Travel Nurses Who Started with less than 2 years experience

NedRN · Dec 31, 2014

In your other thread you said you are approaching two years of medsurg experience. That is fine for most straight medsurg assignments (depending on pt population of course). A common problem for travelers though is being floated above your skill level.

You also said that you work on a floor with IMC type population. If you feel strong at tele, I would say you are good to go!

The ideal medsurg travel nurse will also have great organizational skills as you may float every four hours to a new set of patients. Also be aware that different hospitals have widely varying ratios and support staff. Those are some of the challenges of travel nursing.

perfexion, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2015

I have been a nurse for 5 years but I just started working labor and delivery in December 2013. I had already completed my first travel assignment by the time I hit one year. I still don't have 2 years experience in L& D, but I wouldn't travel if I had less than 2 years as a nurse in general.

Underthemoonicp6 · Jan 12, 2015

I started traveling with a little over a year as an nurse, all in the ICU. It was difficult landing the 1st assignment but I have been traveling for a little over a year and I love it. You'll definitely be exposed to things you're not familiar with and will have to put in some extra work to learn as you go. If the thought of that scares you then maybe wait a little longer to get more experience. If you're adaptable and feel comfortable in your role, go for it. You'll never know if you're ready until you do.

Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP · Jan 13, 2015

Good point. Thank you :)

I started traveling with a little over a year as an nurse, all in the ICU. It was difficult landing the 1st assignment but I have been traveling for a little over a year and I love it. You'll definitely be exposed to things you're not familiar with and will have to put in some extra work to learn as you go. If the thought of that scares you then maybe wait a little longer to get more experience. If you're adaptable and feel comfortable in your role, go for it. You'll never know if you're ready until you do.

MsConstrued · Jan 14, 2015

I started traveling with 1.5 years of RN experience, not strictly MedSurg. Some companies cared that I didn't have exactly 24 months of MedSurg and the ones I have traveled with were lenient about it. I felt I have a strong understanding of basic MedSurg nursing, as I was an LPN for 5 years before this. I find it to be exactly like the staff jobs I've had just with 1-3 shifts of orientation instead of 3 months which I find boring. I haven't been anywhere where the regular staff wasn't helpful and kind answering all of my questions which range from where do I find this to how do I do this to what do you think I should do about this? I find even as a staff nurse I ask a million questions anyway, so why not get paid double to do the same job I'd have back home?

garn12 · Jan 16, 2015

I started with 21 months of tele/pcu/and med surg experience. Nursing is the same no matter where you go just a different geography and cultural clientele

Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP · Jan 16, 2015

Hey garn12, When I start, I'll be around that. I'm not worried about it anymore. I'm confident enough to do it and explore what else is out there for me. How else will I gain the experience?

NedRN · Jan 16, 2015

Yes, nursing is the same everywhere. Except for geography, hospital name, patient population, acuity, workload, schedule, floating, computer programs, equipment, ancillary help, management culture, managers, staff, pay, local culture, and language.

Easy!

garn12 · Jan 18, 2015

The problem is there is not real bar to gauge if you're ready for travel or not...everything everyone says is subjective. You may travel and not truly be ready for travel but land your first assignment at a travel friendly hospital that molds you into the travel nurse you need to be for the next assignment. Or you may not have a great first assignment and the second one is perfect. A lot of factors play into the "formula".

NedRN · Jan 19, 2015

There is nothing subjective about a year or two or three in a specialty. Either you have it or you don't. Sure there are a lot of internal and external factors that affect your chances of succeeding in any occupation. I think those could be listed easily as well but if you don't have the qualifications to get a first assignment then it is game over.

Not having the basic reqirements to succeed means you are less competitive for good assignments, and more likely to fail at the bad one you are now forced to take. Yes, you might get lucky, but I don't think it is wise to set up others for failure. Why not just get the experience needed?

garn12 · Jan 19, 2015

There is nothing subjective about a year or two or three in a specialty. Either you have it or you don't. Sure there are a lot of internal and external factors that affect your chances of succeeding in any occupation. I think those could be listed easily as well but if you don't have the qualifications to get a first assignment then it is game over.
Not having the basic reqirements to succeed means you are less competitive for good assignments, and more likely to fail at the bad one you are now forced to take. Yes, you might get lucky, but I don't think it is wise to set up others for failure. Why not just get the experience needed?

Nobody is setting anyone up for failure what i'm saying is ther are many factors to determine if someone is ready to travel. There are some people that traveled that are shy of a year of experience and are doing fine. What you are stating may be true about not having a year or two of exp which is preferred. I didn't have two years of experience and started traveling within my specialty and I am doing fine. It all depends on the traveler and the assignment. If the OP doesn't feel comfortable than of course continue to get the experience or at least try to pick up extra shifts floating to different units to get a feel of what it's like to be on a different type of unit.