No doubt travel nursing sounds glamorous! High pay, exploring new places, traveling and so much more. It is an exciting and rewarding career path, but as a new grad nurse, there are a few things you should know before you pack your bags and book a flight. If you are a new grad nurse who just passed the NCLEX RN exam, got a nursing license, and is excited to become a travel nurse, in this blog we will give you realistic travel nursing advice on what to expect as a new grad nurse entering the world of travel nursing.
What is travel nursing?
Travel nurses visit different cities to fill the gaps where there is shortage of staff. They work on contracts typically for 13 weeks, but it can vary from few days to several months depending on the situation. After COVID, when there was a shortage of staff, healthcare facilities needed travel nurses to fill those gaps and provide patient care. Even today, the demand for travel nursing is high due to an aging population, etc.
Things you should know about travel nursing as a new grad nurse
Travel nursing is rarely open to new grad nurse
Most important thing about travel nursing is experience. Most health care facilities need at least 1 to 2 years of experience before you become a travel nurse. This experience helps nurses to adjust quickly to the new environment. The reason is that travel nurses have minimal orientation and less time to adjust, so if you are a new grad nurse it is important to have solid clinical experience. But new options are available as there are some hospitals that are allowing RNs to apply for travel nursing jobs with less than one year of experience.
Licensure matter
As a new grad nurse, you know that you need license to work legally in that state. As a travel nurse, you have to go to different States to work there, and therefore you need a nursing license from that state. Most travel nurses apply for compact state nursing licenses which allow them to work in multiple states without applying for each state separately. This saves them both time and money. So, as a new grad nurse, if you are considering becoming a travel nurse, it is clever to apply for the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC), which is a multistate nursing license.
Expectations are high
When there is shortage of staff, healthcare facilities need travel nurses to fill the gaps quickly and therefore expectations are high. As a travel nurse you have very little time for orientation, and you are expected to adapt quickly. Therefore, it is important for you to be confident and adaptable to adjust to the new environment easily.
Travel nursing jobs will look good on your resume
Travel nursing is a great way to gain clinical experience as travel nurses work in different healthcare facilities. Every hospital and healthcare facility has its own equipment, protocols, and procedures. These travel nursing contracts expose new grad nurses to new equipment, technologies, and experienced staff nurses which later on is a highlight on their resume. This experience will increase the chances for new grad nurses to get a job in this competitive healthcare industry.
Understand the pay packages
In the world of travel nursing the pay packages are a bit confusing. You not only get pay on hourly basis, but you also get tax free stipends, bonuses etc. You have to understand your taxes and how to make more out of your assignments. It is important to get help from professionals who know how to handle taxes, etc. One more thing, make sure to have a tax home, which is your permanent residency.
Be flexible
Travel nursing means freedom, freedom to select your own assignments, schedule, location, pay, etc., but as a new grad nurse, you have to be flexible. To make your resume look good and gain experience you have accepted different assignments, and it is possible that sometimes these assignments are not your top choice. As a new grad nurse, you already have limited options, and therefore being flexible is the key to success. These assignments can be anywhere from rural areas to big cities and sometimes undesirable areas, but it will offer experience and great pay. So don’t miss the chance.
Advice for new grad travel nurses
If you have already decided to choose travel nursing as your career and are ready to step into the world of travel nursing, here is the list of essential travel nursing advice for new graduate nurses.
- Gaining experience is important
- Learn fast and adapt
- Know your pay package
- Take different assignments even if it not desirable
- Build strong recruiter relationship
- Stay organized and keep your document updated
- Establish a tax home
- Maintain work-life balance
What is travel nursing and how is it different from staff nursing?
Travel nurses work on short-term contracts and visit different cities or healthcare facilities to fill the gaps where there is a shortage of staff. Staff nurses work permanently at one location or facility. For new grad nurses, they can become staff nurses right away, but to become travel nurses, they need experience before taking their first assignment.
How much experience do you need to become a travel nurse?
You need at least 1 to 2 years of experience to become a travel nurse but now there are some hospitals and healthcare facilities that are giving an option for new grad nurses to work with minimum experience.
Which specialties are more in demand for travel nursing?
The demand for travel nursing is increasing due to an aging population, etc., but the demand for travel nursing is high in some specialties such as ICU, ER, Med-Surg, etc.
Conclusion
Travel nursing is an exciting and rewarding career path that offers freedom, high pay, and so much more. To become a travel nurse, most healthcare facilities and hospitals want you to have at least 1 to 2 years of experience, as this helps them to adjust to the new environment quickly. But today, some of the healthcare facilities are offering new grad nurses to become travel nurses with minimal experience. It is important that, as a new grad nurse, you know the important information related to travel nursing that nursing schools will not tell you. You have to understand tax, partner with the best recruiters, understand licensure, accept assignments at undesirable locations, etc. SkillGigs is an AI platform that allows nurses to choose the assignments that they want. Not only that, they have the freedom to choose their own pay, location, etc. Become a travel nurse with SkillGigs by signing up now. Your dream job is one click away!
