Nursing Travel Jobs have emerged as the most lucrative and sought-after jobs in the US of A. How and why has this happened? What is Travel Nursing all about?
Nursing Travel Jobs are taken up by Nurses traveling to destinations other than where they permanently reside,
to work on temporary nursing jobs. So, what is Travel Nursing and how did it originate? Well, the baby boomer generation has aged, and quite a few of these senior citizens require to be taken care of. Either in a healthcare facility or at their home, they need critical care provided by nurses.
Due to demand which was quite erratic, facilities began hiring nurses for short term assignments. That means they were not permanently employed with these facilities, and in effect were only on-contract. This served the facilities very well, because they could either extend or terminate a contract depending upon the demand.
According to well established sources, the USA will experience a shortfall of around 50,000 nurses in the next few years. This will mean constantly rising incomes and perks to the traveling nurse, as healthcare facilities will offer more money to Nurse Staffing Agencies to chase the limited available Nursing talent.
The following Nursing specialties are in great demand:
- Psychiatric Travel Nursing
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
- Mental Health Nursing Jobs
Although demand exists across the United States, Nurse Staffing Companies in California, Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, Ohio, Texas and Nevada have taken the lead in promoting & recruiting for such cross country Nursing Jobs.
Nursing Recruitment Agencies hire licensed nurses and then send them on temporary / per diem assignments to a facility of their choice. Nursing Staffing Companies offer such perks as High Salary, Signing Bonus, Relocation Reimbursement, Furnished Housing, Companion/Pet Accompany Free, Medical, Dental & Vision, Life Insurance, Company Matched 401-k Plan, Education Benefits, Licensure Reimbursement and Completion Bonus.
Of course, the more high-quality perks they offer, the less they'll pay you in-hand, for, after all, they offer perks from the money they've decided to give you, which in turn gets paid to them by the healthcare facility. After deducting their operating costs and a profit margin, they then decide the candidate nurses package. So, choose your agency, healthcare facility and nursing job wisely.
If you are licensed from a state that is a part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLCA), you can work in any of the other 24 states that are also a part of this compact. Else, you'll need to get a license of that state.
Amongst the points to keep in mind, as a traveling nurse, an important one is to consult a tax expert before accepting tax-free money in lieu of housing benefits. The tax free money may include meals, travel, housing and actuals. If you maintain a home that is your permanent dwelling, but stay elsewhere, due to being a travel nurse, then you are liable for a tax-free "per diem" component.
Travel Nursing Jobs take you across the length and breadth of the country, often to exotic locales where you can explore new places and indulge in your favorite sports activities especially if you have a loved one living with you, or with your fellow nurses. The higher per hour pay as compared to a permanent position is like icing on the cake. You can also choose to work extra hours which entitles you to overtime pay.
