Travel Nursing w/ an ADN

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Hello AN community,

I am an associates prepared RN with a total of three years of nursing experience (two of which were in neuro stepdown and one year in a Level I trauma ER). I am strongly considering ER travel nursing. ER has become my new passion and I don't see myself ever going back to the floor.

That being said, does anyone know if ER travel nurses with associates degrees run into any problems as far as not getting contracts due to not having their BSN? I've heard through the nursing grapevine from travelers that have come through my own ER that having only an ADN will not be an issue. My primary interests are in traveling to places like NYC, California, and Chicago. I realize these are some lofty goals, I just want to know if it's just a pipe dream or really possible that I can go to these cool places!

Thanks in advance, y'all! :)

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Rumor has it that a couple of hospitals are known to require BSNs of travelers. Close odds to being struck by lightning!

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Recruiter here. NedRN's analysis of the odds of that happening are pretty spot on. I've only seen a few contracts where they "require" a traveler to have a BSN and they are generally in a management role such as a charge or DON. However, I've placed nurses in these contracts with an ADN before because of their general work experience. Your goals of traveling to Chicago, NY, and CA are very realistic! If you haven't started working on your CA license yet I would start that ASAP since it can take a very long time to get that processed.

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You can forget about NYC if you don't have a BSN. Just cross it completely off of your list. California doesn't care too much about BSNs for travelers. I am an ADN and I traveled in California for 1.5 years and only one hospital even asked if I had a BSN. That hospital was about to gain Magnet status. It didn't stop me from getting the job though. I just had a dozen people asking me if I was going to back to school every week for 13 weeks. I don't know about Chicago. That being said I have absolutely no plans t get my BSN and I have been traveling for almost 5 years now. Your biggest issue, like someone said is getting a California license. That took my 9 months!

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ChrisMMS, could you comment about BSN requirements for NYC if you staff there?

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The BSN requirement in NYC may be more for permanent staff rather than travelers. I worked at a hospital that received magnet designation but hired travelers with an ADN.

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NYU, Mt Sinai and Columbia Presbyterian require BSNs for everyone, even travelers. They are the big dogs in NYC. City hospitals do not care. Montefiore in the Bronx hires ADNs, and independent hospitals each have their own rules. I have worked at Maimonides in Brooklyn with an ADN. But this whole BSN requirement is recent as of last year. I am originally from NYC. My staff hospital was Beth Israel. I went to the Beth Israel School of Nursing for my ADN. They NOW require a BSN for everyone, even travelers, even though they sent a bunch of ADN nurses out there. I wouldn't bank on a NYC hospital with an ADN, at least not q Manhattan hospital. Maybe look at the outer boroughs or upstate.

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