Travelling Nurse--new grads welcome?

Hands and Heart · Jul 29, 2008

Most traveling nurse companies that I have looked at require their nurses to have at least a year's experience. They pay for housing and the pay rates are usually higher than the staff nurses at whatever hospital they are at. You can also travel locally. That is get the same rate, benefits, and expenses paid while nursing at hospitals close to home.

PiPhi2004 · Jul 29, 2008

Even if you could get someone to hire you, I believe it would be VERY overwhelming to become a traveler as a new grad. I would also question the integrity of any agency willing to hire new grads. You will learn SO much that first year and you really need to do it at ONE institution. Plus, I dont think any hospital will want to hire a traveler with NO experience.I entertained the idea of traveling after my first year was up, but I still think I need more time to practice before I would be safe to travel. Try to get a hospital job and get practice first, then travel later if you still want to.

Selke · Jul 29, 2008

Excuse me, you think nursing prereqs -- basic sciences and liberal arts -- are "mickey mouse" courses?

There are other threads here about this very question, and not very long ago. Google is your friend. The gist of the threads are: no, you can't be a travel nurse until you know what you are doing and can do the job independently. You have to be able to hit the ground running, which can be difficult enough for any experienced nurse who is in a new facility.

Dolce, RN · Jul 29, 2008

Excuse me, you think nursing prereqs -- basic sciences and liberal arts -- are "mickey mouse" courses?
There are other threads here about this very question, and not very long ago. Google is your friend. The gist of the threads are: no, you can't be a travel nurse until you know what you are doing and can do the job independently. You have to be able to hit the ground running, which can be difficult enough for any experienced nurse who is in a new facility.

Exactly. You have to protect your license as a nurse. There is no way you would be able to do that as a traveler (even if an agency would hire you). You will gain knowledge in nursing school but you won't begin to develop the experience you need until you have at least 2 years under your belt. Travel agencies are looking for AT LEAST one year of experience but, in reality, you need much more than that to be an effective, safe traveler. Travel nurses staff hospitals that are short staffed. Why are they short staffed? It isn't because they have a wealth of experienced knowledgeable nurses ready to answer every question that you will have. In fact, at many hospitals the travel nurses are the most experienced nurses there. Even as an agency nurse I have been thrown into a situation where I had the most experience on the floor--and I only have 4 years of experience!

Please remember, there is a nursing shortage. There will be all sorts of hospitals that will be willing to hire you when you graduate. But, keep in mind that the only person who can truly protect your nursing license is YOU. You are going to work very hard for it so please be careful with what employment decisions that you make as a new grad. In the end it really isn't about the money.

interleukin · Jul 29, 2008

fuhgettaboutit.

labcat01, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

When a hospital hires a traveler, they expect that they will be getting an experienced nurse that can jump right in with minimal training. It doesn't matter how book smart you are because nursing school only gives you the bare MINIMUM of what you need to practice as a real nurse. If you work nights and weekends you will make a decent amount of money to start paying off those school loans AND you will have health benefits (a lot of people don't realize how valuable this is).

ilstu99 · Jul 29, 2008

hey, i'm just about to start my nuring program next month after 2 years of taking mickey mouse prereq classes i'm finally in a program. won't take me very long looking at about a year and a half after the fall semester but anyway i'm tossing around the idea of beoming a travelling nurse for a few years to pay off a good chunk of my student loans. will travelling nurse agencies take in new grads? can i continue with my BSN being a travelling nurse? what's the starting salary in general? any help would be appreciated thanks!

I agree with the other responders. Nursing school graduates people who have a basic understanding of nursing and exhibit at least a minimal competency. This, by no means, should lead you to believe that you will be ready to care for patients independently.

I do know some people who have been tossed into a leadership/independent role right out of nursing school. That doesn't mean it's a GOOD idea, or that it should be a regular practice.

Another downside, should a travel RN agency tell you that they WILL hire you, is that you would most likely be given minimal care assignments due to your level of skill. In other words, you would (should) be given patients that don't require much of anything. Those assignments are boring as all get out, you won't get many decent experiences from them, and it wouldn't offer you any opportunity to enhance what you learned in school. You get stuck being....mediocre.

As for your other questions - yes, no matter where you go for employment after you have your RN, you can finish your BSN online. Just check with the school about any on-campus requirements and residency issues. Pay will vary greatly, as will benefits and bonuses.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

I am just echoing what others have said. Travelers get hours of orientation and not months, so you have to know how to be a nurse already and the more experience the better. It is better to have a good working knowledge of monitors, IV pumps, glucose machines, medication systems and computerized charting. You can adapt better if you are already familiar with the basics.

No, you will not be able to travel as a new nurse. As easy as you seem to think all this may be....you are going to have a rude awakening, but I wish you luck.

RNperdiem, RN · Jul 29, 2008

The starting pay for new grads in hospitals are all about the same. Maybe you might get a tiny bit more if you bring in some special in-demand skills.

If paying off loans quickly is a concern, then I would advise you to get a job in an area that interests you. If the schedule is flexible and you do self scheduling, work some nights and weekends. Overtime is a great money generator too.

Don't be too quick to upscale your living standard after graduation even if it is tempting. Put away money towards your loans and BSN.

ilstu99 · Jul 29, 2008

The starting pay for new grads in hospitals are all about the same. Maybe you might get a tiny bit more if you bring in some special in-demand skills.
If paying off loans quickly is a concern, then I would advise you to get a job in an area that interests you. If the schedule is flexible and you do self scheduling, work some nights and weekends. Overtime is a great money generator too.
Don't be too quick to upscale your living standard after graduation even if it is tempting. Put away money towards your loans and BSN.

It might not be a large difference for some people, but I've seen as much as $8-10 per hour difference for new grads. A friend of mine started out at $6 per hour less than I did, at a hospital less than 30 minutes away.

PMHNP10 · Jul 29, 2008

and given all of the responses saying minimal qualifications to be a travel nurse and the reasons for those qualifications, if a travel agency has an assignment for you and the hospital is willing to bring you in, run for z hills; don't hesitate; don't look back, unless you just need a week or 2 of employment before you retire