How To Complete Your RN to BSN as a Travel Nurse

Are you a practicing Registered Nurse (RN) who dreams of travel and adventure? If you are a person who thrives on change and new challenges, a career as a travel nurse may be the one for you. Keep reading to learn how becoming a travel nurse is as easy as completing an RN to BSN program and gaining clinical nursing experience.

Do I Need To Complete an RN-to-BSN To Become a Travel Nurse?

Travel nurses are RNs who work on a contract basis to fill short-term (usually 3 to 12 months) healthcare staffing needs. They can earn a decent paycheck every week, depending upon their specialty — plus generous benefits.

Since healthcare systems and hospitals often require Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees, many travel nurse staffing agencies prefer to hire registered nurses who have completed a BSN.

Being a travel nurse is a demanding role that requires highly skilled nurses who can adapt to many types of environments quickly. The skills taught through a BSN program lay the foundation for such nursing skills, and specialization plus experience enhance them.

Keep reading to learn how to complete an RN to BSN to become a travel nurse.

Why Should I Go Through an RN to BSN Program and Become a Travel Nurse?

The advantages of graduating from an RN to BSN program include increased job options, higher pay, and enhanced levels of patient care that a BSN degree provides.

Some of the primary benefits of becoming a travel nurse are:

• Opportunity to live in and explore diverse cultural and geographical environments
• Chance to gain a variety of nursing experiences
• Higher earnings
• Stipends for meals, housing, and airfare
• Generous and competitive benefits packages

What Are the Steps To Become a Travel Nurse If You're an RN with an Associate Degree?

Travel nurses have the same requirements as all RNs. Specializations and certifications — such as ICU, medical-surgical, operating room, emergency care, pediatrics, obstetrics, or infection control — can give you an advantage. One in six travel nurses works in ICU.

If you are currently an RN, you should have already passed the NCLEX Exam to receive RN licensure. If you need to retake the exam or sit it in another state, be sure to do that after receiving your BSN degree.

1. Enroll in an RN to BSN Degree from an Accredited Program

Most travel nurse staffing agencies and healthcare systems prefer to hire RNs who have a BSN degree.

2. Gain Clinical Nursing Experience

Travel nurses need to be skilled enough to plunge into assignments without much on-the-job training. As a practicing RN, you may already have a good deal of clinical experience. If not, try to gain as much bedside nursing as you can (at least one to two years) since more experience will give you better placements as a travel nurse.

3. Find a Travel Nursing Agency

In recent years, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, many travel nurse staffing agencies have emerged. Be sure to research the reputation of any travel nurse agency and study their contracts carefully in terms of salary and benefits, travel, and housing arrangements.

4. Be Sure to Have the Correct Travel Nurse Licensure

Each travel nurse must have a valid nursing license in the state where they intend to practice. If you earned your initial RN license in a state that participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), you will not need to apply for another license to work in any other NLC state.

However, since not all states are NLC members, you may need to apply for a license in any non-NLC state before starting your contract. However, many states changed licensure requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Can I Enroll in an RN to BSN Program To Become a Travel Nurse?

While many schools offer RN to BSN programs in which you can enroll, here are some programs that are especially interested in training travel nurses.

As a travel nurse, you will likely want an online RN to BSN program that allows you to study anywhere and on your schedule.

Studying as an Employee of a Travel Nurse Agency

One way to earn your RN to BSN is to sign on with a staffing agency that partners with one or more nursing schools. Some even pay for your education or provide generous scholarships

For example, the travel nurse staffing agency TNAA (Travel Nurse Across America) partners with Aspen University to offer a fully online BSN degree program that would enable you to earn your degree in as one to two years. TNAA even provides 100% tuition reimbursement after you complete the program if you meet their eligibility requirements.

Another example is Cross Country Healthcare, which partners with several academic partners such as Capella University, Chamberlain College of Nursing, and Oklahoma Christian University.

Find a University RN to BSN Program Independently

Some of the top US universities with online RN to BSN degree programs enabling you to become a travel nurse include:

• Fitchburg State University
• Herzing University
• Northern Kentucky University (NKU)
• The University of Texas at Arlington
• The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Walden University

Now Is the Best Time To Complete an RN to BSN to Become a Travel Nurse

If you're an RN who is looking for a change, take the plunge and change your life by completing your RN to BSN to become a travel nurse. Start your journey today!