Nurses work with travel nurse companies like AHS NurseStat to find temporary assignments in healthcare facilities all across the nation. This allows them to take advantage of a variety of experiences, amazing pay and benefits, as well as the adventure of exploring new places. You can find travel nurse assignments in practically every destination you can dream of. In this article, we’ll discuss some top destinations to consider as you look for travel nurse jobs.
How Travel Nurse Companies Help You Travel the Country
If you’re a nurse, travel nurse companies can help you travel across the United States filling in for staffing gaps in facilities of all types. There’s a high demand for travel nurses practically everywhere, which means you can achieve your travel goals as a travel nurse. Whether you’ve been dying to visit a few specific destinations or are looking to hit all 50 states, there are options for you. Our recruiters are here to help you achieve your goals and visit destinations you want to see, whether you have a few key bucket-list places, want to visit places most in need, or want to be a travel nurse across America for the ultimate adventure.
What is a Travel Nurse?
Before we get into some of the top destinations for travel nurses, first let’s talk about what a travel nurse is. Travel nurses have the same basic credentials as any other nurse: a degree and a nursing license. They have certain specialties and other additional education to help them progress in their careers and get specific jobs they want. However, the main difference is that travel nurses take short-term assignments, usually in many different places.
Most travel nurse assignments last about 13 weeks, at which point the nurse typically moves onto a different assignment (though many facilities do allow you to extend your time there and many nurses take off time in between assignments). There are assignments available throughout the country, at facilities and in towns and cities big and small.
Travel nurses find these assignments through travel nurse companies, who help match nurse candidates with facilities who need them to fill staffing gaps. Recruiters at the travel nurse agency work with nurses to help find and apply for assignments that match their skills and needs.
As we mentioned, travel nurses get many perks, such as higher pay packages, tax-free stipends, and some pretty awesome experience that looks great on a resume. Of course, another benefit of being a travel nurse is in the name: traveling!
How to Become a Travel Nurse
If the life of a travel nurse sounds like just the right thing for you, then you might wonder how to become a travel nurse. The first step is to finish your education and get your license. You can’t practice without these essentials. Also, you’ll need some experience, usually at least one or two years in your specialty. After that, you simply reach out to our team to find travel nurse jobs that fit your needs and goals. We’re here to make it super simple to be a travel nurse and achieve your travel, career, and personal goals.
Work with Top Travel Nurse Companies for the Best Jobs
One thing to note is that not all travel nurse companies are made the same. In fact, many facilities only work with one agency to fill travel nurse assignments. Therefore, different travel nurse companies will have access to different jobs with different pay scales and expectations. Therefore, it’s important to find an agency that offers the quality of jobs you’re looking for. In addition, let’s not forget that the travel nurse agency is typically the one offering benefits like medical insurance, 401K savings, and other important benefits. So, you want to shop around and make sure you’re working with the best agency for you.
For example, AHS NurseStat has been ranked as one of the top travel nurse agencies by several organizations, including Highway Hypodermics and Staffing Industry Analysts. This, paired with our commitment to creating a caring community for travel nurses and our mission to provide competitive compensation for our nurses helps set us apart in the industry.
Determining Where to Go for Travel Nurse Assignments
Once you know that you’re working with an agency that has plenty of assignments to fit your needs and that is there to help you find the perfect assignments, you’ll need to consider what places you want to go as a travel nurse. Of course, this is highly personal, but here are some things to think about:
Think of the Pay and Cost of Living
Different assignments offer different pay, typically based on the demand and the cost of living in the area. For instance, big cities typically offer better pay than rural areas, but the lower cost of living may offset this difference and may even mean more money in your pocket at the end of your assignment. Therefore, consider both when thinking of where you want to go as a travel nurse.
Consider What You Like to Do Outside of Work
Of course, money isn’t everything, so you should also consider what you want to do in your personal time. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere where there’s nothing fun for you to do. For example, if you’re not really into outdoorsy things, Anchorage, Alaska, may not be at the top of your list for destinations for your travel nursing assignments.
Sit down and think about what you love doing, then try to find geographical areas that match that. You can use a Google search or word of mouth to find destinations that are “up your alley” so you know you’ll enjoy yourself during your assignment.
Remain Flexible and Talk to Your Recruiter
Of course, while it’s helpful to have a list of destinations you want to see, it’s also important to stay flexible and keep an open mind. You never know when you’ll discover an amazing place off the beaten path that you love. Discuss what you love with your recruiter so they can help you find assignments that fit you. Recruiters are a great source for finding new destinations that might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Top Destinations Many Travel Nurse Companies Recommend for Traveling Nurses
Of course, there are some really popular destinations to consider as a travel nurse. Here are some of the top places to visit as a traveling nurse:
Top Places by Compensation
If your main goal is to make a lot of money as a traveling nurse, then there are a few places to consider putting on your destination list. Data from Zippia provides a 2022 list of travel nurse destinations with the highest travel nurse salaries and most opportunities. The top 10 on the list were:
- Connecticut
- New York
- Massachusetts
- Wisconsin
- New Hampshire
- Georgia
- North Dakota
- Washington
- Michigan
- Tennessee
Places Most in Need
If your main goal is to provide patient care in areas that most need nurses, then there are several places to consider for your next assignment. According to The Business of Business, several states still have high demand for travel nurses, even as hospitalizations from COVID-19 are declining. According to their list, the top three states for travel nurse demand were New Hampshire, Mississippi, and Florida.
Destinations for Adventure
If you want adventure, there are many potential destinations to put on your list as a travel nurse. This one is trickier to create a list, as it really depends on the nurse and what they like. However, some popular destinations for travel nurses, according to many different blogs and sources from travel nurses, include (in no particular order):
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- San Francisco, California
- Los Angeles, California
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Austin, Texas
- Seattle, Washington
- Miami, Florida
- Boulder, Colorado
- Anchorage, Alaska
- New York City, New York
- Washington, DC
- Boston, Massachusetts
AHS NurseStat: One of America’s Top Travel Nurse Companies
No matter where you want to go or what you want to achieve, our team at AHS NurseStat is here to help. We are a travel nurse company with years of experience matching travel nurses with assignments perfectly suited to them. Our recruiters are here to help at every step of the way and offer 24/7 support when you need it. We are proud to be a tight-knit community for traveling nurses and help you find the ideal job for you. Get started today by talking to our recruiters or browsing our real-time job board.
