So, you’re a travel nurse with no experience. Think back to when you were in school. No, not nursing school, I’m talking elementary school. You might have been one of those kids who had a parent that needed to move around a lot for work. Do you remember the feeling? The new kid. You might have sweaty palms right now from just thinking about it. A new environment, new peers, and new things to learn. As a travel nurse with no experience, you might just feel like the new kid on the first day of school all over again. Below we’re going to provide some guidance on how to navigate your first experience travel nursing. Let’s check it out!
Travel Nurse With No Experience
New Programs
Up until recently, there was no such thing as a travel nurse with no experience. In fact, it was a requirement that a new graduate travel nurse complete at least one year of traditional nursing. This was to ensure that they were able to handle the strenuous schedule that nurses work as well as find a specific specialty or area that they might enjoy. Most hospitals were just too hesitant to hire a travel nurse with no experience at all. However, as the great Bob Dylan put it, “times are a-changin’.”
Some hospitals are now offering new grad nursing jobs for travel nurses with less than a year of experience, which is giving nurses the opportunity to dive headfirst into this new and exciting career. Of course, there are certain criteria that you’ll have to meet. You’ll need to have graduated with high marks as well as have the flexibility and work ethic to begin your travel nursing experience. the good news it that your level of experience doesn’t really affect your pay as a travel nurse. Therefore, you can dive into this new career and still make pretty decent money. Here’s a video that explains travel nurse pay for you:
Tips For a Travel Nurse With No Experience
So, you’re a travel nurse with no experience and you’re just about to jump in the deep end. Before you get started, we thought it might be a good idea to provide some tips and tricks to ensure that your first assignment goes smoothly. Below we’ll provide a few pieces of advice for a travel nurse with no experience.
Be Flexible – One of the most important things as a travel nurse with no experience is to be flexible. You most likely won’t get to pick and choose your destinations like a veteran travel nurse would, however, you will have some say in your destination. It’s important to keep your options open when traveling. Hospital like travel nurses who are willing to travel at a moment’s notice.
Be Organized – There are many facets of organization when it comes to being a travel nurse with no experience. Let’s start with the paperwork. A travel nurse will need to make sure his or her licensure paperwork and any other employment paperwork are in order. Make sure your health and immunization records are up to date. Prepare for your phone interview. Bring copies of any necessary documentation to your first day.
It’s also good to make sure your housing situation is in order. In most cases, your employer and/or recruiter will work together to find the appropriate housing. However, you’ll still want to make sure you’ve got everything packed and ready for the move before you embark on your new assignment.
Ask Questions – As a travel nurse with no experience, one of the best things you can do is ask questions! Hospitals want someone who they can onboard as quickly as possible. One way to expedite that process is to ask questions. You might think that these questions can bog down the process, but it actually prevents mistakes in the future. Asking questions shows that you can admit when you don’t understand something, and is a great way to get on the same page with your peers.
If you have any other questions about beginning your travel nurse journey, feel free to comment them below!
