Traveling Nurses Easing Staff Shortages
By: Ryan Hall
With the acute shortage of nurses nationwide, travel nursing has
come into its own within the health care profession.
Today, a well-qualified nurse with experience in a high-demand
specialty can find short-term placements almost anywhere in the
country - including exotic resort locations like Hawaii and the
Caribbean - throughout the year.
Registered nurses with at least 10 months of clinical experience
and good references are eligible. These temporary assignments,
typically lasting 13 weeks, are often staff positions in critical
care settings in locations ranging from rural areas to cruise ships
and resort areas.
Travel nursing offers something for everyone at every career stage:
the allure of travel and unique settings; rewarding positions at
top teaching hospitals and research institutions; and challenging
work in hard-pressed, underserved areas.
"For a nurse or nurse practitioner with a flexible schedule, travel
nursing can be a very appealing career option as it offers higher
pay, flexibility, variety and often the opportunity for business
travel," said Andrea Higham, director of The Johnson & Johnson
Campaign for Nursing's Future, a public awareness and
image-building campaign that is addressing the nursing shortage
through nursing scholarships and nursing student recruitment
activities. "It's one of the many areas of specialty where current
demand far exceeds supply."
Those interested usually get their start with placement companies
to determine openings. Candidates complete an application, discuss
their plans and interests with a recruiter, and conduct telephone
and in-person interviews with potential health care facilities.
If the candidate is offered a position, the travel company helps
with the details of travel documents, credentialing and licensure,
hospital orientation, housing (some provide free or subsidized
apartments) and even arrangements for furniture and utilities.
For more information on travel nursing, visit www.discovernursing.com. - NU
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