Advice for a new RN grad wishing toTravel Nurse to Germany

I used to travel, but not abroad. I don't know of any travel company that allows new grads to travel. You need at least 1 year in your setting. Being a new grad in America is tough enough. A traveller needs to think on their feet. In my travels I only got 1 day of floor orientation, and that consisted of where to put my things, and where to eat!

Former long time traveler myself. You need a minimum of one year experience med/surg on a BUSY floor. You will drown and be very unsafe without that base. After you get your experience you can apply at usajobs.gov for a civilain military nursing position. Good luck.

I almost joined the army because they were offering to pay 70k tuition when I was considering going to a private university for my BSN. They required 4 years active duty and said Germany was one of the easier assignments to get. Just a thought! good luck!

I traveled for 7 years.

I know of no REPUTABLE travel nursing agency that finds assignments for nurses with less than a year of heavy experience. Most really push for 2 or more years in a marketable speciality.

Having said that, there are some that will shop your profile with less. Just because they take your profile, does not mean you will get a job. In addition, since the hospitals generally have several travel agencies, and several applicants for each position, obviously the applicant with the more experience will probably get the job. I will also tell you that no REPUTABLE hospital puts a new grad on the floor with no experience, and very little support.

Travelers are expensive, and the hospitals using them want them on the floor and strong immediately - most are not going to pay for orienting a new grad and pay for the expense of a traveler - that is not what they are "buying". And with a surplus of new grads unable to find jobs, they can get plenty of new grads, with the expense of paying a traveler.

There are also plenty of long term experienced travelers that are unable to find jobs.

But like agencies, some hospitals are "desperate" and will take anything. Chances are a hospital willing to pay traveler fees for a new grad has probably such a poor reputation locally and among experienced travelers that no one will take the job....again not good for the new grad or any nurse.

The current recession is also affecting Europe. As such many of the EU nations have plenty of nurses. And as the USA is no longer importing nurses due to retrogression, many of the third world nurses that used to come to the US, are being diverted to the EU, Australia, Middle East. The EU also (like USA) has strict guidelines regarding accepting nurses for work from outside their nations....to protect their nurses, their nursing standards, and their economy. You would have to ask their nursing regulatory agencies as far as their standards, as well as how available jobs are for foreign educated noncitizen nurses. I expect that it is very strict and would require loads of paperwork, being very fluent (more than 1-2 classes) in German, with medical terminology and nursing experience.

I have a feeling that working for the military on a base would probably be the better bet. Not to say that it cannot be done outside the military, but the odds are deeply against you.

Moved to the international forum

Get some experience in the States first, maybe a big hospital, why not moving in the States (country is big enough, lol), get your experience, study foreign languages (because you will need those, plenty of non english speaking countries, like Germany) and then start internationally.

5cats

Nursing overseas is very different from nursing in the US, you will feel like you suddenly know nothing. And as a new grad actually you don't know much, sorry So it's better to use what they taught you in school in the system for what you were prepared, and then go overseas.
It will be overwhelming enough believe me just to change states/hospitals in the beginning.

5cats