Travel ER assignments suit nurses who like fast triage, unpredictable volume and a team that works close together. Here is what the work is really like, what facilities expect, what it tends to pay, and how to land your first emergency department contract.
You work a typical 13-week contract, usually three 12-hour shifts a week, in an emergency department that is short a nurse. Expect a mix of walk-ins, ambulance arrivals and boarded inpatients, a short orientation, and the expectation that you can triage and manage a full assignment quickly.
Departments differ. A Level I trauma center, a community ED and a rural critical access hospital each run differently. Ask about annual visits, how many patients are typically boarded, whether there is a separate fast track or psych area, and where you would be assigned most often.
Most facilities want one to two years of recent, full-time ED experience in an acute care hospital. A current RN credential, BLS and ACLS are standard, and PALS is common. TNCC is often required for trauma centers, and CEN is a plus. Facilities also run license verification, background checks and health clearance, so an organized file speeds up your start date.
Travel ER nurses commonly see gross weekly packages in the range of roughly $2,000 to $2,500, with trauma centers, high-demand markets, nights and short-notice starts paying above that. Your package mixes taxable hourly wages with, where you qualify, non-taxable stipends, so compare the full breakdown rather than the headline number.
Our guide to how travel nurse pay is built walks through the pieces.
Demand for registered nurses overall is projected to grow about 5% from 2024 to 2034, with roughly 189,100 openings a year as nurses retire and move on. Emergency departments feel that quickly because they run around the clock, absorb rising patient volume and lose nurses to burnout and shift changes. Winter respiratory season and holiday weeks tend to push volume up, so contracts booked ahead are usually better than last-minute ones.
Tell a recruiter exactly what you have done: trauma level, annual volume, ratios and the areas you have covered. Have your certifications, immunization records and references ready, and stay flexible on start date. To compare options, see the critical and acute care nursing specialties, the travel ICU nurse guide and the full jobs overview.
Most are 13 weeks, with some at 8 or 26 weeks. Facilities often offer extensions if the department is still short and you want to stay.
Usually a shift or two covering the EMR, the layout and the equipment. You are expected to manage patients independently quickly, so ask what orientation looks like before you accept.
TNCC is commonly required at trauma centers. CEN is rarely required but can help you stand out. Recent hands-on ED experience matters most.
Often yes within what the department needs. Nights carry a differential. Confirm the schedule and any guaranteed hours in writing.
No. Placement is free to you. The facility pays our fee.
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