How To Become a Travel Nurse

Students interested in becoming a travel nurse can start preparing in high school by building a strong foundation in science courses like biology, anatomy and chemistry, while also developing communication and critical thinking skills. Volunteering at hospitals, clinics or long-term care facilities can provide early exposure to patient care and help confirm your interest in nursing. 

After high school, the first step toward fulfilling the travel nurse requirements is to earn a nursing degree. While aspiring travel nurses may pursue an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a BSN is typically preferred by agencies.^{(See disclaimer 3)} A BSN degree is a full-time program that combines classroom instruction, skills labs, immersive simulation and clinical rotations designed to instill nursing knowledge, clinical reasoning, critical thinking and hands-on patient care. There are other options to earn a BSN degree outside of a traditional pre-licensure program, such as through an accelerated BSN or RN to BSN program. 

After graduating from your pre-licensure program, your next step is to study for and pass the NCLEX-RN^{(See disclaimer ®)} exam. This credential will then allow you to practice as a registered nurse.

All travel nurse staffing agencies have their own requirements. However, it’s common for them to require aspiring travel nurses to have at least two years of RN work experience.^{(See disclaimer 2)} Consider obtaining employment at a local hospital or clinic and work on refining your nursing knowledge and clinical skills.

Travel nurses typically maintain the same core certifications required for many RN roles, such as Basic Life Support (BLS) and, depending on the specialty, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).^{(See disclaimer 3)} While there isn’t a single certification required specifically for travel nursing, earning nationally recognized specialty credentials may help you stand out and qualify for more assignments. 

Certifications such as the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) or Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) may strengthen your clinical credibility and expand the types of travel contracts you’re eligible for through staffing agencies.^{(See disclaimer 3)}