The concept of mobile nursing originated in the early 1980s, when many US states were experiencing nursing shortages and required nurses to alleviate temporary staffing shortages. Hospitals hired traveling nurses to meet their staffing needs because these nurses were willing to travel to new destinations and offer their nursing services. Nurses also enjoyed working in this field because this career offered flexible hours and the option to visit new states and cities.

Over the years, this form of nursing became very popular among nurses because the traveling nursing career offered higher wages and benefits, job flexibility, free housing and stipend, and exposure to new technology. In addition, the nurses also had the opportunity to visit new destinations and gain extensive clinical work experience. Demand for roving nurses also increased among health center owners because these nurses could fill short-term staffing shortages or assist them during local emergencies. They were also able to avoid unnecessary costs that would otherwise be spent on permanent nurses to cover temporary staffing needs.

Requirements

A traveling nurse must have an RN degree and 1-1.5 years of clinical work experience to work as a traveling nurse. Generally, there are three paths that can lead to an RN degree. These streams include a) Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), b) Hospital-Based Diploma Program, and c) Bachelor of Science (BSN) in Nursing. DNA lasts about two years; The diploma program lasts three years and the BSN is a four-year program. Completion of any of these programs offers eligibility to challenge the NCLEX-RN exam for an RN credential.

However, in the travel nursing industry, RNs with bachelor’s degrees are in high demand because they have extensive clinical experience. However, for faster career growth, lucrative jobs, and income, RNs must also specialize in specialties because there is a greater requirement for specialty-certified advanced practice RNs.

Recruitment Process

There are hundreds of employment agencies in the United States that provide recruitment and temporary staffing services. Registered nurses should apply to these agencies for traveling nursing jobs because facility owners also contract with these agencies to provide and cover their temporary staffing needs. These agencies have few hiring requirements that RNs must complete, including submission of resumes, completed applications, state-issued IDs, and references. Nurses must also be free of criminal records, drug abuse and addiction, and must complete checkups, injections and vaccinations. Once these requirements are completed by the applicants, the recruitment agencies schedule their interview with the owners. Selected nurses receive short-term nursing assignments from 4 to 13 weeks or a few months.

However, there are some points that nurses need to remember before accepting these assignments. Nurses should require a signed, written contract for the job offered. The agreement must include necessary employment information, such as job description, hours of work, leaves of absence, wages and benefits, and termination clauses. The signed contract is useful for any future work-related disputes.

job prospects

The travel nursing career has a bright future because the health care industry is the largest and fastest growing sector in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an additional 526,800 RNs will be required to work in different positions from 2012 to 2022 and their demand will increase 19 percent over the same period. The nursing shortage will further drive the demand for traveling nurses in the country.