Traveling Nurses Enjoy Many Perks

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you enjoy mobility and helping people, you might want to look into becoming a Travel Nurse. Hospitals and clinics often pay premium rates for nurses to fill in for short periods. These nursing positions usually run anywhere from three months to a year. And depending on the duration and distance from your home, employers typically provide housing or a housing subsidy.

As a Traveling Nurse, you'll assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Much like location-bound nurses, you'll administer nursing care to sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. You may also offer advice to patients regarding a variety of health related matters, such as health maintenance and disease prevention.

Depending on their needs and your skills, hospitals frequently recruit traveling nurses into full-time slots if they are pleased with your performance. So you basically get the best of both worlds—an instant high paying job, some travel, and the chance at a long-term position.

Finding a Travel Nursing position is often easier if you go through a nursing recruiter. They can usually present you with several options and a decent benefits package. Travel nursing usually pays $24-$35 per hour, plus the housing subsidy. Pay is higher in high cost-of-living areas like New York, San Francisco or Chicago.

What about licensing? Each state has its own requirements, but most have temporary licenses that, in some states, are valid for up to a year. If you hold an RN nursing degree (as opposed to an LPN or LVN nursing degree), you have a distinct advantage since RNs are nationally licensed.

For an added perspective, check out this video, Today's New Travel Nurse - Not Who You Might Expect.

For more information on health careers, visit http://www.healthcarejobsite.com/