What is a Travel Nurse?

A travel nurse is a skilled medical professional (RN) Registered Nurse, (LPN/LVN) Licensed Practical Nurse, or Vocational Nurse. These nurses are called Travel Nurses because they must travel 50 + miles from their permanent residence to work as professional nurses. Travel Nurses differ from local nurses due to the miles required to be considered a travel nurse. Nurses who live within 50 miles of the facility are often referred to as Local Nurses as defined by many travel nursing companies. Travel nurses work for a staffing agency rather than directly for the hospital, doctor's office, or other healthcare institutions.

However, more and more hospitals have created internal travel nurse programs since the pandemic. Travel Nurses accept short-term assignments as short as 4 - 6 weeks and as long as 13 - 52 weeks if needed. However, the average travel nurse placements range from 8 - 26 weeks. Travel nurses often travel to various cities and facilities to find travel assignments. To be a good Travel Nurse, you must thrive in new environments, sometimes at a fast pace, all while integrating with a new healthcare team.