A lot of nurses in the US are looking to settle down at a facility close to their own homes and work a steady job with a steady salary and added benefits that are typically provided to long-term employees.
However, there are others – those who are looking for a different thing in life. Perhaps it is an adventure, perhaps it’s just better short-term earnings or something else entirely. Those people choose to take on the role of a traveling nurse. Those are the people who come to us at Ventura MedStaff.
Today, we have decided to tackle the topic of domestic versus international traveling contracts. Ventura offers a variety of domestic, as well as some international contract, but to truly understand what you would be signing up for, it might be useful to understand a bit more about both types of travel nursing.
What All Travel Nurses Do
Travel nurses in general are expected to do pretty much the same kinds of tasks as their salaried colleagues. Depending on your qualifications and specializations, you can expect your workload to be different. For instance, if you are a neonatal nurse, it is unlikely that you will be asked to assist in surgeries or bandage up ER injuries.
However, if you don’t have a specialization or you’ve applied for a spot that is specifically designated as a general nurse, your workload will likely be very diverse. You will likely be taking on tasks such as administration work, giving patients their therapy, keeping track of the patients’ conditions, helping family members with their needs, and explaining the procedures to them.
Domestic Travel Nurse
When it comes to people who opt to pursue the travel nurse career within the US, there are not too many differences between travel nurses and regular full-time employees. Your scope of work and responsibilities will be determined by your contract, as will the duration of your stay at the facility of choice. Typically, a travel nurse contract within the US lasts anywhere between eight and thirteen weeks, though aberrations from this rule do exist.
One thing you need to take care of before you can start your travel nursing contract is the issue of your nursing license. In the past, each state had their own rules and registries (and they still do) – meaning that a nurse from one state cannot work in a different state without passing the host state’s nurse licensing procedures. This has changed in the past years with the nursing licensure compact.
International Travel Nurses
On the other hand, international travelers have a much more complex task ahead of them. Not only do they need to have all of the knowledge and experience in their chosen medical field, they might also have other requirements that they need to fulfill.
For one, depending on the country of their assignment, international travelers might need to comply with the regulations that the host country requires, including in terms of vaccination, documentation, or even qualifications. In counties where a different language is official, travelers might be required to pass additional qualification tests.
How Ventura Can Help
Currently, Ventura MedStaff is focused on finding travel nurse contracts primarily for travelers within the United States because the procedures are simpler and the opportunities much better.
However, there are some interesting postings available in Canada, as well as some more exotic locations such as the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
If you feel like you are ready to take the plunge and start your career as a travel nurse, either domestically or abroad, reach out to us and our recruiters will make sure you have the best possible experience and all the information you need to make an informed decision and set of on the career and personal experience of a lifetime.
