Travel Nursing: Still a Viable Career Option

By Linda Beattie, contributor

Okay, so travel nursing jobs were harder to come by last year.  The same could be said for regular nursing jobs.  The ongoing recession affected a number of American households, and many experienced RNs went back to work, increased their hours or put off retirement, decreasing the number of available positions for both permanent and temporary nurses. Some hospitals also had to cut back on hiring.

Are you experiencing frustration in your current job? Do you almost forget why you became a nurse in the first place? Becoming a travel nurse in 2010 can help recharge your love for nursing in a number of ways:

1. Gain a new perspective. A new work situation can shake you out of the doldrums and help you look at nursing with fresh eyes.
2. Find fun and adventure. Experiencing a different part of the country or a new community is half the fun of traveling, and will energize your work life.
3. Remove distractions. Travelers are able to stay out of political and management issues, focusing more of their time on patients.
4. Acquire new skills. Travel assignments may put you in different units or using new equipment and methods, all of which improve your nursing abilities and enhance your résumé.
5. Build your confidence. The ability to enter a new situation and succeed can do great things for your psyche and job satisfaction.
6. Learn from others. With every assignment, you’ll meet other nurses who can share their knowledge, career tips and their own love of nursing.
7. Take control, with some help. Travel nursing offers the freedom to choose assignments without the worry of being stuck in a long-term job situation you don’t like. Your recruiter can find some great options and help you through the entire process.

  

So what will 2010 bring? Is travel nursing still a viable career option?

The long-term indicators are extremely positive, with nursing expected to grow more in the next few years than any other profession. According to its December 2009 economic news release, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the country will need to add 580,000 more nursing jobs between 2008 and 2018, and travelers will be needed to help make up those numbers. Economists also see the beginning signs of an economic recovery, which will open up more jobs again. And health care reform could lead to 30 million more patients with health insurance, increasing the demand for nurses.

In the short-term, some staffing experts see the market already starting to improve, and have jobs available for those who want to travel.  But they advise potential travelers to be on their toes.

“There are definite signs that more jobs are opening up, and all over the country,” said Marina Chowaiki, senior recruiter for leading nurse staffing firm American Mobile Healthcare. “Now that some hospitals have budget approval, they need nurses like yesterday, so you need to be ready.”

She advises nurses to work with their recruiters to remove any barriers to employment.

“Work alongside your recruiter. Make sure you have all of your health documents, licensure, references and other requirements fulfilled and be ready to go.”

Chowaiki sees a number of reasons why travel nursing is very viable in the current economy.  “I have talked to some nurses working per diem who have seen their hours cut way back; one was getting only one shift per week. Why put up with that when you can get a 13-week travel contract with guaranteed income?”

Travel pay rates continue to be attractive, as well, even if not at the all-time high of recent years. “You’re still better off traveling and you can still find great travel assignments with good money.”

Chowaiki offers additional advice for nurses interested in pursuing travel nursing careers.

“Be flexible and open to ideas,” she advised. “There’s not just one option anymore. In addition to traditional travel assignments, you might consider rapid response or even permanent placement. It is a very fluid market, and American Mobile is making sure there is something for everyone. If you are considering a move, make sure you have a recruiter that knows what they are doing and has a lot of options to offer.”

Traveler Robert Shaw, RN, EMT-P, who works for American Mobile, was a paramedic for more than 20 years but switched to nursing for more career opportunities.  He found that travel nursing was the right option for him to make a move at the end of 2008.  It also offers him great opportunities now.

“When my wife and I decided to move back to Washington State to be closer to family, I took a travel nursing assignment in our hometown of Olympia. It gave us a lot of security and made the move so much easier.”

After his first travel assignment ended, Shaw took a staff position, but recently decided to return to travel nursing. “Now that the economy is improving, there are more assignments and I have more experience.” 

Published reports have highlighted temporary hiring needs are growing in the face of a limited supply of healthcare professionals. While the state of the economy reduced the impact of the underlying nursing shortage, experts continue to warn that the fundamental causes of the shortage have not gone away.

And while temporary staffing provides flexibility of coverage, allowing hospitals to staff appropriately to accommodate regular and peak census periods, it also helps hospitals to be more efficient and to maintain quality outcomes.

That, says Beth Machado, senior vice president of recruitment for American Mobile, translates into a consistent and long term demand for quality travel nurses to provide that support. “What we continue to see is that high quality travel nurses are needed to help meet current and future demand.”

Shaw is currently enjoying an assignment in the ER at Virginia Mason Medical Center, 60 miles away in Seattle, and finds that he is home just as much as when he worked 24-hour shifts as a paramedic. He stays in the furnished apartment provided by his staffing company on nights he can’t make it home, but returns to spend time with his wife several days per week. She also comes into the city to tour the sites with him on occasion. 

“I’m enjoying the chance to explore the city as a visitor,” he said. “I also love the pace of working in the emergency room, and the people I work with are fabulous.”

Shaw hopes he can extend his current assignment at Virginia Mason. If not, he may be looking for assignments nearby or in California, where he was recently licensed.

For other nurses who are considering traveling now or in the near future, Shaw recommends starting the process early to make sure licensure and documentation issues won’t slow you down. He also suggests going the extra mile to “earn your merit badges,” which means taking the courses and earning credentials that make you more marketable. He is currently enrolled in a trauma course through the Emergency Nurses Association.

“When you look at those skills checklists, notice what areas you don’t have and then go get that experience,” he said. “It is important to do as many things as you can to make yourself look as good as you can.”

He agrees that greater flexibility can also help you find employment, in this or any economy.

“Employers may ask to put you on another floor or in another care setting,” Shaw continued. “If you narrow your focus too much, you could miss some great opportunities.” 

And 2010 promises to have a number of opportunities available for travel nurses.

“There are so many reasons to travel right now,” Chowaiki explained. “It is a brand new year, and we’re getting rid of the 2009 blues. This is the year to reconsider becoming a traveler.”

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