Travel Infusion Nurse Jobs

The salary of a registered nurse can vary significantly depending on the experience of the nurse as well as the experience, certifications, and location they are working in. The median salary for a registered nurse was $ 80,010 per year or $36.22 per hour in 2020 with most earning between $61,630 and $93,590 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Entry-level registered nurse jobs or those with the lowest 10% salary earned around $53,410, while the highest 10% earned more than $116,230. Typically, a travel infusion nurse job will provide higher hourly and weekly pay than permanent positions in the same location.

Infusion RNs are responsible for the administration of intravenous medications to patients at home. Different types of infusion therapies may include antibiotics to fight infection, fluid to hydrate someone who is dehydrated, chemotherapy for cancer patients, tube feeding or TPN for digestive disorders, and immunoglobulin therapy for people with autoimmune diseases. Home health infusion nurses visit patients in their homes to administer these intravenous (IV) medication(s), fluid, or nutrition through a catheter directly into the patient’s bloodstream. They may also assist with the administration of tube feeding through a tube directly into the patient’s abdomen. The home infusion RN is also responsible for the care and maintenance of the IV or tube feeding site and educating the patient/caregiver to monitor these sites for problems. When possible, they teach patients and families how to self-administer IV therapy and/or tube feeding. Home infusion RNs may work either on shifts, assist one patient for several hours at a time, or intermittently travel to care for several patients in one day.

Education & License Requirements

To work as a Travel Hospice Nurse, Registered Nurses must complete their associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing and take the National Council Licensure Exam NCLEX -RN Exam, which is a requirement to practice as an RN in the United States. Once the NCLEX exam is passed and you meet the board of nursing license requirements in your state, then all that is left is to do is gain the necessary experience in your specialty and explore additional certifications.

Certifications

Common certifications required for infusion nurses include basic life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and pediatric advanced life support (PALS) certifications. Nurses interested in working in infusion may want to try assessment-based certificate programs which can help them get specialized skills for cancer care. Some options include the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) Radiation Therapy Certificate Course.

While compensation offers can vary greatly depending on the contract or agency offering, pay packages for infusion travel nurse jobs typically have four major components: hourly taxable wages, meals and incidentals, housing, and travel.

Hourly Pay

Full-time nurses working at healthcare facilities receive a salary, but most travel nurse employers offer hourly wages. Every pay package must include a taxable hourly wage, and the amount can vary depending on the shift, location, and specialty required of the assignment.

Housing

Housing payments can be included in a payment from a staffing agency. This is typically offered in two ways. Either the company is providing housing, or the traveler is taking the housing stipend. It is more beneficial for the traveler to take the housing stipend for two primary reasons. First, they will have a choice of where they will stay. Everyone’s definitions of comfort and acceptance are different. The second reason the housing stipend is more beneficial for them is that it can be given as a nontaxable amount.

Meals and Incidentals

Also known as per diems, meal and incidental stipends provide a daily budget for daily living expenses. These standards vary depending on the cost of living in cities and states across the country.

Travel Expenses

Travel is the last portion of the pay package. While a travel stipend can be used to cover the cost of a flight for the traveler, it is often used to subsidize the traveler’s expenses to and from an assignment. Travel expenses can be offered as a reimbursement rate per mile, though many agencies will opt to offer a flat rate to and from an assignment.

Many travel nurses find work through recruitment agencies and marketplaces, which means you have better access to job boards to choose your schedule, location, and salary. When you begin browsing for an infusion nurse position, be sure to consider the housing options, the benefits, the guaranteed hours' policy, and the recruiting company’s overall reputation.

The good news is that Fusion Marketplace has everything you need when it comes to finding the perfect traveling nursing jobs. Here, you have the freedom to compare benefits, packages, and staffing agencies—all in one place. So find your next job today.