Are you a nurse considering options that will bring you “more?” More income, more excitement, more career options, and more benefits? Becoming a travel nurse might be for you.

Did you know that travel nurses can easily see a six-figure salary and earn more than nurses working in permanent, staff jobs? Travel nursing can be very lucrative, and beyond a paycheck, it’s where freedom, adventure, and professional growth merge. You can embark on a journey that explores diverse landscapes, immerses you in new cultures, and expands your nursing skills.

As the demand for skilled nurses rises, travel nursing positions are more accessible than ever, inviting new and seasoned nurses to see new places and explore new settings. Numerous benefits make travel nursing a powerful and enticing career move.

What is a travel nurse?

A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who accepts temporary or short-term assignments at hospitals and clinics that require additional staff. An assignment typically lasts between 8 and 26 weeks. Travel nurses can work in busy city hospitals, rural clinics and specialty centers in areas all over the U.S. Travel nurses work through staffing agencies, which hire them according to positions that suit their skill set and travel preferences.

10 Unique Benefits of Travel Nursing

Travel nurses can work in various clinical settings, experiencing the unique cultures of different communities while enhancing their skills and earning a competitive salary.

Here are ten benefits of travel nursing:

1. Explore new locations

The job of a travel nurse comes with the side benefit of exploring new areas within the country. Have you ever considered spending time on California beaches, the mountains of Colorado, or working in New York City? As a travel nurse, you can take up assignments in locations that resonate with your passions. Each new contract allows you to explore a new city or region and explore everything that part of the country has to offer.

2. Higher pay

With each nursing travel job comes an increase in overall pay compared to what staff nurses receive. In addition to earning a decent base salary, tax-free travel, food, and housing payments are other financial incentives. Agencies typically offer set bonuses above all other payment incentives; therefore, the incentive outweighs the payment balance. Bonuses like referring a friend can help you earn more money.

3. Subsidized housing and stipends

The travel nursing profession involves a lot of relocating, but nursing agencies make it easier by providing complimentary, fully furnished housing or offering generous housing allowances. With their agency’s assistance, you won’t have to stress about your accommodations in a new city. Nurses can use the housing stipend to rent an apartment, stay with friends, or even try short-term vacation rentals if preferred.

4. Flexibility and control over your schedule

Unlike other specializations within the medical field, travel nursing allows for great flexibility. You can pick where and when you want to work and for how long. Do you feel like going on a month-long trip during your contracted period? Well, you can. This amount of free time and control over one’s schedule is not typical in other nursing jobs, so this is a huge benefit as a travel nurse.

5. Enhanced professional skills

Diverse clinical experiences await you during each new assignment. As a travel nurse, you encounter different healthcare settings, each with its own protocols, technology, and patient populations. This exposure enhances your adaptability, making you a more marketable and well-rounded nurse. Many travel nurses, for example, find that they develop competencies in multiple specialties within a short timeframe, enabling them to take on higher or leadership positions.

6. Expand your professional network

Through assignments in various states, travel nursing allows you to connect with different professionals in the nursing field. Meeting new coworkers and collaborating with diverse teams helps you build relationships with individuals from other disciplines. Establishing a strong professional network is vital in healthcare. You’ll rely on your network when seeking new jobs, needing a reference, or asking for professional advice.

7. Work in underserved areas

As a travel nurse, you may encounter assignments in “hot spots” where staffing shortages are coupled with high service demands. By accepting these positions, you provide nursing care to areas that urgently need your skills and healthcare experience. These may be rural locations or even inner-city hospitals. If you feel compelled to work with different types of patients across multiple socioeconomic groups, travel nursing is a great career option.

8. Break the routine

Travel nursing gets you out of the daily routine. Changing location, work setting, colleagues, and even the patients you work with through travel nursing keeps your career interesting. Plus, having variety in your work can help you avoid burnout. You keep your skills fresh, see new areas, experience new ways of working, and interact with new people…the perfect formula for preventing work “sameness.”

9. Individual development and exploration

Travel nursing demands personal growth, self-development, and professional advancement like any career. Travel nurses grow at a different pace due to their varied living and working conditions in other locations. New locations and travel adventures, including sightseeing, trying new cuisines, and experiencing distinctive cultures, enrich your life in many ways.

10. Job security

Jobs in travel nursing are always available. There’s a high demand for travel nurses, and stable work is always available, guaranteeing job security. The latest statistics show over 1.5 million travel nurses are working in the U.S. Travel nurses still remain a crucial part of the healthcare delivery system in the U.S. and the demand isn’t diminishing.

Travel nursing: find a job you love

Travel nursing is a career that has a lot to offer, financially, professionally and personally. It’s an occupation and a way of exploring new cultures, traditions, and places, all while building a career out of it. Would you like to experience personal and professional growth while exploring new cultures? Become part of Team StaffDNA and get started. Search open roles nationwide, create a profile and apply to jobs you love today!