Welcome to the world of travel nursing! If you are looking for adventure and excitement in your job and want to make money, then travel nursing is the best career choice for you. Travel nursing will not only give you all the perks of travelling but will help you grow personally and professionally. But how much experience is required to be a travel nurse? Let’s explore how to start a journey of travel nursing with SkillGigs.
What is travel nursing?
Travel nursing is a type of nursing job where specialized RN travel to different cities on short assignments typically 13 weeks to provide patient care where there is shortage of staff. This shortage of staff can occur due to many factors such as natural disasters etc. To fill the gaps, healthcare facilities need travel nurses to provide effective patient care. These contracts vary from a few weeks to several months depending on the situation. But to become a travel nurse you need to meet some requirements to be successful in your career.
How much experience is required to be a travel nurse?
To become a travel nurse, you need at least 1 to 2 years of experience, in the nursing specialty you are perusing. The demand of travel nurses is more in specialties like ICU, ER and Med surg. Tis experience will help travel nurses to handle challenging situations that they might face during their assignment.
Why is this experience needed for travel nurses?
Travel nurses face unpredictable situations in unpredictable environments and to make sure that they know how to handle these situations they need to have at least 1 –2 years of experience. Why do travel nurses need this experience before they step into travel nursing? It is because when travel nurses reach their destination they need to jump right in, and they have not much time to adjust to the new environment as compared to the permanent nurses. Some of the factors are
- Travel nurses must adapt to the environment quickly and work independently.
- They need experience and strong clinical skills to handle patients suffering from different medical conditions.
- Travel nurses work on short contracts therefore they have limited time to adjust to the facility. If they have experience it will be easy for them to understand facility needs and requirements.
- They should have a knowledge of different medical equipment so they do not waste time and should take care of patients right away.
- Experienced nurses are required to handle the patients as the patient’s safety is top priority.
- The experience they learn in hospitals is much more effective than what they learn in schools. Therefore, it is important for travel nurses to have hands on experience before they become travel nurses.
What are the requirements to become a travel nurse?
Few essential requirements are needed to become a travel nurse and ensure successful career:
- Nursing degree such as BSN (Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing) and ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing). BSN is 4 years while ADN is 2 years.
- Passing NCLEX-RN exam and getting your nursing license.
- Working in clinical environments for at least 1-2 years so you can get hands on experience. Many travel nursing agencies will require you to have this experience before you start your nursing career.
- Getting NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact). This is a compact state nursing license that will help you work in multiple states without applying for different licenses, saving you both money and time.
- Some certifications may also be required such as BLS (Basic Life Support) or ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support).
- Travel documentations, background checks and screenings.
Skill requirements to be a travel nurse
Some skills required for travel nurses are:
- Physical and mental stamina.
- Effective and strong communication skills.
- Flexibility and adaptability to adjust to new environments quickly.
- Critical thinking and decision-making power.
- Cultural competency as you will be visiting new places with patients with different cultural backgrounds.
- Organization and time management skills to handle multiple patients effectively.
- Travel nurses must have technology proficiency and know how to work with different medical equipment.
How much experience is required for travel nurses to work in NICU?
At least 2 years of experience is required for travel nurses to work in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). These NICU nurses take care of babies with health issues therefore they need experience to work with such fragile patients.
Do I need certification in my specialty to become a travel nurse?
Well, getting certification is optional and it is not a requirement but if you want to stand out in your career and want travel nursing jobs quickly then getting certification is the best option. It shows you dedication to the work and proves that you have strong skills in your specialty.
Where would you gain experience as a travel nurse?
Taking part in training programs offered by many healthcare agencies is one of the ways to get experience. This will boost your skills and experience which are very much needed for a travel nurse.
Conclusion
Travel nursing is an exciting career job with the blend of adventure and professional growth and making meaningful impact in healthcare industry. Travel nurses move from one place to another on short term contracts to provide patient care where there is shortage of nursing staff. But to become a travel nurse you need at least 1 to 2 years of experience. This experience will boost your clinical skills and will help you adjust to the new clinical environments without any difficulty.to become a travel nurse you need a nursing degree, nursing license and 1-2 years of experience. Other skills required for travel nurses include flexibility, communication skills and knowledge of different medical equipment’s. If you are ready to take your nursing career to the next level, then download SkillGigs app now and become part of SkillGigs travel nursing world.
