The Best 6 Books That All Travel Nurses Need to Read

There are about 1.7 million traveling nurses currently employed in the United States alone. These RNs help at hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other health settings due to labor shortages. These books are recommended for nurses who are on the road.
Updated: April 5th, 2023
LTC News Contributor Jenny Han

Contributor

Jenny Han

There continues to be a growing demand for health care at all levels. The need for nurses continues to grow. Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities all have growing patient loads and labor shortages that can impact patient care.

Travel nurses are especially helpful today in assisted living facilities, memory care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and in nursing homes. There is a growing demand for long-term health care, and travel nurses play an important role.

Working as a travel nurse can be an exciting and rewarding career choice with many pursuing postgraduate nurse practitioner certificate programs in their spare time. However, it is a big choice, and you might need guidance along the way. However, it is a big choice, and you might need guidance along the way. Luckily, there are some wonderful books out there that can help you decide and give you practical advice on this career choice. Here are the 6 top books that you should read, whether you are new to the field or an old pro. 

Hitting the Road: A Guide to Travel Nursing

This book, written by Shalon Weddington, is a staple on any travel nurse’s must-read list. If you are wondering whether you can manage to be a travel nurse or not, then you absolutely must give this book ago. Weddington shares her decades of experience as a travel nurse, providing practical information for all those who are about to take the first steps into this field of nursing. The topics are varied, and there are even some self-assessment quizzes you can take to help you decide if you have what it takes to pursue this as a career. 

Travel Nurse’s Bible (A Guide to Everything on Travel Nursing)

Written by David Morrison, this is a book that most travel nurses suggest that you should have in your mobile library. It’s a great guide for those who are new to travel nursing. Travel Nurse’s Bible offers in-depth explanations of how to get into this career, from listing what qualifications you need to what characteristics are necessary to carry out this grueling but rewarding work. 

Roadfood

Authors Jane and Michael Stern know what it’s like trying to get a good meal out on the road. This book is for those nurses who desire more than chain restaurants and fast-food meals. Sometimes, you just want to have a great meal that makes you go, “Wow, which was amazing”! 

When traveling, part of the experience is tasting local cuisine, and this book is a great guide to help you eat like the locals of wherever you are located in the United States, making this another necessary book to add to your library and carry with you on your travel nursing journey.

Words of Hope from Nurses to Nurses

Author Sue Heacock, RN, MBA, wrote a book to help take its readers on a worldwide tour of the incredible job that nurses do. Nursing can be strenuous work and sometimes emotionally difficult. This book is a great source of inspiration and worldwide wisdom from nurses who have seen it all and dared to keep going in spite of the hard times they faced.

Words of Hope from Nurses to Nurses, with its inspiring stories, will help see any travel nurse through the hard times and keep you motivated. 

Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not

You can’t have a list of must-read books on travel nursing and not include a book written by one of the most famous and celebrated nurses of all time. Florence Nightingale is the author of this book, and to say that she knew a lot about nursing is an understatement. Although this book was written in 1859, it still managed to be incredibly relevant now. Not only that the book itself is an easy read, adding to its appeal. It provides great insights into why nurses do things the way that they are done today and encourages nursing to keep expanding and evolving. 

Fast Facts for The Travel Nurse: Travel Nursing In A Nutshell

Written by Michele Angell Landrum, this book is perfect for those who are thinking about becoming a travel nurse, as well as those who are already working in the field. Landrum, who is an experienced travel nurse herself, gives informative and helpful advice on how to be better prepared for assignments, successfully negotiating assignment contracts, as well as ways to get paid more and receive better benefit options. 

If you are planning to become a travel nurse or already practicing in the field, these are the 6 best travel nursing books that you definitely need to read.

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