What experience do you need to be a ER travel nurse?

Usually 1–2 years of recent ER experience; level I trauma centers often want 2+ years and trauma experience. Requirements are set by each hospital, so check the job post.

What certifications do ER travel nurses need?

Most ER contracts require BLS, ACLS and PALS, and many prefer TNCC, NIHSS and CEN. Bring current cards: agencies verify them before submitting you.

ER travel nurse

Also posted as ED, emergency department and trauma.

Usually 1–2 years of recent ER experience; level I trauma centers often want 2+ years and trauma experience. Most contracts require BLS, ACLS and PALS; many prefer TNCC, NIHSS and CEN. California, the only state with ratios in law, caps ER at 1 nurse to 4 patients (1:2 for critical care patients, 1:1 for critical trauma).

Updated October 2026

Triage, trauma and everything that walks in. Contracts range from small rural EDs to level I trauma centers, and the experience asked for differs a lot between them.

What agencies ask for

Experience: Usually 1–2 years of recent ER experience; level I trauma centers often want 2+ years and trauma experience.
Required on most contracts: BLS, ACLS and PALS
Often preferred: TNCC, NIHSS and CEN
Also expect: A skills checklist and references from your recent ER managers, and a license for the state (or a multistate license where it applies).

Ratios and floating

California minimum: 1 nurse to 4 patients (1:2 for critical care patients, 1:1 for critical trauma). Title 22 §70217

Traveler reports on ER ratios and floating appear here once a hospital's ER has 3 reports. Report a unit you worked on.

What ER travelers were offered

No ER offers shared yet. Pay is published as medians once 3 travelers have shared.

Decode an ER job post Share an offer anonymously

Ask before you sign

Will I triage, and is there a separate pediatric area?
What's the trauma level, and are travelers in the trauma bays?
How are holds handled when the ICU is full?
How often do travelers float, and to which units? Is floating limited to units like this one?
What's the usual ratio on days and on nights, and who covers breaks?
How many orientation shifts do travelers get, and are they paid?
Which charting system does the unit use?

Questions

What experience do you need to be a ER travel nurse?: Usually 1–2 years of recent ER experience; level I trauma centers often want 2+ years and trauma experience. Requirements are set by each hospital, so check the job post.
What certifications do ER travel nurses need?: Most ER contracts require BLS, ACLS and PALS, and many prefer TNCC, NIHSS and CEN. Bring current cards: agencies verify them before submitting you.
What is the nurse-to-patient ratio for ER?: Only California sets ratios in law: 1 nurse to 4 patients (1:2 for critical care patients, 1:1 for critical trauma) (Title 22 CCR §70217). Elsewhere it's hospital policy, so ask on the interview.

Other specialties: ICU · Labor & Delivery · Med-Surg · PCU / Stepdown · Telemetry · OR · Pediatrics · NICU · Psych