You Have Decided to Be a Traveling Nurse

Possibly you have been thinking about becoming a Traveling Nurse. There may be a few things that you need to know before doing so.

 

Certified Professional

***Good News***

1. 1970’s

Stkate.edu talks about the traveling nurse emerging in the 1970’s. They talk of persistent nursing shortages in warmer southern states, such as Florida, drew nurses from northern states over the winter. They further added that at that time nurses had no special contracts and did not provide housing or extra wages, but that has drastically changed since then. Since the course of the Pandemic the demand for traveling nurses has accelerated. 

 

2. Travel Nurse Requirements

The travel nurse must be registered nurses (Rn's), which means completing a nurse training program, passing the NCLEX-RN exam,, and applying for license, in addition, most nurse staffing agencies require a minimum amount of clinical experience, so typically, you can not become a travel nurse right out of college. Also the  nursingworld.org., states you should expect to spend at least two years working as an RN before you start applying for travel nursing positions.

3. Changes during 2023

According to managementregistry.com even though the pandemic has slowed somewhat there are still nursing shortages all across the country. They further added that Nursing Schools turned away 91,938 qualified nursing applications in part due to the faculty shortage and pay will still be excellent for traveling nurses. So know that there is still a demand for traveling nurses.

4. The Demand

Did you know that as of February 2023, the average weekly rate for travel nurses is approximately $3,200? Healthcareers.com further adds that Rural Communities have the greatest need for traveling nurses.

5. Robots and Nursing

Someone might ask the question will robots take nursing or traveling nurses jobs?

Technology is taking over tasks, not jobs, technology is already everywhere in healthcare, virtual nursing helps nurses instead of replacing them, technology helps improve your work/life balance, technology helps make patients safer and happier, healthcare and AI need a human touch to work, and you can embrace technology, don’t fear it. This is all mentioned at careerstaff.com

6. AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Nursing Education

Egu.edu/blog talks about how Artificial Intelligence has revolutionized the nursing profession and has the potential for patient charting, medication administration, wound care, and much more.

7. Best and Worst States for travel nurses

Vivian Health, a jobs marketplace for healthcare professionals ranked all 50 states as to the best and the worse states for travel nurses according to benefitnews.com. Below are listed just a few for the best and the worse states for traveling nurses. South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Alaska, and Arkansas are listed as the best states while the worst are California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.

8. Job Outlook for Traveling Nurses

The projected traveling nurse job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028, about 195, traveling nurs salaries have increased 10% in the last 5 years, there are over 1,733,502 traveling nurses currently employed in the United States, and there are 585,515 active traveling nurse job openings in the United States.  Zippia.com mentions this. 

9. Travel Nurse Housing

Most experienced travel nurses will recommend spending a maximum of one-quarter of your monthly income (aka one paycheck) on your short-term rental. This allows you to allocate three-quarters of your income towards savings, expenses back home, or fun according to thegypsynurse.com/blog. They further added that you can plug the city into the Housing Stipend Calculator to denote if your preferred amenities, the pay rates for the area, and average housing costs line up.

10. Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Nurse

Travel nurses get paid far higher wages than staff nurses, there are 3 million registered nurses working in the United States, job growth for travel nurses was 35% between 2019 and 2021; 40% growth is predicted in the future, the median annual wage for travel nurses is $84,000 with bonuses up to $12K, the cons, however, include as a contract employee your compensation is a combination of taxable and nontaxable income, nurses must be knowledgeable about taxes, some agencies offer health care, nurses may have to be proactive about setting up retirement accounts, you may have a lack of a support system; experience burnout and compassion fatigue, you may experience homesickness, and because a travel nurse is not a full-time tenured staff nurse a travel nurse may miss out on some of the career development opportunities offered by the hospitals you are assigned to. Online.arbor.edu talks about all of this.

You will need to decided what is best for you. If you like to travel this may be excellent for you, but you need to take into consideration the cons of a traveling nurse.

I recall being at an event and as I talked with this lady, she shared that she was a traveling nurse. She said she loved her work, but discovered in certain states it was not safe living there. She cited in one particular state their was a lot of car hijacking occurring and that was a major concern of hers. So it is very crucial to be aware of where you decide to live while traveling. I had never heard of a traveling nurse until talking with this young woman. I learned a lot. I never even considered being a nurse even though I have been a care giver in my family for most of my life, but I congratulate those that have decided to become nurses, especially those that survived during the covid-19 pandemic.

Do you know any traveling nurses? Do you want to become a traveling nurse.

Sources:

What Is a Travel Nurse? Job Description and Salary

 

How to Become a Travel Nurse

 

What Changes Should Travel Nurses Expect in 2023?

 

Are Travel Nurses Still in Demand?

 

Will Robots Take My Job? 7 things to Know about AI and Healthcare

 

How AI Is Influencing Nursing Education

 

10 best and worst states for travel nurses

 

Job Outlook for Traveling Nurses in the United States

 

What is a Fair Price for Travel Nurse Housing?

 

Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Nurse

 

Will you share this article with a friend?

Guest Blogging:

Yes I am accepting guest bloggers. Would you like to guest blog at

                anointedtoday.blogspot.com?

Just contact me at anointedtoday@gmail.com and let me know.

Guest Blogging is another avenue for great exposure to your blog.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

   Visit My Store at

Anointedtoday/ Redbubble

 

More From this Author. . . Just Click on the Link Below

Do You Know the Benefits of Houseplants

 

Dangers of Kissing Animals on the Lips

 

How Do You Keep Warm During the Winter?