Travel nurses have played an important role in American health care throughout the pandemic, as Covid-19 cases rise and fall in different parts of the country. At the same time, the demand for health care workers has risen dramatically, and record numbers of nurses Leave the professionleaving travel nurses to fill employment gaps in areas hard hit by the virus.
The delta variable led to a A clear jump in recruitment and salaries for travel nurses, who could earn nearly double the annual salary of permanent employees at the time.
We analyzed data from Aya Healthcare, the largest travel nursing agency, to explain how recruitment and salary trends for travel nurses have changed since the beginning of the year and rank the best and worst cases for travel nurses to find well-paying jobs. The data is indexed by Thinknum, the parent company of business business.
With low demand, salaries remain high
New cases of Covid-19 in the United States peaked around mid-January, and since then the demand for travel nurses has fallen across the board, according to Aya’s job listings for registered nurses, shown above in blue. However, the average weekly salary of RNs, shown above in green, is still well above its value in mid-2021, although it is trending downward.
This is probably due to the provision of nurses across the country; According to health affairs, the total supply of RNs fell by more than 100,000 in 2021, a significant reversal of the steady growth seen for decades. This loss in the number of nurses was primarily driven by the departure of younger nurses from the workforce, adding to the “ominous effects” on the health care industry.
With supply tight, hospitals are counting on higher salaries to lure nurses traveling to areas hard hit by the Covid virus. While the United States does not currently experience a similar level of infections as early 2022, a new wave could lead to a sudden increase in job listings for travel nurses.
Countries where the demand is highest and lowest for travel nurses
We used the data to rank states in terms of demand for travel nurses based on their changes in the number of job listings and median weekly salary since the beginning of 2022. We only included states with more than 50 job listings on both occasions. These aren’t just the states with the most jobs or the highest salaries — in order to catch the latest trends, we’ve compared growth or loss for both metrics, helping to control the state’s population.
If the demand for a travel nurse is low in your state, it could be a sign of a relatively permanent health care workforce. Countries with weaker staffing levels than permanent nurses are more likely to rely on travel nurses to fill the gaps — and will pay them more as a result.
Most Wanted Countries
3. Florida
While Florida job listings for travel fell to a third of their value at the start of the year on April 12, demand has begun to increase again over the past two weeks. This surge in demand, combined with the fact that RN salaries have barely changed since January, earns Florida a third place.
Cases in Florida have It started rising recently Because the BA.2 variant is prevalent throughout the southeastern United States. Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, has criticism for his relatively lenient response to the coronavirus.
2. Mississippi
The average Mississippi salary for travel nurses hasn’t budged since the beginning of the year, and while job listings are down, the state’s recent rise means there are more jobs available for travel nurses now than at the beginning of the year.
Mississippi recently passed a law banning vaccine authorizations for state and local jobs, meaning those jobs are barred from denying jobs or services to people who have chosen not to be vaccinated against Covid. on Half the population of Mississippi They are fully vaccinated against Covid, compared to the national average of two-thirds.
1. New Hampshire
New Hampshire is one of two states with more business opportunities for travel RNs than at the beginning of the year, with Mississippi being the other. However, if we check all the way back to last summer, New Hampshire is still ahead of all other states when comparing how job listings and average salaries are changing.
The average weekly salary in New Hampshire for travel nurses is the second highest in the state, and job listings have increased more than 25% since the beginning of the year. In response to demand for travel nurses, the New Hampshire government has voted double the size from its Community College Licensed Practical Nurse Training Program at a cost of $2.6 million.
Least Demanding Countries
3. Illinois
Demand for travel nurses in Illinois has fallen sharply since the beginning of the year, and the average salary for travel nurses has followed suit. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Allocated 180 million dollars In his proposed budget to strengthen the state’s permanent health care workforce.
2. Missouri
Missouri has seen a steady decline in the average weekly salary for travel nurses since the beginning of the year, and job listings have similarly exploded, though slight increases in the past two weeks are similar to those in Florida and Mississippi. BA.2 is also a concern in Missouri, accounting for about Three-quarters of all COVID-19 cases in the state.
1. New Jersey
New Jersey had the third highest average weekly salary for travel at the start of the year, after New Hampshire. However, while New Hampshire salaries have remained flat, salaries in New Jersey are down 30% along with a sharp drop in job listings, making it currently the country with the least demand for travel nurses.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has ordered that health care workers receive a booster dose of vaccination in order to maintain a healthy workforce, although the New Jersey Hospital Association recently asked Murphy to obtain 90 days late In order to prevent the exacerbation of the shortage of the mandate.
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