Travel Nursing:
California

Yes. However, if you already hold a nursing license in another state, you can apply for California licensure by endorsement. In addition to sending an application to the California Board of Nursing, you must also verify your current nursing license, submit a fingerprint card, passport photo, transcripts from your nursing school, letters or documents of any discipline or convictions, and pay a licensure fee. While this may seem like an overwhelming process, your Trusted Nurse Staffing recruiter will help you every step of the way and we will reimburse the fees for your licensure.

While salaries can vary depending on which specialty and city you work in, California travel nurses have the highest-paying salaries on average in the country. The average pay for a travel nurse in California is $2,149/week.

On top of a high-paying salary, benefits like housing stipends, meal and travel allowances, sign-on and completion bonuses, and more all contribute to your income.

California is notoriously known for having high a cost of living. Desirable areas with endless things to do like San Francisco and Los Angeles will come with higher living costs.

If you are looking for California travel nurse assignments with the lowest cost of living, you’ll want to look at cities in the Central Valley, like Bakersfield, Fresno, or Sacramento.

To put things into perspective, Bakersfield’s cost of living is just 5% above the national average, while posh cities like Los Angeles are 43% higher than the national average.

When it comes to housing for travel nurses in California, you have two options:

1. You can take advantage of agency-based housing where we find you housing and set everything up for you.
2. You can opt to receive a housing stipend and find your own housing.

If you choose to find your own housing, your recruiter can also offer insight into where past travel nurses have stayed and can even help connect you with other travel nurses who are looking for roommates to save money.

While we recommend reading reviews and listening to the experiences of other travel nurses, we also recommend speaking with multiple agencies. It is important to figure out not only what benefits are offered to you as a travel nurse, but how much support you will receive throughout your travel nurse assignment in California. The best travel nurse agencies in California will be communicable and responsive to your needs. We’re confident, that after connecting with other agencies, you’ll see why so many nurses trust our team with their career and why we’re a better solution for most nurses. For example, we offer 24/7 access to your recruiter for support.

San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are very popular travel nursing destinations in California due to their nearby attractions and West Coast lifestyle. Cities in the Central Valley like Bakersfield and Fresno are also desirable locations due to their lower cost of living.

In California, there is a little bit of something for everyone. If you love the outdoors, there is a surplus of outdoor sports, beaches, lakes, rivers, mountains, and forests to enjoy. Many travel nurses also enjoy visiting attractions like Disneyland and Universal Studios, as well as aquariums, world-class museums, gardens, and more. California cities like Hollywood and San Francisco have a thriving night life scene, with trendy bars and clubs.

Some of the highest-paying cities for travel nurse assignments in California are:

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco>
• San Jose
• Stockton
• San Bernardino

Also, be sure to keep in mind the cost of living when trying to find a travel nurse in California with the best bang for your buck. While a city like Bakersfield may have a lower-paying salary, the cost of living is substantially lower than most large California cities.

COVID-19 has heavily increased the demand for travel nurses in California. With COVID-19 numbers still on the rise, California hospitals need more travel nurses to help fill in the gaps and relieve pressure off of the healthcare system. In areas of the state that are considered hot spots for COVID-19, you can expect a higher paying assignment.

In addition, the state of California has released a proclamation in response to COVID-19 stating that out-of-state, licensed medical professionals preparing for, responding to, or mitigating the risk of COVID can temporarily practice without California licensure with the approval from a California medical facility, telehealth agency that is contracted with a California medical facility, or a staffing agency (like us) that provide staffing for California.

The length of your travel nursing assignment in California can vary depending on what your selected staffing agency offers. At Trusted Nurse Staffing, we offer flexible contracts for travel nursing assignments in California. Travel nurses have the choice of selecting between 8,13, 26, and 52-week assignments. If you end up loving your California travel nursing assignment, we can help you extend it.

The benefits you receive as a travel nurse in California can vary depending on which staffing agency you partner with.

For example, Trusted Nurse Staffing offers:

• Highest pay rates in the industry
• 401(k) plans
• Flexible contracts between 8, 13, 26, and 52 weeks long
• Full-time and part-time work
• 24/7 access and support from your recruiter
• Overtime/double-time availability
• Weekly paychecks, daily pay, and advances offered
• Direct deposit payments
• Housing, meal, and travel allowances
• A customized benefits package>
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield insurance
• License, certifications, and CEU reimbursements
• A loyalty program
• Referral bonus plan
• Priority job order bonuses
• Sign-on and completion bonuses

Aside from the many benefits that Trusted Nurse Staffing offers, like the highest pay in the industry, bonuses, education reimbursements, and more, the biggest difference in our company is the support that we offer each and every one of our travel nurses. We believe that if you call, someone should pick up the phone. With 24/7 support, our travel nurses always have access to their recruiters to answer any of their questions and meet any of their needs from the moment they partner with our agency until the end.