Choosing the best nursing specialty to travel can be influenced by various factors, including personal interest, skillset, and financial goals. Travel nursing offers unique opportunities to explore different locations, gain diverse experiences, and earn competitive salaries, but what is the best nursing specialty to travel? We’ll take a closer look at some of the top-paying and in-demand nurse specialties to help you decide which might be the best fit for you when looking for travel nurse jobs.
What Travel Nurse Specialties Make the Most?
While there are a variety of factors that can impact your pay as a travel nurse, one of the most prominent contributors is a specialty. If increasing your earning potential is at the top of your career goals list, consider one of these high-paying travel nurse specialties.
- Emergency Room (ER) Nurses: Areas with seasonal population increases or public health emergencies often see a surge in demand for ER nurses, leading to more lucrative pay rates.
- Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) Nurse: The critical responsibilities and specialized skills of CVICU nurses position them among the top earners in travel nursing.
- Cardiovascular Operating Room (CVOR) Nurse: CVOR nurses’ essential expertise and critical roles contribute to their elevated salaries in travel nursing.
- Cardiac Catheterization Lab Nurse: The precision and technical skill required in this field ensure higher compensation for travel nurses with cath lab experience.
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): CRNAs’ advanced training and pivotal roles in healthcare make them some of the most well-compensated travel nurses.
- NICU III Nurse: Specialized skills and the intense nature of the NICU environment lead to higher pay for these travel nurses.
- Oncology Nurse: The intricate and emotionally demanding work in oncology nursing results in higher salaries, especially for travel nurses addressing staffing shortages.
- Operating Room (OR) Nurses: The constant need for surgeries ensures a steady demand for skilled OR nurses, leading to better pay for those in travel positions.
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Nurse: The ongoing requirement for skilled PICU nurses, particularly those open to travel, translates to higher wages.
- Psychiatric Nurses: The growing acknowledgment and demand for mental health services have made psychiatric nursing a lucrative field, especially for those willing to travel.
Which Travel Nurse Specialties are in Demand?
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, certain nursing specialties have emerged as being highly sought-after, particularly for travel nurses. Here are some of the most in-demand travel nursing specialties.
- Cardiac Nursing: With heart disease as the leading cause of death in the U.S., cardiovascular nursing remains a consistently sought-after specialty.
- Emergency Nursing: Given the vast number of annual ER visits in the U.S., the demand for ER nurses, and thereby travel ER nursing positions, is consistently strong.
- Home Health Nursing: The aging Baby Boomer population has significantly increased the demand for home health nurses.
- ICU Nursing: ICU nurses are in high demand due to their specialized skills in managing critically ill patients, particularly in the face of ongoing healthcare challenges and increasing patient acuity.
- Medical Surgical Nursing: Med surg nurses are in high demand due to their broad skill set in managing diverse patient conditions and their crucial role in ensuring smooth operations across various hospital departments.
- NICU, Mother/Baby/Post-Partum, and Labor & Delivery Nursing: The rising demand for women’s health nurses makes these specialties excellent choices for travel nurses.
- Oncology Nursing: With cancer as a leading cause of death in the U.S., oncology nursing is a high-demand specialty needing RNs.
- OR Nursing: The critical role of operating room nurses in patient and family care keeps this specialty in high demand nationwide.
- Psychiatric Nursing: The escalating need for mental health care in the U.S. keeps psychiatric nursing in high and rising demand.
- Telemetry Nursing: Telemetry nurses are in high demand due to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and cardiovascular diseases. These conditions require continuous monitoring and the specialized care that these professionals are trained to provide.
While there are many in-demand and high-paying specialties, every specialty offers its own unique rewards and opportunities. It’s crucial you select an area that you’re passionate about. If you’re an RN who has at least a year of recent experience in a hospital setting, Medical Solutions has tons of job opportunities. This includes the highly sought-after nursing specialties mentioned above and various other nursing and allied health fields. Apply now and let our recruitment team assist you in finding the perfect job opportunity.
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