Travel Nurse

The world is full of on-the-road occupations that require the people in them to travel. Sales Representative, for instance. Travel Writer. Truck Driver. Flight Attendant. Circus Performer. And, of course… Nurse?

Believe it or not, although airports have very little in common with hospitals, and suitcases are a far cry from scalpels, a Nurse is just as likely to be spotted with a Rollaboard as a Pilot. Not a traditional Nurse, perhaps. But certainly a Travel Nurse.

That’s because if you’re a Travel Nurse, you call the road your home — a lot like a roadie, but dedicated to medicine instead of music.

A Licensed Vocational Nurse or a Registered Nurse, you’re paid to travel to work at understaffed hospitals, offices, clinics, etc., as part of short-term assignments that typically last between eight and 52 weeks. During that time, you perform all the typical duties of a Nurse, such as assisting Doctors, interacting with patients, maintaining records, checking vital signs, drawing blood, dressing wounds, giving diagnostic tests, and administering medications. Instead of a full-time employee, however, you’re a nursing “temp.”

Like a Substitute Teacher for Nurses, Travel Nurses help health care facilities when they need additional staff, typically because of staffing shortages, spikes in demand — due to seasonal shifts or emergency circumstances — or temporary vacancies (for instance, when staff Nurses are on maternity leave).

The road is rough, but it’s also rewarding. Not only do you get to travel the world, but you also get to help people — often earning higher wages, free housing, and complimentary airfare.