Part of the appeal of a travel nurse career is the adventure–the opportunity to discover places you’ve never been before. But those places aren’t just on the coast or in the mountains. There are literally travel nursing jobs everywhere, and America is a big place. We want to take a look at some of those markets that you may have missed in your last job search. We start in the Midwest.

Illinois travel nursing jobs

Where are the jobs: All over, and more are being added every day.

What specialties are these hospitals looking for: Any and all, the jobs are plentiful

How quick are the hospitals hiring: Almost immediately. Most interviews are being done the same day resumes are submitted.

How easy is it to get a state license: This is where it can get tricky in Illinois. It takes between four and six weeks for a state license to be issued, so accepting your first Illinois assignment takes a bit of preparation. Where many get hung up is submitting an incomplete file. When the state receives an incomplete file, it uses the U.S Postal Service to notify the nurse and requests missing documents be sent back to the state in the same way. That creates a nearly two week delay. Then once the state receives the documents, the four- to six-week clock starts over. So, if you aren’t careful, getting an Illinois nursing license can become a months long process.

One way around this, if you’re applying from a neighboring state, is to go to either Chicago or Springfield to the state nursing board’s offices with your full file and ask for a review before you submit your application for a license. It will still take up to six weeks to get the license, but you avoid those delays caused by missing documents.

Indiana travel nursing jobs

Where in the state are the jobs: Obviously, there are jobs in Indianapolis, but there are also several opportunities in Fort Wayne and Evansville.

What specialties are these hospitals looking for: Right now there seems to be a growing number of Med Surg/TELE positions as well as ICU

How quick are the hospitals to hire: The answer here obviously depends on the facility, but some hospitals are interviewing the same day candidates are submitted.

How easy is it to get a state license: Indiana is not a member of the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact, so before accepting a placement there you’ll need a temporary license. Indiana isn’t a walk-through state either, so make sure you leave two to four weeks for the state to issue your license once it’s received all of the required documentation. The license is valid for 90 days.

Here are the documents you’ll need to provide:

• Completed application — notarization is required for a temporary license
• A 2 ½ X 3 ½ Photo signed on front
• Proof of current active license
• Verification of original state license
• Verification of ALL licenses held, current or expired
• Completed fingerprint card, not complete prior to sending in the application

Missouri travel nursing jobs

Where are the jobs: Sedalia, Springfield, St. Louis and surrounding cities

What specialties are these hospitals looking for: Med Surg & TELE RN’s are the biggest needs at this time.

How quick are the hospitals to hire: Interview typically happen within 48 hours

How easy is it to get a state license: Missouri is a compact state, so if you already have a multistate license then you are cleared to work. If you don’t have a multistate license, Missouri is a walk-through state. Go to the board of nursing in Jefferson City and you can leave with an active Missouri temporary license. When you go, you’ll need a completed application, a copy of your current active state license, and proof of your fingerprint registration.