The Evolution of Travel Nursing Post-COVID Shifts and Future Outlook

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped nearly every aspect of healthcare, and travel nursing was no exception. Once a niche career path for adventurous nurses seeking flexibility and variety, travel nursing became a frontline solution during a global crisis. As the dust settles, the landscape of travel nursing continues to evolve, marked by new expectations, challenges, and opportunities.

A Surge in Demand During the Pandemic

Before COVID-19, travel nursing was primarily used to fill staffing gaps due to seasonal fluctuations, regional shortages, or temporary leaves. But the pandemic created an unprecedented demand for healthcare professionals, especially in critical care, emergency medicine, and respiratory therapy. Hospitals across the country turned to travel nurses to meet surging patient volumes, often offering premium pay and rapid onboarding.

This surge brought travel nursing into the spotlight. Nurses who had never considered travel roles were drawn by the opportunity to help in high-need areas, earn competitive compensation, and gain unique experience. Agencies expanded their networks, and many nurses found themselves moving from one COVID hotspot to another.

Travel Nursing Post-Covid: Shifts in the Industry

As the immediate crisis waned, the travel nursing industry began to recalibrate. Several key changes emerged:

1. Compensation Adjustments

During the height of the pandemic, travel nurses were offered record-high pay rates. While those rates have since normalized, they remain higher than pre-pandemic levels in many regions. Nurses now expect more transparency and consistency in compensation, and agencies are adapting to meet those expectations.

2. Greater Awareness and Respect

Travel nurses earned widespread recognition for their role during the pandemic. Hospitals and healthcare systems now better understand the value of flexible staffing models and are more open to integrating travel nurses into their workforce planning.

3. Expanded Specialties

While ICU and ER nurses were in the highest demand during COVID, the post-pandemic era has seen increased need across a broader range of specialties such as behavioral health, med-surg, and labor and delivery. This diversification has opened doors for more nurses to explore travel opportunities.

4. Focus on Mental Health and Burnout

The emotional toll of the pandemic was significant. Many travel nurses faced long hours, high-stress environments, and frequent relocations. As a result, agencies and healthcare systems are placing greater emphasis on mental health resources, support networks, and sustainable work-life balance.

Technology and Flexibility: The New Norm

Technology has played a major role in reshaping travel nursing. From virtual onboarding and credentialing to telehealth integration and mobile scheduling apps, nurses now expect a streamlined experience. Agencies are investing in platforms that make it easier to find assignments, manage paperwork, and stay connected.

Flexibility is also key. Nurses want more control over where, when, and how they work. Shorter contracts, local travel option,s and hybrid roles are becoming more common, allowing nurses to tailor their careers to their personal and professional goals.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Travel Nursing?

The future of travel nursing is bright, but it will require continued adaptation. Here are a few trends to watch:

1. Permanent Integration into Staffing Models

Hospitals are increasingly viewing travel nurses not just as emergency fill-ins, but as strategic partners. Expect to see more long-term planning that includes travel nurses as part of core staffing strategies.

2. Rise of “Local Travel” Nursing

Some nurses prefer to stay closer to home while still enjoying the benefits of travel contracts. Local travel nursing, where nurses take short-term assignments within their own state or region, is gaining popularity and offers a middle ground between traditional staff roles and national travel.

3. Increased Credentialing Portability

Efforts to streamline licensing across states, such as the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), are gaining traction. This will make it easier for nurses to move between states and take on assignments without delays.

4. Focus on Retention and Support

Agencies and healthcare systems are investing more in retention strategies, including mentorship programs, continuing education, and wellness initiatives. The goal is to create a more sustainable and supportive environment for travel nurses.

Conclusion

Travel nursing has undergone a dramatic transformation since the onset of COVID-19. What was once a flexible career option has become a vital component of the healthcare system. As the industry continues to evolve, nurses can expect more opportunities, better support, and greater flexibility.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or considering your first assignment, the future of travel nursing offers a dynamic and rewarding path. With the right resources and mindset, nurses can thrive in this ever-changing landscape, making a difference wherever they go.

The Nightingale pledge all nurses take remains the same, but the practice of nursing is rapidly evolving. What will nursing and studying nursing look like soon? What are upcoming challenges and opportunities? Watching out for trends and developments can help nurses make the career decisions that are best for them personally.

