What do travel nurses do? Do they get to choose where they work? Do they work outside the US? Do travel nurses work for a company that places them?
If you think the answer is yes to any of those questions, you better keep reading.
I’ve been a travel nurse for three years, living all over the country and lending a hand to understaffed emergency departments. The job of a travel nurse isn’t just about the money — it’s about meeting new people, learning new ways of doing the same thing…and a whole lot of driving.
In this post, we’ll talk about what a travel nurse does, where we go, the fun parts, and the challenges we face.
Whether you’re thinking about becoming a travel nurse or just curious, keep reading to see just how insane this career choice is.
TL;DR
- Travel nursing offers adventure and continuous learning.
- High pay and flexibility are significant benefits.
- The challenges are not for the faint of heart.
- The cons include loneliness and constant moving.
- Ideal for those who thrive on change and freedom.
- Allows for career customization to fit your lifestyle.
What Do Travel Nurses Do?
In a nutshell, travel nurses fill in the gaps at hospitals where there aren’t enough staff RNs to fill the schedule.
We come in with one day of training and act as staff nurses, doing regular nurse things, for a set amount of time — usually 13 weeks. After our contract is finished, we look for a new assignment, pack our bags, and hit the road for the next assignment.
On the outside, this life appears to be very glamorous. We get to work in the specialty of our choosing, making much more than a staff RN, and get to travel for a living.
The reality? Well, that’s a different story — one that we’ll get into in a little bit.
I was talking with my father last night and he said, “You are lucky to be able to have this career”. I quickly corrected him and said that this has nothing to do with luck — I worked my ass off to get to where I am today.
The path to becoming a travel nurse and the general requirements are the same as for a staff nurse, but there are some key differences:
| Requirement | Travel Nurse | Staff Nurse |
|---|---|---|
| Education | BSN | ADN or BSN |
| Licenses | Multiple States | Single State |
| Pay | Much Higher | Base Salary |
| Flexibility | High (Time, Financial, Location) | Fixed |
The question now stands: with the freedom to travel, the potential for higher earnings, and the chance to gain incredible experience – is the allure of travel nursing still worth it in 2024?
Inside A travel Nurse’s Job
A travel nursing job isn’t just about moving from one place to another; it’s about diving into all different kinds of work environments and quickly picking up the ropes.
The core responsibilities of travel nurses include everything a full-time nurse would do, but with an added layer of complexity due to the necessity to quickly adapt to new policies and procedures.
During my assignments, I’ve learned that as a travel nurse, I may be expected to act as an ICU nurse, float to other units or facilities, and collaborate with other hospitals and healthcare members in the area when I do not know who or what they do.
What it all comes down to is patient care and safety — when there’s a nursing shortage, my presence ensures that patient care remains uninterrupted and of high quality.
Your ability to be adaptable and “go with the flow” is stretched much further than you ever thought it ever could. Understanding and complying with different hospital policies and fitting in on a new unit can be challenging, but it is one of the most important parts of the job.
Throw all of that in along with the fact that you are always the new guy and remembering that you don’t have that one work friend to help you out or save your ass when shit starts to hit the fan — this can be a pretty tough gig.
Nevertheless, and whether you like it or not, this is a multi-faceted role that is as challenging as it is rewarding and you grow and do things you never thought you would in your career. And that is a good feeling.
Where Do Travel Nurses Go?
If you’re wondering where travel nurses work, the answer is WHEREVER THE HELL WE WANT.
Zippia.com states there are currently over 585,000 travel nursing jobs at the time of writing this.
Assignments are not chosen for us, no no. Whatever jobs we get submitted to are 100% in our control.
This isn’t to say that I can pick any city and it’s guaranteed that I’ll get an assignment there. I tend to pick a state, or a region (depending on what season it is), decide on what my minimum weekly pay is, and then go from there.
Here is a list of some of the places that I have worked so far:
- Milwaukee, WI
- Aberdeen, WA
- Bend, OR
- Seattle, WA
- Sacramento, CA
- Palm Springs, CA
- San Francisco, CA
I typically work on assignments that are spread across very different facility types, including busy city hospitals and rural critical access facilities.
Have I gone to places that weren’t my top choice but I very much ended up enjoying? You bet.
The secret is to keep an open mind — flexibility is the name of the game if you want to survive in the world of travel nursing.
This also doesn’t mean that you must be hundreds or thousands of miles away from home. If you want to stay close, you have that choice. Just be aware though that you are limiting yourself in terms of options and you may have to settle for a lower pay rate.
How To Become A Travel Nurse
As I mentioned above, I didn’t get to where I am today by luck.
Becoming a travel nurse means first getting a degree in nursing, then getting experience, and then only can you start thinking about looking for jobs.
There are also all of the certifications involved and then any out-of-state RN licenses you want (which are not always easy to get).
Here is the quick and dirty on how to become a travel nurse: (for a more thorough explanation, see my post, “How To Become A Travel Nurse” for more.
