Travel nursing -- is it dead?

I am not a traveler, but several of my friends are travelers...and Facebook is a great thing!

I just received my "Healthcare Traveler" magazine this weekend, and there was an article in there about the contraction among travel nursing. It really is pretty simple.

The bean counters and administrators are not reducing travel positions simply to 'screw' potential travel nurses, but because the health-care industry is getting pinched just like most every other industry; obviously it seems that the only people getting raises and bonuses are our legislators and the industries that they voted to give all our money to.

Travel nurses are needed to 'fill-in-the-gaps.' If the gaps aren't there, then 'occupational natural selection' will result in the reduction of the most vulnerable link in the process; the expensive temporary staff.

At the facility where I work, all travelers were eliminated, and it worked; the travelers all came on board to be regular staff...seems to indicate to me that the travel nurses were just being capitalists (which I applaud), but they have to understand that they can only be as capitalistic as the system will accomodate.

And that isn't the only factor; the article pointed out the tough competition among travel agencies...which simply can no longer be supported as facilities freeze hiring and wages for regular staff. The COL raises for all staff at the hospital where I work was put "on hold." Some hospitals have laid off regular staff, and reduced compensation for leadership. It's not a targeted effort to hurt travelers, but travelers simply need to recognize the disadvantages of pursuing the job for money in addition to the benefits of pursuing it for money.

Portraying this as some focused effort to screw over travel nurses indicates a failure to see the entire industry, and I believe this MAY be only temporary, although it make look much different when it re-emerges. The reason I say it's only temporary is because in spite of who is messing with the economy, it will recover.

Of course, my personal opinion...not fact or otherwise, is that travel nursing simply cannot be considered a consistent way to make a living. Folks have to accept that contracts can't be simply available immediately after finishing the last one, or that they will automatically be renewed. The risk must be acknowledged along with the benefits. My personal potential goal is when I finally decide to "retire," I will enter the travel field and complete 1 or 2 contracts a year, but I won't count on the industry to keep me employed.

I will challenge your thoughts on a couple of points here:
First of all, your assertion that travelers are pursuing the career only for the payrate:

I initially took a paycut to become a traveler, and if I had remained at my previous (federal) job would have moved up the grades and steps to a much higher annual salary than I make now. Many of us work as travelers for love of travel, dislike of hospital politics, or as in my case family scattered around the country with whom I enjoy spending time.

Secondly, your opinion that travel nursing cannot be considered a consistent way to make a living: I've been making my living strictly as a traveler since October of 1996 - the longest I've stayed in any "position". If you are extremely flexible and persistent, it is still possible now - especially as an "oldie" who is well established with a company.

I agree though that I don't see the current employment contract as a "plot", simply an effect of the overall economic problems. I do think there will always be some need for travelers and that the market will expand again as the economy improves and as hospitals feel the effect of shortstaffing and overloading OT on their permanent staff in the form of poor patient outcomes (and satisfaction) and loss of staff to attrition, illness and burnout.

You are going to have to point out where I ever said that. I mentioned money, but I never even implied that it was "only for the payrate." If you are going to direct criticism for that theory, you need to address the OP, who very specifically made the issue about money.



You are the exception, not the rule.

not true, every traveler i work with EXCEPT the young nurses that werent up there on the pay scale yet make less!

I'm not concocting some previously-unheard-of myth that travel nurses capture better wages. And you don't need to lecture me about the reasons nurses travel, because when I travel, I will have my reasons,

How about we just lecture you because you are not a traveler and we are...is there perhaps the tiniest chance that we might know something you dont????



Well, temporary employment by it's very definition means that the employment is not consistent, I don't know how else this could be explained. Of course some nurses can often move immediately from one contract to another, but I think the concerns which prompted the very origins of this thread kind of support the point about inconsistency. I just spoke with a traveling friend of mine who told me that after three years of traveling, she was unable to get another contract and was fortunate to be able to extend her current contract...at which time she needs to find another job. She said...and I quote almost verbatum "where they were once posting 100 available positions, now we are lucky to see 10."



Well, at least some part of my post was noticed.


I seriously doubt our facility will be using travelers for a long time. We barely used them before the economic downturn...but I do believe that other facilities will eventually start seeking them out again.

You are going to have to point out where I ever said that. I mentioned money, but I never even implied that it was "only for the payrate." If you are going to direct criticism for that theory, you need to address the OP, who very specifically made the issue about money.



You are the exception, not the rule. I'm not concocting some previously-unheard-of myth that travel nurses capture better wages. And you don't need to lecture me about the reasons nurses travel, because when I travel, I will have my reasons, my friends have their reasons, and the person who wrote the original post has their reasons. Additionally, such lecturing requires that you hang onto the inaccurate interpretation of what you think I 'asserted.'



Well, temporary employment by it's very definition means that the employment is not consistent, I don't know how else this could be explained. Of course some nurses can often move immediately from one contract to another, but I think the concerns which prompted the very origins of this thread kind of support the point about inconsistency. I just spoke with a traveling friend of mine who told me that after three years of traveling, she was unable to get another contract and was fortunate to be able to extend her current contract...at which time she needs to find another job. She said...and I quote almost verbatum "where they were once posting 100 available positions, now we are lucky to see 10."


I seriously doubt our facility will be using travelers for a long time. We barely used them before the economic downturn...but I do believe that other facilities will eventually start seeking them out again.