Addressing changes in care and work environment

Changes in nursing care and education are often caused by outside factors. Nurses and nursing faculty must adapt to changes in the patient population and work environment.

Increased focus on geriatrics die to aging populations

The US population is already older than it has ever been, and the share of Americans that are 65 and older is projected to rise to 23% by 2050 (Population Reference Bureau). This will make the demand for nurses specializing in geriatric care rise further. Already, geriatric nursing is among the higher-paying specialties.

Trying to mitigate the nursing shortage

80% of nurses expect the shortage to get worse in the next five years. The aging patient population is only one of the reasons: A lot of nurses are leaving the profession due to retirement, occupational burnout, or because they prefer more flexible and lucrative roles like travel nursing.

Additionally, a shortage of nursing educators leads to qualified applicants not getting into nursing schools.

In short: Becoming a nurse is a very secure career choice and will remain so. Workplaces may continue to try and incentivize nurses to work for them and stay (e.g., through sign-on bonuses, improving benefits, and time off).

As the shortage of healthcare professionals also affects physicians, the demand for nurse practitioners is growing, and FNPs may have even broader autonomy in the future.

Increased focus on nurses’ mental health

We know that being a nurse is not only emotionally taxing at times but also demanding in terms of workload and stress levels. 4 out of 5 nurses experience a lot of stress. Workplaces are struggling to keep their nurses on board due to burnout. Awareness for this is rising and staffing levels will likely become more regulated.

On the other side, nurses themselves are becoming more aware and assertive in protecting their mental health. Nursing schools will intensify teaching self-care and awareness to help new nurses be resilient and informed.

Telehealth and blended learning: taking nursing online

Managing new ways of care delivery

Telehealth use rose steeply during COVID. Of course, there has been a decline since in-person visits are possible again, but levels have stayed higher than pre-pandemic. Being a telehealth nurse is not a separate nursing specialty, but the associated skillset is and will become more and more valued. In nursing education, teaching tech skills will need to be implemented more firmly. This includes growing areas like healthcare informatics, but also teaching about new issues like cultivating good “digital bedside manner.”

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there are persistent disparities in who accesses video telehealth services. It will be important to look into the reasons and further focus on achieving health equity and not leaving patients behind while care is changing.

Leveraging the advantages of online learning

Even though online learning was implemented as an emergency solution in many places during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is here to stay. Online learning without relocation or commuting is less expensive and time-consuming, making going to nursing school more accessible. More flexibility makes it easier for travel nurses or working nurses to pursue a BSN part-time.

Moreover, nursing students’ learning styles are evolving. Most students are now digital natives, expecting and preferring video-based and flexible learning over traditional lectures. Online learning platforms already play a role in many students’ learning.

Schools will have to adapt and deliver their education in ways new generations are comfortable with. More schools will likely experiment with blended learning techniques in their curricula.

Use of AI and VR: integrating technology

AI can automate repetitive tasks to save time, which could help address staff shortages and improve care. Electronic health systems will likely develop, and more experiments will be run in the coming years on how to integrate AI in helpful ways. Maybe in the future, some of your colleagues walking around on the med-surg floor will be robots!

AI could also play a much bigger role in the education of new nurses. Tools like ChatGPT can assist in training by, for example, generating practice scenarios or virtually simulating patients to help students practice communication skills. The speed of evolving tech will require lots of attention in the near future, taking into account limitations as well as investigating opportunities to utilize AI in a helpful way.

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

Medely provided this article.

The travel nursing industry has gone through significant transformations in the past few years, and as we get further into 2024, we thought it was important to explore the current state of this dynamic career path.

Rising demand for travel nurses

Despite the end of “the travel nurses’ gold rush,” the travel nursing industry is still going strong and continues to be a viable option for skilled nurses, says TravelNursing.org.

In the past several years, the travel nursing industry has grown by more than 600%, according to Supplemental Health Care. This is due to various factors, including the ongoing strain on healthcare facilities and the need for specialized skills in different regions, especially more rural areas. This has led hospitals and healthcare facilities to fill staffing gaps with travel assignments and book travel nurses to maintain quality patient care.

