In Tough Medical Times, Travel Nurses in High Demand

According to this article from Medscape, the demand for travel nurses has soared since the pandemic collided with a general shortage of RNs across the country. Experienced nurses are needed everywhere, especially those who work with respiratory patients and in intensive care units.

Currently, there are an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 traveling nurses working assignments in the United States on any given day. These travel nurses are known for their flexibility, as many of them are willing to works shifts that regular hospital staffers don’t find very desirable, such as overnight duty.

Lynda Bailey, a travel nurse who has been working in the post-anesthesia care unit at Wellstar Cobb Hospital in Austell, says there’s no paid time off, and many travel nurses have to work on holidays. “It’s a whole different lifestyle. It’s not for everyone,” says Bailey. And sadly, she adds that many hospital nurses “are tired. They’re choosing to retire or step away from bedside nursing.”