Travel Nursing and RN Licensure

Specialties Travel

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Hello all! I am interested in travel nursing and was curious how obtaining a license for the state you are assigned to happens. Would it be all my responsibility or would the agency handle most of it? Also, any other helpful information would be great, like best travel nurse agencies and what a normal compensation package looks like. Thanks!!

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Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.

Generally speaking, the agency will take care of the licensing. Many agencies will also pay the fee to get you licensed. Remember though, if you're licensed in a compact state, a new license is not required. You may practice on your home state license. If the agency does not provide help in securing a license, I am sure that can be negotiated. The compensation package depends upon what you select. In other words, if the agency pays for all of your living expenses, the hourly rate is generally lower. If you take out health insurance, the hourly rate is lower. Crunch numbers and see what is best for you. If you go to an area where the cost of living is cheap and you would be better off taking the higher hourly wage and paying for your living costs, do it. There are many reputable traveling agencies. Interim, Medical Staffing Network, and Nurse Finders are a few I can think of at the moment.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thank you!

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Remember though, if you're licensed in a compact state, a new license is not required. You may practice on your home state license.

Remember that that is only true if one maintains a permanent home in the "home" state. Otherwise, you still have the license, but it loses its "compact privileges" and becomes a "regular," single-state license that cannot be used in other states.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Agency typically pays for it

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

The agency may pay for it but they certainly do not "handle it". I have yet to have an agency get fingerprinted for me, get my transcripts for me, get onto nursys for me or fill out an application for licensure for me. You get the license yourself and then you submit your receipts for the cost of it to get reimbursed. In some instances, like CA licensure for instance, they may arrange travel and logistics to get to Sacramento for you but your doing all of the footwork yourself.

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Your profile says you are in Tennessee. Tennessee is one of the compact states. As long as you maintain a legal residence in Tennessee, you will be able to practice in any of the compacts without have to physically get licensed in those states. If I go to work in states that are not part of the compact, it is up to me to get licensed. But I do have it written into my contracts that I am reimbursed for the cost of the license. For example, the fee to be licensed in Alaska is $300. Which is very pricey. Most states run between $100-$200. As a side note, the fee for your licensures if not reimbursed is tax deductible on your federal tax return. ;)

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I've never had an agency take care of licensure for me. The first question my recruiter asked me was what states am I licensed in? I told her only NY and she told me that I could travel in upstate NY away from my home in NYC until I get more licenses. They didn't reimburse me or anything. Now I'm licensed in NY, NJ, CA, TX and CO. I paid for all my licenses myself. I guess it depends on what agency you work for. The only time anyone ever offered to pay for my license was when I almost did a strike in Washington state.

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From my own experience, (I work with Cross country and American mobile) they have done absoulety nothing to help me get a license. All my recruiter did was tell me how long it would usually take and that I should apply sooner than later, but otherwise they do nothing to help. And not all companies will reimburse you for the license.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, Psych.

I've heard others who travel say that their agency reimbursed them for the cost of their license in other states, but I paid for it myself and did not seek reimbursement. It is your responsibility to obtain your licenses, and you are not 'assigned' a state to work in. You CHOOSE where you want to go, you tell the recruiter, and he/she facilitates submitting your credentials to particular facilities in the state(s) you wish to work. From there, you receive a phone call (telephone interview) in which you are either hired or not. It's quite simple, and never involves the type of extensive, face to face interviews you're probably used to having. It's all done over the telephone, which I find delightful!

Good Luck!

I'm not sure what you mean by 'normal' package ~ LOL. Each agency has specific guidelines they follow, and sometimes one may run into some unethical practices, but for the most part, I've worked with a few agencies in the 4 years I've been traveling. They all have good and not so good points, but the important thing for me is the length of my assignments, how well organized my recruiters are, and how easy it is to get a contract. My current contract has been extended twice so far.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, Psych.

Right. Maine is part of the compact states, and I am licensed in Maine, but my permanent home is in Florida. So compact state licensure does not apply with me :(

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