If you can picture yourself traveling to new cities, exploring cuisines, and enhancing your skills at different hospital facilities, travel nursing may be for you.
Whether you’re a recent nursing graduate eager to start planning or an experienced nurse seeking a change of pace and scenery, this article will serve as your guide to becoming a travel nurse.
What is a Travel Nurse?
A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who accepts short-term jobs to fill staffing gaps at healthcare facilities across the world.
Steps On How to Become a Travel Nurse
*Please note that becoming a Travel Nurse can vary by state, staffing agency, hospital, or healthcare facility.
Step 1: Education Needed To Be A Travel Nurse
Before you can travel across the country or world helping others, you’ll need the proper education to do so. To begin you will need an associate’s degree (ADN) or bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Once you’ve graduated you will need to become a registered nurse. To do so, you will need to successfully pass the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses). Currently, the NCLEX-RN is available to nursing program graduates in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Should I get an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing?
The choice is ultimately up to you and your preference on schooling length. Not every facility will require a BSN, but some may. If you want to have the most access to opportunities, we recommend going for your bachelor’s degree if you’re able to do so.
Step 2: Travel Nurse License Requirements
All RNs must be licensed in the state they practice in. Therefore, to become a travel nurse you’ll need the proper licensing for the state you want to work in.
If you are a resident of a state that participates in the Nursing Licensure Compact Agreement (NLC), you qualify for a multistate license, also known as a compact license. This license status allows you to work in any of the other NLC states without additional licensing. When submitting your initial license in your home state, if applicable, ensure you’re checking the box for “multistate.” If the status “single state” is listed on your license, you will not have NLC privileges.
Unfortunately, if you are not a resident of a compact state, you will not qualify for a compact license upon application. Additionally, not every state is a compact state. California, for example, is not, so if you wanted to work there and are not already licensed in California, you would need to obtain a new license. Thankfully, here at Mader MedX, we reimburse our travel nurses for any licensing fees, so your dream location is never out of reach!
Step 3: Travel Nurse Certifications
The types of certifications and how often you’ll be required to renew them will depend on the specialty you’re working in. At a minimum, every clinical traveler will need to maintain their CPR skills by taking an American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) course every two years.
Here at Mader MedX, as an additional benefit to our travelers, we reimburse the cost of certifications like an ACLS, BLS, PALS, and more.
If you’re unsure about which certifications are required for your new adventure, please see your recruiter or click the link below!
Step 4: Clinical nursing experience
The experience required to become a travel nurse will vary depending on the hospital. Most hospitals ask for around 1-2+ years of experience in your specialty. For Mader MedX, most hospitals we’ve encountered require nurses to have at least one year of recent experience in their specialty in an acute care setting.
Step 5: Choose a travel Nursing Agency and begin traveling and expanding your skills!
Finally, it’s time to choose your travel nursing agency. Your agency will be your advocate and a key partner in finding your dream assignments, so it’s best to select one that aligns with your goals, listens, and advocates for your needs.
Here at Mader MedX, we ensure we’re keeping your goals and well-being at the forefront of everything we do. We guarantee we’re with you every step of the way, thanks to our team of responsive recruiters, frequent check-ins, and 24/7 confidential counseling services.
We also ensure our nurses are regularly recognized and appreciated for their hard work by sending in meals on a tough day, enabling caffeine consumption with many, many coffee orders, sending out Years of Service gifts, and so much more!
You’re our main priority and if you’re interested in seeing how else we put our nurses first, click below to learn more!
How to Work in the USA As a Canadian Travel Nurse
If you’re currently a Canadian travel Nurse looking to work in the US, it’s simpler than you think! Contrary to the naming convention, travel nurse visas for Canadians are not visas. They are work authorizations that can be renewed easily and indefinitely!
Speak to the team at Mader MedX if you want to find out more. We offer extensive support for nurses wanting to make the transition to Canada. We work with some of the best-ranked hospitals in America and help guide you on the best destinations to live in or simply holiday to on your much-deserved breaks once in the country.
Check out our most recent article to learn more!
Travel Nurse Advice from Our Team
We asked our current travelers what their biggest piece of advice would be to their fellow clinicians interested in starting their travel nurse journey.
Sonya – Adult/pediatric cardiovascular OR
“You have to find the right agency with a great recruiter. Don’t underestimate that. It is one of the most important things on your list. You don’t want to get stuck in an assignment and feel like you are on your own, that’s the worst and most isolating feeling being in a new state alone in a new hospital with no support.”
Marie- Interventional Radiology RN
“If you are curious, nervous, or anxious about traveling, DON’T BE. It is a wonderful experience, one that can’t be matched. Find yourself a great company and go experience all being a traveler has to offer.”
Fred – Certified Surgical Technologist
“The thing I stress the most to new travelers is to be open to new things. Don’t get in the habit of making comparisons and always be yourself. Let your work speak for you.”
Robin – Certified Surgical Technologist
“I would tell anyone who is considering travel to just leap. I was never a person that liked change, but travel has changed that for me. I love meeting new people and learning different skills from everyone that I come in contact with.”
Heather– ICU Nurse
“Always be professional, trustworthy have a positive attitude even when things are tough because they will get tough. Be open-minded, flexible, and comfortable with constant change as well as have the ability to learn new skill sets fast. Most importantly, take care of yourself and take time off for me time”