Is Travel Nursing a Short-Term Thing or Can I Do it for Several Years?

As we all know, travel nursing is an extremely versatile profession. Choosing from dozens of specialties, getting work assignments all over the country, and a generous benefits package can all be had by pursuing the right education and working with a recruiter. Why not pursue this profession? Large numbers of travel nurses are flocking to travel agencies in search of readily available work.

As a professional, one of your first thoughts is "will travel nursing be a short term thing or can I do it for several years long-term?" To start, it is important to know that travel nurses work for temporary help agencies, also known as nursing agencies. Nursing agencies provide both short term and long term assignments to travel nurses in large-scale hospitals and small time clinics. Short term staffing means arranging for the travel professional to work at a health care facility 2-3 times a week; usually supplemented with another job.

Long-term staffing is the realm we dub "travel nursing." Travel nursing assignments range from 3 months or more. Many assignments are shorter and others reach close to a year. Cancellation policies for long-term travel nursing assignments are much more strict than short-term. Basically, you are guaranteed a position as long as your contract is active. Hospitals and clinics need not worry if a travel nurse is leaving or not. Guaranteed hours are put in place and poor work performance is strongly avoided. It is truly a win-win agreement between the health care facility and the travel nurse.

Travel nursing can be done short-term and long-term in alternation. Contracts end and travel nurses always have the choice of pursuing alternative opportunities or sticking to their current assignment if the employer allows. It is very common for health care providers to extend contracts to travel nurses, partially due to the needs of each. Travel nurses may revel in the personal development opportunities a clinic has provided them, persuading them to stay. In addition, educational opportunities are endless. Travel nurses may encounter new pieces of equipment they'd like to continuing learning to use, like dialysis machines in a midtown Manhattan hospital coming from a small clinic in Arkansas. In addition, they might build bonds with patients that would convince them to stay.

Remember, travel nurses sign contracts to work at a facility for three months or more. After the contract is up, only you can decide whether to continue or whether to pursue other ventures. Entire, satisfying careers have been made out of traveling from place to place.