decide to sign a new contract elsewhere, or they might take some time off to visit with family and friends. Travel nursing offers a more flexible schedule than permanent nursing positions.
Travel nurses often work in community hospitals or teaching hospitals. They can also be found in a range of other work environments including outpatient facilities, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care facilities, and others.
How Much Do Travel Nurses Make?
Travel nurses tend to be well compensated, often above the typical salary for a permanent staff member. While specific stats for travel nurses aren’t available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the BLS does state that all types of RNs earned a median annual wage of $86,070 as of May 2023. Most types of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) earned a median annual salary of $129,480 as of May 2023, according to the BLS. Travel nurse pay depends on the assignment at hand and can vary due to factors including length of commitment and the organization in need of additional staff.
Travel Nursing Specialties
If you aspire to become a travel nurse, it’s best to specialize before applying. While a generalist nurse may be able to find a travel job, you will have far more opportunities and better compensation if you are experienced in a high-demand specialty.
A few options for travel nursing specialties include:
- Critical care/ICU nursing
- Emergency nursing
- Neonatal intensive care (NICU) nursing
- Labor and delivery nursing
- Surgical nursing
See more in-demand nursing specialties that are available after you earn a BSN.
How to Become a Traveling Nurse in 7 Steps
The process of becoming a traveling nurse is fairly straightforward. No matter your background, you can become a travel nurse in a few years if you take the accelerated educational track.
1. Earn a BSN
The first step is earning a BSN. This is the standard nursing degree traditionally earned during a four-year undergraduate program. If you already have at least 60 non-nursing college credits or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible to earn your BSN more quickly through an accelerated track like the ABSN track at Concordia Texas.
Learn how to become a nurse with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or 60 college credits through the ABSN track.
Nursing school relies on three main learning modalities to educate students both online and in-person:
- Online courses: Learn at the time and place that works best for you using an interactive, flexible online learning system. Students benefit from the structure of deadlines and exams and from continuous instructor support.
- Skills and simulation labs: Develop hands-on nursing skills and become comfortable with a wide variety of mock clinical scenarios in small groups with instructor guidance. Nursing labs take place in person at the learning sites in Austin and Dallas.
- Clinical placements: Apply your education to the real world through clinical rotations at leading healthcare facilities in Austin and Dallas.
Concordia University Texas’s ABSN track offers three start dates each year in January, May, and August, meaning you can optimize your time by starting sooner. The curriculum is 16 months long, so before you know it, you’ll be ready to start a rewarding nursing career.
What is nursing school like? Learn what to expect in an accelerated BSN track.
2. Pass the NCLEX and Receive Your Nursing License
Once you’ve made it through nursing school, the next step is to apply for your license and pass the NCLEX-RN® exam. If you want to become a travel nurse, it’s best to apply for a multi-state nursing license.
This exam is the culmination of all you’ve studied in nursing school, and it is a challenging test that takes significant preparation. Early in your nursing education at Concordia University Texas, you’ll begin practicing with NCLEX-style questions on class exams. In the final semester of nursing school, students begin studying more intensely. They then take a month or two after graduation to focus on studying.
Once you successfully pass the exam, you’ll receive your nursing license and be qualified to care for patients as a registered nurse.
How does a multi-state nursing license work? Learn the advantages of choosing a Compact Nursing state and how to apply for a multi-state nursing license.
3. Gain Experience in Your Specialty
Even though you eventually want to become a travel nurse, it’s vital that you first gain experience at home. Travel nursing agencies want to hire qualified nurses with ample experience, as you’ll need to be able to jump quickly into new roles with little time for orientation.
Therefore, most travel nursing agencies want nurses with at least two years of experience in their specialty. Use this time at your home healthcare facility to hone your skills, make connections, and truly master your specialty so you’ll be ready to take your expertise on the road.
4. Reach Out to a Travel Nursing Agency
The next step to become a travel nurse is to inquire with travel nursing agencies. To be eligible for competitive travel nursing positions, you’ll need:
- A BSN degree
- An active RN license
- At least two years of experience in your specialty
Once you have this experience, you’re ready to start looking for job openings. Travel nursing agencies have contracts with different hospitals, so research the positions and locations available at each agency.
Talk with travel nurses at your current hospital and join online forums for travel nurses to get honest reviews of each agency and find the best fit. Once you’ve narrowed down your top few options, contact an agency.
