Hey strings. I don't want to burst your bubble, but from what I read in your post, I might see waiting awhile for your first assignment.
One of the key components of a traveler is independence. That is why agencies require at least one year of experience before traveling. But let's look at two words there: "at least". There is a saying that states, "you learn more in your first year as a nurse, than you do the entire time you were in school". For most, this really does ring true. Plus, the industry is still recovering from the economy and there are still agencies that will only consider you if you have closer to two years of experience. This happened when the facilities started cutting back and there were more travelers than positions. Again, it is rebounding, but hospitals can still demand travelers with years of experience behind them. Some facilities still mandate "no fiirst-time traveler".
With all this mind, do I still help people get started in the industry, certainly. However, it is not really your lack of experience, but rather a sense I gather about your confidence in your practice. As a travel nurse, I cannot stress how independent you need to be. Imagine being 1000 miles from home, in a new city, not knowing anyone, and then going in to work at a job where the patient acuity is higher than you have experienced before. On the road is not the best place to become proficient in your practice; that should ideally occur before you accept your first assignment.
Now when I say proficient, I do not mean to say that you have learned everything there is to know about your specific specialty. I am closing in on two decades as a nurse and I still don't know everything. But, when the fit hits the shan, I know what I need to do for my patient regardless of what part of the country I might find myself.
For example, what would you do if the doctor ordered you to give a certain medication that you knew to be incorrect? What if you tried to enlist the help of your coworkers and they didn't have time for you? What if even the charge nurse abruptly said, "I've got other things going on in the unit, figure it out!"? Certainly I do not wish to say that this is the situation you run into on every assignment. In my experience, it is rare; however, in my experience, it DOES happen.
I really hate to give you a negative view of the industry because I have had experiences that would have never been afforded me were it not for travel nursing. But I also want to see you succeed and my feeling is you might want to gain a bit more comfort before embarking on a first assignment. That might not be the answer you want to hear, but every day you work on your unit is one more day of experience that you have to fall back on when things get tough out on the road. You should also be proficient in your nursing skills like IV starts, lab draws, NG and Foley insertions, and anything specific to your specialty.
If you haven't already, check out any forums you can find on travel nursing. I also wrote a how-to book on travel nursing that has a chapter that deals with some of the traits a travel nurse should possess (
http://travelnursesbible.com) and is specifically geared toward new travelers.
Again, don't let this disuade you from traveling, but read up some more on the profession and take an honest look at your skills before taking that first step. When you feel ready, feel free to write again. My goal is to get you out on the adventure, but also to make sure you're ready for the ride it can sometimes be.
I hope this helps.
David
