There are never enough nurses to fill the need. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, during the expansion of the American West, and early in the practice of nursing as a medical profession, "traveling nurses" might have made rounds of a county or region, staying a few days or weeks to tend to the sick in small towns and ranches, in place of or assisting country doctors who made house calls. In the 1930s, nurses traveled in big way: the first airline cabin attendants were required to be trained nurses.

In the 21st century, traveling nurses fill a niche in the temporary employment arena, staying in one assignment for three months to a year or more. Today's traveling nurse is more commonly called a "travel nurse," since travel is involved, but is not part of his or her day-to-day job. Travel nurses contract through a placement agency specialized in the medical field.

With a chronic shortage of nurses in all locations and specialties, there is a great demand for temporary nurses to fill vacancies until permanent staff can be hired. An RN, LPN, or LVN who is willing to relocate temporarily or who is looking for the right place to settle down can find working as a travel nurse satisfying personally, professionally, and monetarily.

A career as a traveling nurse is not for everyone. First, agencies and their clients want nurses who have a year or more clinical experience in one or more specialties, so they can go right to work with minimal training and orientation. Nurses in large cities might find temporary work within the local area, and spend a few years "auditioning" hospitals and other facilities to find a compatible place to settle down and build a career. But, most traveling nurse jobs involve temporary relocation, as changing population dynamics create need in fast-growing areas.

Registered nurses can easily take jobs in other than their home state, as the licensing standards are federal and most states have reciprocity agreements. The placement agencies can help LPNs and LVNs with certifications and licensing for other states. There are also temporary assignments overseas.

The pay scales for traveling nurses generally are a bit higher than for a full-time job, but the pay will vary in proportion to the local pay scales and the terms of the assignment. Some assignments may include adjustments for travel and subsistence, but many do not, so the prospective traveling nurse must take living costs into consideration when evaluating pay rates. Some traveling nurses are nomadic, moving all of their belongings from assignment to assignment, but if you have a permanent home you intend to return to, housing expenses at temporary jobs are tax deductible.

Obviously, unattached nurses are best suited to the traveling life, but traveling nurses do have pets and sometimes spouses or partners with portable jobs. If you are nurse and want to experience living in different parts of the country and working in a variety of settings before deciding on a specialty or area in which to live, working for an agency is an excellent way to gain work and life experiences, and maybe put a nest egg away.