Coast Medical Service is a travel nursing staffing company that helps nurses and facilities find the perfect match right away. As a travel nurse, you may be called upon to move cities or states for a short-term job that has very specific requirements. While it’s important to decide if travel nursing is the ideal position for you, there are certain things you should look out for — even after you become an experienced travel nurse. Check out our top pieces of advice for travel nurses here.

1. Versatility and Flexibility

Since we see so many nurses come and go through our travel nursing company, we know exactly what makes certain candidates so attractive to facilities that need a nurse right away. While you can communicate your scheduling preferences, nurses who are flexible and versatile are hired more frequently.

Your flexibility also decrees whether you’re even available for some of the most common travel assignments. Rapid response and “crisis” assignments are among the most frequently requested for travel nurses — often requiring you to arrive within days of being hired.

2. Understanding Bonuses

When reviewing offers with your travel nursing company recruiter, you may run into a number of bonus offers including:

• Sign-On Bonuses
• Completion Bonuses
• Retention or Referral Bonuses

Understand the differences between these bonuses before accepting a job. Sometimes, the bonus is offered through the agency and other times it’s through the hospital. What type of bonus they are, when you get them, and how they relate to your bill rate changes from offer to offer. Don’t be shy about asking your recruiter bonus-specific questions to ensure you know exactly how much you’re getting and when you’re getting it.

3. Maintain Multiple State Licenses

If you’ve specified to your travel nursing company that you’re willing to work out of state, you need to research the license requirements for the places you may be sent. Tell your recruiter where you’re interested in working so you can maintain licenses in those states. Most hospitals won’t even look at your resume if you’re not already registered in their state! While some states have a license turnaround of 48 hours, other states (like California) can take up to six months to process your paperwork. Getting started early increases your chances of getting hired.

4. Communicate Your Needs

There are a lot of benefits of working with a travel nursing company, and your recruiter is one of them. They are a prime connection between you and the assignments you want. Tell them everything you’re looking for including compensation, bonus requirements, scheduling, and specialty preferences. If they don’t know what you need, they won’t know where to look.

Work with Our Team

At Coast Medical Service, we want you to succeed. As a travel nursing company, our recruiters are looking for every opportunity that meets your requirements to help you find a job you love. Start the application process or reach out to one of our team members today!