Everyone thinks that becoming a travel nurse is exciting due to its nomadic lifestyle. It is authentic, exciting, and fruitful, but there is much more to it than just getting to see new locations. It also consists of growth, meeting new families and people, different licenses, etc.
All these things matter when looking for work or already working for a travel nurse for an agency. Before jumping into a new role, there are different statistics that nurses should know. Here are the top 6 travel nursing statistics.
1. RN’s
RN’s usually grow faster in the travel nursing industry than any other certified and educated nurse. They grow in skill, position, and salary. If you are looking to grow your career, make more money, and become a nurse, be sure to become an RN rather than a CNA, HHA, or LPN. These certifications you can grow within an agency, but it is much more limited.
2. California and the Other States
When working in different states, which is very common for a travel nurse, there are various employment and licensing requirements. Of course, this is up to your recruiter and agency to keep your documents updated, but you should know before committing to traveling for an agency.
Why California is so important is that nurses’ wage is a lot higher than any other state. Which means your agency has to pay you accordingly. A typical salary for an RN is over $100,000.
3. Living Wages
Yes, your agency does provide you with housing when they can, but there could be a time where you may need to front the money; for things like food, gas, utilities, etc. The agency will always pay for the temporary housing, but the add-ons are something that you may have to take care of.
Depending on what state you are visiting, the cost of living can be more affordable than where you currently live. Which can help save money in the long run. Instead of making sure all your bills and house payments are paid for, allow your employer to do so.
4. Employment is Easier
Especially nowadays, the need for nurses is rising. With the pandemic still burning through our country, nurses are needed to fill gaps of retirement, provide relief towards the current staff, and save hospitals some money with the mass amount of nurses they had hired at the beginning of 2020.
There is a better chance of receiving an appointment for people looking for a job after getting a degree or certification in nursing. Or for anyone looking to get out of their current nursing job at a hospital and try new things, an agency has a place for you.
5. Demand
Nurses are in high demand right now; the projection for 2022 should be 1.1 million new nurses hired in the industry. It is a thriving career, as it always has been, but there will be a need for more pressure on the healthcare industry.
That means more job opportunities for those looking, especially for any traveling nurses. There will be more opportunities for those who are working as a travel nurse with an agency. With many more hospitals seeing the benefit of hiring temporary staff, agencies are feeling the burn now.
6. Retirement
With a lot of the aging population in the industry, there are a lot more people taking early retirement than not. That means the upcoming generation of nurses is needed more than ever. Elder RN’s, CNA’s and LPN’s are using this pandemic to say, “enough is enough, it is time to retire,” which is driven by fear.
But that is okay; if you are a nurse just starting and need a change of pace, you want to look into travel nursing. It will benefit your career, growth, and skills more than you know.
Conclusion
There is a lot to do with traveling nursing; certificates, education, experience, willingness to move, and to adapt; most forget that there are statistics that most nurses need to be aware of. It is not only good to know them on a knowledge base, but a deciding factor as well.
Before jumping into a new lifestyle, you want to make sure that the lifestyle is fruitful and your experiences. You want to be sure that you are getting as much as you can get out of an industry you’ve studied and worked hard to go for.
TLC Nursing should be your first stop on the employment search list. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to work with all experiences and educations. Be sure to check them out now!
