Are you ready to become a travel nurse?
Here's how.

Travel nursing is a career choice that has boomed in popularity. Nurses are finding out early on, some before they even finish school, just how incredible the benefits can be. How else can you follow your true calling clear across the country to cities, big and small, while receiving free private housing, travel reimbursement and great salaries? Additionally, the Nursing profession has been named as one of the The Top 20 Most Recession-proof Jobs, so you can rest assured job security is a given. If you're thinking, "I can do this," you're probably right but there are some requirements you must have and some suggestions you might want to think about before you get started.

What you must have in order to hit the road:

• Minimum of one year recent acute care experience
• A sense of adventure
• Confidence in your own abilities
• The capability to jump into the job quickly and work independently
• An open mind to learning new ways to do common procedures
• A good attitude about day-to-day issues

Overall, the travel nursing experience can be exciting and rewarding. Click on our video and see what advice these travel nurses have to share. To help ensure that your travel experience is one that you will want to repeat here are some guidelines to follow:

• Go With Who You Know. Before you take an assignment with any travel staffing company ask around and see what you can find out about them. Talk to travelers you have worked with even if they are just acquaintances. You may also want to look for a company that has been in the industry for a long period of time. Cross Country TravCorps started placing nurses back in 1978.

• Apply yourself. Once you find the company that you feel comfortable with, complete their application. Cross Country TravCorps allows you to complete our application right on the website or over the phone, whichever way is best for you.

• Get personal. Once your application is processed and accepted, you'll be assigned a recruiter. This person will become your lifeline, so make sure you feel relaxed talking to him/her about pretty much anything. You want a recruiter who takes the time to get to know you and understands what you are looking for in an assignment. At Cross Country TravCorps, our recruiters are among the best in the business. They are experienced, reliable and professional. They will go out of their way to get their travelers what they want because they truly value them.

• Destinations - yours for the picking. One of the obvious benefits to becoming a traveler is being able to go where you want to go. That's why when deciding on a company look for one that can offer you a real variety in assignments. Cross Country TravCorps has thousands of assignments in locations across the U.S. Plus we also have a long list of exclusive opportunities... these are positions you won't find with any other company.

• Interview... You're almost there. You only have one shot to make a great first impression and for travel nurses that impression has to be made over the phone. It's not always the easiest thing to do but if you're confident, polite and well prepared you should breeze through it without breaking a sweat. Cross Country TravCorps has a long list of interview guidelines that you can access right from the web. Plus, remember your recruiter is there to help you in anyway he/she can.

• Score! You landed the position you wanted. All that's left now is proper licensing for the state your assignment is located in. Your recruiter can help you with that process. In fact at Cross Country TravCorps, we even have nurse managers who can help with any type of clinical issues or questions you might have.

• Let the fun begin. That's it. All you have to do now is pack up and go. Your housing should be all set, fully furnished and the utilities turned on. All you have to do when you arrive is arrange for cable and internet if you want it. Cross Country TravCorps has an entire team that handles the housing for our travelers. They make it a point to find accommodations that are clean and convenient, located not too far from your assignment facility.

Traveling nursing is all about taking advantage of the flexibility the profession affords you. You can switch your environment every 13 - 26 weeks or renew an assignment and stay put for a while. It's entirely up to you and that's the fantastic part of this career choice - you're in the driver seat.

Ready to get started?