The aging population combined with the ramifications from COVID-19 have caused travel nurses to be in increasingly high demand. Healthcare facilities of all varieties are facing a nurse staffing shortage and are relying on travel nurses to fill the gap.
Let’s find out how Ascendo Resources can help travel nurses prepare, work, and persevere.
Why Travel Nurses Are So Important
Travel nurses allow patient care to remain continuous when otherwise, patients would not be able to receive the care they need. Healthcare organizations of all settings utilize travel nurses when faced with staffing shortages to help prevent a lapse inpatient care.
Traits of a Successful Travel Nurse
The most important trait that a travel nurse must have is a passion for providing quality care. Successful travel nurses understand that their role is to provide care for patients that need it. Without them, the patient would not be able to receive the care they need to reach their full potential under their current treatment plan.
Travel nurses must be able to quickly adapt to various situations. Having flexibility in working various shift types and on-call availability is crucial to having successful contracts as a travel nurse.
How to Ace a Nursing Interview
The keys to impressing a hiring manager for a travel nurse job are similar to impressing a hiring manager for any other job. Nurses must be prepared to discuss their experience in detail including their education, work, and volunteering while displaying interpersonal skills which are as important as technical skills.
Travel nurses should have a positive attitude and a demeanor that convinces the hiring manager that they will be a non-disruptive fit socially. They should demonstrate their interest in the job by asking the hiring manager questions pertinent to the job, focusing on details that the manager omitted. If the interview goes well and it is a good fit for both parties, the medical organization may make a verbal offer. They should refrain from accepting immediately and should coordinate with a recruiter first.
At Ascendo Resources, our experienced travel nursing recruiters will prepare you thoroughly before your interview.
How Travel Nurses Should Handle Their Licenses
One of the most important tasks for travel nurses is keeping their medical licenses current. They should keep track of the requirements and due dates associated with their licenses and ensure that they are renewed promptly to prevent lapses in employment. Travel nurses that plan on working in multiple states should consider multi-state licenses as an alternative to multiple state-specific licenses.
Those seeking short-term engagements should focus on states with “walk-through” licenses which can be acquired in a matter of days.
Employment Assistance for Travel Nurses
Due to the travel and temporary engagements, travel nurses should seek employers that offer either employment housing or a housing stipend. Having no place to stay or residing in a substandard facility can quickly outweigh the benefits and pay associated with the assignment. They rarely receive benefit packages from their clients, but nurses that work with a staffing agency may be eligible for standard employee benefits such as health plans and 401K plans.
Some staffing agencies focus on specific geographic regions and a travel nurse that wants to stay within a certain state or area should work with the agency that has a strong presence in that area. They should seek hiring agencies with reasonable, flexible policies for missing shifts as losing a job due to an unforeseen circumstance and being several hundred miles away from home can be a miserable situation for anyone.
Ascendo has a strong healthcare staffing presence in Florida and has helped hundreds of healthcare workers and medical organizations find a perfect fit. For more information, please contact Ascendo Healthcare today!
Housing Assistance for Travel Nurses
Travel nurses should seek agencies that offer temporary housing assistance. Having an agency that can assist with housing is especially helpful when traveling to an unfamiliar location. Most reputable staffing agencies will offer some form of housing assistance.
If they decide to handle their own housing, it is important to not sign long-term leases, as well as verify that the unit will be furnished if needed. Travel nurses should research housing in the job’s area as early as possible, especially since hiring managers may make a hiring decision quickly. Being informed on the housing options and prices associated with the engagement can help prevent any last minute surpirses.
Looking for a Travel Nursing Career? Contact Ascendo Healthcare
Ascendo Resources helps workers in multiple industries – including healthcare – find their next position. We pride ourselves on training and preparing job seekers, responding to their needs and concerns swiftly and professionally. We guide travel nurses and establish long-lasting professional relationships that will serve travel nurses well throughout their careers.
Please feel free to contact us by filling out our online form or by contacting one of our offices.
