Psych RN thinking about travel nursing

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Specializes in Psychiatric/Mental Health.

Hi all! I am a psych RN with one year experience and charge nurse experience. I have been looking into travel nursing jobs for psych nurses and think this would be a great opportunity for learning and growth. Is there anyone who has experience in psych travel nursing who knows of any good travel nurse agencies out there? What would you recommend? Thank you all in advance! :)

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I'm not a psych nurse, but both Supplemental and Worldwide agencies have a special interest in pysch. Supplemental in NY was originally founded as psych only. Past that, your best bet are the larger agencies such as Cross Country and American Mobile (Supplemental has now morphed into a larger agency as well). Smaller better paying agencies are not likely to get enough assignments to keep you busy.

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Specializes in Psychiatric/Mental Health.

Thanks NedRN! :)

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Specializes in Psychiatric/Mental Health.

There are actually many traveling psych nurses. I work with many myself. Perhaps I will just speak to them and get their insite. I know a couple who mentioned American Mobile and may look into that. I have used this forum before years ago and had absolutely no issues what so ever getting a response. I think I will look into another forum or simply apply to a travel agency and decide if I like it for myself.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I used to get mailings and emails from travel nurse agencies that wanted someone who specializes in psych. When I investigated them, they were always wanting someone to travel to state hospitals or other long-term psych facilities. It seemed, then, that the need for psych travel nurses was in chronic care facilities, not somewhere I'd want to work, since seeing someone get better might not happen, and that's something I love about psych. There was also a need in forensic psych facilities, also not a place I'd want to work.

Be sure you know the focus of the agency before you accept an offer, to see if it conflicts with your feeling of how you want your psych nursing practice to be...

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Relative to all nurses, there are not that many psych nurses. Relative to all nurse travelers, there are not that many psych travelers. So for general travel questions, you are better off not requesting only psych responses. Make sense?

There are hundreds of agencies, but very few that get psych assignments. In your original thread, that is why I recommended larger agencies (including American Mobile) and pointed out a couple that (relative to all agencies) had a psych focus.

Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Psychiatric/Mental Health.

I spoke with several nurses at Work who work for agencies that have plenty of psych nurse positions, and I have discovered dozens of them just by checking out their websites. I love psych so I have no intention I. straying from that area. But thank you.

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Did you do psych travel nursing and if you did can you give me any ideas?

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