Travel Nurse Basics

Healthcare delivery has changed in the last twenty years as the demographics of the country change, our population grows, and as we experience advancements in medicine. Travel nurses help facilities meet the shifting demands for specialized labor that is in high demand. 

What Do Travel Nurses Do?

A travel nurse is a licensed nurse who takes short term assignments, usually 13 weeks, at facilities that might be experiencing staffing shortages. These shortages can be due to staff leaves of absence, seasonal changes in the patient census, or an overall lack of key skilled primary specialties.

How Travel Nurses Find Assignments

Travel nurses are assigned to a facility through a travel nurse staffing company, like FlexCare, where a recruiter will help them build their profile, search for open assignments, and apply. Travelers can also find assignments through numerous online job boards. At FlexCare, all our S1NGLEPOINT recruiters are experts in the process of becoming a traveler, including building your profile and understanding the nuances of the facility where a traveler might be assigned.   

Travel assignments are not the same as per diem assignments, which are generally by the day. Per diem nurses have more flexibility in their schedules and can take assignments that are closer to the nurse's home base. The downside of per diem is that these assignments have minimal job security and are subject to last-minute cancellations. 

Licensing for Travel Nurses

All travel nurses are required to have the appropriate license for the state in which they want to practice. Over the past several years, a compact license has been approved in many states that allows a nurse holding that license to practice in any of the other Compact states without having to obtain a separate license. If a state is not a member of the compact, like California, a nurse must apply for a single state license.