Changing demographics of travel nurses

The demographics of travel nurses are evolving, reflecting a diverse and dynamic workforce. Many younger professionals are entering the field, drawn to the flexibility, professional growth, and unique experiences that travel nursing offers. Additionally, more experienced nurses looking for a change or seeking adventure contribute to the growing diversity within the travel nursing community.

However, there is a projected nursing shortage in the U.S., according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, due to more and more baby boomer-generation nurses retiring, adding to the many RNs who left the profession due to pandemic burnout. This is a good opportunity for travel nurses to make the most of the situation as hospitals and facilities look to them to fill those staffing gaps.

Technological advancements in travel nursing

More and more, the travel nursing industry has embraced technological advancements to streamline processes and enhance communication. Mobile apps and online platforms like Medely connect healthcare facilities with travel nurses, making it easier for professionals to find assignments and for facilities to secure qualified staff quickly. These innovations have contributed to the efficiency and accessibility of the travel nursing marketplace and made it easier for travel nurses to not only find the travel assignments they’re looking for but also pick up local shifts in between. Check out this travel nurse’s story here on how she became a travel nurse to see the world and uses Medely to find the shifts she needs.

Salary trends and perks

Compensation for travel nurses has seen ebbs and flows over the past few years, especially when it peaked during the pandemic, but pay still remains high and competitive, according to Health eCareers. Plus, all the perks of travel nursing are still available and enticing to RNs considering this career path, like flexible schedules, benefits, stipends, higher pay, flexibility, exploration, and career growth.

Challenges and opportunities

As the healthcare landscape continues to shift and evolve in 2024, travel nurses continue to play a critical role in healthcare across the U.S. The demand for highly skilled professionals, technological advancements, and the changing demographic landscape show that this resilient and adaptable workforce can grasp many opportunities this year. Navigating the challenges and embracing opportunities will be key to ensuring the continued success and growth of travel nursing in the years to come.

Want to use Medely to sign up for your next travel assignment? We’ve got you covered. Medely works with thousands of the best facility partners across the U.S.

Check out our app here.

Facts about travel nursing

During the COVID pandemic, travel nursing experienced a significant increase in demand as healthcare facilities urgently sought more nurses to fill critical needs. This led to a surplus of high-paying contracts that attracted many nurses who may not have previously considered travel nursing. Now, as the travel pay begins to find a new baseline, some nurses are now questioning whether travel nursing will remain a favorable option in the future.

Post-pandemic travel nursing remains one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career moves you can make, and we’re going to break down exactly why that is! While the pandemic presented unique challenges and opportunities, the pulse of travel nursing remains strong. The essence of this career choice—higher pay, flexibility, new connections, adventure, a politics-free environment, and professional growth—continues to thrive.

In the past several years, the travel nursing industry has grown by more than 600%, and some estimates expect that around 10% of working nurses will remain in contract roles long-term. The foundational shifts driving both the support and demand for healthcare professionals won’t be settled any time soon.

Travel Nurse Pay Remains High

From March 2020 to July 2022, Trusted Health saw travel nurses across all specialties and states making an average gross weekly income of $3,668! Though the average gross weekly income has decreased slightly since then, Trusted is still seeing an impressive average gross weekly of $3,206. This amount is leaps and bounds beyond the national average of $1,711 earned by staff nurses and is still higher than the pre-pandemic average of $2,273 gross weekly for travel nurses.

Healthcare Worker Shortages

First and foremost, there are not enough RNs and other healthcare workers to meet the needs of patients. That goes back, in part, to a shortage of nursing school programs and educators to prepare incoming nursing students.

So, the RN workforce is growing in leaps and bounds, but the tools aren’t always available to train them. When healthcare facilities can’t find local candidates to fill RN positions, they turn to travel nurses to fill those spots.

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, the highest-paying jobs for travel nurses have been in intensive care units, emergency departments, medical surgery, and home health. Contract labor rates are expected to stabilize at 15% over pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

NBC News announced last fall that “the travel nurses’ gold rush” is over. Hospitals are now negotiating down contract rates with travel nurse agencies by as much as 50%. Though not what it once was, travel nursing is far from dead, and the pay is still above average. The mean travel nurse income has stabilized at around $3k per week in 2023. Given that compensation has fallen since the unprecedented pandemic pay, so have the number of travel nurses, making jobs less competitive.

