The third week of September is Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Week, a great time to take stock of your career and make sure it’s going in the right direction. And that’s especially true if you work as a travel nurse, where there’s a whole world of opportunities waiting for you — some of which you may not know about!
You probably do know that travel nursing is one of the best ways to develop your nursing skills, knowledge, and expertise. But those benefits don’t always come automatically. With that in mind, here are five specific steps you can take to fast-track your career development with travel nursing jobs, and some specific ways to do it.
5 Ways to Fast-Track Your Career Development With Travel Nursing Jobs
Tip #1: Get on-the-job training by working travel nursing jobs in new specialties.
One of the biggest benefits of traveling is developing skills in adjacent specialties. Employers are often willing to hire travel nurses for urgent assignments while they source more qualified long-term applicants. Of course, you’ll need to have similar skills and clinical experience — and the more relevant certifications you have, the better.
How to do it: For example, if you have ICU experience, you can probably land a travel job in an emergency department, and vice versa — especially since nurses are in such high demand in those settings. Or if you’re a pediatric nurse, you may be able to branch out into PICU jobs.
Tip #2: Expand your skill set in your chosen specialty with travel nursing jobs in new settings.
By offering the chance to work with new equipment, different types of patients, or the latest clinical best practices, traveling can be a great way to develop skills in the specialty you already work in. You can also get up to speed on advances in technology — a must in certain roles where it changes fast, like telehealth or dialysis care.
How to do it: Start by finding a travel job in a different type of facility than where you usually work. For instance, if most of your experience has been in hospitals, look for roles in outpatient settings. Whatever you choose, simply working a variety of different travel jobs over the course of a few years can expose you to new equipment, EHR systems, clinical protocols, patient conditions, and lots more — all of which can boost your career prospects and earning power.
Tip #3: Align your travel assignments with must-attend events.
Conferences, workshops, and other events are excellent opportunities to network, earn CE credits, and meet recruiters and employers across the U.S.A. But for busy full-time nurses, it’s not always easy to take the time to travel to them. By planning ahead, you can align an upcoming travel assignment with an important event, giving yourself double the career benefits.
How to do it: For example, travel events like TravCon take place in Las Vegas every September, and taking an autumn assignment in Nevada makes it easy to attend. At events like this, you’ll meet fellow nurses and healthcare travel companies such as HealthTrust — all great opportunities to grow your network and further develop your nursing career.
Tip #4: Focus on networking — and follow through!
Another key benefit of travel nursing is meeting new people, from co-workers to clinical managers to recruiters and executives. In addition to simply making friends, some of these folks could connect you with key opportunities down the road, especially since they’ll have first-hand experience of your skills, attitude, and team spirit.
How to do it: Having a friendly, can-do attitude during your assignment is essential, but it’s only the first step. Make sure to connect on LinkedIn, too, and then use it to stay in touch — for instance, by planning meet-ups at conferences. And this benefit works both ways! If your new friends are seeking opportunities, you can also refer them to your current employer or agency.
Tip #5: Get NPD certified!
Although its main focus may be on helping other nurses develop skills, a Nursing Professional Development (NPD) certification can offer other benefits to your career. For instance, it can help open the door to a wide variety of new job opportunities, including leadership roles — everything from nursing coach, unit educator, and staff development coordinator to charge nurse, shift manager, clinical supervisor, and much more.
How to do it: Valid for five years, the Nursing Professional Development certification is offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Ready to advance your career prospects with new travel opportunities? You’ll find plenty at the HealthTrust Workforce Solutions travel jobsite! Visit healthtrustjobs.com to search for open positions now.
