Clinical Requirements
The usual requirements for becoming a travel nurse are a minimum of 1.5 years of clinical experience with 1 year being preferred in one's specialty and licensure in the state of employment, often granted through reciprocity with the home state's board of nursing. Some travel agencies will reimburse travelers for the cost of the license or other required certifications. A travel nurse may receive a minimal orientation to the new hospital (and rarely no orientation at all). Travel nurses are expected to be very experienced and knowledgeable in the given specialty.
If the nurse's home state has joined the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLCA), the nurse can work in any other compact state as long as the home state license is in good standing. This facilitates the license reciprocity process and potentially speeds up the time to employment. There are currently 23 states participating in NLCA; the state of Missouri is pending implementation.
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