Background
By 2014, the US will need 3.1 million registered nurses (RNs), up from 2.1
million in 2004. These numbers reflect more than just 700,000 new registered
nurses needed, but also a 500,000 additional nurses to replace older RN nurses
who retire. Critical care nursing jobs involve over 200,000 of these positions.
With an RN vacancy rate of 16.4% in 2004 – the highest in nearly 20 years –
this gap creates a tremendous amount of registered nurses with employment
opportunities for talented critical care nurses.
Compounding the challenge for health care providers is that the average age of
graduates from nursing programs is declining. With younger registered nurses
entering the work force, experience is at a premium, especially for specialty
practices such as critical care.
Tremendous Opportunities for Traveling Nurses
Traveling nurses now fill a significant portion of these positions. Hospitals
and health care providers use travel nurses while they fill full-time nursing
positions or to handle seasonal demands. In fact, hospitals now direct up to:
- 8% of nursing staffing budgets for
outsourced services
- 25% for traveling nurses
- 5% for per diem nurses
Clearly, this high demand creates great employment opportunities for traveling
nurses, with revenue growth predicted to run well ahead of inflation through
2010 (SIA). These economic realities help traveling nurses develop satisfying
careers moving from one engagement to another and the opportunity to evaluate
multiple potential nursing opportunities before seeking a permanent
arrangement.
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