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Agencies were set up to provide nurses for areas that had seasonal populations and would need to boost their nursing staff according to those times. Such states as Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida became major factors in the growth of travel nurses. This was due partly to the large migrant population that moved from state to state, depending on the season, to find work or from people that would come south during the winter months. Now the demand for travel nurses is higher, because of the staffing problems that exist across the United States. It is most likely to become even higher in demand as the baby boomers grow older. They will be leaving the medical field, and will be placing more demand on the medical field. To take advantage of this growth, you will need to make sure that you are ready. If you have foreign language skills, you may even be able to travel abroad.

Training
You need to have achieved a RN (Registered Nurse) degree, at the very least. This can be achieved a number of ways. You can go through a traditional four-year BSN, a hospital based diploma (typically taking three-years), or a two year ADN program. Even after schooling, you will need one year of work experience, at a minimum. Make sure that this experience is in your specialty, or you may not be eligible for travel assignments inside your specialty.

Finding the Travel Job
The first step is to find a travel nursing company. There are hundreds of these available. They may handle local, national, or even global assignments. The traveling nursing agency is essentially a job recruiter. They help you with handling the details of your assignment, including relocation or registering with any local authorities. They offer guidance in location and focus. Most assignments last 13 weeks, but you can usually renew your contract if you wish to stay longer. Some of the leading travel nursing companies in the United States are the Cross Country TravCorps, American Mobile Healthcare, Preferred Healthcare Staffing, Medical Express, O’Grady Peyton International, and Nurses Rx.

What are the benefits
Lodgings are typically provided for the traveling nurse. These are located near the facility and are normally fully furnished. Salaries are very competitive, in some cases up $40 per hour. There are often bonus programs, not to mention comprehensive medical and dental insurance. Traveling nurses can spend as little as 4 weeks to 52 weeks on an assignment. You can move with the seasons, move where the best pay is, or try out a city that you think you may be interested in living in. There are often sign on bonuses with the companies, referral bonuses, travel reimbursement plans and so much more. Over seas jobs are available as well. Imagine being able to spend your summers in Europe before returning to Florida or California to get through the Winter Season. From large cities to the smaller towns, traveling nurses are in demand and you can join in.