It has been a while since I made a post based off a question from a reader. I had an interesting question from a reader the other day that I get quite often, so I figured it was time to share it.
Do you have consistent work as a traveling nurse practitioner?
It seems a lot of nurse practitioners are worried about having consistent employment prior to taking the plunge as a traveling nurse practitioner.
The answer to the above question is – yes. I have consistent work because I have formed relationships with recruiters in multiple agencies. When I am ready to start searching for my next assignment (usually 1 month prior to my current assignment ending), I will reach out to my recruiters. I let them know when I am available and what I am looking for. This allows them to keep me in mind when something opens up that meets my needs.
By having these relationships, the recruiters are constantly reaching out to me when they have new gigs. I try not to ignore them, and will let them know if I am currently not available or not interested.
I think the other important aspect is that I have at least 5 active state licenses at any given time. This makes me a good candidate for job prospects, as most clients aren’t willing to wait for you to become licensed.
As I stated above, I do have consistent work being a locum nurse practitioner. In fact, there are often many options from me to choose from at any given time. It also helps when you have been traveling for a while, because previous sites may often request you to come back. I like to use these as my back up options unless I am excited to return.
The reality is you have to be flexible. If you are only open to working in a certain city vs being open to working in the general state, then your options will be limited. In addition, sometimes the start date may be delayed a week due to credentialing or licensing so you should make sure you always have a financial buffer.
I have found that newbies are concerned about consistent work but once they start working as a traveling nurse practitioner, they realize their take home pay is more than their full-time job. As a result, they recognize that they actually don’t need to work 52 weeks out of the year. And enjoy taking time off to be with family/friends or travel abroad.
Hi Soph
I feel like I know you now lol
How many active licenses would you suggest one have at a given time?
Should one pursue other state licenses prior to starting locum positions?
Haha that’s funny! I think you should have at least 3-4 active licenses at a time. And yes get other state licenses before starting locums bc most jobs won’t even look at you until you are licensed there. Once you get a job you can get reimbursed just make sure to ask upfront.