What is Travel Nursing like?

suzanne4, RN · Feb 13, 2008

There is already much written on what travel nursing is and what the requirements are, that is why most have not responded to you. It is not any different than being a staff nurse in a facility, the work is just the same.

Salaries can vary by location and specialty. Each area of nursing has travel positions normally available, some have more than others.

Suggest that you just take the time to do some reading here and you will get all of the information that you need. Working as a travel nurse is not a specialty, and any of the jobs require experience as a nurse first. You always want to pick something that you are interested in, not where you think that it will be easier for you to get placement or you will end up hating what you do.

angel4gramma · Feb 13, 2008

I will try ....You start out by contacting one or more agencys. Tell them if you have an area in mind or are open to anywhere. They tell you city, state, hours and basic pay and possible start date. You fill out resume. They submit you to the hospital. If they are interested in you the manager calls to interview you over the phone. They might offer the job then or later. you call company and tell them if you want the job. They email you the contract. if you are happy with the terms you sign it and send it back. They then finalize with the hospital and tell you where and when you are to be there. Different places have different orientations. you might get one day or 2 weeks. the agency and hospital will have tests for you to complete. If you travel you take tests all the time. medication tests, drug test and physical and lots of paperwork. once you have completed everything no matter how much experience you have, the hospital and nurses expect you to be able to fit in and know everything once orientation is completed. Sometimes they are friendly and helpful and sometimes they rude and dump on you. I have had more places be nice and helpful but I have been to a few places I was happy I would be gone in 13 weeks.

khuship · Feb 13, 2008

I will try ....You start out by contacting one or more agencys. Tell them if you have an area in mind or are open to anywhere. They tell you city, state, hours and basic pay and possible start date. You fill out resume. They submit you to the hospital. If they are interested in you the manager calls to interview you over the phone. They might offer the job then or later. you call company and tell them if you want the job. They email you the contract. if you are happy with the terms you sign it and send it back. They then finalize with the hospital and tell you where and when you are to be there. Different places have different orientations. you might get one day or 2 weeks. the agency and hospital will have tests for you to complete. If you travel you take tests all the time. medication tests, drug test and physical and lots of paperwork. once you have completed everything no matter how much experience you have, the hospital and nurses expect you to be able to fit in and know everything once orientation is completed. Sometimes they are friendly and helpful and sometimes they rude and dump on you. I have had more places be nice and helpful but I have been to a few places I was happy I would be gone in 13 weeks.

Thanks for both of ur time and efforts...I now understand what pathways would I go through after getting into travel nursing!

All I was asking about is that I just wanted to know what type of experiences would your recommend as a RN before actually getting into travel nursing! I could not seem to understand this reading all the threads in Travel Nursing forum...Well I can figure out now that whatever type of work/specialty I m interested or have worked in would be helpful to me if I want to start Travel Nursing.

thanks a lot really!

Jalpa!

CardiacNP01 · Feb 16, 2008

Just remember...whatever they promise or whatever you agree upon, get it in writing...EVERYTIME.