Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about travel nursing.

Travel nursing refers to any healthcare professional, nursing or allied, who takes temporary healthcare assignments, of varying length. Healthcare organizations utilize travel nurses to fill needs due to staffing shortages, increased census, and to help with seasonal influx.

To learn more about travel nursing: Click here.​

Every healthcare facility is different with a unique set of qualifications for travel nurses. Basic travel nurse qualifications include:

  • 2+ years of experience
  • Active license in the state you with to work

For more information on travel nurse qualifications: Click here.
For more information on allied qualifications: Click here.

Travel nursing enables you to customize and control your career. Here are just a few of the many benefits provided by travel nursing:

  • Flexible schedule
  • Financial freedom
  • Travel opportunities
  • Enhance nursing skills
  • Meet new people
  • Job security
  • No more hospital politics

To get more info on benefits of travel nursing: Click here.

When clinicians partner with Next Move, they can select a variety of benefits. Options include:

  • Full Health Coverage (health, dental, vision)
  • Short and Long Term Disability
  • Life Insurance
  • 401(k) (with match and immediate vesting)
  • Health Savings Account
  • Mental Health Benefits
  • Maximum Allowable IRS Travel Stipend
  • Licensing/Certification Renewal Reimbursements*

To see all the benefits available at Next Move, click here.

*Some restrictions may apply

According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for travel nurses is 58% more than staff nurses. Indeed estimates the average yearly salary for travel nurse is $75,109. However, most travel nurses that work 3-4 contracts in one year earn a 6-figure salary. Travel nurses at Next Move make on average upwards of $100,000 a year for full time work.

Interested in seeing what jobs are available? Check out our full job board.

There are many factors that can impact gross salary for travel nurses, including organization, location, specialty, shift, assignment hours, and bonus. Next Move believes in transparency and can help you find the highest paying travel nurse jobs.

Travel nurses are paid differently than staff nurses and that can make filing taxes tricky. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to paying taxes:

  • Base hourly rate is taxable
  • Weekly travel stipend is not taxable

Rules around filing taxes change every year and can vary from state to state. For more tax tips, click here.

Travel nursing is a rewarding and exciting experience. Here are a few things first time travel nurses (and those considering travel nursing) should know:

  • Work with a recruiter to help you find a job that best fits your experience and expectations
  • Things will move quickly – you may receive an offer within 24 hours of being submitted to a position
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions at any point during the process
  • Be prepared to provide copies of certifications, references, immunizations, resume, etc.

Looking for more tips for first time travel nurses, click here.

It’s common for travel nurses to be both excited and nervous for their first engagement. Here are somethings travel nurses can expect:

  • You may need to complete training modules and other orientation tasks (typically online) before your actual start date
  • Bring copies or photos of your official documents with you (licenses, certifications, clinical records, etc.)
  • Orientation for travelers may be shortened or abbreviated
  • Understand how to submit your time each week to the agency (paper time card, electronic timekeeping system)

For more tips on what to expect on your first assignment, check out this article.

The first step to finding your next travel nurse assignment is creating a travel nurse resume. Here are four tips on building an effective travel nurse resume:

  • Create a summary and tailor it to the position you are applying
  • Craft your resume for applicant tracking systems – keep it simple and include terms found in the job description
  • Spell and grammar check your resume
  • Keep your resume short, concise, and use action words to make it more impactful

Still need some help building out your travel nurse resume? Check out this free resume template.

The job interview is an important step in the travel assignment process. It gives you and the hospital an opportunity to evaluate each other. Next Move has developed a travel nurse interview cheat sheet to help you navigate the process and make sure the jobs fits your expectations.

Download the Travel Nurse Interview Cheat Sheet.

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