Your FAQs answered
Answers to some of the questions you might have.
There are many reasons to become a travel nurse.
Travel nursing gives you the opportunity to get paid to see the country, work at top teaching hospitals and trauma centers and join a community of fellow adventure seekers — all while making a difference at hospitals in need.
General
How do I become a travel nurse with Aya?
Ready to travel, but not sure where to start? We’re here to help. The first step to becoming a travel nurse is setting up your Aya account. Once your profile is complete, a recruiter will reach out to help you begin your travel nursing journey. Your recruiter will guide you through the process, starting with learning more about your goals and coming up with a game plan to get you an assignment. Throughout your travel career, your recruiter is a helping hand when it comes to finding you an assignment that fits all your needs. You can start looking for positions by browsing our open jobs, and filtering by your preferred specialty and location. Once you’re registered, your recruiter will work with you to help you find the right job for you!
What are the specific requirements?
While travel nurse assignments may have facility specific requirements, there are a few things every traveler will need to work with Aya.
- At least one year of nursing experience in your specialty, preferably in a hospital setting.
- Active state nursing license — our team will help guide you through the application process in any state (and will often be able to help expedite it too!).
- Preferred American Heart Association certifications – ACLS, BLS, etc. (varies by specialty).
- Must be willing to work a full-time travel assignment — at least 36 hours a week.
How far in advance should I apply for a travel nursing assignment?
You can apply as far out as you’d like. There’s no hard-and-fast rule regarding the best time to apply. We have worked with nurses who apply and take a year to decide to accept their first assignment and we have others who apply and are out the door and on their way a few weeks or even days later. If you know you are ready to travel, or will be soon, we recommend you fill out an application so that you are prepared to seize the right opportunity. If you decide to apply well in advance of when you’d like to travel, we’ll keep your information on file and stay in touch until you’re ready.
How long are travel nurse assignements?
Assignment (you’ll sometimes see them called contracts, too) lengths vary, but they’re typically around 13 weeks. However, you can find both longer and shorter assignments. Flexibility is one of the greatest things about travel nursing! And there’s nothing holding you back from taking a break between assignments. It’s not often you can take three weeks off from your permanent position, but as a traveler you have the power to choose how often (and how soon) you take assignments. Once you create a profile with us, you’ll be able to log into your account and search for contracts based on contract length!
What specialties have the most travel jobs available?
While ER, OR, ICU, med surg, telemetry and labor and delivery tend to have the most jobs available consistently, demand does fluctuate. We have strong relationships with hospitals throughout the country, so we’re able to offer open RN jobs across all specialties. If you’d like to see what we currently have available, search all our open jobs.
Does Aya Healthcare have a mobile app to find the latest travel nursing jobs?
Yes! Download the Aya Healthcare mobile app on Google Play or the Apple app store to search the most jobs in the industry, including travel, per diem and permanent positions.
I’m an RN from Canada. How can Canadian nurses work in the US?
We have a program for getting Canadian RNs licensed in the US. You could be here in 2-3 months! Check out our Travel Nursing Canada page now, and let us know once you meet all the requirements to travel in the US. There are also permanent RN job opportunities that could get you here sooner. Let us know if you’re interested in a permanent position, and someone will contact you to discuss.
Travel
Can I travel with family, a significant other or friend?
This is often one of the first questions we get asked and the answer is a resounding yes! Many of our travel nurses make it work. Even if your travel partner or significant other isn’t a nurse, it’s very possible to figure out a way to travel together!
Can I travel with a pet?
Absolutely! Many of our nurses travel with pets. When it comes to traveling with a pet, housing is often the biggest hurdle. While it’s a fact that many buildings do have pet restrictions, you still have lots of options. You can either take Aya housing or choose to accept a housing stipend and search for housing on your own. We’ll always do our utmost to accommodate your furry friends. Just be sure to communicate your wants and needs with your recruiter ahead of time so that they can help you prepare!
Housing
How do I find travel nurse housing?
There are plenty of options when it comes to travel housing. To learn more about the types of housing available to you, visit our Travel Nurse Housing page.
Pay & benefits
What does travel nursing pay?
Travel nurse salary varies for many reasons. These reasons include specialty, location, benefits, whether a traveler takes company-provided housing and more. There’s no “set pay” for any specialty. Wondering what jobs for your specialty are paying right now? Register today and view all our open jobs, estimated pay packages and detailed facility information — all in real time. Even if you aren’t ready to travel with us yet, you’ll gain great insight on what open travel nursing assignments we have and what the pay is in different locations across the country.
Do travel nurses get benefits?
Aya Healthcare offers many great benefits to travel nurses. From the first day of your assignment, benefits like medical, dental and vision insurance plans and sick pay accrual are available to travelers. Travelers who’ve worked at least four consecutive months are also eligible for 401k contributions. Plus, Aya also offers perks like front-of-the-line access to exclusive jobs, an expedited licensure program, a support team with designated credentialing experts and a pizza on your birthday if you’re on assignment! You can learn more about the benefits Aya offers on our Pay & Benefits page.
Support
What if something goes wrong? How will Aya support me while travel nursing?
At Aya Healthcare, you have an entire support team helping you throughout your travel nursing career. In addition to your recruiter, you’ll have a credentialing specialist, payroll representative and travel experience specialist to provide their expertise before, during and after your assignment. Let’s say you’re heading home to South Carolina from your contract in Alaska and your flight is delayed and you miss your connection. You can call Aya in the middle of the night. We won’t leave you stranded.
How much orientation will I receive?
You’ll be provided with enough of an orientation for you to get the job done and our clinical support team will help ensure that you’re placed in a facility that best matches your interests and skill set. Some healthcare facilities offer a more thorough orientation than others. If you’re a less experienced nurse, your Aya Healthcare recruiter will help you choose assignments that offer a more extensive orientation.
When you’re ready to start travel nursing, we’ll be here to make the process as smooth as possible. Register today and let’s build your travel career together!
