Launching into traveling

[lightwalker]

I would like to transition into travel nursing sometime this fall. I've worked for 3 years on a busy general surgery floor, with floats to medical, ortho, cardiac, oncology, and neuro. This was my first job out of school, and I feel fairly confident now as an RN, and will get good references. Does anyone have tips about how to find a good agency, what to look for in assignments, what to expect, filling out the applications, etc. I have lots of life experience traveling, and chose nursing as a second career in part because it would allow me to travel. I want a good first experience so that I will want to keep at it. Also, I am taking a 4 month hiatus to hike the Pacific Crest Trail this summer and would like to get as much of the paperwork and bureaucratic issues out of the way before I take off in June. How realistic is this? I've looked at some forums ranking agencies, and am confused. Any advice, stories, encouragement, etc. would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[loricatus]

The only advise I can think of right now is to sign up for some agency work to get a feel for coming into an unfamiliar environment and having to 'hit the floor running.' This will give you a feel what is expected of you when you travel and train you in varied aspects of doing your job.

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

Decide what is important to you. Location, pay, amenities(furnished apartment, linens, dishes etcvs supplying your own and finding your own place), type of facility(teaching vs community), insurance, hours to work, will you prefer to have some overtime, would you like some scheduling options, will you drive to new jobs or fly and rent a vehicle while there.

Once you decide where you want to go find what agencies have the contracts in that area. You can also reasearch the facilities in that area. Read the posts in the travel specialty and read the location posts also.

Narrow it down to two or three and start talking to them and find which one will come closest to meeting your requests.

loricatus has a good point also, work a few local agency positions to get a feel for what you need to know in a very short orientation.

Good luck!!

I am currently traveling and love it.

[ASSEDO]

I have done the traveling part... First, find a general location you would like to visit. Second, find a traveling agency to represent you if you want a certain area. If the area is in a different state, go to the state board web and find out what they require for liscensure. In California, if you go to the State Board, you can get your liscense the same day, provided you meet all the requirements they require. Just double check your paper work. There is another website to google: Delphi, travel nurse forum that you can join for free, and ask all types of question on agencies, safe places to live, and quality of a hospital. There are agencies and hospitals to stay clear from....the travelers will inform you of the best and the worst area, agencies, and hospitals. Good luck. Some of the best friends I have - I met as a traveling nurse.

[medsurgrnco, BSN, RN]

You might also want to check into the situation regarding computer documentation at hospitals. I would think it would be very hard to work on a unit with minimal orientation and a new computer documentation system.