If you are a travel nurse! 2026 is your year. The demand for travel nurses is increasing, and for some specialties, it is off the charts. Travel nursing is not just a career but a lifestyle of adventure, flexibility, and high pay. If you are curious about what Types of Travel Nurses are in top demand in 2026, then you are at the right place.
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Types of travel nurses specialties that are in high demand in 2026
Based on current data (2023-2025) and the ongoing trends in US healthcare staffing, these specialties are in high demand. If you want to take your career to the next level, then these are the nursing specialties that are best to consider. Before starting, discover high-paying travel nurse jobs on SkillGigs.
Travel Critical Care / ICU / Specialty ICUs (e.g. CVICU, MICU, Neuro‑ICU, SICU)
The demand for critical care nurses/ICU nurses remains the top demand, especially the sub-specialties of ICU nurses, such as cardiac ICU (CVICU), surgical ICU (SICU), neuro ICU, and medical ICU (MICU), etc. Their specialized skills make them the most demanding nursing career.
Travel ICU nurses work on short-term assignments where there is a shortage of staff. These registered nurses take care of critically ill patients who need continuous monitoring, and their specialized skills increase their demand in the healthcare industry.
What do they do?
- Take care of patients with life-threatening conditions.
- Provide continuous care to the patients, such as monitoring their vital signs, administering medications, etc.
- Respond to emergencies and work closely with doctors and other healthcare providers to provide effective patient care.
Travel Medical Surgical (MedSurg) & MedSurg / Telemetry / StepDown
Another specialty that is more in demand is Medical Surgical (Med Surg) & Med Surg / Telemetry / Step Down nurses. Their ability to take care of patients with multiple health conditions makes them most in demand in 2026.
Travel med-surg nurses work on travel nursing contracts (typically 8 to 13 weeks) to fill the gaps where there is a shortage of staff and provide care to the patients recovering from surgery or managing acute and chronic illness.
What do they do?
They provide care for patients with a wide range of medical conditions, such as those recovering from surgery, COPD, asthma, etc.
They monitor patient vital signs, provide wound care, administer medications, etc.
Med-surg nurses also respond to health emergencies and provide effective care to the patients.
Travel Emergency Room (ER) / Trauma / Acute Care
Emergency departments are always short of ER room nurses because of various reasons, such as seasonal spikes, natural disasters, injuries, etc. Due to these factors, travel ER nurses are always in high demand, especially in trauma centers and acute care units.
Travel ER nurses travel from one city to another and work on short-term assignments to provide effective care for the patients where needed.
What do they do?
- Emergency Room Nurses provide care to patients with minor injuries to life-threatening conditions.
- They perform rapid assessment, initiate urgent interventions in emergencies.
- ER nurses are trained to provide quick response to trauma care, strokes, accidents, etc.
Labor & Delivery (L&D) & Neonatal / Pediatric (NICU / PICU)
Labor and delivery nurses support mothers during childbirth, while NICU and PICU nurses provide care to the critically ill babies or infants. The demand for L&D, NICU, and PICU nurses increases during birth surges, seasonal pediatric illnesses, etc.
Travel L&D nurses work on short-term assignments to take care of mothers and their babies where there is a shortage of staff.
What do they do?
- Provide care to the mother during, after delivery and support newborn care.
- NICU and PICU nurses take care of critically ill babies and infants.
- They administer medications, monitor vital signs, assist with procedures, etc.
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Operating Room (OR) / Perioperative / Surgical Nurses
The surgical volumes continue to rise across hospitals, trauma facilities, and outpatient care, and due to this, the demand for operating room nurses is very high. The travel OR nurses are in constant need to fill the gaps where there is a shortage of staff.
Travel OR nurses/perioperative nurses work on short-term contracts and provide care to the patients during and after surgical procedures.
What do they do?
- They provide care for the patients throughout their surgical process, i.e. is before, during, and after.
- Assist the surgeons during surgical procedures.
- Prepare the patient for the surgery and keep the surgical environment sterile.
What Types of Travel Nurses specialties are in high demand in 2026?
- Hospitals and other healthcare facilities struggle to find full-time registered nurses, and there is a constant demand for nurses, especially in these nursing specialties such as ICU, ER, OR, med-surg, L&D, etc.
- During the pandemic, there was a lockdown down which means there was a blockage of procedures and surgeries. Now these procedures and surgeries are being scheduled again, resulting in the demand for travel nurses.
- An aging population is another reason that has resulted in the increased demand for travel nurses. Older adults mean more chronic illnesses that require more nurses.
- Hospitals also choose travel nurses when volume spikes, such as during emergencies, flu, disasters, etc.
How to start travel nursing?
Time to level up your career and become a travel nurse in 2026:
- Get your nursing license and at least 1 to 2 years of experience.
- Pick your specialty based on experience and interest. It is better to choose the ones that are in high demand, such as OR, ER, med-surg, etc.
- Choose SkillGigs for your travel assignments, where you can bid on jobs, set your own pay rate, and work on your own terms.
- Once you find your dream job, review your contract for base pay, benefits, bonus, etc, before signing.
- Time to travel across the US doing what you love the most on your own terms with SkillGigs.
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Conclusion
As we are heading to 2026, one thing is for sure, and that is the demand for travel nursing. Hospitals across the US are looking for different Types of Travel Nurses to fill the gaps where there is a shortage of staff. The demand is high because of an aging population, an increased number of surgeries, seasonal spikes, natural disasters, etc. Travel nurses with the right skills are cashing in on this demand, and some specialties, such as OR, ER, ICU, med-surg, and L&D, are flying off the charts.
Time to level up your career with SkillGigs that offer high pay, flexible contracts, and adventure. Sign up now and become part of our travel nursing world.
