I saw this question asked on the NurseZone Blog: Ask the Expert, and thought it was a great one. Shalon Weddington’s response is excellent, and she offers some really good advice, such as maintaining a good reputation as a nurse, making sure you are with a company big enough to get you the travel nursing assignment you want (or a bunch of smaller ones, which will require more organization on your part), having a sought after specialty and being flexible and willing to look at a variety of locations and facilities. 

However, I think there is one aspect she doesn’t address. If you make the decision to be a travel nurse you need to be very proactive in your career and plan ahead. There is absolutely no reason why travel nursing needs to be viewed as temporary or unstable. Some advice I would give is to give yourself plenty of time to find your next assignment. If you wait until the last minute it will be much more difficult to find the travel nursing assignment you are looking for. But if you give your Recruiter the criteria for your next assignment early they will be able to begin the search while you just enjoy your current assignment. Remember it is your nursing career; you are in charge.