Travel Nursing FAQ
March 13, 2023
how long are travel nurse assignments?
Standard contracts are 13 weeks long, but we’ve also seen 8, 14, and 26 week contracts. The vast majority of contracts are for 13 weeks, but 90% of the time travel nurses are offered an extension of their contracts. We’ve also learned that it’s sometimes possible to turn down an extension (typically they ask to sign you on for another 13 weeks), but to add a few weeks on to your contract when an extension is offered.
can you take time off in between assignments?
Yes! However, if you take off more than three weeks between contracts you may lose your health insurance (assuming you’re going through your agency for this). Check the timeframe with your agency specifically to find out how long you can take off between contracts.
do travel nurses get to choose where they go?
Yes, for the most part. As a travel nurse, you get to tell your agent/recruiter where you want to go and which contracts you want to be submitted to. However, if you aren’t in a place where you can or want to wait a while to get a contract, you may have to be flexible with where you go. Pay is always fluctuating from place to place so that could be a factor, as is your experience and generally how good of a hire you are. If you’re willing to work nights and be a bit flexible on pay, you’ll have a much better chance at getting to go where you want, when you want.
can a new grad be a travel nurse?
The short answer is probably not. Dan was able to get a contract with less than a year’s experience working as a nurse in a specialty, but that’s generally the minimum experience requirement. He had 11 months of experience working in a hospital on a med surg/tele floor, but over a years experience as an RN. Even then, it took quite a while and a lot of rejections for him to land his first contract. You’ll likely need some experience working as a nurse before you’re able to work as a travel nurse, ideally at least a year.
is it possible to travel nurse with your pet(s)?
Absolutely! We have two cats, Pepper & Sage, and they come with us to every contract! It’s not always easy and does make finding housing more difficult, but we’re so glad we have them with us. Check out some of our resources on how we make it work:
Travel Nursing with Cats – Helpful Supplies
Finding Housing While Travel Nursing With Pets
is it possible to do travel nursing with a friend or significant other?
Most definitely! Whether you’re both travel nurses or not, there are ways to make it work. If you’re both travel nurses, let your recruiter(s) know that you want contracts at least in the same city and see how they’re able to accommodate you. At the end of our “10 Things We’ve Learned About Travel Nursing” video, I talk a little about my experience being the wife of a travel nurse going with Dan from place to place/contract to contract.
10 Things We’ve Learned About Travel Nursing
how do I get started travel nursing?
Check out our posts on How to Become a Travel Nurse and The Timeline of Starting Travel Nursing! Assuming you’re already a nurse and have a year or more of experience, you’re well on your way to being able to do travel nursing! Start looking into different travel nurse agencies you may want to work with and go from there.
how long does it take to get a travel nursing contract?
It completely depends on your personal situation. Your agency will play into this (are they a big agency with lots of hospitals/contracts that they’re trying to match nurses to?) as will your experience level and how picky you are (days vs. nights, location, pay). In general, you probably won’t be able to get a contract more than a month and a half before the start date (typically more like a month before). It may take a week from when you’re fully onboarded with an agency, or it may take a couple months if you’re particularly selective and/or don’t have much experience working as a nurse.
do travel nurses get health insurance benefits?
Yes, travel nurses receive agency-specific benefits packages that may include healthcare, dental, life insurance, travel reimbursement, licensing reimbursement, continuing education support, etc. You’ll have to look at your specific agency to find out what they offer in terms of health insurance benefits, but we’ve never heard of an agency not offering health insurance. It’s your choice whether you go through your agency for health insurance or not, but keep in mind that you are limited in the time you can take off between contracts if you wish to keep your employer-sponsored coverage. You also must continue working with that specific agency if you wish to maintain that coverage.
how do you find housing while travel nursing?
We’ve written a few resources on this, check them out here:
How to Find Housing While Travel Nursing
How to Avoid Housing Scams While Travel Nursing
Finding Housing While Travel Nursing With Pets
how much money do travel nurses make?
There’s no straight answer to this question, it totally depends. The pay for travel nurses isn’t standardized so it depends what state, city, and hospital/facility you’re at as well as what unit you’re working on and potentially which agency you’re working with.
can you travel nurse without a bachelor’s degree?
YES. The minimum requirement to work as a travel nurse is an ADN (associate’s degree in nursing). It’s also possible to travel as an LPN, though the options seem to be more limited. In general, having a bachelor’s degree in nursing is preferable. Having your bachelor’s helps you to stand out immediately to potential hospitals and will give you more freedom to go where you want, when you want. That said, it’s possible to travel nurse without a bachelor’s degree, you just may need to be more flexible.
what extra certifications should I get to work as a travel nurse?
You will need to have your BLS (Basic Life Support) certification, which you probably already have if you’re working as a nurse. In addition, you’ll likely need either ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) or PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) depending what types of units you’re looking to work on. The NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) is another helpful certification offered by the AHA (American Heart Association). After this, you’d be looking at specialty-specific certifications governed by the association of your given specialty, and/or getting officially certified in your specialty through the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center).
how much experience do you need to be a travel nurse?
In general, you need a minimum of one year’s experience in any given specialty (ER, OR, Med Surg, Telemetry, Progressive Care, L&D, etc.). Dan was able to get his first contract with eleven months experience working on a med surg/tele unit, but he had more than a year’s experience as an RN. Even then, it took quite a while and a lot of rejections before he got offered his first contract.
what kind of facilities can I work at as a travel nurse?
As a travel nurse, you can work in all different types of facilities around the country. This includes long-term care facilities, hospitals, outpatient clinics, urgent care centers, schools, prisons, and more. Travel nurses can work in all different fields and units including giving more specialized treatment like dialysis. The options truly are endless.
what kind of orientation/training will I receive?
Before beginning your contract, you’ll be required to complete online training modules and tests that cover your nursing skills, the policies of the hospital you’re heading to, as well as the documentation system the hospital uses (if you don’t have previous experience with it). This will make up the majority of your training, but during your first week at the hospital you’ll typically have two more days of on the job orientation where you’ll precept with a nurse.
do I need a compact license to work as a travel nurse?
For the most part, yes. It’s possible to work within your home state as a travel nurse (depending on the state and the facility), but if you want to work in another state you’ll need to be licensed there. At this point (March 2023), 39 states have joined/implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) with many more pending implementation.
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