Travel Nurse

Step 1: Become a Registered Nurse

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To start off, you need to complete an accredited BSN or ADN nursing program. Once you graduate, you must take and pass the NCLEX-RN. After this, you can finally acquire your RN certification in your state. Overall, this process will take around 3 to 4 years. 

Step 2: Gain Experience

Most nurse staffing agencies are looking for nurses with at least two years of experience. They want  flexible HCPs, who can communicate with different teams and adapt to a variety of environments and situations. They want reliable nurses who can take on leadership roles when necessary and are well-trained experts in their speciality. As you build your portfolio, take the opportunity to develop these traits. 

Step 2: Research License Policies 

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With all the traveling you will be doing, it is imperative that you do thorough research on each state’s license policies. If a state is “walk-through,” you will be able to obtain a 30-day emergency license in just one day. For other states, you may take days or months to get licensure in that area. Some states even require in-person meetings. 

Additional Certifications

Travel nurses do not have any necessary certification requirements. That being said, certain ones will make nurses more desirable to potential employers. There a number of nationally recognized certifications, but these are currently the most prominent and in-demand: 

 

• CCCTM - Certified in Care, Coordination, and Transition Management

• CDN - Certified Dialysis Nurse

• CHN - Certified Nephrology Professional

• CMSRN - Certified Medical Surgical Registered Nurse

• CNN - Certified Nephrology Nurse

• CNOR - Certified Nurse Operating Room

• CPAN - Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse

At the time of writing, the three most sought-after certifications are CPN, CCRN and CEN. 

 

The CEN is offered by the Board of Certification of Emergency Nursing. Exam fees sit at $230 and applicants can take the test in a variety of computer sites across the country. Currently, the pre-exam requirements are thus: 

 

• Active and unencumbered US nursing license 

• Though not required, two years of ER experience is preferred

 

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (ANCC) provides the CCRN. Exam fees will cost  $235 for members and $340 for non members. Examinees can pick between the adult, pediatrics and neonatal tests. While the content is different, the prerequisites are similar: 

 

• Active and unencumbered US nursing license (RN or APRN) 

• (For Adult Certification) Work Experience

  • 1,750 hours of RN/APRN practice in direct care for acutely/critically ill adult patients over the last two years, 875 of those hours must be acquired in the most recent year preceding application OR 

  • 2,000 hours of RN/APRN practice in direct care for acutely/critically ill adult patients over the last five years, 144 of those hours must be acquired in the most recent year preceding application

• (For Pediatrics and Neonatal) Care hours must be fulfilled in their fields 

 

In case you need to recertify, you can either take an exam or fulfill CERPs along with a nominal fee.

 

The CPN is provided by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). The exam will cost you $295, along with a $100 registration fee that is non-refundable. To qualify for the test, you must meet these requirements: 

 

• Active and unencumbered US nursing license (RN)

• At least 1800 hours of pediatric nursing experience OR

• At least 5 years of pediatric RN practice and 3,000 hours of clinical experience within that time. 1,000 of those hours must be from the past 24 months.

 

Recertification will require 10 contact hours approved by the PNCB.