All types of nurses travel—from new nurses who are interested in gaining experience and advancing their career, to experienced nurses who aren’t ready to retire but want a change. Travel nurses are single or married, with and without children and pets...travel nursing can be an exciting option for all nurses. Some nurses select short-term assignments all over the country, others choose to stay in an area for a longer period of time, while others decide to experience different hospitals in their local area. The great thing about travel nursing is the flexibility it offers.

In order to travel, you typically must be a graduate of an accredited professional program in the United States or Canada and have 18 months to two years experience working in an acute-care setting.

The travel nursing industry began in the 1980s, when a few agencies began to offer hospitals a short-term solution to perpetual staffing problems. The demand was especially high in places like California, Texas, Arizona and Florida where the population fluctuates seasonally. Over the years, facility managers recognized that traveling nurses could alleviate many of their staffing problems. Today, a well-qualified nurse with experience in a high-demand specialty can find an assignment year-round almost anywhere in the United States.

Travel assignments can range anywhere from eight to 52 weeks, but both shorter and longer assignment lengths are available. The majority of assignments are 13 weeks. At the end of your assignment, you can travel to a new assignment of your choice, take a permanent job or in many cases extend your current assignment.

The first step to starting a travel nursing career is to choose a travel nursing (staffing) company. Choosing the company you work with is the most important decision you'll make in your travel nursing career. Your recruiter will play an important part in helping you reach your career goals. Your travel recruiter will help you determine the type of position you’re seeking, where you want to travel, the type of facility you’re interested in, and your professional interests and goals. Depending on your specialty, hospitals typically prefer that travel nurses have at least 18 months and often two years of experience working in an acute-care setting. The recruiter’s job is to find available travel assignments that best meet your needs.

While deciding which company to work with, be sure to compare the types of services, support, benefits and variety of positions they offer before making your choice. Most companies provide you with health and retirement benefits, but make sure the benefits most important to you are offered. A good company will find and place you in the assignment of your choice, provide you with free housing (usually convenient to the facility), handle travel reimbursement expenses and support you during your assignment.

So, whether it’s the excitement of exploring the country, meeting new people or gaining valuable skills and experience, a travel nursing career can offer it all. You decide where you want to go and what’s important to you—the travel nursing company takes care of the rest. Qualified nurses are in high demand, so chances are that your perfect assignment is waiting for you! For more information on travel nursing and choosing the right travel nursing company, visit our staffing Partners on our Contacts page.