Travel Nurse Career Overview
What is a Travel Nurse?
A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who takes temporary assignments within hospitals or other healthcare institutions to fill staffing needs. Travel nurses are paid at a higher hourly rate than the nurse employees but do not receive the same benefits. These RNs are also known as “travelers” and often work at a hospital for three to twelve weeks. Some contracts are as long as one year. Available contracts may be advertised as locum tenens positions for RNs; this Latin phrase means “temporarily taking the place of another.” Employment opportunities for travel nurses are available throughout the U.S. and internationally. On the other hand, travelers in heavily populated areas can work for several different hospitals without leaving their home state.
Travel nurses usually work with travel nursing agencies, as these businesses have access to more job listings and can negotiate contracts with hospitals. Agencies can also offer benefits such as free continuing education and credentials, health insurance, paid sick leave, and 401K plans. Staffing agencies do take a percentage of the nurse’s income, which is an important factor to consider when comparing agencies. Travel nurses work directly with a recruiter that represents the agency. Recruiters can be excellent allies for travel nurses, as they can match the RN to desired openings and advocate for the best pay. Recruiters can bring years of negotiation experience and market familiarity to assist travel nurses in finding the best contracts.
Alternatively, travel nurses may choose to work as independent contractors, meaning they do not utilize a staffing agency. While these nurses do not pay agency fees, they are responsible for covering the costs of their own credentials and continuing education, creating their own contracts (hospitals do not provide contracts to travel nurses), obtaining their own health insurance, and negotiating pay. Additionally, nurses traveling to new areas may lack familiarity with local pay rates and hospitals, resulting in reduced negotiating power. Independent contracting is often only successful for nurses who have already developed a relationship with a healthcare institution and their managers.
What Does a Travel Nurse Do?
A travel nurse is responsible for a variety of tasks depending on which department they work in. Like other RNs working in hospitals, their daily tasks may include:
- Completing head-to-toe patient assessments
- Taking vital signs, such as blood pressure
- Administering medications
- Educating patients and families
- Creating plans of care with the care team
- Recording actions and communications in patients’ charts
- Collecting blood or urine samples
- Assisting physicians with procedures or wound care
- Collaborating with other members of the healthcare team
- Preparing patients and caregivers for discharge from the hospital
Travel nurses are also responsible for responding to changes in patient status and communicating efficiently with other providers. Travel nursing requires RNs to learn quickly, be adaptable, solve problems efficiently, and know when to ask questions. When beginning a new contract, travel nurses attend abbreviated training sessions and shadow a full-time nurse for one or two shifts. Then they begin fulfilling their duties independently as stated in their contract.
How Much Does a Travel Nurse Make Per Year?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an annual median salary of $75,300 for RNs in 2020, but does not provide data specifically on travel nurses’ incomes. This salary comes out to just over $36 an hour. Ziprecruiter.com, which pulls data from job postings online, lists the average annual income of a travel nurse as $99,202, which is about $47 an hour if working full-time. Current job postings available online include positions with pay of over $100/hour. Crisis pay, or wages much higher than average, are offered for assignments in hazardous conditions, such as after natural disasters or extreme staffing shortages due to a pandemic (e.g., nurse shortages related to COVID-19).
Many nurses become travelers because the pay is higher than it is for staff nurses. The average travel nurse income will vary greatly depending on how many contracts a nurse works per year, where the contracts are located, and if a housing or relocation stipend is included. Other factors that influence pay include nursing specialty, years of experience, and shift differentials. For example, RN night shift hourly wages are higher than day shift wages and are increased by a percentage or dollar amount referred to as a differential. Travel nursing contracts should include clear language on the amount of overtime allowed (if any), on-call requirements, holiday requirements, and holiday pay. Bonuses are sometimes offered for contract completion, retention, and referrals.
Travel nurses may work full-time for several weeks and then take unpaid time off between assignments. During this time, travel nurses can explore the cities and towns in which they temporarily live. Indeed, many travel nurses choose this type of nursing to see and live in different parts of the country. This time also provides an opportunity for travel nurses to visit their primary residence: a permanent address that they maintain and pay taxes on. If a travel nurse has a primary residence, they may not be required to pay taxes on housing stipends. Laws may vary by state, and each individual should learn about state and federal requirements before starting a travel nursing assignment.
Where and When Do Travel Nurses Work?
Some of the most in-demand travel nursing positions are in critical care units, emergency departments, and labor and delivery. Nurses in critical care or intensive care units are responsible for patients requiring continuous monitoring or invasive interventions, such as relying on a ventilator for breathing assistance. Travel nurses in ICUs generally care for only one or two patients at a time. Emergency department nurses have some of the same responsibilities as intensive care nurses, but are also skilled in triage. ER nurses must constantly decide which of their patients needs come first, and their assignment size is generally four or five patients at a time. Labor and delivery nurses are responsible for monitoring patients in labor, or inducing labor with medications, assisting with birth, monitoring the newborn, and responding to critical changes that may require surgery.
Travel nurses can shop for contracts that fit their schedule preferences, including time of day. Shift options typically include days (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) or nights (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.). However, some departments have shifts that are eight or ten hours in length. In the emergency department, for example, most shifts are during the busiest times, which could be after lunch and into the evening. Travel nurses usually have the up-front benefit of choosing their shift, but are then generally locked into that shift for the duration of their contract.
How Do I Become A Travel Nurse?
After graduating from high school, nurses attend an accredited associate’s or bachelor’s program for nursing. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is preferred by most employers. After graduating, the next step is to pass the computerized NCLEX-RN exam. Now, as an RN, an individual applies for a nursing license in the state where they wish to practice. This often includes a fee and background check. After becoming licensed, an RN can begin working with patients.
Then, after at least two years of experience in a nursing specialty, an RN can explore travel nursing contracts and travel nursing agencies. Some travel nurses work with multiple recruiters to ensure awareness of all jobs available at any time. License requirements vary by state, and states have varying fees and processing times. During times of crisis, nurse licenses may be expedited in as little as one day. Being organized and working with an agency can expedite these processes.
Additional certifications can make for a more competitive travel nurse application and potentially result in higher pay. Examples of certifications for RNs with at least two years of experience include critical care registered rurse (CCRN), certified emergency nurse (CEN), certified pediatric nurse (CPN), and certified medical-surgical registered rurse (CMSRN). Testing for these credentials is computerized and offered by various organizations for a fee.
Travel nurses are also responsible for completing all required continuing education for each state they practice in. States have different requirements, and some require specific training, such as HIV/AIDS education, before a nurse may practice there. This is another area in which an agency can assist the travel nurse in staying organized and eligible.
What Are the Benefits of Being A Travel Nurse?
Travel RNs are able to explore new locations and new nursing perspectives while earning very competitive pay. They generally do not qualify for paid vacation or sick leave, although they are able to create their own schedules. The idea of repeatedly moving from one location to another may not appeal to everyone, but travelers seem to be drawn to this nomadic lifestyle. Travel nurses can gain experience and confidence in their nursing practice while enjoying different regions and earning excellent wages.
