Is 1 year enough experience to start travel nursing?
If you’re thinking about jumping into travel nursing but not sure if you have enough experience yet, here’s what you need to know— Although the requirement for some travel nurse positions is a minimum of one year, having a year of experience doesn’t always mean that you’ve gained the necessary knowledge and skillset that’s expected of travelers when they arrive on assignment.
If you want to set yourself up for success as a travel nurse (and minimize the chances of you being completely in over your head) during your first assignment, here’s a few other factors that you may want to consider before taking the leap.
Let’s start with the most important question…
Do you have the SKILLS to take care of the sickest patient on your unit WITHOUT drowning or asking for help?
As a traveler, you’ll be expected to have the knowledge, experience AND skills to safely and efficiently take care of patients with minimal to no orientation. Since travel nurses are hired to fill staffing needs, orientation can be anywhere from a few hours to a few days max. This means there is no time for training.
So if you’re a new grad RN with less than 1 year of experience or a nurse with 1+ years of experience but limited skills, I wouldn’t suggest jumping into travel nursing just yet.
If you want to set yourself up for success and increase your chances of landing a premium contract, here are a few travel nurse tips you can use to get started.
Advice for nursing students who want to start travel nursing
Try to find a new grad residency program at a level 1 trauma center. Working at a hospital that is a level 1 trauma center will give you access to a higher volume of patients in a shorter amount of time compared to smaller hospitals. You’ll also have the opportunity to take care of higher acuity patients which will allow you to gain more experience and build more skills in half the time.
Advice for new grad nurses who want to start travel nursing
If you’re a nurse with less than 1 year of experience, focus on building a strong foundation within your specialty. Don’t make the mistake of jumping into travel nursing without a strong skill set! You can build your skills within your specialty by taking on the higher acuity patient assignments and you can broaden your skill set by volunteering to float to “sister” units when you have the opportunity. Having the ability to float to multiple units as a traveler will increase your chances of landing the high paying contracts.
Advice for experienced nurses who want to start travel nursing
If you’re an experienced nurse that’s ready to build your skill set, consider a per diem job at a larger level 1 trauma center to “get your feet wet”. As a PRN nurse, you can start gaining experience at a new facility which will give you an idea of what it’s like to be a traveler. It’ll also give your travel nurse resume a boost because floating and working at multiple facilities make you more marketable as a traveler!
If you’re ready to start travel nursing, but you're unsure of how to get started, download your free Travel Nurse Cheat Sheet!
