Essential Guide to Travel Nursing References: Tips for Success

In travel nursing, references are more than a formality—they are one of the most important factors in whether a nurse is submitted, interviewed, and ultimately offered an assignment. While skills, experience, and availability matter, strong professional references often make the difference between landing a travel contract and being passed over.

This guide explains why references are required in travel nursing, how to get them, and when they expire.

Why References Are Required in Travel Nursing

Travel nurses step into short-term roles where facilities have limited time to train or evaluate new staff. Because of this, hiring managers rely heavily on references to confirm that a traveler can safely and effectively integrate into their team.

References help facilities:

• Verify clinical competency and specialty experience
• Confirm reliability, professionalism, and work ethic
• Assess communication and teamwork skills
• Reduce risk when onboarding short-term staff

Unlike permanent roles, travel nursing contracts move quickly. Facilities often won’t consider candidates without verified references on file.

What Makes a Strong Travel Nursing Reference?

The best references for travel nursing come from recent supervisors or charge nurses who can speak directly to your clinical performance.

Ideal references include:

• Nurse managers
• Assistant nurse managers
• Charge nurses
• Clinical supervisors

References from peers or coworkers are usually not accepted unless they held a leadership role.

How Many References Are Typically Needed?

Most travel nursing agencies and facilities require:

• Two professional references
• At least one from your most recent assignment
• References who have supervised you within the last two years

Having updated references ready helps avoid delays during submission and credentialing.

How to Get References for Travel Nursing

One of the most common challenges for travel nurses is securing references—especially after leaving a facility. The key is to be proactive.

Best practices for getting references:

• Ask before your contract ends, while your performance is fresh
• Request references from direct supervisors, not peers
• Explain that travel nursing requires updated references regularly
• Provide context on how the reference will be used

Many facilities are familiar with travel nursing requirements and expect reference requests at the end of an assignment.

When Do Travel Nursing References Expire?

Most agencies and facilities require references to be:

• Less than two years old
• From a recent and relevant clinical setting

If your references are older than two years, they are typically considered expired and cannot be used for new submissions.

This is why experienced travel nurses update references at the end of each assignment—even if they don’t need them immediately.

What Happens If Your References Are Outdated?

Outdated or missing references can:

• Delay job submissions
• Limit which facilities you can apply to
• Cause you to miss time-sensitive or high-paying contracts

Keeping references current ensures you’re always ready to move when the right opportunity comes along.

Tips to Keep Your References Up to Date

• Collect references at the end of every assignment
• Maintain a list of supervisors and contact information
• Track when each reference was last used or updated
• Let your recruiter know when new references are available

Final Thoughts

In travel nursing, references are a critical part of your professional profile. They help facilities trust your ability to step in quickly, provide safe patient care, and support their teams.

By understanding why references matter, knowing how to secure them, and keeping them up to date, you position yourself for faster submissions, more job options, and a smoother travel nursing experience.