The ever-changing healthcare industry constantly adapts and evolves to new technologies and trends. One prevalent and profitable trend in the healthcare field right now is travel nursing. Let’s take a closer look at this trend and review its impact on the healthcare industry and its benefits to nurses considering these positions.

What is Travel Nursing?

Travel nursing is a temporary nursing position that involves serving in different healthcare facilities across the map. Travel nurses work with various issues, ranging from geriatric to pediatric, as well as in multiple settings. I.e., hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities.

Assignments for travel nurses can last a few weeks to several months or more, and these nurses are rewarded with high salaries, desirable benefits, and paid travel expenses.

Why Is Travel Nursing So Popular?

This healthcare trend has become for a variety of reasons. There’s a high demand for healthcare professionals across the country right now. As baby boomers age, there is also an increased need for healthcare services, and many hospitals and clinics find it challenging to fill open nursing positions.

Travel nurses can effectively and quickly fill in these gaps, which provides much-needed relief to clinics and facilities that are short-staffed. In addition, travel nursing positions offer flexibility and are enjoyable for those looking for an adventurous experience concerning their work.

Nurses can choose their assignments based on their personal preferences and schedules, which allows them to explore different parts of the country while furthering their skills and work experience. In addition, travel nurses can enjoy the freedom of working when and where they want.

Travel Nursing offers better salaries and benefits compared to standard nursing positions. Travel Nurses can earn around 20-30% more than regular nurses, plus the added benefits of travel expenses, health insurance, housing allowances, and more.

What Are The Downsides of Travel Nursing?

Travel nursing also carries challenges, as nurses must adapt quickly to new environments. Change can be overwhelming and stressful for some individuals. For others, it’s exciting, and you’re eager to embrace it.

Travel nurses must also be confident and comfortable working around new sets of colleagues and patients regularly, which can be difficult for some nurses to get acclimated to. Travel nursing can be lonely at times, as nurses must leave their friends and family to travel long distances at times, sometimes on short notice. However, this can also be a plus for some more introverted people working in nursing. Being homesick or feeling isolated is a common mental health obstacle for travel nurses and should be considered before entering this field.

This position can also be physically and mentally demanding, as nurses tend to work long hours and are expected to handle difficult patients at times. They also have to be prepared to handle emergencies on short notice and manage the physical toll traveling takes on their energy levels, which adds additional stress to the job.

Conclusion

Travel nursing is a highly favorable position to take on, considering its many benefits and the rewarding experience of traveling across the country. It’s also a position in high demand within the healthcare industry.

While there are some challenges associated with travel nursing, many nurses enjoy the opportunity to experience the variety of new environments, the refreshing change of pace, the freedom of choosing locations and work schedules, and gaining valuable experience in the field and consistently meeting new people.

Travel nursing will likely remain popular as they successfully, quickly, and effectively offer the support healthcare facilities and clinics need to care for their patients.