Benefits and Disadvantages of international travel nursing

Travel nursing in an exciting opportunity for nurses and other health care professionals to work at the nations most prestigious facilities, earn a great pay, get generous bonuses, enjoy living in various cities around the country, and live in free, quality housing offered by various companies.

Benefits
Travel nursing gives you the opportunity to grow as a health care professional and expand your knowledge base by allowing you to learn new skills and practices in a variety of clinical settings.

Nursing is a great profession to be able to see other countries. Many countries are in a severe nursing shortage right now and travel nurse staffing concerns are making it very easy to come in and work.

Travel Nursing Jobs and assignments are very flexible and travel nurses can live in top locations across the nation or choose local travel assignments. One of the greatest benefits offered to travel nurses
is free, private housing. Cirrus Medical’s standard housing package consists of a one-bedroom apartment with a furnished den, kitchenette and bedroom. Cirrus ensures that housing is safe, clean and close to the facility. Cirrus will also contribute $75.00 a month towards utility usage.

Training
You need to have achieved a RN (Registered Nurse) degree, at the very least. This can be achieved a number of ways. You can go through a traditional four-year BSN, a hospital based diploma (typically taking three-years), or a two year ADN program. Even after schooling, you will need one year of work experience, at a minimum. Make sure that this experience is in your specialty, or you may not be eligible for travel assignments inside your specialty.

Finding the Travel Job
The first step is to find a travel nursing company. There are hundreds of these available. They may handle local, national, or even global assignments. The traveling nursing agency is essentially a job recruiter. They help you with handling the details of your assignment, including relocation or registering with any local authorities. They offer guidance in location and focus. Most assignments last 13 weeks, but you can usually renew your contract if you wish to stay longer. Some of the leading travel nursing companies in the United States are the Cross Country TravCorps, American Mobile Healthcare, Preferred Healthcare Staffing, Medical Express, O'Grady Peyton International, and Nurses Rx.

Disadvantages
Individuals with family ties and tight knit friendships may find it difficult to travel. Relationships may be strained when communication is stretched. For those who seek permanence and stability – a transitory lifestyle may be intimidating and unsettling. In addition, those who have forged friendships with co-workers may find it disheartening to leave upon completion of the temporary employment assignment. A definite resilience to new situations and settings should be a prerequisite to travel nursing. Those inquiring of a position should be sure to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages, and not make a hasty decision.