All Travel Nursing Specialties

When it comes to specialties within nursing, there’s a wide range of options catering to individual interests and each specialty demands unique skills, training, and certifications to deliver specialized care.

Explore the links below for in-depth guides on each specialty:

What Travel Nursing Specialties are in Demand?

While each nursing specialty is crucial to improving patient care, there are some more high-demand nurse specialties due to hospitals and healthcare facilities’ current unique needs. Below are just some of the top travel nursing specialties.

  1. Emergency Room Nursing: With more than 136 million people taking a trip to the ER each year in the U.S., demand is consistently high for ER nurses, which means there are tons of  ER travel nurse positions available to explore!
  2. ICU Nursing: ICU (intensive care unit) nursing is one of the most well-respected nursing positions in the healthcare industry. ICU nurses care for a facility’s most severely ill patients, and since the demand is so high, there are tons of ICU travel opportunities to discover.
  3. Labor & Delivery Nursing: Demand for women’s health nurses is on the rise, so becoming a Labor and Delivery travel nurse is a great option. Patience and empathy will help you succeed as you’ll be working with mothers and their babies at some of the most monumental moments of their lives.
  4. Operating Room Nursing: If you’re calm in intense situations and have keen attention to detail, OR nursing is a great specialty for you. This specialty is highly needed as success in the OR is important for patient care, and many operating room travel nurse jobs are available.
  5. Telemetry Nursing:  If you’re a decisive person, telemetry travel nursing will be a great fit for you. Tele nurses often care for critically ill patients, monitor changes in condition, record and interpret vital data to assist with patient assessment, and are responsible for educating patients on home care.

What are the Best Specialties for Travel Nurses?

Choosing the best nursing specialty to travel can be influenced by tons of factors, including personal interest, skillset, and financial goals. While some specialties have higher pay and are higher in demand than others, each specialty truly has its own unique rewards and opportunities. So, it’s crucial you select an area that you’re passionate about to find the best fit for you!

How Do I Choose a Travel Nursing Specialty?

When selecting a specialty for travel nursing, it’s important to reflect on your personal interests, past clinical experiences, and future aspirations in your career. Consider crucial aspects such as your preference for hospital settings versus outpatient facilities, your desire to work with pediatric or adult populations, and whether you excel in high-energy situations or favor more direct one-on-one time with patients.

What are the Highest Paying Travel Nurse Specialties?

Every specialty has many rewards, and every nurse has their own journey; however, some roles offer substantial financial rewards more than others as they require advanced skills and deal with critical care. Some of the high-paying travel nurse specialties include Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), ICU nurses, ER nurses, and OR nurses.

Can You Change Specialties as a Travel Nurse?

Definitely! If your career goals have changed and you’re thinking about switching specialties, it’s important to do your research first. Advancing your education, gaining special certifications, and years of in-hospital experience might all be necessary before you start travel nursing in a new specialty. You’ll also want to talk to your recruiter about switching specialties, as they will help you find the best travel nursing jobs and opportunities that align with your new goals.

What are the Requirements to Become a Travel Nurse?

To become a travel nurse, you’ll need to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing and pass the NCLEX. You’ll also want to earn additional certifications relevant to your role or specialty like Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)​. When it comes to job experience there is no magic number, but most facilities require 1-2 years of hospital experience.

What are the Benefits of Being a Travel Nurse?

Taking a travel nurse job opens a world of unimaginable opportunities, both personally and professionally. Some of the benefits of travel nursing include great pay, endless adventure, the flexibility to select assignments that fit your lifestyle, growing your skills in a variety of settings, and making a difference in communities nationwide.