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What
are the requirements to be a Travel Nurse?
Typically, to work as a travel nurse, you
need at least one year of work experience as a nurse in an
acute care hospital setting. However, the more experience
you have in a variety of areas, the more options you have
in choosing the hospital and the city you may want to live
in.
For example, if you like pediatrics, and
you would like to do an assignment in Jacksonville, FL, it
is possible that there may not be a position open in Jacksonville
for pediatrics. However, if you have some experience in pediatrics
intensive care unit or neo-natal intensive care unit or even
nursery, there is a higher chance that you will be able to
find a job in those areas. If you have worked in only one
area, you can still surely find a job, but it may not be the
location you prefer. However, the more experience you have
and the more familiar you are with other units, the easier
is it to get the job most suitable for you because you will
have more job opportunities to choose from.
Often times, hospitals require travel nurses
to float to other units when in need. Although they will provide
the orientation to those units, it makes it easier for you
to adjust when you have experience in more than one area.
The more accommodating you are and the more comfortable you
are in various areas, the more in demand you are by the hospital
as well. Often times, after the first assignment, the hospital
may even offer you another 13 week assignment, if you choose
to stay.
Apart from the basic requirements to be
a travel nurse, it is also important that you have the ability
to adjust in a different environment and enjoy change. It's
important that you are flexible, friendly and enjoy making
new friends and trying new things. If you don't like constant
change from city to city, you can also do local traveling
where you stay in the same city but go to different hospitals
for assignments.
In addition to having a positive attitude
and the openness to change, there are few other things you
will need to make sure your travel experience is all you want
it to be.
1. Apply for the state license as
soon you know where you want to go. That should be your first
priority.
2. Pack lightly- take only what you
need.
3. Be organized with all your documents:
license, certifications, health records, and vaccinations,
contracts with agencies, travel expenses and receipts you
may need for travel reimbursements.
4. Have all the driving directions:
to the apartment, to the hospital, etc. Or better yet, get
a GPS navigation system.
5. Knowing what you want, where you
want to go and how to negotiate with your recruiter and your
hospital.
6. You will need a way for someone
to take care of your stuff back home.
7. If you are planning on doing a
few assignments, it might be a good idea to have a mail forwarding
service. This way you can have a permanent address and they
will forward your mail wherever you go and you won't have
to change your address every time you move.
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