Becoming a Travel Nurse
To be eligible for a travel nursing job, you must be an RN or LPN and have one year of experience in your specialty area. While many states have their own licensing requirements, your travel nursing company should have specialists who will work with you to make sure all of your licensing requirements for each assignment are met before your start date, and may even pay for your licensing renewals.

Financial Benefits of Travel Nursing
Travel nursing jobs can pay 10%-15% more on average than regular nursing staff positions. Travel nurses also earn bonuses for completing their assignments and recruiting friends or colleagues. Many travel nursing agencies have a graduated bonus system. You could, for example, get as much as $500 for your first referral, $750 for your second, and $1,000 for your third.

Medical Benefits of Travel Nursing
Many agencies provide major medical coverage; dental plans with coverage for preventive treatments; vision plans covering reimbursement for eye exams, single lenses, and contact lenses; and prescription drug plans. Most travel nursing jobs also offer 401(k)s with matching contributions, free housing, travel reimbursements or a travel allowance, life insurance, disability, professional liability, free or low-cost continuing-education courses, and licensure reimbursement.

Career Benefits of Travel Nursing
Travel nursing is a great way for nurses to get the experience they need to make themselves more marketable. It's also a great opportunity for experienced nurses to try something new and exciting, and for all nurses to broaden their knowledge base or simply try a new practice setting. With travel nursing jobs, you have the freedom to decide what you want to do and where you want to do it. As a traveling nurse, you'll have access to career options that you may not in your local market.

Convenience and Support
Travel nurse companies are always looking for ways to keep nurses happy. From helping you deal with routine money matters while you're on the road to providing educational opportunities, travel nursing agencies generally do everything they can to help make your life as a travel nurse enjoyable. Agencies also have staff on-call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to provide you with any emergency assistance you may need.

Broaden Your Family's Horizons
When you travel, you can take your family, even your pets, on the road. Most travel nursing companies are happy to find housing situations that are suitable for children of traveling nurses. Traveling the country together exposes your children to different people, places, and cultures, in much greater depth than a vacation. If you're worried about making the kids switch schools, you can keep your travel assignments close to home during the school year and then go further away during the summer. Regardless, your travel nursing company will find you housing to fit your needs.

With all these great benefits, what are you waiting for? Make the change today!