Travel Rehabilitation Nurse Jobs

In the United States, the average salary for a rehab RN is approximately $77,000 per year, according to data from Payscale. Similar to other nursing professions, this figure can vary based on a number of factors including experience, location, level of education and training, and the size and type of the healthcare facility.

Rehabilitation nurses play a crucial role in helping patients recover and regain skills lost due to injury, illness, or surgery. Their responsibilities primarily focus on providing comprehensive care to patients suffering from chronic illnesses or disabilities, such as stroke, spinal cord or brain injury, or neurological disorders. Rehab Nurses assist patients in working towards their maximum level of independence, aiding in activities such as walking, bathing, or self-care. They play a key role in developing, implementing, and evaluating patient care plans, which may include strategies for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and lifestyle changes.

Rehabilitation nurses also closely monitor patients' progress and adjust treatment and nursing care plans as necessary. Additionally, they educate patients and their families on the recovery process, providing essential information on managing symptoms, preventing complications, and promoting overall health and wellness.

Education & License Requirements

A registered nurse needs to complete their associate degree or bachelor's nursing degree and take the National Council Licensure Exam NCLEX -RN Exam, which is a requirement to practice as a registered nurse in the United States. Once the NCLEX exam is passed, you meet the requirements by your state nursing license board, and you obtain your RN license, then all that is left is to do is gain the necessary relevant experience in your specialty and explore additional certifications and skills checks.

Certifications

Rehabilitation nurses may complete the Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) certification provided by the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN). This certification recognizes the nurse's specialized skills and knowledge in rehabilitation nursing, and it enhances credibility and potential for career advancement. To be eligible for the CRRN certification, nurses must have an active RN license and at least two years of practice as a registered nurse, with at least one of those years in rehabilitation nursing. The certification process includes passing an exam, and it needs to be renewed every five years through continuing education or reexamination.

Rehabilitation nurse positions are available in a variety of healthcare settings. Primarily, these roles can be found in inpatient rehab centers where patients are treated after surgery, injury, or illness. Hospitals also commonly employ rehab travel nurses, particularly in units dedicated to post-acute care or recovery. Long-term care facilities and nursing homes often require the skills of rehab nurses for residents who need consistent assistance and care. Home healthcare agencies are another common employer, catering to patients who require rehabilitation services within the comfort of their own homes.

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

Hourly Pay

A full-time staff nurse working at a healthcare facility receives a salary, but most travel nursing employers offer hourly wages at a competitive weekly rate. Every pay package for a rehab travel nurse 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 to travel nurses in two ways. Either the company is providing housing, or the travel nurse 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 in where they stay. Everyone’s definitions of comfortable and acceptable 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 for travel nursing professionals. 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. Many recruiters may not even offer travel and instead put that money into the per diems or housing for their travel nurse so they are receiving the benefits over the entire contract, not just at the very beginning or end of the contract.

While a travel stipend can be used to cover the cost of a flight for the rehab travel nurse, it is more often than not used to subsidize the traveler's expenses to and from an travel nursing 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 rehab 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 rehab travel nursing jobs, 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 rehab travel nursing jobs. Here, you have the freedom to compare benefits, packages, and staffing agencies—all in one place. So find your next travel nurse job and build your travel nursing career today.