Travel after working in float pool?

[Steve627]

I’m a new new grad nurse and would like to do travel nursing after getting the experience I need to do so. I’ll be working in the float pool at a large level one trauma center (around 700 beds or so). So, my question would be is working in the float pool good experience before traveling? Or should I try to find a job on a more specialized unit? Do they have travel assignments specifically for float pool nurses?

[Swellz]

A traveler, at least one in med-surg/tele, can essentially be a float nurse, depending on the hospital/floor you contract to. I've worked contracts where I've been floated 50% of my shifts, but most contracts I have been very rarely floated off my contracted unit. I haven't typically seen contracts for float nurses, as they are usually broken down by the specific unit in need, but every travel nurse expects floating as a possibility. I do think in general float pool experience is great before travel nursing, and I do think I would have really benefited from doing it myself before traveling.

You said you're a new grad, so I'm assuming you have less than a year of experience. If you find in the course of your first year that you do not like the level of care or specialties you float to, train in a new specialty (OB, ICU, OR, whatever) before traveling. I know the urge to travel right away is real, but if you don't like what you're doing now, you probably won't like it while traveling, so switch while you're able to. Just food for thought.