Across the country, nurses are in high demand, and hospitals everywhere are looking for travel nurses to fill open positions. Because of this, new and experienced nurses see many opportunities with travel nursing as a career. However, while travel nursing is an exciting world, it isn’t for everyone—but you don’t have to travel to be a part of this field.
Travel nurse recruiters are quickly becoming a necessity rather than an option. They play a critical role within a travel nurse agency, ensuring that medical facilities and companies have the staffing they need to run smoothly and best serve their patients. Most travel nurses will attest that their relationship with their recruiters is the single most important external component of their careers. If you’re interested in the travel nursing industry but aren’t sure if the lifestyle is for you just yet, you may want to consider becoming a travel nurse recruiter.
What Is A Travel Nurse Recruiter?
Recruiters specialize in finding the right nurse for the right role. Both job seekers and employers rely on the professional skills of a travel nurse recruiter to fill vacancies with the best candidate in the shortest amount of time. Recruiters will screen incoming applications to find the best candidates and conduct or assist with interviews. Among other things, they also conduct research to improve training for new nurses and meet with members of the company’s leadership and industry leaders to better understand what qualities and skills will best serve the company.
Travel Nurse Recruiter Skills
In the unique and exciting world of travel nursing, recruiters must possess stellar communication skills and empathy for their travel nurses—it helps build your relationship. A few other traits make a strong recruiter, including:
- Honesty. Whether trying to decide if a travel nursing position might work for a specific traveler or dealing with a situation while they’re already on assignment, a good recruiter will relay the facts and portray all information as accurately as possible.
- Trustworthiness. Trusting your recruiter and your travel nurse staffing agency is essential. This provides an added sense of security for travel nurses, especially if they’re new to the field.
- Patience. Travel nurses can be nervous about an upcoming assignment, and a patient recruiter is more valuable than most people realize. Making the time to listen, answer questions, and provide reassurance goes a long way.
- Accessibility. Travel nurses often take assignments in unfamiliar locations, which means they need to work with someone who can be reached by phone or email to solve any issues that may occur and act as a resource.
- Success. The appreciation and trust in a recruiter increase when they know how to find the right jobs for travelers and serve as their career advisor. Consistently providing them with what they need for an amazing travel nurse assignment positively affects their patient care and improves retention rates as well.
At Nurse First, our travel advocates must have the three C’s to ensure travel nurses can focus on important tasks and provide quality care. We believe a travel nurse advocate is a partner, resource, listener, and cheerleader packaged all in one.
Travel Nurse Recruiter Education Requirements
Nurse recruiters typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in business communications or human resources. Many companies prefer nurse recruiters to have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or BSN in the nursing field—previous nurses are also recommended for travel nurse recruiter positions. If you pursue a BSN degree, you may also need to pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and seek two to four years of related experience. While it will depend on your employer, you will find more opportunities with a BSN degree and an RN license.
Although not usually required, additional human resources certifications can make a nurse recruiter more competitive in the job market. Some employers may also prefer recruiters to be bilingual.
How to Become a Travel Nurse Recruiter
Travel nurse recruiter positions are in high demand, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back from every agency you reach out to. When you do find an agency that is interested, be sure to highlight your qualifications and experience in your cover letter. Here are a few tips for applying for a travel nurse recruiter position:
1. Tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific agency.
2. Make sure your resume is up-to-date and error-free.
3. Highlight your experience in sales, marketing, or recruiting.
4. Demonstrate your knowledge of the travel nurse industry.
5. Showcase your excellent communication and organizational skills.
6. Follow up with the agency after submitting your application.
7. Stay positive and persistent in your job search.
As a travel nurse recruiter, you can help job seekers save time, resources, and stress. Your ability to place qualified applicants in the right positions benefits everyone involved, but most importantly, the travelers you will help during their journey. If becoming a recruiter sounds like a career path for you, contact us today! If you’re a traveler by heart, take a look at our travel nurse jobs in the top travel nurse locations!
