Nurses Flocking Back to Hospitals

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Many nurses who left hospital staff jobs during the pandemic out of exhaustion or for lucrative temporary jobs are coming back.

Their return in recent months, spurred by falling pay from the temp agencies and new hospital perks, is helping ease shortages that have crowded emergency rooms and forced hospitals to turn away patient referrals.

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Nurses Flock Back to Hospitals After Leaving in the Pandemic

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
chare said:

Nurses Flock Back to Hospitals After Leaving in the Pandemic

Were any states successful in placing caps on travel wages for nurses in 2022?

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
chare said:

Nurses Flock Back to Hospitals After Leaving in the Pandemic

I can't read the article because of the paywall but this is good news.  I was wondering how all of them could pay their bills.  Now I wonder how all the less-skilled people are living without their jobs.  ALL of them cannot be grifting on enemployment...can they?  

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toomuchbaloney said:

Were any states successful in placing caps on travel wages for nurses in 2022?

To my knowledge, no.  I do think, however, that a growing number of facilities have opted to transition away from using travelers.  I know my facility has not hired any new travel RNs, and has opted to not renew any of the those currently working.  And, discussing this with a couple of my friends that left to travel, it seems that facilities aren't paying the exorbitant rates that they had been.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
chare said:

To my knowledge, no.  I do think, however, that a growing number of facilities have opted to transition away from using travelers.  I know my facility has not hired any new travel RNs, and has opted to not renew any of the those currently working.  And, discussing this with a couple of my friends that left to travel, it seems that facilities aren't paying the exorbitant rates that they had been.

My hospital has been lowering the pay for travelers. We went from bringing on 3-5 per week just for the OR to... none. We did have a large group come off orientation, so that helped. We also initiated the process of sponsoring international nurses, but don't have a timeframe yet. 

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

It seems to me that rural and small community hospitals are struggling with a dozen or more closing in 2022. That certainly frees up some nurses and other healthcare staff.  Hundreds more are at risk of closure and state reduction of Medicaid coverage will likely hurt them further, IMV. 

"All but seven states have at least one rural hospital at immediate risk of shutting down. In half of the states, 25 percent or more of rural hospitals were at high risk, according to the report."

 

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Specializes in Hospice.
toomuchbaloney said:

It seems to me that rural and small community hospitals are struggling with a dozen or more closing in 2022. That certainly frees up some nurses and other healthcare staff.  Hundreds more are at risk of closure and state reduction of Medicaid coverage will likely hurt them further, IMV. 

"All but seven states have at least one rural hospital at immediate risk of shutting down. In half of the states, 25 percent or more of rural hospitals were at high risk, according to the report."

A few years back, complaints about welfare queens with expensive accessories were all over AN. The outrage was spectacular. I observed at the time that those blatant cheaters were simply imitating their betters. Went nowhere.

Who benefits from driving competitors out of business?

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toomuchbaloney said:

It seems to me that rural and small community hospitals are struggling with a dozen or more closing in 2022. That certainly frees up some nurses and other healthcare staff. 

I don't see how closing rural and small community hospitals is going to "free up" nurses to go to other facilities. These communities simply do not have other facilities close by - and most nurses are not going to move their families or commute 2-3 hours for a job. This is especially true when (as in the case where I live) - they can work under-the-table doing home care and make as much as they would on an hourly salary of $30-$35 and not have to commute. Others will just leave nursing altogether.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Idealista said:

I don't see how closing rural and small community hospitals is going to "free up" nurses to go to other facilities. These communities simply do not have other facilities close by - and most nurses are not going to move their families or commute 2-3 hours for a job. This is especially true when (as in the case where I live) - they can work under-the-table doing home care and make as much as they would on an hourly salary of $30-$35 and not have to commute. Others will just leave nursing altogether.

No kidding? I was being facetious. 

The nursing shortage is real in this post pandemic world as decades of the short staffing business model pays off. Who will suffer?  The remaining health professionals and the patients. 

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My employer is also trying to cut back on hiring travel nurses. HR posted quite a few non travel short term positions that pay about two to three times what most staff nurses make. These positions require a lot of weekend hours. Since these postings are not actual travel positions, and all of the money made is fully taxed, I can't see why anyone would come from out of town to fill them- unless they have a free place to stay.  There are a few people who will benefit from this type of schedule, but most of us need permanent positions. Perhaps my employer thinks that some of these short term nurses will choose to stay on their unit, after their contract is finished.  Once you decide to stay with this hospital system, however, the raises are few and far between.  Interesting............

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Epidural said:

Since these postings are not actual travel positions, and all of the money made is fully taxed

Travel nurse income isn't fully taxed?  

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I'm glad to see the trend of nurses returning to hospital work.  I can't access the article, but I wonder too if inflation also plays a role.  Why I live we've seen some of the highest rent increases in the country.  People are seeing rents go up by $600 a month.  Also high rates of insurance for homeowners and car owners.

We too have seasonal contracts for 13 weeks, but they certainly don't make 2 to 3 times what staff nurses make.  Maybe $10 more per hour but no benefits.  

My facility also still pays a $500 bonus for working an overtime shift, they are offering $6.00 differential for working every weekend.   In med-surg they do not use travel nurses.  I'm not sure about critical care or ER though but I don't think so.  Fortunately we're a growing area where people are moving too (thus the high rents) and have several nursing schools, but we are still short of staff.  

 

 

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