Have you ever thought about a career in nursing? Do you like to
travel? A travel nurse combines the benefits of both of these options.
The field of nursing is in dire need of qualified individuals who are
looking to travel around the world. Due to the severe shortage of
nurses in the United Sates of America, a new field of work has arisen
in the health care industry, the travel nurse. These individuals
relocate for short-term assignments so they can better serve the need
of the patients in hospitals where there are shortages. Registered
nurses and licensed practical nurses are offered the opportunity to
participate in this newly developed field of health care.
Hospitals and recruitment agencies are willing to offer many
incentives to nurses who are willing to travel. Some of these
incentives include relocation assistance and furnished housing to
stipends and bonuses. Agencies arrange and provide free private
furnished housing and often cover the expenses for utilities and other
items. Typically, an agency will provide reimbursement for licensure
fees, continuing education reimbursement, referral bonuses, and loyalty
reward type programs. Some of these agencies even offer health
insurance, 401K’s with matching funds, vacation and sick time, and
stock investment options. There are also tax benefits to being a travel
nurse, “Tax Advantage” or “Per Diem” can be beneficial if the travel
nurse maintains a “Permanent Tax Home.” In addition to lodging, these
benefits will cover the costs of food and incidentals.
The clinical requirements for becoming a travel nurse are generally at
least one year of clinical experience in a specialty and licensure in
the state of employment granted to the nurse by the home states board
of nursing. The NLCA, Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators,
simplifies this requirement by negating the need for fees or paperwork
when traveling to any of the states who are participating in the
program. Presently, there are twenty states involved in this
organization and there are three states that are in the process of
joining.
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