A travel nurse is a nurse who is hired by a healthcare organization for a short-term assignment. The nurse may be hired to work in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or other healthcare facilities. The purpose of a travel nurse is to provide temporary coverage for a position that is vacant due to illness, vacation, or leave. Travel nurses are also hired to help with an increase in patient load. Many current or aspiring nurses don’t know much about the benefits and responsibilities of healthcare travelers, but it’s a good idea to educate yourself. You may find that you’re interested in a travel nursing career. Keep reading to learn more about what travel nurses do.
What do travel nurses do?
Travel nursing is a rapidly growing field of healthcare that provides nurses with the opportunity to gain valuable experience, explore different parts of the country, and have more control over their careers. Travel nurse jobs involve taking assignments at various medical facilities around the United States. Many travel nurses are highly experienced, registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in certain areas such as critical care, operating room, or emergency department work. Traveling nurses typically stay on assignment for a few weeks or months based on their contract agreement.
The primary job of travel nurses is to provide quality patient care according to their training and expertise while they are away from home. They may need to assess patients’ conditions, administer medications or perform other tasks. Travel nurses must also be able to quickly adjust to new environments which can include working with unfamiliar staff members at different hospitals across the country. It can be challenging but ultimately rewarding since you can get an inside look into many diverse healthcare systems throughout America.
Remember, travel nurses must keep up-to-date on any changes that occur while they are away from their home base. This requires active research on their part as well as actively participating in continuing education opportunities related to the specific area of expertise they possess such as patient care, record keeping, medical coding, and more.
What else should you know about working as a nurse?
Now that you know what travel nurses do, let’s go over what you can expect from the experience of working in nursing. Nurses enjoy above-average salaries with the potential to earn far more than the average wage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a registered nurse (RN) in the United States is $77,600 per year. Nurses also have excellent job security. The healthcare industry is growing rapidly and employment of RNs is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, keeping up with the average of all occupations.
Nursing is an incredibly rewarding career as well. From providing care to those in need to being part of a team of healthcare professionals, nursing offers ample opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives and build meaningful relationships with patients. As a nurse, you have the chance to care for others in need. Nursing is a hands-on job and you will be in direct contact with patients, providing comfort and care. As a healthcare traveler, you can even play a role in ending healthcare worker shortages around the world.
Travel nurses are an essential part of the healthcare system, providing support to understaffed hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities across the US. Travel nursing provides a unique opportunity to travel and experience different cultures while allowing nurses to gain diverse healthcare experiences. In addition, travel nurses can help bridge the gap in staffing shortages, alleviate the burden of staffing for healthcare facilities, and give nurses the chance to advance their careers in an engaging way. You can trust that nursing is a reliable and stable career that will offer you both personal and professional fulfillment.