- Apply and get accepted into an accredited nursing school
- Survive the hell that is nursing school and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), which is preferred over an associate degree in Nursing
- Pass the NCLEX (to become a board-certified nurse)
- Decide on a specialty and get two years of experience as a staff RN
- Obtain all necessary certifications (BLS, PALS, ACLS, NIHSS, TNCC, etc)
- Apply early for any out-of-state RN licenses you want
- Start looking for contracts and choose and travel nursing agency and recruiter
It is also very important to remember to be flexible and open to new places and experiences.
It can also take some time to get that first contract, so be patient and stick with it. If travel nursing is truly what you want to do, be prepared to hustle and move quickly. Once you accept that job, things go from 0-100 real fast.
Pros and Cons of Travel Nursing
Every career isn’t without its pros and cons.
But in the world of travel nursing, the cons aren’t so much about parking spaces and deadlines, but more of the “holy shit, I have to find a place to live” type.
I will say this though, the highs are high, and the lows can be pretty low.
Travel Nursing Pros
Here is a comprehensive list that I have created from my own experiences as a career travel nurse.
For more info, see my post “Is Travel Nursing Worth It?” so you can decide if this career is right for you.
- The money
- The job market
- The nomad life
- No drama
- Stepping outside your comfort zone
- Make new friends
- Travel
- Up your skills
- Time freedom
- Financial freedom
- Escape burnout
Travel Nursing Cons
The cons of travel nursing can be pretty steep, but what else do you expect from such a coveted job?
They are, in my experience, as follows:
- Being away from friends and family
- Constantly moving
- Always being the new person
- Not knowing where places like the grocery store and bank are
- Sleeping in someone else’s bed
- Not being able to buy home items such as plants and decor
- Leaving a job you like
- Having to look for a new job every 4 months
- Not knowing anyone in your new town
Is Travel Nursing Right For You?
Answering the question if travel nursing is right for you is a very personal one. It also depends on where you’re at in life. Do you have children? Do you own a house? Are you married? Taking on a career that involves moving every 4 months usually means that the timing in their life is just right.
For example, I am single, have no kids (besides my two cats), and own no property making me an ideal candidate with the right life circumstances to take on travel nursing right now.
It also very much depends on your adaptability and your ability to deal with change.
Right when you are starting to get used to a place, a routine, and your coworkers, it’s time to move again. The key is to find the excitement in the lifestyle. I get a kick out of packing up and moving to the next place, starting again somewhere new.
It’s all very much a mental game — you can choose to be unhappy and dread it all, or you can psych yourself up and be excited. Then again, I could say that this is true for most things in life.
| Perks of Travel Nursing | Challenges to Consider |
|---|---|
| Life-changing money | Periods of instability between contracts |
| Travel opportunities | Regular relocation (moving) |
| Meet new people | Having to adapt to new coworkers regularly |
| Choice of when and where you work | Constantly having new compliance items to complete |
| Escape politics and drama | Not having a work-bestie |
Just remember that all things in life have pros and cons — it’s just a matter of which carries more weight and how much risk you are willing to take.
If the thrill of newness quickens your pulse and the thought of stagnant waters repulses you, this could very well be the calling for you.
Conclusion
I have either accomplished one of two things with this article: 1) I have convinced you to go for it and start traveling, or 2) I have scared you off.
My goal here was to be completely honest and 100% transparent with you — as I try to do in everything that I write.
I want you to see an unbiased, real look at what working as a travel nurse means and entails.
The answer to “What do travel nurses do?” is not a clean one. In fact, it can be pretty messy.
But that’s the thrill of it all.
That’s why I love what I do and I wouldn’t do anything else (that is until this blog takes off).
Yes, travel nursing comes with its set of challenges, like being the perpetual new kid on the block and finding your next place to call home. But the rewards? They’re immeasurable. The freedom to choose your path, the chance to upskill in ways you never imagined, and the financial perks make it an undeniable choice.
For those with a love for adventure and a passion for nursing, travel nursing in 2024 remains an unparalleled opportunity.
If you’re at a crossroads, wondering if this is the path for you, remember that the beauty of travel nursing lies in its flexibility—tailoring your career to fit your life’s current chapter.
I hope this has answered whatever you were looking for and if not, please leave a comment or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!
FAQ
What do travel nurses do?
Travel nurses work alongside and perform the same duties as staff nurses. We show up to work, are given a room assignment, and do our usual nursing duties. The difference is that we are only at the facility for 13 weeks before moving on to a new assignment at a new hospital.
What is the role of a travel nurse?
The role of a travel nurse is to fill in the gaps at understaffed hospitals. The travel nurse willingly moves from state to state providing extra staffing at needed facilities to ensure safe nurse-to-patient ratios. We typically work at each assignment for 13 weeks at a time.
Is travel nursing still worth it?
In the opinion of a current, career travel nurse, yes, travel nursing is still worth it. Between the pay, the time freedom, and the opportunity to travel, it is still a worthy career.
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