It takes significant time and effort to pursue a career as a professional healthcare traveler. With countless divisions and specialties to make up the wide profession, understanding the different licenses and certifications can be a challenge.
Fusion Marketplace streamlines the application process for all healthcare travelers alike with a personal traveler profile that saves certifications, licenses, and more. Since requirements differ between travel nurses and allied health travelers, here’s what you can expect in the process of becoming a healthcare traveler.
How to become a travel nurse
Travel nurses are healthcare professionals who venture across the country to temporarily fill staffing gaps in hospitals, healthcare clinics, outpatient centers, and other facilities in need. These professionals come from diverse clinical, educational, and geographic backgrounds and focus on a particular care specialty, such as the intensive care unit (ICU) or labor and delivery (L&D).
Does this sound like you? To get starting on the road to becoming a traveling registered nurse (RN), you must first have an associate’s or bachelors degree in nursing, and then you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (N-CLEX). This test examines your overall healthcare knowledge to ensure you’re ready to enter the field as a professional nurse.
Licensing and certification details for travel RNs
Next comes licensure and certifications. Travel RNs should get the following licenses in order to practice as a healthcare professional:
- Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC). The eNLC or compact license allows a travel nurse to have a single multistate license that gives RNs the ability to practice in their home state, as well as other participating compact states. The eNLC is helpful because it allows nurses to practice in multiple states using one license.
- Walkthrough license. Getting a walkthrough license is beneficial because it gives RNs the ability to begin work while they wait for their permanent state license. Walkthrough licenses are ideal options for professionals whose primary state of residence isn’t included as a compact state.
- State-specific license. Some states operate independently of the eNLC and walkthrough licenses. Instead, you’ll have to apply for licensure in the specific state you’re working in. Since the licensure timeline can vary greatly depending on location, it’s recommended to apply in advance.
- Jurisprudence (JP) exam. The JP exam is required by more than half of the states for initial licensure. This exam tests your knowledge of your state’s laws and rules so you’re familiar with the practice act and regulations of your state.
While there are no specific national nursing certifications, there are advanced RN certifications that are necessary to advance your career as a travel RN. Some of the most popular nursing certifications include:
Licensing requirements for allied health travelers
Allied health professionals are instrumental to the healthcare industry. As distinct health professionals outside of medicine and nursing, allied health workers include physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech-language pathologists (SLPs), diagnostic evaluators, and more.
To become an allied health traveler, first you must earn your bachelor’s degree, pass the graduate record exam (GRE), plus a post-baccalaureate degree in your specialty to start your career. From there, you will apply for and pass the national board for certification. After that, it’s time to collect licenses relevant to your field and location:
Since allied health licenses are largely based on the state where you practice, it’s beneficial to have at least two to three active state licenses at a time. That way, you have more job options available to you across the country.
Stay organized with a traveler profile
Between extensive paperwork and multiple licenses, it can be a challenge to stay organized as a healthcare traveler. Fusion Marketplace was developed specifically for you as a way to make it easier to connect with healthcare staffing agencies and job opportunities all over the country.
Create a Marketplace traveler profile to take the first step into landing your ideal travel placement. With your personal profile, you can write your biography, add employment experience, include level of education, plus upload all your certifications and licenses so your necessary information is saved in one convenient online location! Never worry about starting from scratch or re-entering your information when you use Fusion Marketplace.
After you have all of your details saved within your profile, you can easily choose what you want to download to save as a PDF and share as a resume across multiple job applications. This will help you find your next travel assignment that much faster and easier.
In a highly saturated job market, speed to placement is especially important for healthcare professionals to land their next job. Fusion Marketplace removes common barriers for healthcare travelers and makes it easier to compare opportunities, allowing you to find the placement that suits you and your career priorities. Effortlessly compare job locations, benefits, pay packages, housing options, and more in this one-stop-shop online platform.
Understanding the different healthcare licenses and certifications largely depends on the division and specialty you work in. Whether you’re an allied health worker or a professional travel nurse, Fusion Marketplace makes it easier for you to find travel jobs by giving you the option to upload and save your licenses, certifications, and job preferences in your traveler profile.
