Are you considering becoming a travel nurse? There are many advantages of being a travel nurse, especially when compared to a permanent staff nurse position.
Below, we’ll walk you through the major perks of working as a traveling nurse, including financial benefits, personal and professional growth opportunities, and more.
While travel nursing salaries can vary between assignments and fluctuate with healthcare industry trends, travel nurse pay rates remain consistently higher than that of permanent staff nurses. As of January 2024, the average annual pay for travel nurses in the U.S. was $101,132, while the national average salary for staff RNs was $94,480.
Though, it’s important to remember that you won’t be offered the average traveling nurse salary everywhere. The pay you earn as a travel nurse often depends on factors such as local cost of living, job market rates, type of healthcare facility, and nursing specialty demand.
One of the top perks of travel nursing is the ability to take home more of your paycheck compared to your permanent staff counterparts. This is because you can move to different cities and facilities with your temporary assignments, which allows you to find better pay and lower living costs.
In fact, many traveling nurses are strategic about where they take travel healthcare assignments so that they can better maximize their earnings. Generally, working in smaller, rural communities where demand for nurses is higher—and where the cost of housing, utilities, and other necessities is lower—means it’s easier to keep more of your pay at the end of the day.
When working with a travel nursing agency, travel nurses usually receive a benefits package that includes health coverage. This allows you to enjoy the same benefits of a permanent staff position, even as you move around the country to work different nursing assignments.
The specific benefits will vary from company to company, but some of the most common coverage includes health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance. Keep in mind that many healthcare plans offered by travel nursing companies lapse if the length between travel nursing assignments exceeds a certain number of days or weeks.
Have you ever been curious about what it’s like to work at a large teaching hospital? What about a hospital in a rural community? Or even an Indian Health Service (IHS) facility? When you work as a travel nurse, you can take your nursing career where you like without a permanent commitment.
A career as a travel nurse can also be a great option for healthcare professionals seeking more variety in their day-to-day work. For example, if you prefer to do a little bit of everything instead of staying in your lane, taking a travel assignment at a smaller facility where you can work at the top of your license may just provide the unique opportunity you’ve been searching for.
What better way to expand your nursing skillset than by experiencing different ways of providing patient care and getting on-the-job training from other top healthcare professionals across the nation?
Because every healthcare facility operates differently, travel nurses are regularly exposed to new nursing methods, patient care strategies, electronic medical records (EMRs), and more. If you want more opportunities to grow your skills as a nurse and strengthen your resume, working as a traveling nurse could be a good fit for your professional growth goals.
Travel is a popular pastime, with one survey finding that most Americans plan to travel at least once a year. As a travel nurse, you get to travel even more often than the average citizen, while also still pursuing a rewarding healthcare career.
Travel nurse jobs can take you anywhere from small, rural communities with scenic natural views to major cities with an abundance of urban amenities. Whether it’s national parks and natural wonders or exciting metros and fascinating historic sites, visiting some of the nation’s most interesting regions is all part of the job for travel nurses.
Travel nursing may mean spending time away from friends and family back home, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be lonely while on travel assignments. From networking and making professional connections to finding lifelong friendships, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to expand your social circle.
You may even meet other travel nurses to swap stories with or locals willing to offer you housing accommodations next time you’re in the area! In fact, many travelers find other travel nurses to go on assignments with, which helps reduce living costs, eliminate loneliness, and provide opportunities to earn a referral bonus with your travel nursing agency.
Compared to permanent staff nursing, a travel nursing career offers much more flexibility in terms of schedule, specialty, and environment. Because you’ll be working with a travel healthcare recruiter, you’ll have a trusted advisor who can advocate for travel nursing assignments that fit your preferences for pay rate, shift, location, and other factors.
This higher level of control, in combination with the temporary nature of travel nursing jobs, allows travel nurses to shape their careers around their lifestyles, instead of the other way around.
Disagreements in the workplace stemming from personal differences, varying perspectives on organizational structures, and other factors are a common source of dissatisfaction among nurses. However, as a travel nurse, the temporary nature of your position at a healthcare facility makes it far less likely you’ll be caught up in workplace politics.
That doesn’t mean you won’t be part of the team as a travel nurse. Quite the opposite! Many traveling nurses become long-term friends with their coworkers, serve on hospital committees, and offer valuable feedback that helps the organization provide better patient care.
There has been an ongoing nursing shortage in the U.S. for several years, and this trend seems unlikely to end any time soon. In fact, more than 100,000 nurses left the field during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. For travel nurses, this means your expertise is in high demand.
While certain aspects of travel nursing may fluctuate with time, such as pay rates and regional demand, hospitals and other healthcare facilities will always need more healthcare professionals to continue providing quality patient care and maintaining good nurse-to-patient ratios.
Nurses make an impact no matter where they go, but some communities need more help than others. Between geographical constraints to limited local candidates, many rural community and critical access hospitals are acutely in need of travel nurses.
Healthcare facilities in small towns and remote areas typically work with underserved communities, many of which consist of older and sicker populations that require specialized care that can be hard to come by. By taking travel assignments in underserved areas, your nursing work can have a direct, positive impact on community health and patient care quality.
TRS Healthcare is the advocate you want for your travel nursing career. With dedicated recruiters who put your professional goals first, expert credentialing and clinical support, incredible travel benefits, and more, we make it easy for you to pursue the healthcare career that’s right for you.
Interested in a travel nursing career with TRS Healthcare? Search our current jobs or apply with us now!
