With one or two years of nursing experience under your belt, you might be ready to consider the leap into travel nursing. Now is a great time to start your career as a traveler! As you begin your research, make sure to keep in mind what you hope to get out of travel nursing and what is important to you. While you evaluate all the pros and cons, consider these benefits that make work as a travel nurse unique.
7 Benefits to Travel Nursing
Travel Made Easy
The Enhanced Nurse License Compact (eNLC) was implemented in 2018 and has made a travel career even more accessible as it continues to expand. With the eNLC, nurses can use one license to travel and practice in between participating states. The list of states joining the eNLC is constantly being updated, so there are new places to travel to all the time.
New Places to Explore
As a traveler, you can change locations for the season or check off destinations from your bucket list. You can try out a city before moving there permanently or take the time to visit friends and family nearby. Once you’re there, be sure to check out all the unique offerings of the destination like trying a new cuisine or taking a scenic hike.
Diverse Experiences
Traveling allows nurses to try new things and meet new people. This is an opportunity to immerse yourself, go on adventures, and get out of your comfort zone! You’ll be able to live like a local as well as make friendships that carry on beyond your contract. There are plenty of Working Tourist stories to help you learn more from the experiences of seasoned travel nurses too.
Professional Growth
Travel nurses gain unique work experience and will develop their skills even more by traveling. A travel nusre can become more adaptable and learn more with a constant change of scenery. Whether you start at a teaching hospital, try out a rural community – or go anywhere in between, you’re bound to learn a thing or two along that way that will help you as you continue your nursing career.
Freedom and Flexibility
With assignments across the country in a variety of specialties and settings, there are more options for work when you’re a travel nurse. You’re in control of choosing the right assignment for you and can have more autonomy in your work as a traveler. Travel nursing can also give you the ability to take time off between assignments to continue exploring a location or take a vacation.
Financial Benefits
Depending on where you’re looking, you could make more in a certain area based on demand and cost of living. If you’re open to working in a less sought-after location though, you could find a higher paying assignment with a lower cost of living.
A Travel Companion
Be sure to choose a company and recruiter that will be your career advocate. Partnering with a travel nursing agency puts someone in your corner while traveling and offers you support along the way. You will receive guidance from your recruiting team every step of the way to help you get started, find an assignment, and prepare you for whatever’s next!
Travel with SHC
Supplemental Health Care has an extensive network of travel assignments across the country and recruiters that can help you get started on your travel journey. If you want to learn more or are already ready to hit the road, contact us today to speak to a member of our recruiting team. You can also search our career portal to see what’s available right now.
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