Tips please!

Delphiforums has a great travel nurse forum, are you familiar with it?

Did you read any of the "tips" at the top of this forum?

Plenty there to get you started

Go to pantravelers.org. You have to join for some of the info they offer but they have tons odvice and a list of each state's licensing info. It's probably at the beginning of this forum too. If you are going from a compact state to another compact state consider your self lucky. I am from MASS which is not a compact state so I have to get a new license for each state I want to work in.

I have found that the biggest barrier for me is licensing. Not all states offer temps, very few offer same day licensure from the board if you walk in. Some will if you have all the info they need.

I wish I had that much time before my first assignment.

I am only licensed in CA and MA. So there are 48 other states in which I cannot work at this time. B/c of the recession, travelers have to be very flexible about geographical area and if you aren't licensed for the state that needs travelers you can't be considered (unless it's a walk through state).

My best advice is that you start getting your license in as many states as you can. Start with New York. As a psych RN traveler there are very few opportunities to begin, and it seems that there is always something in NY, but it takes a really long time (:banghead:2 months) to get a license. Florida is also difficult and requires you to jump through more hoops than most other states. I was on the MA site and noticed that we don't have temp licenses at all and a permanent license takes a really long time.

I'd just look to see where the needs are in your specialty and start the paperwork to be licensed in those states ASAP!!

i have to disagree with galadriel724 in the florida area and the getting as many licenses as you can. it really depends upon what type of nursing you do. i work pcu/stepdown/tele and i have been told by many other travelers to not get your license for specific states unless you really want to go there. 1. most travel companies will reimburse you for this cost and some states are really expensive. 2. most travel recruiters can help you get your license quicker, although some have no clue so do your homework, don't just trust the bon websites for their timeframes.

i got my fl license in 3 weeks. it took me 2 weeks to get to my new assignment/settled and such and the hospital looked my name up online and had it right away. as long as the hospital has access to the numbers, you can work. if they can get it you can get it and you will have a number if not the actual/physical license.

i just don't think it is a good idea to get a license (and try to maintain) for 50 states. if you get a license in a compact state and it is your main state of nursing (for example permenant tax home) you can use it for those states but you can't have a license in florida, go to texas and get a license and expect to be able to use it for any other compact states, that won't work. it has to be your first/original license or you have to make that your home base and they check to make sure that you are from that state. i can't imagine paying 75-100 per license, some are every year, some every 2 years in addition to keeping track of which states require which ceu's.

in closing, the travel nurses i spoke with agree, pick a few states that have openings often and that you are interested in, get your recruiter to help you get your license there (for reimbursement) then keep them current. good luck and welcome to the travel field!