Ninja News Flash!

The New Normal of Travel Nursing Pay & Opportunities

Travel Nursing has been viewed as a very lucrative profession for nurses for many years, luring healthcare professionals to explore new states and locations while gaining hands-on experience. With the pandemic raging across the US, the need for Nursing professionals has increased and with that, the demand for Travel Nurses has exponentially increased as well.

However, recently it has come to light that in the past few months, the demand for Travel Nurses has seen an unprecedented drop in demand. Though the initial reports of a sudden drop in the job market scared many nurses, it is now realized that this is not the case.

According to:

Travel Nursing Drop
  • COVID Funding Dries Up for the Travel Nursing Opportunities
  • Staffing Agencies Contribute to Travel Nursing Problems
  • Travel Nursing Demand Is NOT As Bad As It May Seem

Travel Nursing Pay & Opportunity Dips

The drastic drop was partly a result of the reduced number of hospitalized covid patients. In less than 3 months the number of hospitalized covid patients has dropped from above 150,000 to barely over 10,000. This drop caused the Federal and State Covid relief funding, which was a major source of the needed travel nurses, to diminish.

Despite the initial reports, the demand for travel nurses has not decreased. In fact, reports show the number of active jobs has increased by 29% from two years ago and is also higher than it was a year ago.

Staffing Agencies Adding to the Travel Nursing Issues

Perhaps what startled many and caused them to worry, was reports of agencies going back on their word and having travel nurses contracts suddenly canceled. There have even been reported cases of agencies cutting pay or lowering rates halfway through contracts. Austin Moore, an attorney at the Kansas City law firm Stueve Siegel Hanson claims that some agencies have made illegal bait–and–switch maneuvers that are punishable.

Reports Are In On Travel Nursing Pay Decreases

Reports show that before the pandemic broke out in December 2019, weekly pay for travel nurses was about $1,600. A year later that average had risen to $3,500 per week. As of March 2021, the average Travel Nursing salary was $3,343, an increase of 75%. Though current pay as of now is down 15%, it is still higher than it was in 2019.

It Is NOT All Doom & Gloom for the Travel Nursing Profession

Though the topic of Travel Nursing salaries and demand has been shaken up by recent reports, it is important to realize that this is not the end. As the number of patients sick with Covid–19 decreases and funding that was used for hiring travelers is no longer an option, agencies must start looking elsewhere for professionals. Pay has seen a gradual decrease, though still higher than in 2019, that doesn‘t mean that the Travel Nursing industry is going downhill.

On the contrary, the demand for Travel Nursing jobs is higher than it was a year ago, proving that this doesn‘t have to be the end of Travel Nursing as a very lucrative career. It is important to note that pay for Travel Nurses is always seasonal. To counteract this Travel Nurses should carefully save and invest some of their income when earnings are higher. With the amount of demand for Travel Nurses in different areas, individuals need not be worried about this sudden decrease in pay.

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