By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Buddy Wiltcher, EdD, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Interim Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Reading Time: 10 minutes
What if your nursing career could take you to a new city every few months? Travel nursing lets you do exactly that, giving you the flexibility to choose where you work and build your career without tying yourself to one employer.
If this sounds like your ideal nursing career, your journey starts with the same foundation as any nurse’s, starting with the right education. After that, there are a few extra steps around licensure, experience and choosing the right agency.
Learn everything you need to know about how to become a travel nurse, including how the field differs from staff nursing, its requirements and a clear step-by-step roadmap to help you get started.
A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who performs the same core duties, but for shorter time periods and at different institutions based on their assignments. They typically fill temporary staffing shortages at general medical and surgical hospitals, and nursing care facilities.
Travel nurses may be responsible for:
Unlike staff nurses who work in one location, travel nurses regularly move between assignments in varying locations. You typically get these assignments through a travel nurse staffing agency. Each contract can last for a few weeks or even months.
Travel nurses are expected to become productive with minimal orientation, meaning they must quickly adapt to different workflows, teams, systems and environments. Adaptability is a key skill for a career in travel nursing.
You also need to be a strong communicator, have excellent time management and be emotionally resilient to be a successful travel nurse. Education is the first step to developing these skills.
Before you can apply for your first travel nursing position, you’ll need to meet a set of baseline travel nurse requirements. While specifics can vary by agency, specialty and state, most travel nursing positions require:
For nurses who need to complete or advance their nursing degree before pursuing travel positions, Capella offers online nursing degree programs that can be completed alongside clinical work.
Every employer and state has unique requirements for travel nurse qualifications. When applying for a travel nurse role, you can confirm if you meet the specific requirements through your agency and the facility. You also need to check your state’s licensing and education requirements to ensure your chosen educational program meets regulations.
Now that you know what you need to have to become a travel nurse, let’s look at the how. Here are the general steps to become a travel nurse, although everyone’s specific career path can vary.
Every travel nurse starts as a registered nurse, and there are two main educational paths to get there: an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
An ADN teaches you nursing essentials and can be completed faster than a bachelor’s degree. However, a BSN degree provides a more comprehensive education and equips you with both practical and soft skills.
A BSN is also required to enroll in advanced nursing degrees and can qualify you to pursue more specialized roles.
If you’re already a licensed RN, you can build on your skills and expertise while continuing to work through an online RN-to-BSN degree.
During this type of program, you can combine your online education with hands-on experience through supervised clinical experience and skills labs led by experienced nursing professionals.
If you’re new to the field, you can enroll in a BSN (Prelicensure)* program to develop career-focused skills.
*The BSN (Prelicensure) program at Capella University is available in select states.
Accreditation for nursing programs
Whichever path you choose, look for programs accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Accreditation indicates that a nursing program meets the established national standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications and student outcomes.
Both the RN-to-BSN and BSN (Prelicensure) programs at Capella are accredited by the CCNE. Learn more about accreditations and what they mean for nursing programs through this guide.
If you don’t currently hold an active RN license, the next major milestone is passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). This standardized exam is designed to test whether you’re ready to practice safely as a nurse. After passing the exam, you can apply for your RN license through your state’s board of nursing.
For travel nursing, it’s worth looking into the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) early in the process. The NLC is a multi-state agreement that allows licensed RNs to practice across participating states without needing to apply for a separate license in each one. This can simplify your licensure and documentation requirements significantly as a travel nurse.
Use this travel nursing FAQ by the NLC to learn more about this nursing license.
Licensure and certification requirements differ for every state and role. You need to review the specific regulations that apply to you before enrolling in a nursing program.
Additional certifications and licenses
After acquiring your RN license, you may need additional certifications, such as the Basic Life Support (BLS) certification or the Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification, required for many adult-care settings.
You can complete these certifications through the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or other reputable organizations.
Depending on your specialty, you may also need additional credentials. For example, an ICU registered nurse could benefit from the Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) credential.
Here’s a handy guide on the different types of nursing certifications you can pursue and what they teach you.
Before a travel nursing agency will place you on assignment, you’ll typically need one to two years of clinical experience as an RN, depending on the agency and role.
This requirement is there because travel nurses are expected to walk into new environments and start contributing almost immediately, often with less preparation and hand-holding than a new permanent hire would receive. The confidence and clinical judgment you build in a staff role are what make that possible.
If you’re early in your career and unsure where to specialize, gaining experience in multiple areas can open up assignment options down the line.
Most first-time travel nurses stick to domestic assignments, but it’s worth knowing your options before you start applying.
Domestic travel nursing is more manageable for new travel nurses in the U.S. because the NLC can simplify licensure, onboarding can move faster and pay structures can be more familiar.
International travel nursing is a different process entirely. Every country has different degree, visa and licensure requirements, and it takes more research and time to figure things out.
That said, international assignments can be an exciting option for experienced travel nurses. If international work interests you, look for an agency that specializes in placing nurses abroad, as not all domestic agencies handle these placements.
Your agency shapes everything from your pay and benefits to the support you receive after you start your assignment. There are five important aspects to consider before choosing your agency.
Once you find an agency, you need to understand what a fair contract looks like so you can protect yourself when you’re on the road.
Contract red flags to look out for
Travel nursing contracts can be more complex than standard employment agreements, and first-time travel nurses are especially vulnerable to terms that favor the agency or facility over the nurse. Before you sign a contract, watch out for common warning signs.
It’s important to read your contract fully and ask for clarification on anything unclear before you commit. Here are some key questions you can ask a nurse staffing agency before signing:
Once you’ve signed with a travel nurse agency, you can start applying for jobs. You will need a strong resume and cover letter that highlight your experience and certifications. Apart from that, here are five tips to help you pursue travel nursing jobs:
Every travel nurse’s journey looks a little different, but following these steps gives you a strong, well-prepared foundation to start from.
The travel nurse lifestyle requires a specific set of soft skills to thrive.
You can build these soft skills throughout your education, through nursing practicums and resources like the Career Development Center at Capella, where you can learn from nursing alumni.
Becoming a travel nurse requires education, licensure, clinical experience and a willingness to adapt to new environments. If you value flexibility and feel confident stepping into unfamiliar situations, travel nursing may be a great career path.
Capella offers two online nursing programs at the bachelor’s level: a BSN (Prelicensure) program for students new to nursing and an RN-to-BSN program for nurses who already hold an active RN license.
Taught by experienced nursing professionals, Capella’s online nursing degrees are a great option to prepare you for a career in travel nursing.
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