Enough experience for travel nursing?

[IcUlikey]

Hey there. I am a Critical Care staff nurse in a level 4 trauma center for almost (3 months shy) 2 years. Being a level 4 we don’t always take the craziest of patients but I do have experience with all the basic ICU patients, critical cardiac drips, vents, COVID patients etc. I am currently a preceptor to new staff, just started training as a charge nurse and do float to a Level 1 ICU for probably 2 shifts a month. I feel confident in the role that I am doing and it is fairly infrequent that I feel too overwhelmed even with the most critical of patients we get. I also have experience with balloon pumps, CRRT, hypothermia patients, and unfortunately recently have led or been involved in quite a lot of ACLS. A portion of my time has been spent in a nurse residency program which means that I have spent maybe only a year and 6 months as an independent nurse. Does this sound like enough to be able to handle an ICU traveling position? My confidence level in whether or not I could handle it changes almost daily but I’m not sure that it would ever be consistent as I do talk myself out of things fairly easily. Just looking for some insight from some other travelers who might have an idea of the workflow as a travel ICU nurse. Thanks!

[NedRN]

Your residency time absolutely counts. More important is your confidence level in your skills and my take on your description of questioning your skills is a sign of strong professionalism that will carry you well going forward. I think you will do well in travel or anything else.

[msesay91, APRN, NP]

I currently travel as an ICU nurse. I had one year of med surg experience and 6 months of ICU before I started doing local travel assignments in the ICU. Prior to me starting, I felt very comfortable in doing what an ICU nurse needed to do to keep a patient alive. Do I know everything? Absolutely not, I still learn and see new things at each hospital I've been to. It's really about you being able to honestly self evaluate your skills, etc and being open to constructive criticism. Good luck! ?