Med/Surg Travel Nursing

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Hi everyone! I'm a nurse with about 2.5 year of straight med/surg experience. We do remote tele on the floor, but I do read strips. Our floor is titled Surgical Oncology, and we do have very complex surgical patients, but we very rarely administer chemo on the floor. I really want to do travel nursing, but I am worried that it is going to be hard for to find an assignment since I don't have a specialty. It seems like everything out there wants someone with more experience than just med/surg. I recently completed my ACLS certification. Are there any med/surg nurses out there that can give me their two cents? Thanks!!

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Not a medsurg nurse, but I can lend perspective on your marketability. It is good! ACLS is great so I don't think you will have any issues in telemetry. Complex surgical patients is also a good thing. Comfortable with medical patients? Hospitals do want well rounded medsurg/tele nurses, and only large hospitals will place medical and surgical patients on their own floor.

I might suggest getting the chemo certification if you are eligible (no idea how that cert is obtained). I recently saw a crisis need for outpatient chemo with a bill rate in excess of $100. That won't happen very often, but certainly having that certification will enhance your resume and give you additional opportunities.

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Med-Surg IS a specialty. Hospitals need inpatient units to function, and skilled nurses to work in them. You will probably be expected to float to other med-surg units than the one you are hired for.

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Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

If that outpatient chemo post is still up, this chemo nurse would love to hear about it!

None of the hospitals I've traveled at or interviewed with allow travelers to give chemo anyway - including a cancer hospital. I obtained the chemo cert online (course you pay for via the ONS). Mostly I'm told how impressive that is by recruiters and managers but I have yet to give chemo with it. That being said, there weren't a whole lot of oncology jobs in the states I was looking in, and I've only been traveling since January, so my experience is limited.

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I'll take a look tonight but I doubt it. Reason for high rate is to fill fast.

I think the cert does look good, but opportunities to use may be rare. Pretty sure the cert alone won't mean dive in. Facilities may have to sign you off first. Too much at stake.

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Hey Sweltz. Assignment is still open. I'm sending you a pm shortly.

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