As travel nurses embark on fulfilling and enriching careers, selecting an ideal specialization can be critical. By prioritizing attractive fields and assignments, travel nurses increase their chances of landing desirable assignments while expanding professionally.
Only Wanderlust reported that travel nursing offers not only the opportunity to discover new locations but also increased earnings potential. According to recent estimates, in 2021 travel nurses earned an average hourly pay rate of $124.96; three times higher than that of staff nurses.
Due to this discrepancy in pay rates, 47% of staff nurses have abandoned their positions for travel nursing assignments.
In this article, we will emphasize the significance of education and preparation specific to travel nursing before delving into popular specializations in this field.
Travel Nursing Education and Prep Before venturing into specific specializations, it’s essential to discuss the education and preparation necessary for travel nursing. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is often considered the minimum educational requirement; however, certain facilities may prefer or even mandate higher degrees.
Earning relevant certifications like Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) can further increase your marketability.
To further your career in travel nursing, it is wise to pursue specialized training or certification programs in areas like critical care, emergency nursing, labor and delivery, pediatrics, operating room nursing or medical-surgical nursing. Such programs will equip you with essential knowledge and skills specific to the specialty in which you choose to specialize, making you more competitive candidate than ever before.
Elmhurst University suggests that gaining experience across healthcare applications – clinics, hospitals or long-term care institutions – will help make you a more versatile travel nurse. Seek opportunities to work in other departments or units so as to build up your skill set more comprehensively.