Due to the shortage of nurses, there is more demand for travel nurses than ever before. According to Staffing Industry Analysts, travel nurses are expected to account for one-third of temporary care workers in 2018. Hospitals also spend millions of dollars each year to hire travel nurses, and many offer incentives such as free housing or tuition reimbursement. Because travel nurses are expected to jump into contract positions with minimal training and work in specialized settings, it’s important to have at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Travel nurses are becoming increasingly popular in hospitals and other medical facilities around the world. Cost reduction and seasonal staff support are just some of the reasons why every hospital should consider hiring travel nurses. In this blog we will take a closer look at the top 5 reasons behind the rise of this profession. Ultimately, it is always up to the potential traveler to decide whether or not to commit to an assignment or travel contract.
Travel nursing can seem appealing to young nurses, who can have benefits including the ability to travel, flexibility, short-term assignments, and sometimes higher salaries. Still, when travel nurses are looking for permanent staff nurses outside of their organization, it can lead to a higher turnover rate within a facility. One of these benefits is financial, as travel nurses are usually paid very well. According to work and salary website Payscale, the average hourly wage for a travel nurse is $31.99, compared to $27.03 for the permanently employed RN. Travel agencies are employment agencies that place registered nurses and caregivers in hospitals and clinics with short-term occupancy needs. They often place people nationally or internationally in places where there is a shortage of nursing.
Nurses who choose a traveling career have the flexibility and freedom to work in a variety of locations, including at prestigious healthcare organizations that look great on a resume. The varied experiences offer the opportunity to explore your options before choosing a particular long-term position, or you’ll find yourself Traveling Nurse Jobs enjoying flexibility so much that travel nursing becomes your permanent position. As the old saying goes, “The poison of one man is the porridge of another man.” What may be a “scammer” to one person may be a “pro” to another. Part of passionately pursuing a career goal is turning the negative into the positive.
Historically, travel nurses have been a good choice for nursing directors looking to increase their team. They offer short-term contracts to hospitals to help meet temporary needs in their departments. While travel nurses can be an excellent solution for solving specific challenges on a case-by-case basis, it won’t solve chronic labor shortages. Due to this shortage, healthcare institutions have vacancies that need to be filled and travel nurses are often the ones filling the vacant positions. Travel nurses not only work in health care in every state in the country, but also work outside the United States as international travel nurses. Adventure and the excitement of new opportunities, along with a higher-than-average salary, are facets of travel nursing that many RNs find appealing.
A high salary is one of the main benefits of travel nursing, especially lately. Now, however, travel costs are about four times higher than those of a staff nurse, so this is an incredibly lucrative salary opportunity for a nurse. Essentially, travel nurses serve to fill when the need arises in different places in the country, and therefore they are very valuable.
There are travel nursing contracts available that are specifically for floating nurses. Floating nurses move from one department or unit to another, depending on staffing needs. Floating is a great way to expose yourself to a variety of units that you can later choose to specialize in. In addition, travel nurses also have the option to go to different settings, just because someone starts in a hospital setting doesn’t mean they can work there alone.
A BSN program can include useful courses such as nursing computer science, nursing research, and individual assessment. The program may also challenge students to develop leadership skills and interpersonal skills, while increasing their knowledge in advanced health care technologies and providing care to an aging population. As contract workers, travel nurses can have different benefits depending on their job location. Many travel agencies create benefit packages to make it more attractive for travel nurses to work through them, but nurses who seek positions without going through an agency don’t have that advantage.
Healthcare organizations work with recruitment agencies such as LeaderStat to find qualified nurses to fill these assignments often at short notice. Agencies put them in touch with travel nurses so they can hire to fill staff shortages. Most travel nursing agencies require at least one year of hands-on experience in the chosen nursing specialty. International travel nurses should speak the language of the country in which they are going to practice, as communication is an important part of effective health care.
They offer vacations between jobs, cover travel expenses, and often provide housing or a housing allowance. Aside from the downsides of potential animosity and in-house recruitment, travel nurses are not integrated into a hospital’s culture. All permanent nurses who start in a health center must go through an extensive orientation process to integrate into the culture. Due to the nature of travel nursing, they are generally not sufficiently organization-oriented, which can sometimes lead to disruption of culture and inconsistent patient care.