What is a Travel Nurse Checklist?

Don’t you wish you could do away with that darn skills checklist? You could have a huge bon fire if you burned all the skills checklist forms you fill out when applying to agencies. I used to get anxious when filling out the checklist until I had a few realizations. In this article, I will provide a little information that may give some perspective when approaching “the checklist.”

What is a skills checklist?

If you have yet to apply to an agency, get ready. Each company has what they call a skills checklist. Agencies make a great effort to have checklists that list the skills needed within your specialty. The skills will range from simple task such as starting an IV to highly advanced techniques. Also, many forms will list various types of equipment to see if you are familiar with its use. You will be asked to rank your abilities on a scale from 1 to 3 or 5.

Does anyone even look at it?

The checklist is one of the more important forms, because it is one of the first forms sent to the hospital for review and consideration on your behalf. Each hospital has certain skills they are looking for.

Will the skills list make or break your getting the assignment?

Probably not. Don’t worry too much. More than likely you will find that you have similar skills to everyone else. After all, you have been working in the specialty that requires those skills. The main idea is that you have experience, are available, flexible, and previous travel experience is a plus. However, if they are looking for someone who is strong in a certain area, the skills can make a difference.

Next time you are frustrated, you may want to reconsider before shredding the skills checklist and using it for fire starter. Just take a deep breath and start filling it out as well as you can without stressing out over it.