By Mary Franks, MSN, APRN-FPA, FNP-C

As a nurse, you play a crucial role in caring for patients, and your skills are needed nationwide. For the nurse seeking flexibility and adventure, travel nursing may be the perfect opportunity to explore new locations year-round while also making a difference in the lives of the patients, whether it be in big cities or small towns. But before you jet set across the country, get the inside scoop on what travel nursing is, what are travel nurse license requirements, and how to maintain CE compliance as you renew your license from state to state.

So, what makes a nurse a ‘travel nurse?’ According to NurseJournal, a travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) who works in various places on short contracts. Many are employed by hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, and despite having ‘travel’ in the title, your role as a nurse doesn’t really change.

Nursing has become an adventurous career for many nurses in recent years, especially post-pandemic. However, travel nursing existed well before today, as nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and many others, traveled overseas to provide care for wounded soldiers from all the way back to the Civil War (1861) and even the Crimean War (1853).

Travel nursing  as it is known today really emerged in the winter of 1978, when hospitals across New Orleans, Louisiana, were overwhelmed by injured individuals during Mardi Gras Week. Because of the significant increase in patients, hospitals contracted nurses throughout the country to aid in support. This sparked the movement of ‘travel nursing’ in the United States. 

Travel nurses typically sign contracts of 13 weeks. These contracts include a variety of shifts and can continue after the 13 weeks if both parties (the nurse and the organization) agree. Organizations across the country have different opportunities with shift work and needs, and employers may have different requirements regarding experience and level of education. While nurses choose to become travel nurses for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to visit different cities, be closer to family, or explore different areas of nursing, travel nursing offers freedom for nurses to be flexible with their career locations.

The downside to travel nursing is that for each state the nurse decides to contract with, he or she must have a license that reflects their current jurisdiction. While 42 states in the US are within the Nurse Licensure Compact, travel nurses still need to maintain their CE with the state they hold their license. For nurses who live in a Compact state, they can apply for a multi-state license, which allows them to meet all licensing requirements. Unfortunately, for the 8 states that are not in the Compact, their nurses must apply for licensing if they wish to practice elsewhere. For example, Illinois is not in the Nursing Compact. So, an Illinois nurse who wants to practice in Florida during the cold winter months would need to apply for a Florida license.  

Why is licensure important in travel nursing? For each state a nurse is licensed in, there are different CE requirements. If a nurse does not provide each state with the proper documentation of the required continuing education, their license could be revoked.  

For example, RNs practicing in Illinois are required to have the following: 

• 20 contact hours every 2 years 
• 1 hour cultural competency (beginning 2025) every renewal period
  
• 1 hour diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias every renewal period 
• 1 hour implicit bias training and sexual harassment prevention training every 2 years
  

Florida, on the other hand, has the following RN renewal requirements:  

• 16 general contact hours every 2 years, in addition to state mandates 
  
• 2 hours medical error prevention every renewal period 
  
• 2 hours nursing laws and rules every renewal period 
  
• 2 hours human trafficking every renewal period 
  
• 2 hours recognizing impairment in the workplace every other renewal period 
  
• 2 hours domestic violence every third renewal period  
• 1 hour HIV/AIDS training one time during the first renewal  

If you work with a nursing travel agency, they know the nitty-gritty details of navigating licensure and will be able to tell you the differences between each state's continuing education needs.

CE requirements vary so much by each state, and it is imperative that nurses, regardless of their temporary or permanent residence, keep up on their continuing education. Failure to do so could lead to loss of their nursing license.

NetCE provides online CE that covers state-specific requirements across the country. So, whether you’re temporarily practicing in Michigan or scoping out Hawaii, travel nurses can conveniently meet their CE needs where ever they may be with NetCE. Check out our comprehensive list of requirements by state if you’re interested in learning more. Other resources for travel nurses include:

• Certifications from Travel Nurse Across America
• Housing Opportunities for Travel Nurses from the Gypsy Nurse
• Assignment Locator from Travel Nurse Source

Continuing education is a huge part of nursing, whether you’re a travel nurse or not. Not only does the education help you with certifications and licensure, but it also helps you stay current on best practices for caring for your patients.   

Stay ahead of the game. Travel nursing is a dream for many and losing the opportunity for flexibility and freedom because of the lack of proper educational planning can lead to unnecessary difficulties.  Make sure you understand your CE requirements and have a plan in place to maintain your license so you can fully enjoy the benefits of a travel nursing career.

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