Travel Nursing As a licensed nurse, you have the luxury of choosing where you would like to work. Many nurses have opted for travel nursing as a career alternative. Due to the high demand and flexibility that comes with the territory, travel nursing is a great opportunity for nurses to see the world and gain experience in their work field. If travel nursing is a career choice you’d consider, there are some things you should be aware of before making your decision. There are the benefits, disadvantages, and the requirements a nurse must meet in order to pursue this career path.
The Benefits of Travel Nursing
There are many benefits of travel nursing. It can offer opportunity, and experience. As a travel nurse, you can choose the location and hospital of your preference. Travel nurses have most of the control when it comes to their schedules. According to Shaffer (2014) “Travel
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New nurses in the medical field are having a harder time finding assignments in their desired locations compared to the more experienced ones. One year of experience was the normal standard to begin working as a traveling nurse, but now many staffing firms have started asking candidates to possess two years of clinical experience (Morrison, 2011). Travel nurses are inclined to have their BSN’s or higher degrees. If the nurse still requires help from staff, such as the charge nurse, for basic skills, it is recommended they gain more experience before considering travel nursing. The time for licensing varies depending upon the state. The recruiter will let the nurse know in advance of the time to obtain the licensure necessary. Morrison (2011) states “Holding a license in a “compact state” can help, but you must be seeking an assignment in a state that is within the NLC (Nursing Licensure Compact)” (p.14). Travel nurses also have the option to get their license via the ‘Board of Nursing’ if the state allows
“In 2010, the US Department of Labor Statistics (DLS) projected a 22 percent increase in the demand for RNs or 581,500 new jobs by 2018, to total a projected 1,039,000 jobs needed to be filled by 2018” (Cottingham, DiBartolo, Battistoni, and Brown, 2011, p. 250). It is imperative that strategies be implemented to improve the recruitment of nurses to meet the needs. Without improvements in the recruiting of new grads or seasoned nurses, organizations will need to rely on expensive agencies and traveling nurses; therefore, causing a financial burden on organizations (Cottingham et al., 2011).
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) enables nurses to practice in other states besides the one in which they reside. There are currently 24 states included in the NLC, which includes Tennessee and neighboring Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Eligibility for a multistate license requires that a nurse legally reside in a compact state (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2014). There are no additional applications required to apply for a compact license. Only one multistate license can be active at a time. Therefore when issued a compact license, any previously active compact licenses are made inactive. Also it is important to note that nurses are required to practice according to the nurse practice act of the state for which they are actually practicing in rather than their primary state of residence. Therefore a nurse could be subject to disciplinary action in the states of practice. The nurse’s home state license is recognized in all compact states unless the nurse is under disciplinary action or restriction. With the compact licensure in place, the question is then raised to whether there is an increased risk for disciplinary actions in compact states opposed to non-compact states.
The most exciting thing about travel nursing is that the assignments usually last 13 weeks (Travel Nursing). If an individual did not like their assignment then they have the option to come back home, on the flip side they could extend their assignment. Another great thing is that this specific kind of nurse has the option to choose where they can work whether it be Florida, Texas, New York, Washington, or even California. The only downfall is that certain cities might not be available but every state is (What is travel nursing?). The reason why the option to become a travel nurse even exist is because the demand for nurses is high, and there are shortages in some areas. The travel nurse comes in to fulfil a specific position that is needed for a short amount of time. This type of job could benefit anyone in the long run because you can kinda get a clue of where you want to live at whenever you settle down. This job will also help anyone save money because living and traveling expenses are already covered within the job, so a person could really just enjoy life (What is a traveling
Typically travel nurses travel alone when they go off to work. This means they are away from their friends and family for months at a time and for someone who might not easily make friends, this could possibly drive them towards depression and they could experience loneliness. Not only do they have to deal with being away from family and friends, but they also have to learn how to adapt to unfamiliar environments both on the job and the area they live in. At some new job sights travel nurses might encounter hostility from some of the staff members that currently work at the hospital. This happens in hospitals due to the fact that some nurses feel like they have authority over travel nurses because they have been working in that particular hospital longer. Some people, such as those who have been working in the hospital for a long time, are not willing to except change and this could make the job very difficult for travel nurses who have just signed a contract to stay at that specific hospital for an extended amount of time. Another disadvantage of being a travel nurse is that their pay rate changes with every contract depending on the location of the hospital they are working at. This could have a major effect on a nurse because the cost of living varies depending on the location of the hospital they are employed at or want to work at. Having to adjust to a different salary every few months could eventually become very overwhelming for
