What would I need to do to become a travel nurse?

[ykcebmeg]

I graduated with my BSN in 2005. Since then I have worked in many areas: 1 year in the NICU (it was a level 3 but as a new grad I was mostly in level 1 and 2), 4 years as a float nurse where I worked everywhere but the OR, just over 3 years in the ER, and 5 months in a pediatric clinic. Unfortunately, I have not worked as a nurse in the past 25 months; my husband is in the Air Force and we are stationed in Europe. I have been working on a MSN/MA degree and have worked as a substitute teacher and a substitute school nurse as work is available. I am now at a point where I am having difficulty finishing my degree. (My school has been unable to approve a facility over here for clinical hours so I will have to do them in the states next spring and will then graduate in May.) I would like to work 8-12 weeks every year on a travel assignment because I am concerned that I am losing all of my skills. Would I need to have held a regular nursing position in the recent past for this to be possible? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[NedRN]

Most travel assignments are going to require current experience. No harm to call a few agencies to see what is possible, but most likely you will need a staff job for a year.

[Argo]

I would call an agency and talk to them. You have good experience in er and that has a lot of needs. If your comfortable doing it I'd give it a shot. I know I could take a 2 year break from OR and it would be like riding a bike.

[ykcebmeg]

Thanks for the advice/thoughts. I have been thinking about it a lot and although I would feel comfortable working in an ER today with little to no training, I have decided that I am going to get in contact with one of the hospitals I used to work at. I am hoping that I can come to a mutually beneficial contract position where I would work 4 weeks and then have 8 weeks off (or something similar). Luckily for me, the hospital was chronically short staffed and still appears to have this issue.