From Staff to Contract: Understanding What a Travel Nurse Does
For some staff nurses, the idea of trading a permanent unit for a 13-week contract in a new city sounds like a dream.But beyond the scenic photos and the paycheck, what does a travel nurse do?Whether you’re feeling the itch to travel or wanting to take on a new professional challenge, here are a few things to consider before staff nurses take the leap.
What does a travel nurse do?
At its core, a travel nurse is very similar to a staff nurse in some regard. You are there to provide high-quality clinical care, monitor vitals, administer medications, assess patients, prioritize care, critically think, and advocate for your patients; however, the context of that work changes entirely.
A travel nurse is a "temporary bridge." You are hired to fill critical staffing gaps caused by census spikes, maternity leaves, or nursing shortages. Because you are there to solve a problem, the travel nurse job description includes an unwritten requirement: the ability to "hit the ground running."
While a staff nurse might get weeks of orientation, a traveler often is provided with a few days to learn the charting system and where the supply closet is before they are taking a full patient load.
Key responsibilities of a travel nurse include:
- Rapid adaptation: Learning new facility-specific protocols and EMR systems quickly.
- Specialized care: Working in your specific niche (ICU, ER, Med-Surg, etc.) with the same clinical rigor as permanent staff.
- Team integration: Seamlessly joining a new unit and supporting the core staff who may be overworked.
Why make the switch from perm to travel?
While the pandemic era pay rates have stabilized, the perks of traveling in 2026 still outweigh staff positions for many due to:
- Traveler pay: It’s no secret that travel nurses can earn more. Between the hourly taxable rate and tax-free stipends for housing and meals, your take-home pay can often double what you make as a staff nurse.
- Clinical "politics" immunity: As a traveler, you typically stay above the fray of office politics. You’re there for a short time and then you’re off to the next assignment.
- Ultimate flexibility: Want to take the entire month of December off? You can. You choose when you work, where you go, and how long you stay.
Characteristics of a successful travel nurse
Not every great nurse makes a great travel nurse. According to seasoned travelers, success requires a specific personality:
- Extreme adaptability: You have to be okay with being the "new kid" every three months.
- Confidence without ego: You need to be strong in your skills, but humble enough to ask where the code cart is. A common tip from seasoned travel nurses, “Never start a sentence with ‘At my home hospital, we did it this way.’”
- Thick skin: Occasionally, staff may be wary of travelers. A successful traveler stays professional, works hard, and wins the team over by being a reliable pair of hands.
- Wanderlust: From finding housing on Furnished Finder to navigating a new city's grocery stores, you need to have an adventurous spirit and penchant for traveling.
- Flexibility: Travelers are, at times, the first to be floated to a different unit. As long as you are floating within your scope, be open to new experiences, meeting new people, and learning new skills.
How to become a travel nurse
If you’re ready to trade your staff badge for a traveler’s lanyard, here where to start:
Maintain your credentials: You must be a Registered Nurse (RN) with an active license. Most agencies require a BSN, though some accept an ADN. Having BLS, ACLS, NIHSS or PALS up-to-date will also give you a leg up, at times.
Clock your experience: Almost every agency (including Nomad Health, 1 year minimum) requires a minimum of 12 to 24 months of recent RN experience in your specialty. Hospitals expect you to be an expert on day one; you can't learn the basics while on a travel contract.
Get "compact" ready: If your home state is part of the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC), you can practice in dozens of other states without applying for new licenses. If not, you’ll need to apply for licensure by endorsement in the state you want to visit.
Find the right partner: Choose the right partner to assist in your first travel assignment. Nomad has Navigators that can help you every step of the way, from finding the right role through credentialing to going on assignment.
Typical travel nurse salary range in 2026
Salary varies wildly based on your specialty, the location, and the urgency of the need. As of early 2026, here is the general landscape:
Specialty | Estimated Weekly Gross | Estimated Annual Range |
Med-Surg / Tele | $2,100 – $2,700 | $95,000 – $115,000 |
ICU / ER / OR | $2,600 – $3,500 | $110,000 – $145,000 |
Labor & Delivery | $2,500 – $3,200 | $105,000 – $135,000 |
Data source: Internal Nomad data and publicly available data from healthcare staffing agencies for January 2026.
Remember that a portion of this is often paid in tax-free stipends; however, to qualify for these, you must maintain a "tax home" (permanently paying for a residence in your home state) and duplicate your expenses while on assignment.
Is travel nursing right for you?
If you have at least one year of experience and a sense of adventure, travel nursing might be the career "refresh" you've been looking for. Travel nurses provide vital support to healthcare systems in critical situations while giving nurses the flexibility to travel, while saving for their financial future.
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