This conversation is way overdue. Travel nurse and allied pay changed overnight, and rates decreased nationwide after crisis rates began to disappear.
We first saw the shift in April, and I must admit the reaction from travelers and recruiters was not good. Most were frustrated, some in disbelief as the workload wouldn’t decrease along with pay! Extensions were offered at a 20-30% lower pay rate, and fewer jobs opened as facilities assessed their need for travelers.
We are now in August, and we’ve seen more jobs open, yet rates remain lower than the 5-7K we saw during the crisis season.
The good news is rates have not decreased to pre-pandemic rates.
We have seen Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, and OR assignments increase in openings meanwhile remain some of the highest pay rates over the summer.
Allied has seen some specialties increase in both openings and pay as well. Surgical Techs, OB Techs, and Rad Techs are witnessing a growth similar to the RRT pay in 2021!
So, what can we expect next?
Well, we can’t predict the future, as this industry and the world have become somewhat unpredictable, but this is what we do know today:
- A true traveler is less likely to return to a staff job and will turn over every stone for that next contract.
- There are fewer travel jobs open in some specialties with more travelers looking.
- It’s taking some travelers an average of 20 submissions before landing a suitable contract.
- Travelers must be available to new states and expand outside their comfort zone to find the next assignment.
- Travelers must have a shining resume that details experience above all others!
So, is it still a good time to be in travel?
We saw some travelers go back home to work local jobs when rates dropped, only to call back weeks later wanting another travel assignment!
Your love for travel won’t just go away even with a smaller paycheck. Your call to servanthood doesn’t have to keep you stuck in a 7-7 at the same place day after day!
Let’s get back on track to finding that freedom you searched for during the pandemic, even if it takes a tad longer! You are needed somewhere cool, near a small town or a big city, and Bestica Healthcare is here to help!
Written by Claudia Garcia, Director of Healthcare
To learn more about the travel nursing opportunity and cities across the country, visit Bestica Healthcare and start planning your next, or first, assignment today.
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