The travel nursing recruiter will take it from there. They’ll contact you and help with the entire hiring process. A good travel nurse is a valuable commodity, so your recruiter should be helpful and accommodating.
Expect to provide documentation to and complete onboarding activities for the travel nursing agency.
5. Indicate Your Preferred Job Openings
You’ll be able to indicate which types of jobs you are most interested in, and the recruiter will provide you with more information about available positions, including information about:
- Contract length
- Compensation
- Housing stipend
- Travel reimbursement
You’ll narrow down your top options, and the recruiter will submit your application for these openings. The application process is straightforward, as the recruiter does most of the heavy lifting.
6. Interview With Prospective Employers
If a healthcare employer is interested in having you fill their assignment, they’ll likely set up a phone or video interview.
Once your interview is complete and you’ve received an employer’s approval, you’ll complete a few final steps:
- Paperwork
- Physical examination
- TB and drug test
Note that once you’ve completed these steps with your first travel nursing assignment, you won’t have to repeat them for future roles if you use the same agency. The process is much simpler once the recruiter has your application on file.
7. Begin Your Travel Nursing Assignment
Once you’ve been approved for a travel nursing job, you’re officially a travel nurse. You’re ready to head out on your adventure of nursing in a new city and to reap the benefits of excellent compensation, plus perks like travel and housing stipends.
What do travel nurses do next? Once you’re settled into your first assignment, you can reach out to your recruiter and indicate where you’d like to travel next or let them know if you’d like to request an extension at your current site. Many nurses work with a few agencies.
Pros and Cons of Travel Nursing
Now that you know how travel nursing works, how do you know if it’s the best option for you? There are some key considerations to keep in mind.
Travel Nursing Pros
Below are a few of the many advantages of travel nursing:
- Ability to travel and explore the country and world
- Great for a flexible lifestyle
- Excellent experience for your resume
- Ever-changing work environment
- Opportunity to improve your skills caring for diverse patients
- Competitive base compensation
- Excellent career benefits, such as:
- Housing stipends to cover rent during your assignments
- Travel stipends to pay for moving expenses
- 401(k) matching
- Flexible vacation time — nurses often take time off between assignments
- Comprehensive health insurance plans
- Education assistance for pursuing an advanced nursing degree
Travel Nursing Cons
There are also some challenges to being a travel nurse:
- It can be stressful to learn each new facility so quickly.
- Forming relationships with coworkers is challenging when you’re a short-term employee.
- You’ll need to adjust to new protocols and systems with each assignment.
- Moving frequently is difficult for families with school-aged children.
- If you don’t enjoy your assignment, you’ll need to wait until the end of your contract before moving facilities.
Is Travel Nursing Right for You?
Now that you have a thorough understanding of travel nursing and its many benefits, it’s time to consider whether this career path is right for you. Do you have commitments at home that require you to stay close? If not, do you enjoy traveling and immersing yourself in new cultures? Consider your personality and whether you thrive in a fluid, flexible work environment with a lot of learning.
While some nurses continue traveling for a long time, others travel for a few years while they are still young and later get a position in their local healthcare facility while raising their family. One of the great perks of a nursing career is that you can tailor it to your lifestyle and goals.
Ideal Characteristics and Traits for an Aspiring Travel Nurse
While you’re considering whether a travel nursing career might be right for you, consider whether you have or are willing to develop the ideal characteristics for this role. A travel nurse can benefit from:
- An adventurous spirit
- Eagerness to meet new people
- Flexibility to adapt to new protocols
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Strong sense of professionalism
- Emotional intelligence
Start Pursuing Your Nursing Goals
If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a travel nurse, there’s no time like the present to get started! At Concordia Texas, our hybrid online ABSN track can get you started by helping you earn your BSN sooner.
To be eligible for the accelerated BSN track, you’ll need at least 60 prior non-nursing college credits or a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. There are also a few prerequisite courses you need to complete before starting the ABSN track. If you meet the requirements and get accepted, you’ll be able to earn your BSN and start your nursing career in as few as 16 months.
To learn more about the ABSN track and how you can get started, fill out our online form, and our admissions counselors will get in touch with you. At Concordia University Texas, we’re committed to the success of our students, and we’ll be here with you every step of the way as you achieve your nursing goals.