Still, a number of factors, such as whether a hospital is dealing with a natural disaster or strike, as well as market demand in that region, can cause assignments to attract higher prices. According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual travel nurse salary in the United States is $105,021 or $50/hr as of May 2023. This is much higher than the national average for registered nurses, which is $77,600 per year or $37.31 per hour, according to the BLS.

Travel Nursing Is Still A Viable Option For Nurses

Travel nursing is still a viable employment choice for the nursing profession. Travelers can earn better salaries with stipends and bonuses than their counterparts, with benefits packages and affordable living arrangements. Another perk of travel nursing is schedule flexibility. Nurses enjoy the option to work 13-week assignments with breaks in between.

Another common attitude expressed by travel nurses is that contract work allows them to focus on patient care. They can avoid the bureaucracy of dealing with management and leadership that some face in staff roles. Travelers also choose which hospitals they will work in. They can refuse facilities that they’ve heard have dangerous conditions or too many patients per nurse. California is the only state to regulate nurse-to-patient ratios. It requires one nurse for every five patients in most departments and intensive care units to have a 1:2 ratio.

Travel nursing is perfect for those who want the freedom to choose the assignment and department that fits their lifestyle and interests. It allows nurses to obtain experience in a variety of settings while having the freedom to travel. Despite the current economic downturn, travel nursing remains a feasible employment option for healthcare workers with the right mindset and skills.

Industry analysis suggests that the US may face a shortage of up to 450,000 registered nurses by 2025. According to one nationwide assessment of the nursing workforce, nurses are retiring in greater numbers, with the typical nurse’s age rising from roughly 43 in 2000 to 52 in 2020. This reality, combined with the impending influx of elderly Baby Boomers who will require more care, is expected to exacerbate the situation. These facts suggest that there will always be choices for experienced nurses in all specialties who want to travel.

Travel nursing has been a part of the modern nursing workforce for decades, and it is now a strategic staffing solution. Healthcare systems can leverage this resource to ease the current burden and propel patient care into the next post-pandemic chapter without significant disruptions or serious consequences.

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

It’s not a hidden fact that travel nursing sky-rocketed when the pandemic hit in 2020. The hospitals faced shortages never seen before, and healthcare facilities needed a solution with no end to the waves of Covid-19.

Travel nursing has been around since the late 1970s after New Orleans hospitals began seeing staffing shortages around Mardi Gras and hired temporary staff. Since then, travel nursing has become widely used nationwide for hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities to employ temporary staff to fill the staffing gaps.

While there was a shortage of nurses before the 2020 pandemic, it escalated significantly after Covid-19 hit. Within the last couple of years, many travel nurses started earning significantly higher wages than staff nurses. According to Indeed.com, the average annual salary for a travel nurse is $109,187 in 2022, whereas the average salary for staff nurses is $77,600 per year, according to the Bureau of Statistics (BLS).

Exact salaries vary depending on one’s modality, the location of the assignment, and the length of one’s contract. This also doesn’t factor in the number of assignments a traveler chooses to take within a year. For example, if one only takes two 13-week assignments, their annual income will most likely be lower than the average travel nurse.

Frontline Heroes & the Burnout

The National Library of Medicine defines nursing burnout as “a widespread phenomenon characterized by a reduction in nurses’ energy that manifests in emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation, and feelings of frustration and may lead to reductions in work efficacy.”

A few years back, facilities and hospitals began seeing nurses leave their professions entirely due to fatigue, depletion, and overall burnout. Many factors play into healthcare workers becoming mentally exhausted with their jobs. The long hours, the pandemic, short staff, and the immense pressure to make life-altering decisions are just a few of the many things that weigh on healthcare workers’ shoulders.

Nurses are the backbone of a smooth and functional healthcare system, and their duties & skills are essential to ensure people are adequately cared for and receiving the treatment they need. The staffing shortage magnified the intense pressures that come with nurses’ duties.

Easing the Problem

With nurses leaving facilities left and right, hospitals turned to short-term travel nurses to provide temporary relief. Travel nurses typically come in for 13 weeks to help the regular hospital staff; sometimes, they can extend their assignment. With the high demand for healthcare staff, travel nurses’ pay packages were increasing to amounts never seen before.

