Travel nurse questions

fergus51 · Feb 13, 2006

To work as a travel nurse you need two things: a nursing liscence and EXPERIENCE. Certifications are bonuses, but certainly not necessary. The experience is the big thing. You need at least one year of work under your belt (not including your orientation) and many places now require at least two years, particularly for critical care areas. Your gender won't really matter much.

Schedules vary. You could be working days or nights, 12 hour shifts, 8 hour shifts, 10 hour shifts, anywhere from 30-72 hours a week.

LNeonurse · Feb 25, 2006

To be a traveler, in addition to the nursing liscense and experience, you need an open mind and flexibility. Understand that many times as a traveler, you are held to a different set of standard than the facilities regular staff and you are expected to learn that facilities way of doing things. This can sometimes be a good thing and sometimes not. One thing that i found helpful before I took my first travel assignment is to try agency in your area. That way you can get an idea of what it's like to walk into a new environment and "start running".

suzanne4, RN · Feb 25, 2006

A male RN is not in more demand that a female RN, gender doesn't make the difference, but skills and experience do.

You pick a specialty that you want to work in, not something that you think will be more marketable, or get experience in a couple of areas, such as ICU and ER, but that will take more years to train. You have to enjoy what you are doing, not what you think a facility will want at a certain time.

Needs are always changing, as well as the market.

Good luck with your career............