Furthering your career may be of your main goals as a travel nurse, and luckily, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RN employment is projected to grow by 19 percent between 2012 and 2022, which is faster than the national average. Needless to say, there is a lot of room for growth when it comes to career development.
However, in fast-paced and increasingly technological environments like hospitals and clinics, there are few things that new nursing grads as well as veteran nurses need to know about how the landscape has changed for educational requirements.
What's on the horizon for travel nurses?
That's why we recently spoke with V. Goodwin, a Nursing Student Outreach Director with Aureus Medical, to gain some insight into the exciting career opportunities of travel nurses and what they can do to further their careers. Goodwin made it clear right away that in the future, one degree in particular will have a lasting influence of nurse career development: a bachelor's degree in nursing.
"A BSN can help you go far in travel nursing."
"Ever since the Institute of Medicine stated back in 2002 that they wanted to see 80 percent of the nursing workforce educated with a Bachelor Degree in Nursing (BSN), there has been an increasing requirement by employers, particularly hospitals, to have BSN RNs on staff," Goodwin said. "This has made it more difficult for those with their Associate Degree (ADN) to find work in hospitals or to be accepted into new grad residency programs."
Goodwin reinforced that this doesn't just apply to new grads, however. Even employed RNs are being encouraged to obtain a BSN to move forward in their careers. There is also a noted push for nursing practitioners, RNs working in nursing informatics and nursing educators to enter the workforce in greater numbers.
Needless to say, there are many options for a potential nursing student or even seasoned RNs to hit the career development reset button.
What's driving the demand?
In the past several years, the U.S. healthcare system has become much more technologically and clinically advanced, which means that nurses will be expected to become knowledgeable in not only patient care, but also hone their administrative and tech-related skills. Utilizing the extra training and course material from a BSN allows RNs to treat more complex illnesses, which in turn, makes the U.S. a healthier and more knowledgeable place. Additionally, nurse practitioners are also in high demand due to the increase in physicians in primary care environments.
As a result, it's important that nurses fully understand the requirements of a BSN, whether they are in school for nursing or are planning on obtaining a more advanced nursing degree in the future. Although a BSN is more of a general degree, there are areas of focus that are especially attractive to hospitals and clinics. Regardless, growing in your nursing career will likely require this degree.
What nurses need to know to further their career development
If you want to advance your career in nursing – and there are a lot of benefits for doing so – you must first know a few basics. As Goodwin mentioned earlier, your first building block starts with the BSN, but it doesn't end there.
Depending on your strengths and interests, there are other ways that you can further your RN, such as a master's degree in nursing. Advanced degrees with areas of focus in healthcare administration and managerial positions in a hospital or clinic could be of particular interest to a seasoned RN who is looking to step into a nurse leadership role down the road.
Goodwin further noted the evolving data analytics side of the nursing profession and the lack of educators in college and university nursing programs:
"Future educators looking to fill this shortage need to look at the MSN in Education. There are MSN and Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) options as well for those wanting to practice in administration, education, or as a nurse practitioner. The MSN in Nursing Informatics may also be appealing for this quickly growing field of using information technology and analytics to improve nursing."
How tuition reimbursement plans can help
Of course, going back to school can be challenging for a travel nurse. That's why tuition reimbursement programs like those offered by Aureus Medical could be just the thing for expanding your education, experiencing real work in the field and not having to worry as much about the financial side of things.
"Finding an agency that offers tuition reimbursement options can be extremely beneficial for a traveling nurse. For example, Aureus Medical offers up to $12,000 per degree tuition reimbursement for travelers working with them. This is huge if you're a nurse with an ADN as you can practice as a nurse on assignment while concurrently taking online RN-BSN classes to obtain the BSN degree," Goodwin said.
If you're looking to advance your career in nursing, it would be very beneficial team go with a program like Aureus Medical, as the organization teams up with leading universities to offer tuition discounts beyond the aforementioned tuition reimbursement benefits. Not only can nursing students gain substantial reimbursement options for BSNs, but also for MSNs and DNPs, so this applies to RNs off all ages and skill levels.
As Goodwin concluded, "$12,000 covers a lot, if not all, the tuition expenses for many schools, so being able to have employment and have nearly if not all your education covered can be an enormous benefit."
Furthering your career as a travel nurse could be an important goal for you. Be sure to take some of this advice so that you can make the most of patient care and grow in your role as an RN.