What do you need to become a travel nurse?

[Extel]

My name is Ashley, I'm a senior in high school and I become a CNA in may. I want to go to college to become a LPN or even a RN if I go longer. Basically I love helping people and I like to travel. What courses or qualifications do you need to become a travel nurse?

[AmandaWIRN]

You need to be an RN (there are not very many opportunities for traveling LVN/LPN's), and you need to have at least 1-2 years of experience as an RN in your chosen specialty.

[mtmustoe]

Hey . . speaking of specialty . . how do you go about determining that? Do you need further educational courses after you get to be an RN or do you just apply to specific jobs and gain the experience in only that one area of practice?

[AmandaWIRN]

In the past, people used to say that you should work 1 year in med/surg before specializing, but that isn't really the case anymore. Most hospitals have extended orientation programs for nurses who want to go into a specialty after graduation. I did peds oncology as a new grad, and there are new grads who go into ER, ICU, L&D, etc... It really depends on what interests you, and whether or not the unit manager is willing to train a new grad. After you have started in your specialty area, there will be certifications you will be required to get for your specialty, but these are usually done in orientation for within the first year of employment.

[HeyFraydo]

Ashley,

You need:

To read alot on this forum, sites and others the inner workings of Travel Nursing.

Skills of being organized and use of Internet technologies to enhance that.

How to market yourself(networking) and negotiate.

Get a Compact license if possible (See Compact States)

BSN if want to go overseas.

Get signed letters of reference or evals with multiple contact info (learn to use flat scanner and laptop very well)

Never to soon to learn all these things as I started years before being a Travel Nurse and I'm still learning from others, experience and research.

CJ www.TravelNurseToolbox.com