Is it possible be a competitive travel nurse with just an associate's degree?

[TheBrazenBee66]

I am critical care nurse working in a MICU in Virginia, currently with one year of experience. Since I started nursing school, my plan has been to travel at some point once I've built up enough experience, with an estimate being at least two years of ICU experience before I start. Initially I was planning to get my BSN online as soon as I graduated, however my career aspirations have shifted some and I'm in the process of figuring out whether I want to pursue nursing as a career or just stay with it for the next 5 years or so. This shift in aspirations has made me question whether it is worth it to spend $12k on a RN-BSN program just so that I can travel.

My question is, could I expect to be competitive in finding travel contracts if I just have an ADN? If I do go this route, I intend to obtain my CCRN and FCCS before I start traveling, would these two certifications on their own be enough to secure me travel contracts where I want to go? Is it worth it to speak to recruiters with these concerns, or are they just going to tell me what I want to hear?

[NedRN]

Very, very few hospitals require a BSN of travelers. It has never entered any conversation about any travel assignment for me. Perhaps if you have a BSN trained nurse manager who thinks it is a big deal to have one extra semester, then you will lose out to a traveler with similar experience as yours. But mostly, we are short term contract nurses, the one with the most relevant experience gets the assignment. No, the certifications on their own will not guarantee assignments any more than a BSN or MSN. But they show some extra work in your specialty, and may win you an assignment over someone with similar experience and not those certifications. They are resume enhancers.

Good evaluations/references (get them in writing before leaving your job) will help, as will having worked at hospitals with name recognition. First couple years I traveled I was at Duke, UCSF, and Hopkins - doesn't really mean a darned thing but twenty some years later, it still impresses managers.

Anyway, a BSN certainly doesn't hurt, especially down the road at a magnet hospital that requires it of staff. I thought about doing it myself - there is at least one online program that allows for unlimited credits per semester - figure it would take me 3 months to crank though them. But now I'm older and it really doesn't seem worth it as a resume enhancer - I'm OR and the hospitals will always need me.

[Swellz]

Nobody cares for travelers, from what I saw.

If you end up moving to a region that requires a BSN, you might have trouble getting hired again as a staff nurse, even with more years of experience. If I were in your position and thought I might leave nursing in five years, I wouldn't bother unless it was necessary to get a good job where I live.

But, take that all with a grain of salt as I graduated with a BSN lol.