8 Steps to Becoming a Travel Nurse

The benefits of a travel nursing career make it an extremely exciting occupation. As a travel nurse you’ll enjoy flexibility and control over your work schedule, work in diverse settings to expand your skill set, and experience short assignments in different settings to help avoid the dreaded burnout that can come with a demanding job. We often get asked how to become a travel nurse, so we’ve laid out the 8 steps on the path to a challenging and rewarding career in travel nursing.

Phase I: Become a Nurse

Just like you had to walk before you could run, you have to become a nurse before you can be a travel nurse.

1. Get Educated – You will need an associate’s (ADN or ASN) or bachelor’s (BSN) degree to become a nurse. Either will prepare you for travel nursing, but many healthcare facilities now require BSNs. Registered nurses are the most common type of traveling nurse, but nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses can also be candidates.
2. Get Licensed – To be licensed, you first need to pass the NCLEX, a national proficiency exam. Next, you’ll need to obtain a license from your state, which may include additional requirements like a criminal background check.

Phase II: Build Your Resume

3. Get Experienced – Requirements for the number of years of experience differ from agency to agency, but to access the best placement agencies, you should plan to work in a staff position for at least two years. For some specialties, you may need additional time under your belt before an agency will consider you for placement.
4. Get Certified – In addition to the required Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications, you might consider pursuing advanced RN or NP certifications to prepare you for top placements. Common among travel nurses are the Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCCN), Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), and Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). Further, depending on your specialty, additional certifications may be required. Do your research to ensure you don’t waste time and money on unnecessary certs.
5. Get Specialized – Travel nursing opportunities usually require a medical or administrative specialty. The most in-demand specialties for travel nursing are emergency, operating rooms, intensive care, labor and delivery, and pediatric and neonatal. Other high-demand specialties include case management, cardiac catheterization, dialysis, obstetrics, oncology, orthopedics, perianesthesia, and psychiatry.

Phase III: Become a Travel Nurse

6. Get Licensed – This might sound like a repeat, but if you want to work outside of your home state, you will need to be licensed in each state where you plan to work. If you are lucky enough to live in a Nurse License Compact (NLC) state, your license is good in all states that participate, currently 32 states and growing.
7. Get Employed – Figure out where you want to travel and in what types of facilities you want to work. After you have a good picture of what you want, you can find a travel nursing agency that you feel comfortable with and can offer you the types of positions that interest you. Check out online reviews and ratings and talk to other travel nurses about the agencies they use. A good agency will provide you options that are the right fit for you, so you can get started quickly.
8. Go! – Choose a placement, pack your bags, and go see a new place!

If you are ready to kick off your travel nursing adventure, our dedicated team of recruiters would love to talk with you about your next dream job. Contact LeaderStat at 877.699.STAT.