Why Do Travel Nurses Need Recruiters?

Talk to any experienced travel nurse, and they’re likely to tell you how important it is to develop a good relationship with your travel nurse recruiter. It’s no overstatement, as good recruiters don’t just help you land the assignment you’re looking for — you depend on them to help you with travel arrangements, coordinating documents, submitting paperwork, arranging housing, and much more.

Having a great recruiter on your side can make all the difference in everything from enjoying the most positive experiences on the job to advancing your career. If you’re still unsure why recruiters are crucial in travel nursing, here’s a more in-depth look at the reasons.

HOW CAN A TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITER HELP YOU?

TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITERS CAN HELP CREATE YOUR DREAM POSITION

Travel nurse recruiters don’t just respond to job openings; they’re proactive, often working with medical facilities to create jobs in new, unfamiliar locations. If you’re seeking a job in a particular area with no openings, your nurse recruiter can reach out to medical facilities and work with them to find job openings that fit your background and skill set. Just let them know where you want to go and what you want to do. They will do the work from there. 

It is not just about what job you want but also what you want your schedule to be. Nurse recruiters are there to negotiate your contract. That includes how many hours you want to work or any time off you want to take. They are in your corner, making your dreams come true. 

TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITERS CAN HELP YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE

Travel nurse recruiters can offer you career advice. If you are still determining where you want to go next in your nursing career, a nurse recruiter can help you find your new path. Whether you wish to stay close to home or hit the road and explore the world, your travel nurse recruiter is there to remove any barriers standing in your way and make your transition easy.

TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITERS CAN FIND YOU THE BEST JOB FOR YOU

Travel nurse recruiters get to know their travel nurses, often both professionally and personally, so they can match qualified candidates with the best jobs that suit their personalities, skills, and other requirements. Job searching can be a frustrating, time-consuming process, but nurse recruiters can save all that effort by staying plugged into the needs of the travel nurse industry while at the same time figuring out how to meet your career goals. They know the current job market and can quickly match the right travel nurse to the right travel job needing your unique skills and talents. They know you and your work history and can find the perfect job.

TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITERS CAN KEEP YOU CONNECTED

While travel nurses can build an excellent network of contacts that can help them land coveted jobs, it can take a lot of time to develop. Nurse recruiters naturally develop professional connections with many medical facilities and other healthcare providers across the country, creating strong relationships that most travel nurses don’t have time to build. Can you imagine how long it would take to develop relationships with nursing managers and hiring professionals in every state or region around the country? A strong recruiter has connections across the healthcare industry. These connections benefit travel nurses by helping them find the perfect job to grow their careers.

TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITERS ARE THERE FOR YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

The process of starting a travel nurse career can be cumbersome and overwhelming. Your travel nurse recruiter is there to make this process easy and seamless from assignment to assignment. They will answer questions, help you with submission profiles, assist with updating your skill checklist, and bring you the most up-to-date job boards. They are there to help you navigate the exciting world of travel nursing so you can focus on patient care and not on the overwhelming task of finding your next assignment.

TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITERS ARE YOUR ADVOCATE

Travel nurse recruiters advocate for all the travel nurses they work with. Their main objective is to help their nursing candidates and clients succeed, which means the best recruiters, those who are passionate about what they do, will be fighting for you and the skills and experience you bring to the table. While their particular responsibilities can vary depending on the agency, they may do everything from placing qualified candidates in the destinations of their dreams to negotiating contracts to ensure they get the best possible pay, benefit, and housing packages among other perks. While it doesn’t often happen, if the nurse finds themselves in sub-par housing or a bad neighborhood, perhaps due to the facility being a brand-new client, and therefore the housing new as well, the nurse recruiter will resolve that problem as quickly as possible. Like with any relationship, communication is a two-way street. Your travel nurse recruiter is there for you, but they can only help if you tell them what you need.

IS CONNECTING WITH A TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITER THE BEST THING TO DO?

Yes.

As advocates for travel nurses, many recruiters work hard to empower them to be in control of their careers so that they can enjoy comfortable living and working conditions with highly competitive wages. Many are so dedicated to the job and passionate about what they do that they’re happy to lend a shoulder to their nurses if difficulties arise on the job, help resolve those issues, or even be there for them when they’re struggling with something personal. 

FAQs

Do I need a lot of nursing experience before becoming a travel nurse?

Since travel nurses get a shorter orientation time, it is usually recommended to have two years of experience before starting as a traveler.

How soon will I be able to start my first travel assignment?

You could potentially start a travel nurse job in less than 6 weeks. Time depends on job availability, nursing demand, location, background checks, and paperwork. 

Is there a location that is better than others?

The healthcare environment changes regularly, so it is difficult to say which location is best for travel nurses at any one time. It all depends on location, specialty, etc.

Is it possible to change your specialty while traveling?

It is more difficult to prove you are a component nurse in a certain specialty if you don’t already have experience, but there are ways to gain experience in other areas while working through a contract in your area of expertise.