Where Can Travel Nursing Take You in 2012?
By Melissa Wirkus, contributor
January 23, 2012 - What do a beach, a major teaching hospital and your own backyard have in common?
These are all places that travel nursing can take you and your nursing career this year. Whether you are looking for an assignment in a faraway city, experience at a prestigious facility or the chance to try something different while staying close to home, travel nursing can take you there.
One of the many perks of a travel nursing career is the plethora of choices and options available. As a travel nurse you have the freedom to choose your specialty, the location, length of assignment and so much more. Read on to discover the breadth of assignments and choices that can unfold in the coming year.
Specialty trends and assignment variations
Although travel nursing assignments are available in a broad range of specialty areas due to the differing needs of each hospital, there are some specialties that are more in demand than others. The location of the assignment, a nurse's experience in the specialty and a variety of other factors all impact which specialty positions are available for individual travelers.
Emily Hirsch, senior recruitment manager at leading travel nurse staffing company American Mobile Healthcare, an AMN Healthcare company, gave examples of several specialties that look especially strong for 2012. "Although jobs are plentiful across the board, in the past several months I have seen a big increase in labor and delivery (L&D) positions and PICU. These are more unique specialties so the pay rates have been increasing, as well," Hirsch said.
Hirsch explained that the more "traditional" travel nursing specialties--ICU, ER, pediatrics and surgical specialties--will also be great options for travel nurses throughout the year.
"ICU, CVICU, CVOR and OR are always going to be hot travel positions, but unique specialties such as case management have also increased for travel nursing; 2012 is going to be a great year," she said.
In terms of assignment lengths, nurses will find they have many options in addition to the traditional 13-week model.
"We get shorter contracts that run from 4 to 12 weeks; they are typically what we call 'fast response' contracts where the facility is looking for someone to start ASAP for just a short time. These rapid response jobs always pay more, as well."
"We also get longer contracts that can be anywhere from 13 to 26 months. These are nice for travelers who are looking for longer term options."
The traditional 13-week assignments continue to be the most popular, however, and opportunities for these jobs have shown exponential growth over the last couple of years, according to Hirsch. In short, today’s job market for travel nurses has more choices for assignment lengths than ever before; plus, individual contracts can often be extended.
“Eighty percent of the time, if a traveler likes a facility and the facility likes them they can extend [an assignment contract].”
Locations and settings: Endless options
Many nurses choose to travel for the freedom-of-location aspect. The travel lifestyle is a great option for a nurse who has a goal of living in a number of cities before settling down; it can also be the perfect option for someone who is thinking about making a permanent move to a new city, but wants to take a "trial run" first.
With travel nursing, you can take an assignment wherever you'd like, and as Hirsch explained, the options this year seem almost endless.
“There is also a plethora of location options for travelers," she said. "We truly have positions from the West Coast in California out to the East Coast to New York City, and everything in between!"
The state of California has traditionally been a hotbed for travel, and Hirsch verified that the Golden State is booming for travel nursing again this year. "We have so many great positions across the state," she confirmed. "The Northeast is also very strong, especially places like Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania."
Regardless of where you want travel nursing to take you, Hirsch has a few pointers for making the most of your travel nursing experience.
"Your recruiter is the expert. They can help you find the job that is best for you, so it pays to listen to their advice. They know which places have a higher probability of granting you an interview and ultimately an offer, for instance.”
“I encourage my travelers to have multiple places that they are open to going to; the more options the better,” she added. “I have many nurses who end up going to a location that they never considered before, and love it and stay there for a year.”
"I am so excited for 2012," Hirsch concluded. "Travel nursing is such a great option if you are looking to expand your horizons, build your résumé, see different parts of the country and make great money while you are at it. There is no drawback to traveling as long as you are open to different locations."
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