Nursing Shortage: A Two Sided Coin
Jul 14th, 2008 | By Patrick | Category: Patrick's Travel Nursing Posts, Professional Topics, Travel Nursing TipsBeing a Traveling Nurse or Allied Health professional these days has proven to be a lucrative alternative to a permanent position within many healthcare facilities. Many choose to leave their staff positions to become a traveling healthcare professional due to the slowing economy and the continuing repercussions of 9/11. As pay has plateaued for many staff RNs, many of them are now choosing to leave and become a traveling nurse. Many cite reasons for leaving other than pay, such as, flexibility and the opportunity to learn about new advancements in medical technology. Others stated leaving their permanent position to deal with less hospital politics and for the excitement of discovering places they’ve never been and meeting fresh faces. If I were a nurse, this is certainly the route I would choose. I have no commitments other than my cat (many agencies will accommodate for pets) and I’m single and love to discover new places. Those things would not be afforded to some without being a traveling nurse, so to me, it’s a no brainer when choosing to be a traveler.
There is however the other side. Some may not have the luxury of choice and like any job, it is not for everyone. Many are not able to travel as a result of family or other priorities. Like I mentioned earlier, the state of the economy is a major factor in the swing of appeal, or lack thereof. Some staff nurses are now having to pick up other shifts because their partners have lost a job or received pay cuts due to budget restraints. There is a plus side to this though, some of the hospitals experiencing the upswing in nurses wanting shifts is no longer experiencing a shortage… at least until the economy picks up again. When do you see the economy bouncing back?
As traveling nursing becomes more appealing to talented and experienced staff nurses, many hospitals will turn to traveling healthcare agencies such as Medical Solutions. Take the time to weigh your options and make sure you are prepared to become a traveler. You can learn more about what it takes to do so by reading the many other posts here at TravelNursingBlogs.com.
I’m confused. What do “the continuing repercussions of 9/11″ have to do with being a travel nurse?
Or are you saying that the current slowing of the economy is due to 9/11?
Yes, what I was saying is exactly that… The slowdown in the economy was due in large part to the events of 9/11. With the “war” and unemployment and oil prices on the rise, many nurses who may have in the past taken on less shifts are now returning and asking for more work to compensate for possible lost income with their spouses and so forth. What this means to travel nurses I guess, is that there may be less of a need right now. But that may only be present in certain markets and is definitely not the situation nationwide. Hospitals may experience some relief, but staff nurses will notice that the pay is not comparable to those who decide to travel. There is still the opportunity to generate more income as a traveler, that will continue to be the trend for years to come. I hope this clears up any confusion to my post? Thanks for your reply!