Benefits to Booking Your Travel Nursing Assignment in Advance

Do you already know where you’ll be working three months from now? Or six months from now?

Many travel nurses don’t, but whether you are considering your first travel nursing assignment, or in the middle of your tenth travel nurse contract, there are multiple benefits to booking your next job in advance.

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Advance Planning: How This Travel Nurse Rolls

Mark Cummings, RN, a telemetry travel nurse with AMN Healthcare, took a break from work in August to tackle a few remodeling projects in his condo. But he wasn’t worried about finding his next assignment. 

He had already booked a travel nurse contract in Oxnard, California, for the last three months of the year. 

In fact, Cummings has also booked his subsequent travel nursing assignment in San Diego that will begin in late January and last through early June of next year.

“I find it stressful to not have an assignment lined up, so my recruiter and I looked to see what was available in the area I was most interested in,” said Cummings. “Now I can enjoy my time off knowing I have employment secured through June, with a three-week vacation in January.” 

Knowing in advance—and thus lowering your stress level—is just one of the reasons travel nurses in-the-know will book jobs several months out.  Here are some of the top reasons to make arrangements for your future nursing assignments now.

Reasons to Book your Travel Nursing Job Several Months in Advance

1. You’ll have more opportunities to get plum assignments. 

If you are willing to sign a travel nurse contract in advance, you are likely to have more choices available to you—and you may be more likely to get the job that you really, really want. 

If you are eager to nail down an assignment in a specific city, applying early could be a major advantage for you. 

2. You’ll have time to get a new state nursing license. 

If you hope to take an assignment in a new-to-you state, you will likely need another nursing license--unless you hold a multistate license and are traveling to another compact state. 

Depending on the state where you want to work, it can take a few weeks or even a few months to get a new license. 

Your recruiter can put you in touch with the licensing team to make sure that everything gets taken care of, and that all your credentials and paperwork are in order before your travel assignment starts.

3. You’ll avoid work interruptions. 

The early bird gets the worm, as they say, and there is no guarantee that a suitable job will be available if you wait too long. Travel nurses who like to work a consistent schedule and know where they will be working should opt to book in advance. 

4. You’ll enjoy peace of mind. 

When your travel nursing contracts are lined up for the future, you won’t have to worry or face the uncertainty of whether or not you’ll be employed. 

Plus, you can know right away; many employers will provide a job offer on the same day as your interview! Then you can relax and enjoy your current travel assignment.

5. You can arrange time off for vacations, holidays or family events. 

Whether your sister’s wedding is coming up, you’re hankering to spend the holidays at home, or you are planning to take a vacation between assignments, you’ll find that advance planning is your friend.  

Nurses who book their travel nurse contracts in advance will find it much easier to make these kinds of arrangements and find time for their personal goals.

So, should procrastinators try to change their ways and book now for future travel RN assignments?

“I’d say go for it,” said Cummings. “It is great peace of mind to have things settled in advance and not have to rush to get everything together at the last minute.”

Tips for first-time travel nurses

If you have been on the fence about whether to start traveling, it’s time to take that first step.  Apply today to get started! 

The recruitment team at American Mobile can answer your questions, discuss your priorities, and help place you in a travel nurse job that suits your needs. 

Tips for nurses currently working travel nurse contracts

If you are currently working a travel nursing assignment, your recruiter will likely touch base with you and ask you a few questions about how things are going and where you want to go next.  

But don’t wait! 

Be proactive, and contact your recruiter to start your future planning. AMN Healthcare recruiters are currently recommending working 5 to 6 months out to get the contracts you really want, especially in the more popular destinations like California Travel Nursing Jobs.

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