During the eighties, USA started facing a shortage of nursing professionals. And now it is more or less a global shortage. There came a huge demand for expert nurses. Out of it came the development known as international travel nursing.
Hospitals across the globe, both public and private, need efficient nursing staff to provide excellent healthcare to their patients. And to provide for this, they are hiring internationally.
If you are a nursing professional with a minimum of one year experience in a certain specialty, you can apply for travel nurse positions.
What is a hospital looking for in a travel nurse? Basically, the skills. Hospitals are looking for someone who is comfortable being a nurse and is competent in nursing, medical equipment handling, and medical terminology.
The demand is there for nurses in all specialties, whether it be the OR, the ER, the medical or surgical ward, the cardiac department or the neonatal center.
To look into the operative part of how international travel nursing works. International Travel Nursing Agencies are the facilitators between the nurses and the hospitals. A nurse looking for an abroad job can approach one of the agencies. The Agencies are also approached by the hospitals with various nurses' requirement. Based on the requirements, the Agency looks for matching profiles. If a nurse with the required skill sets is found, the Agency makes an offer to the nurse. If the offer is accepted, the nurse must register with the Agency. The Agency then provides help in matters of visa, licensing etc. for the nurse. In return for this, the Nursing Agency requires an employment commitment of certain months.
What are the things that the nurse should possess? The statutory requirement is at least one year experience in a particular specialty. But the nursing experts suggest that a nurse with two years experience is better suited for a travel nursing job. This is mostly because hospitals expect very strong clinical experience from travel nurse. And a travel nurse is given only one day orientation in a new job. The nurse is expected to hit the ground running. With a two year experience, a nurse is more confident to take on a new job in a new country.
As is required with any job, a nurse must possess a visa of the job country to work there. With the sponsorship of the agency or the hospital with which the nurse is going to work, it is easier and quicker to obtain the visa.
Nurses should be equipped with a license to practice their profession. In most countries, nurses are required to register with the local nursing governing body, and clear certain exam before they can start working. After clearing the exam, the travel nurse is issued a license and becomes a certified nurse. The Travel Agency would pay for the licensing fee.
Nurses with knowledge of the local language are preferred. It makes a better sense to be able to communicate with the patients in their native tongue. It makes for better understanding of the patients' ailments. But that does not rule out the opportunity for travel nurses with the knowledge of English alone. The healthcare systems in many countries may also use English as their official language. Certain hospitals in the Middle East prefer the communication and documentation in the hospital to be exclusively in English. But to be a more effective travel nurse, it is advisable that the nurse have a basic knowledge of the local language. Besides, English in different countries have different terms for the same procedure. That variation should be understood by the travel nurse. Moreover, the cultural nuances of the new country should be understood and adhered to by the travel nurse.
What is in it for an international travel nurse? First and foremost is the pay. It is certainly lucrative. Besides the benefits offered are attractive too. It may cover health, life and dental insurance coverage, free housing, assistance with the relocating overseas expenses, etc. The licensing fees are taken care of. The nurse gets to work in a top notch facility. In the process, he or she also gets the opportunity to pick up new skills. It is a great career move. There is the added attraction of being able to learn about a new culture.
Which are the countries that are most preferred by international travel nurses? The very first name is that of the USA. But USA has a long waiting period for visas. Though once a visa is issued, it can be yearly renewed.
The best pays are though offered in the Middle East. The facilities are top notch. There are added benefits of flying home free after completion of one year service.
There are great opportunities to work as a travel nurse in UK, though there are certain visa issues similar as USA.
It is easier to grab an opportunity as a travel nurse in Canada. The choices are as many as USA.
If you are a nurse, with a desire to see the world, international travel nursing is your career.
SurgeryPlanet facilitates a plethora of services to the medical treatment traveler also which includes, a hassle free and discounted travel option, a welcome hand at the airport on arrival, travel in an air-conditioned car, round the clock service & support. Your medical evaluation is pre arranged with the least of waiting time. Once your assessment is complete and found medically fit, the procedure is immediately scheduled without a waiting period.
For more information log onto www.surgeryplanet.com
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