Jogan Health provided this article.
2023 has been a year full of twists and turns for the healthcare industry. One of the most pressing issues – as evidenced by the massive amount of media coverage – is the current nursing shortage. As a travel nurse, you might be wondering how this is going to affect your career. To assuage any anxiety you might be feeling, we want to remind our readers at TGN of the opportunities this provides.
That’s right; we said opportunities! Because even though this trend represents an obstacle for many sections of our industry, if you are a healthcare provider looking for short-term contracts and temporary placement, the staffing shortage can be a boon to your career. How is this possible? Read on to find out.
Staffing Shortage Balanced Out by New Nursing Programs
First, a bit of good news. Though the staffing shortage is critical and pressing for medical organizations, it is being actively curtailed by a series of new nursing programs and an influx of nursing students. It seems that despite the shortage – or perhaps because of it – demand for nurses has risen considerably in 2023. This year alone, schools in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Pennsylvania, and California have opened up new programs, expanded nursing opportunities, and even witnessed growth in their number of applications. In the next few years, the industry should see an uptick in nurses and an improvement in care stemming from a more comprehensive pool of nursing participants.
One HP’s Obstacle is Another HP’s Opportunity
Though the staffing shortage is causing major gaps in the rosters of medical organizations, hospitals, and other facilities, it can create a perfect slot for your skills and talents. After all, hospitals and organizations are finding more and more holes, and demand is higher than ever!
However, this opportunity won’t last forever. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, The RN workforce is expected to grow from 3.1 million in 2021 to 3.3 million in 2031, for an increase of 195,400 nurses. It seems the programs we mentioned are working, but this could also mean that now is the best time to press the advantage.
Travel nurses are the perfect stopgap measure for many of these facilities, who are waiting in the wings for crucial roles to be filled. Below, you can find four tips to stake your claim before the market floods again.
4 Tips to Benefit from the Current Healthcare Shortage
- Get in Touch with Staffing and Recruiting Services: Contact one of the many staffing companies out there to ensure you have a direct line to the organizations that most need your help!
- Update Your Resume to Show Off Adaptability: The myth that accruing experience as a travel nurse is difficult is just that – a myth. In fact, as a travel nurse, you can accumulate a host of different roles and responsibilities due to the variety of environments you have worked in. Keep your resume updated at all times and ensure that it reflects your flexibility and adaptability.
- Remain Close with New Teams Through Social Media: One of the greatest advantages of being a travel nurse is the nationwide web of acquaintances, references, and teams you encounter. The best way to make this feature work for you is to keep fostering these connections, even when you have moved to your next assignment. Social platforms like LinkedIn are the perfect way to ensure continual support from these new co-workers.
- Make Your Name Known: Networking is key to ensuring you become a mainstay in your industry. Make sure to expand your skill set. Write an article for a nursing platform! Attend conventions to bolster your nursing toolbox! If these ideas sound too overwhelming, something as simple as reading and sharing nursing-adjacent articles with your connections can help increase your authority and thought leadership.
The Bottom Line: Nursing Isn’t Going Away. It’s Just Changing
The first known documents that mention nursing as a profession were written in 300 AD, during the rise of the Roman Empire. You can draw a line from these ancient times straight to the mother of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, and out the other end, to the advent of travel nursing.
Our point is: nursing isn’t going away. It’s just changing! The best way to ensure you are prepared as a travel nurse is to evolve with it. We hope these tips helped! For more information on the trends explained in this article, or if you need help with placement as a travel nurse, visit Jogan Health’s website today.
Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.