Nursing is an excellent field to invest your career into. There is always a need for nurses, whether you are a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or a Registered Nurse (RN). As an RN there are many different specialties. Let’s look at the traveling possibilities, atmospheres,
Some of the cons to being an RN is some of the dangers, such as being exposed to infections and disease on a daily basis (Minnesota 1). Plus, they spend a long period of time on their feet, so they are prone to back and knee injuries (American 2). Although while being an RN generally have a set schedule each week. Some work full time, or part time, but most work an average of 40 hours a week, they may work nights, weekends, and even holidays (Minnesota 1). There are also pros to being an RN such as helping the patient and their families during a rough time, while helping the patients and their families the nurses may not be able to have time to think of themselves and their own needs, which can often in times get upsetting. Another downside to being a registered nurse is seeing people dying, but having to stay positive (Minnesota
Most APNs or NPs posses a master’s degree; however the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) member institutions voted to change the current level of preparation for advanced nursing practice from a masters degree to a doctorate level by 2015”. “An individual who wished to apply for a license must meet the following requirements; a complete application, pass the NCLEX, provide any felony or misdemeanor conviction information, any drug related behavior, functional ability deficit and license fee to Virginia State Board of Nursing”. Most RNs gain their clinical experience by working a staff nurse before entering into a graduate program for their nurse practitioners, but once they gain a significant of experience as a nurse t...
Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care needs and an increasingly complex technological care environment” (Mion). According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that “more than a million new and replacement nurses will be needed over the next decade” (Diagnosis: Critical).
There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster health and prevent disease.
This paper serves to inform individuals about the benefits, challenges and education facing nurses. In the review of literature, one source is obtained from the SVSU database which describe the benefits of nursing; two additional SVSU database sources will also describe the challenges. In addition, a case study is evaluated, which shows the correlation between the career and the pass/failure of the NCLEX-RN exam. This paper concludes with an analysis of the information gathered, showing why nursing is a field that others should consider as a career.
Nursing is considered the backbone of the healthcare system. This career is an excellent career for me. I like to help people, and work that is somewhat challenging.
Most people question whether to go into a career in the medical field, but what really drew my attention to the profession of a Registered Nurse is the fact that they help people in more than one place, they are higher up in the medical field, and they put in a lot of time and effort in to tending the needs of their patients. The profession of a registered nurse is one that requires us to care for the health of others.
Nursing has always been a key career in the health care system. Although it is not often focused on media and stories surrounding health care, nursing is a career of great importance. If any patient was asked about their experience at a hospital or a care center, many would mention the capability and care that they received from the nurses. The health care system could not function efficiently, if at all, if nurses were not present to perform their part. Nurses are more than just physicians, support staff.
I started my Nursing career in India and then I came to the United States and became an RN. I entered Nursing with the thinking that Nursing is a profession that will always allow me to have a job and all my patients will get better. However, from my experiences I understood that Nursing is more than just giving medications, and it requires clinical competence, cultural sensitivity, ethics, caring for others, and life-long learning about others and the evolving field of medicine. Florence Nightingale once said:
Nursing is a promising career that offers many rewards to caring individuals. It is more than just a job that one attends day to day. Nursing is a career that kind people get in to because they are passionate about life and everything is has to offer. They care for people they have never met before in such a way that makes the patient feel comfortable and able to relax. In a way that makes it possible for the patient to recover from whatever they have encountered. If I am going to spend valuable time and money on education, I want to a job that I absolutely love. I want to have the satisfaction of knowing that my job is safe even when times are rough. Interviewing Jennifer H, a Registered Nurse at a local Banner facility really helped me get insight on what the position has to offer. I have encountered many people who are not passionate about their job and just show up for a paycheck; choosing a job in the medical field provides people with the same check, but also offers job security, advancement opportunities and numerous benefits for the employee and their famil...