Do you dream of traveling the world without worrying about quitting your day job? As a travel nurse, you can travel the world or the country and work in most healthcare settings at the same time. This includes hospitals, residential care settings, clinics, private practices and more — and you can work as a nursing specialist or as a general nurse practitioner, too. The best part of it all is that you can easily find short-term work, which is perfect if you don’t want to stay in one place for too long.
Below we’ll highlight the steps you need to take to become a travel nurse. It’s easier than you might think!
How to Become a Traveling Nurse
At the very least, the requirement for becoming a travel nurse is to become a registered nurse (RN). This requires that you earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN), but many staffing agencies and private clients prefer that you have more credentials and certifications under your belt. So, be prepared to take your education further — otherwise, you might only be eligible for entry-level positions.
Here are some of the basic steps in becoming a traveling nurse:
Earn Your BSN Degree
The first thing to do is hit the books and earn your bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. It takes around four years to earn a BSN, and many schools offer RN-to-BSN programs for individuals who have already earned their ADNs.
Keep in mind that you’ll also need a high school diploma or GED certificate to move forward with an ADN and BSN. However, if your overall GPA was on the lower side, you may be primarily eligible to enter an ADN program.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in another field, you may also be able to apply some credits towards an accelerated BSN to shorten the time you’ll spend in school.
Take and Pass the NCLEX Exam
You can take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) after you’ve earned either your ADN or BSN. Once you pass the NCLEX exam, you’ll be able to obtain your RN license.
This is the universal RN exam for the United States, Canada, and Australia. It’s a computer adaptive test that takes several hours to complete, and it covers everything from basic nursing practices to legal and ethical issues.
Apply for Your RN Licensure
There are several states that participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, including California, Florida, and Texas, among many others. This licensure essentially means the nursing license you’ve earned in one state will be valid in others. However, there are a few states that have their own specific requirements for nursing licensing, which means you’ll have to apply for licensing in those specific states if you wish to work there.
You can get assistance from a travel nursing agency with the multi-state RN licensure process. The agency will walk you through all the credentials and certifications you’ll need as well.
Gain Nursing Experience
Generally speaking, the next step in becoming a nurse is to get your clinical hours in. Nursing students are usually put into rotations in clinical settings for up to 600 hours upon completing their BSN degree.
However, the hours of experience you’ll need after obtaining your RN license will depend on the state you live in. Most travel nurses need at least one year of RN experience, but the more experience you can get, the better.
Get in Touch With a Travel Nurse Staffing Agency
Lastly, seek out a travel nurse staffing agency that can place you in positions throughout the country or in other countries. Many universities also help to connect their graduates with these agencies, and they may place you wherever there’s an imminent need for healthcare or a significant nursing shortage. This means you could get to work in various clinics, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, residential healthcare settings, private practices, and more.
Of course, you’ll want to keep in mind that these placements are temporary. If you’re looking to relocate for an extended period of time, you’ll need to properly apply for the position and make the arrangements to relocate. If you wish to work as an RN internationally, specify this to the staffing agency and be prepared to learn about foreign nursing regulations, customs, and practices.