Travel nurses must also be licensed in the state where they’re applying to work. Comprehensive Guide to Travel Nurse Taxes. MST Six Things That Can Help Make Your Transition to Travel Nursing a Smooth One. Credentials to Become a Travel Nurse. Stay close at first. Aside from the various nursing specialties to choose from, there are a number of other important factors to consider. Find assignments in your specialty. To become a travel nurse, one must first attend a nursing school and earn, at minimum, a degree as a registered nurse (RN). They have to have fantastic communication skills, because they must be able to grasp not just medical needs of a… If you know you plan on specializing in a specific unit, you may also want to be sure that you have credentials in that specialty; for instance, a CCRN certification for critical care, or NRP for labor and delivery and postpartum care. If being far from home is concerning, consider a travel assignment in your own state, where you can be near friends and relatives. Choosing a position that best fits your qualifications and your lifestyle is crucial when it comes to travel nursing. © 2020 AMN Healthcare, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain states, such as Florida and Washington, also require all nurses to obtain Continued Education Units (CEUs) in the specific areas of pain management and HIV awareness, so you will need to make sure you fulfill the CEUs for your home state and/or work state as well. If the state you received your original nursing license in is not a compact license state or the state you will be working in isn’t, you will need to get an additional applicable state license. Travel nurses are professionals who save lives and provide quality patient care in crucial times. You must be a registered nurse to become a travel nurse — there is no additional training or education required. Your immediate vision of being a travel nurse may be traveling to exotic destinations, but that’s not necessarily true. Becoming an RN is competitive and takes anywhere between two to four years depending on your program and place of study. PST In order to become a travel nurse, you will need to have what’s called a “tax home” in the eyes of the IRS. Traveling nurses also have access to a ton of travel perks and discounts on everything from hotel and car rental to gym and clothing concessions. For non-itinerant nurses who do have a tax home, your base wage pay is taxable income, while all “extras,” including meals, housing allotments, or travel reimbursement is non-taxable. If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse, you can take the next step by learning more about travel nursing here. If you had to obtain an additional state license, however, you will have to renew your home state license (if you want to keep it, that is) and meet the requirements for license renewal in the state you are working in as well. Do you hold a valid nursing license for the state the position is located in, Bookmark this page and visit often to view new jobs posted daily to our database, Sign up for our convenient job alert email notifications for new jobs that meet your specific parameters. If you obtained your original nursing license in a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state, such as Florida, Texas, or Arizona, and you will be working in a fellow NLC state, you have what’s called a compact license. Earn up to $2,300 a week at top-tier hospitals across the country! Nurses who have completed a diploma program, are a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and those who hold an Associates or Bachelor’s degree in nursing are all eligible to become a travel nurse. Most agencies expect nurses to have at least a year of clinical experience, preferably in a hospital setting. If you’re ready to become a traveling nurse, you should be aware of some of the travel nurse requirements. In general, while it’s also good to prepare yourself as much as possible, becoming a travel nurse can be a straightforward process. Prerequisites to be Accepted on Travel Nurse Training Travel nurses have to be incredibly flexible, working in a range of different settings all over the country. Do you hold the required certifications for the position you are considering? For starters, you’ll need to at least be a registered nurse (RN) with some hospital experience. Along with a nursing license in the appropriate state, you will … That is why travel nurses often receive a generous salary as well as a full range of competitive benefits and travel perks. Read More: Comprehensive Guide to Travel Nurse Taxes. Housing is a benefits that agencies often promote to aspiring traveling nurses. We support your mental health. Most travel nursing agencies require nurses to obtain and maintain all of their certifications at their own expense, so it’s to your advantage to do some research ahead of time. That said, nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) are more marketable than nurses with only an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN). That said, nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) are more marketable than nurses with only an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN). Proof of your right to work in the U.S. or Canada, A valid nursing license in the state you wish to work, All required certifications for your designated, BSN or 2-year associates degree from RN program, Certifications specific to your nursing specialty (CCRN, NPR). Licensed and ready to travel? To become a travel nurse, you must earn at least an Associate of Science in Nursing degree, and pass the NCLEX-RN exam. This means you could travel as far as a different country, or you could work at your local hospital in need of temporary nurses. The best staffing agencies will assist with this process, though it may take several weeks to obtain a new license. Otherwise, the only travel nursing requirements are: In general, you’ll need at least a year of experience in your specialty before accepting your first contract. Once you’re a nurse with an active license, have at least one to two years of bedside experience under your belt, and are ready to take on the challenge of a new location and work environment, you can take on the adventure of being a travel nurse. EST Travel nursing recruitment often focuses on the benefits and perks, such as housing stipends or sign-on bonuses, but it’s also important not to overlook the tax implications that come with travel nursing. If you will be working domestically within the United States, you may also need to get additional licensure in the state that you will be working as a travel nurse. This means your nurse license is good in all NLC states, so there is no need to seek additional licensure. For nurses with a compact license, maintaining your license as a travel nurse is no different than meeting the requirements of the home state that you received your original license in.