Travel nursing jobs can be a good opportunity for nurses to advance their careers as well as find time to explore the world. Nurses are one of the busiest professions, oftentimes they don’t have time to explore. But as a travel nurse, working and traveling is possible. These 7 ways to prepare for a career in travel nursing and travel nurse job ideas in New York can be good guides for you to know more about travel nursing jobs.
7 Ways to Prepare for a Career in Travel Nursing
1. Get Your License
Travel nurses need to be registered nurses before they can be qualified to work. Make sure to secure your license by passing the NCLEX examination for nurses. Or if you are already a registered nurse then make your license updated. Apart from your RN License, you also have to prepare your state license. Although New York is not a nurse compact state, you can prepare your state license to get assigned to other states.
2. Earn Experience
Most medical facilities require their travel nurses to have 1 or 2 years of experience as a nurse. So if you are new, grab job opportunities to establish your experience. Experienced nurses can get paid more so experience indeed counts. You are lucky if your travel nurse agencies are connected with medical facilities that accept new nurses. If this is the case then you can start working as a new nurse.
3. Know your Wants and Needs
As a nurse you have your goals and you plan to pursue this while working as a travel nurse. So make a list of these goals as well as places you like to be assigned to. For instance, if you plan to advance your studies and supplement them with online tools such as Studocu that provide study materials, communicate that early. Once you have joined a travel nurse agency let them know your plans and check the places you have listed if they also have it on their list. You can request to get assigned to the places you want to go to.
4. Find the Right Travel Nurse Agency
Once you are ready, start checking on the travel nurse agency near you and check on their backgrounds. It’s normal to have several options and comparing them can help you determine which agency fits your needs best. Choose an agency that matches your expectations and the one that can assist you in all your needs while working with them. A recommendation will also be a good way of knowing which agency to join.
5. Ace in your Interviews
Your travel nurse agency will be endorsing you to the facility you will be working with however there are interviews. During the interviews make sure to do good. Plus give your best as you work with them since you are earning a reputation for yourself and your agency.
6. Get Used to New Working Environment
As a travel nurse, you will be traveling often since each assignment can last for 8 to 23 weeks. So prepare yourself to be working in a different environment. This exposure can help you grow professionally and personally. So before starting prepare yourself to get used to this kind of situation since it will be part of your work.
7. Be Flexible
Apart from working in a different environment, there will be a lot of adjustments that will be happening so better brace yourself with it. Think of it positively. Be ready for adventures and to see new places, meet new faces and make connections with people you meet at work.
How Do Travel Nurses Help Healthcare Facilities in New York During Pandemic?
Travel nurses in New York can give solutions to the staff shortages that arise among health facilities. They can lighten the burden of other nurses in doing their duties and responsibilities. They can also ease the weight on the shoulders of health facilities by being able to complete the number of needed nurses in their facilities. Staff shortages can affect the efficiency of care given to patients and the overall operation of the health care facilities. By having travel nurses around their scheduling will not be in chaos.
Use these 7 ways to prepare for a career in travel nursing to be able to contribute as a healthcare worker in empowering the health workforce that is badly needed in this pandemic season. Start by being a travel nurse in New York. Practice your profession while enjoying exploring the big apple.
