Everything travel nurses need to know about travel nursing jobs, including how to find them and what to expect while working them.
I worked with many travel nurses and healthcare professionals over the years who had very specific hospital preferences for travel nursing jobs. I’ve worked with travel nurses who would only work with hospitals that had a designated children’s ER and others who would only work with hospitals that performed high risk deliveries. Travel nurses tend to have very good reasons for such preferences. Read more
Not all travel nursing contracts are the same. With a traditional contract, travel nurses are an integral part of the hospital’s regular schedule. They’ll be scheduled just like everyone else. They’re essentially part of the hospital’s staff for a temporary period. However, some contracts deviate from the norm. Read more
Shifts and travel nursing contract length are important travel nursing job variables. Different travel nurses will desire to work different shifts and contract lengths. Some travel nurses like night shifts, some like days. Some prefer the standard 13 week contract, some will only work shorter contracts. Understanding how shifts and contract length fit into the landscape will help travel nurses understand the ramifications of their preferences on these issues. Read more
Typically, the first week of a travel nursing job is spent in orientation. This typically consists of completing paperwork, learning hospital policies and procedures, getting acclimated to the hospital and unit, and taking tests. Everything is easy enough with the exception of the tests. The tests can sometimes get travel nurses in trouble. This is why it’s highly recommended that you ask about the hospital’s testing policies during the interview. You see, some hospitals administer tests and offer remediation which allows the tests to be retaken. Other hospitals cancel the assignment if you fail. Read more
The vast majority of travel nursing jobs are wonderful experiences. You’ll enjoy the hospital, they’ll enjoy you, and it will end amicably. I recommend treating every contract-end as an opportunity to advance your career for three primary reasons. First, you may wish to return to the hospital in the future either as a travel nurse or a permanent employee. Second, you’ll want to ensure that you have references for future assignments and permanent jobs. Third, travel nursing presents a unique opportunity to expand your professional network. Read more
Unfortunately, things aren’t always sunshine and daydreams while working a travel nursing job. Like any other time in life, there are a slew of potential pitfalls. In fact, there are too many issues for us to enumerate and address here. However, we can take a look at some of the overarching themes and offer some recommendations for handling them professionally and successfully.
Assuming that you’re still having fun as a travel nurse, you will need to continue to secure travel nursing jobs on an ongoing basis. The easiest job to secure is the extension assignment. Essentially, an extension assignment is when you extend your current contract for an additional number of weeks. Of course, if you don’t sign an extension, then you’ll need to look for a new job. In this blog post, we’ll provide 8 tips for travel nursing contract extensions. Read more
