Helpful Tips for the Nurse Traveler

Hey there all, I just wanted to post a general thread about the basics of travel nursing for all those people who want to consider it. I know I asked a lot of questions when I was considering traveling and I see that a lot of others are too - I think this thread will be helpful to all those who might want to consider travel nursing full time.

First, if you are interesting in travel nursing, why are you considering it?? What reasons are the most important to you?? For me, I want to see the country and have some adventures. Pay is not as important to me, but it is still important. Having figured out what you want out of travel nursing, you can begin to interview companies to see which one can best give you what you want. There are A LOT of companies out there, just see some of the other posts here asking for information on them!!

Once you decide on a company, you will (of course) have a lot of paperwork to fill out before you get to your first assignment. In deciding on a company, be sure to evaluate the recruiter you are assigned to - they can make or break your experience with this company, and you will be working with them closely to determine which assignments will be best for you... Make sure that your recruiter is someone that you want to work with.

After you get all the paperwork filled out, your recruiter will submit a packet with your information to several hospitals in the area that you want to work in. You will have to interview with the managers of the individual units to determine if you are a good fit for their unit, and if they are a good fit for your previous work experience. The hospital will probably give you a week of orientation, although this varies from hospital to hospital. Since you will be expected to hit the floor running, they expect you to know what you are doing before you ever get there.