This sudden shift in urgency & high pay left many healthcare workers transitioning into the traveling world. According to sources, reports indicate that in 2020, traveling RNs were offered nearly $8,000 a week. This put immense pressure on healthcare facilities to maintain their staff, and finding temporary staff was a safety net.

The Experience

The younger generation of healthcare workers takes up the higher percentage of travel nurses. The reason why that is? This offer allows younger people who have yet to have kids or become married yet take advantage of traveling and seeing new places while making money they could make annually in just months. With so many places to choose from and a steady flow of income while furthering your career, it’s difficult for any healthcare worker to say no to this option.

For nurses who have just a couple of years under their belt, traveling allows them to grow professionally in their field rapidly. The reason behind this is simple: the multitude of facilities/hospitals they go to brings in new people to network with, advice, more patients, knowledge, experiences, and a new environment for them to learn in. This applies to nurses who have been in their field for years too! Traveling is a way to switch it up and offer a change from their regular pace. No two places are the same.

The Perks!

Travel nursing is something many healthcare workers have fallen in love with. They can learn from numerous facilities and meet people from all over. If the hospital or facility they’re at agrees, they even have the option to extend their assignment if they love it! On the flip side, if one doesn’t end up loving where they’re at… well, the good news is it’s only temporary.

Housing benefits are a huge perk to travel nursing too. As a travel nurse, you can either find a place to stay on your own (through a housing stipend) or get an offer with a place to stay through your agency. Here at Titan Medical, we typically leave that option up to what’s most comfortable for you!

Many places reach out to travel agencies to offer their hotel, Air BnB, or home for nurses. The continuous flow of housing and placements makes this process very simple for agencies to get their travelers to stay at safe, reliable, and top-rated places while on assignment!

Nurses turn to travel because of the flexibility it offers them. When talking with your recruiter, you can go through your wants and needs to find an assignment that is right for you. At Titan Medical, we ensure that you have a schedule that allows you to thrive while traveling with us. Don’t want a night shift? No worries, let’s get you a day shift! Want a shorter assignment that’s not a full 13 weeks? Then let’s find you one that’s the right length! Titan Medical is here to ensure you’re feeling your best when finding an assignment.

One of the best perks of travel nursing is choosing your next adventure. The fact that you can personally decide where you’d like to explore based on your lifestyle and interest makes this option hard to turn down. If you’re not a fan of the hustling big-city life, then you’re able to pick a rural and quieter place! If you want to go to the beach on your day off, choose an assignment in an area that allows you to be a beach bum. If you’re a fan of hiking, you can find a city near the mountains to hike in on your off days!

Start your Travel Journey Today

Travel nursing is likely here to stay for the long run. The new work-from-home culture has allowed people of all professions to explore brand-new areas while being able to work and make a living. While most healthcare professionals can’t work from home, travel nursing still allows them to travel for long periods at a time and make a comfortable living!

Healthcare workers love the flexibility, and high-paying jobs that travel nursing offers them. Many agencies, like Titan Medical, are flexible enough to allow pets and family members to travel along with you. This is a benefit that a lot of nurses appreciate, making it much more convenient for them to leave home for a little bit!

Are you ready to join the travel healthcare world and find your perfect assignment? Our recruiters at Titan Medical are dedicated to finding you a place you love & will thrive at! Give Titan Medical a call today at 866.332.9600, and we’d love to assist in seeking your next adventure!

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.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798741/#:~:text=Nurse%20burnout%20is%20a%20widespread,to%20reductions%20in%20work%20efficacy.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

A Surge in Demand During the Pandemic

Travel Nursing Post-Covid: Shifts in the Industry

Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Travel Nursing?

Conclusion

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Leveraging the advantages of online learning

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Rising demand for travel nurses

Changing demographics of travel nurses

Technological advancements in travel nursing

Salary trends and perks

Challenges and opportunities

Facts about travel nursing

Travel Nurse Pay Remains High

Healthcare Worker Shortages

Travel Nursing Is Still A Viable Option For Nurses

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

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Easing the Problem

The Experience

The Perks!

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