The travel nursing profession is highly desirable. You get the opportunity to explore new areas, make new connections, and earn more than local roles typically pay. However, making the transition from a nurse or other healthcare professional to a traveling provider can be complex and intimidating. Here’s our 3-step process for how to become a travel nurse. 

Gain Experience Before You Travel

The beauty of travel healthcare is that the job is largely identical across the globe. The ability to drop in, any time, any place, is what makes travel nursing so successful. But this also requires a certain degree of experience. 

Employers expect you to gain at least 1 to 2 years of experience before switching to travel nursing. Said experience should be baked into a high-quality, detailed profile that includes your resume, license, certifications, skills checklist, and references to really “wow” them with your application. 

Obtain Multi-State Licensing 

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is an agreement among states that allows nurses to provide services in other states, also part of the compact, without obtaining additional licenses or certifications. 

At this time, 41 states and jurisdictions participate in the NLC, though some have additional requirements.[1] This certification is the key to your job autonomy and empowers you to take advantage of exclusive opportunities in a myriad of cities. 

Work With A Reliable and Experienced Placement Agency

Your first introduction into the travel nursing sector will be full of questions, options, and all that dreaded paperwork. Working with an agency that specializes in travel nurse and healthcare professional placement will offer invaluable insight, tips, tools, and resources to make this transition as streamlined as possible. An Agency like IDR Healthcare can also connect you with specialized, high-paying, flexible, and competitive roles across the nation giving you VIP access to exclusive opportunities. 

How IDR Walks You Through The Process

When you partner with IDR, the process is immediately streamlined. We’ll help you build the perfect profile, share it with MSPs, connect you with opportunities that match your criteria, walk you through accepting an offer, and within 24 hours of acceptance, a specialist will assist you with all credentials and compliance documentation. From first contact to your first shift and beyond, we’ve got you covered. Learn more about our process and benefits, or reach out here.

Sources

[1]Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Home. NURSECOMPACT. (n.d.-a). https://www.nursecompact.com/index.page