Waiting to Travel?

NedRN · Jun 25, 2014

Forgeddaboutit!

In our academic based nursing education, you are helpless until a hospital has agreed to hire and train you. No one will hire an untrained nurse to jump in and start working like a trained nurse, you are not competent. In fact, it raises huge liability issues, and if you were to take such a job, you would be in violation of the nurse practice act. You don't even have the judgement to know if you have judgement at this point.

Let's say the system was such that you could be thrown in unprepared and throw patient's lives into jeopardy. Let's think about your value in the marketplace. Travelers are billed at a flat hourly rate to hospitals. If you were a hiring manager with candidates from many agencies to choose from, who would you pick? A new grad, or a five year veteran with a proven two year track record of travel assignments? Same cost.

Now perhaps I misread your first post ever and you are planning on getting a real job and gaining the necessary experience? I would recommend that you get a job at a large teaching hospital with the longest orientation/internship available. The higher up the food chain you can go improves later marketability. So if you have to take a medsurg entry job, make sure you have a viable pathway to higher trained specialties. Count on several years in a specialty before you have the needed skills to think about traveling and jumping into very unfamiliar hospitals, practices, and culture. That is why your first job is so important. By all means, see if you can find an exciting city for your first job, the kind of place you might like to travel to.

Erikadawn RN · Jun 26, 2014

I have always wanted to be a traveling nurse, even before I became a nurse. I became an Lpn in 2008 and an RN in 2010. I then became a dialysis nurse, I still have the desire to travel as a dialysis nurse. I just recently began working in a major level 1 trauma hospital in my state, I see cases I would not have seen in my outpatient unit. After reaching my 1 year at this hospital, I will have 4 years of dialysis experience. I feel like I will be well rounded enought to work in a dialysis unit in any hospital. As a new nurse, you will be learning and experiencing many things, so it would not be ideal for you to travel. Travel nurses are expected to walk in on the first day and work. Please get experience and then travel, to will be so much more competent. I also believe that no travel agency would touch you with no experience. you could work in a hospital in other states that recruit new nurses because they need staff. Upstate NY, parts of Texas or other rural areas

Traveldee · Jun 26, 2014

Sometimes I just shake my head at the people who have less than one year of RN experience and think that somehow "they're the exception" to the 1 (preferably 2+) year standard of experience before being able to travel. That requirement is there for a reason! I remember when I graduated nursing school feeling like I'd crammed so much info in my brain, only to discover that there was a HUGE learning curve my first year working as an RN.

That's not to say now is too early to start thinking now about travel nursing down the road. I knew I wanted to travel nurse while I was in nursing school and intentionally made career decisions that would help me reach my goals. I was fortunate to get my first job in labor and delivery (a specialty that typically has lots of travel jobs available, worked full time at a hospital for 2.5 years, during that time worked L&D per diem at another facility to see if I had what it took to work in a completely different type of hospital, THEN started travel nursing. And it has overall been a good, challenging experience.

There is no way I would have been ready to walk into a unit with no orientation and work as a travel RN as a new grad. If it helps, the first 2.5 years I was a nurse seemed to fly by tho. :)

elemenRN · Jun 26, 2014

As a three year travel RN, I can say that each assignment is still daunting at the beginning and has plenty of I'm-out-of-my-element moments. At one point during nearly every assignment I have felt very alone and as far away from home as can be. Getting through that just takes a little bit of time and positive self-talk, but I would never, ever, ever subject myself to this lifestyle without having a strong foundation of nursing knowledge and experience. There were 10 nurses in my recent orientation and it was many of their first assignments. Of that group, only TWO of us still work here. The others had their contracts cancelled because they couldn't hang and weren't picking things up quick enough. A lot of times, landing the job isn't the hardest part. We're all very replaceable. I also think people really look at all of the perks and overlook the frustrations, challenges and stress this lifestyle brings with it. "But at least you're making a ton of money and you live at the beach!" Ugh, just stop.

trackhead, APRN · Jun 27, 2014

10 travel nurses and 8 were let go? Pretty **** poor statistics..........Doesn't speak well for the profession.

What unit/department?

emadore · Jul 3, 2014

@NYCNurse I believe I understand your question. You know you have to do some hospital work before you hit the road as a traveler. What can you do to get ready. Am I right? These are my suggestions to you:

1. Do 1 year on Med/Surg (not just Med. Not just Surg - both is best

2. If you do not wish to work in Travel in Med/Surg, spend at least 1 year - 2 is better in the specialty area you want to work in: ER/ICU/OR etc.

3. Take advantage of all the courses your hospital offers and keep them up to date - ACLS/PALS etc etc.

After those 3 years, you'll be ready to fly. Choose those first assignments well. You're still a newbie after 3 years but you will learn a lot in those 3 years. Good Luck