Experience for travel?

What level trauma center are you working in? Comfort level with various populations like drug addicts, kids, pregnant women, etc? ACLS, PALS, TNCC, CEN done?

While travel usually makes nurses stronger, you really want to be strong and well rounded in most specialties. After all, you will be expected to hit the ground running with minimal orientation with an unfamiliar patient population, unfamiliar culture, different policies and practices, different charting (ever done computer charting), unfamiliar docs and nurses and pt flow.

So it is really nice if the straight clinical part is all firmly in your subconscious so you can work on all the new stuff with your conscious brain.

Working at large teaching hospitals prepares you for most anything so it is ideal for future travelers. That said, ED is a rare specialty where it is possible with careful planning to learn as you travel. Of course all travelers learn at every assignment, but in the ED, especially with an excellent agency recruiter, you can do progressively harder assignments.

Personally, I tried local agency per diem to see if my skills translated well at other hospitals. I wanted a reality check before I hit the road. I would strongly recommend that to any prospective traveler, even if the next hospital where you can do that is a couple hours away.

Another point to consider is your competitiveness for good assignments against nurses with many years of clinical experience at level one hospitals and travel too. Some hospitals even require previous travel experience.

Blunly, you won't be competitive. So the more staff experience you get, the better off you will be, both clinically and competitively. However, you will get work, even if you start traveling at one year as staff.

I'm at a level 2 now in a busy area so I feel my experience will be well rounded for a year. With that being said, it will only be a year and I will have a lot more to learn as well. Thanks so much for your advice! Big decision for me to make and I greatly appreciate the perspective!

Hey! Fellow ER traveler here.

I would definitely get two years of experience in the ER prior to traveling. The thing with the ER is we have to know a little bit about a LOT of things- every body system, every stage of development, and everything that can go wrong. After one year, I finally felt like I wasn't going to kill my patients every time I went to work. That's when I was able to actually learn and grow. Get every possible certification your facility will pay for- even if it isn't something you are interested in.

Ned provides excellent advice about getting an agency position. It's easy to feel comfortable and competent in the only place you know!

It's easy to feel comfortable and competent in the only place you know!

Well put! I wish I could write that concisely and quotable..