For some people, the thought of traveling to different places, meeting new people and still getting the chance to use their well-developed nursing skills is exciting and attractive. A great sense of adventure combined with a determined attitude make a career as a travel nurse rewarding and fun while still presenting a nurse with the ability to help and heal.
There are many benefits to traveling; one of the most obvious is the increase in pay. Virtually every nurse who travels sees the higher pay rate as the greatest incentive. Even though many people are not terribly excited about leaving home and going to an unfamiliar place for weeks at a time, the money can be a great motivator.
Additionally, most nursing agencies go above and beyond to provide nurses with the comfortable accommodations and perks to ensure comfort during their assignment. Many also offer generous sign-on bonuses and salaries that can sometimes top $100,000 per year.
Another benefit of being a travel nurse is the opportunity to grow professionally in a variety of different fields. While every travel nurse must have a strong clinical background with two years of experience, travel nurses may be afforded the opportunity to work in the best teaching facilities in the region, or the smallest country hospital. No matter where they go, seeing the way that other facilities treat and care for patients is a great way to expand the scope of professional knowledge and make lifelong nursing contacts.
For those who have a sense of adventure and a flexible, gregarious personality, travel nursing is a great way to meet the need for adventure and get to know new people. By looking at each assignment as the chance to experience something different, travel nurses may use their contract time to explore different places and have a great time doing it. Because travelers are never tied down to one place, there is always something to see and somewhere new to go; and because contracts are typically 13 weeks, travel nurses have the opportunity to move from coast to coast, and most anywhere in between, in a short time frame. For those who enjoy the pace, pay and perks that come with being a travel nurse, it can be a great opportunity to see the best this country has to offer first-hand while expanding horizons and enjoying a wonderful career.