Wound Care Travel Nurse Jobs

In the United States, the average salary for a wound care nurse is approximately $85,000 per year, according to data from PayScale. However, this figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, geographical location, level of education and certification, the size and type of the healthcare facility, and the specific responsibilities of the role.

A wound care RN specializes in the management and treatment of patients with wounds, ostomies, and continence disorders. Their duties range from assessing the wound, selecting appropriate treatment methods, monitoring the healing process, to educating patients and their families about wound care at home. Wound care nurses play a vital role in preventing infections, complications, and enhancing the patient's quality of life. In addition, they often work in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, providing a holistic approach to patient care and medical treatments for wounds caused by injury, lifestyle or conditions.

Education & License Requirements

A registered nurse needs to complete their associate degree or bachelor's nursing degree from an accredited nursing program 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

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB) offers several options for travel nurses to become certified in wound care. These include the Wound Care Certified (WCC) and the Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse (CWOCN) credentials. These professional nursing certifications validate the nurse's expertise in managing and treating wounds, contributing to higher standards of patient care. To be eligible for these certifications, nurses must meet specific educational and clinical practice requirements, and pass an examination. These certifications need to be renewed periodically through continuing education or reexamination. Wound care nurses are also required to maintain standard certifications such as Basic Life Support (BLS) through the American Heart Association.

Wound care RN positions are available in a variety of healthcare settings. Hospitals often have dedicated wound care departments where these nurses play a crucial role in critical care. Skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities regularly employ wound care nurses to manage and treat patients with chronic or complex wounds. Home healthcare agencies are another common employer, as wound care nurses can provide care for severe wounds in patients homes. Wound care nurses may also find opportunities in outpatient clinics, providing wound care treatment and education during clinic visits as part of the medical team.

While compensation offers can vary greatly depending on the contract or agency offering, pay packages for travel wound care nurse jobs 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 pay rate. Every pay package for a CVOR 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 a travel nurse 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 the travel nurse. 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 travel wound care RN, 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 travel wound care 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 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 travel wound care 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 nurse career today.