Last Updated on December 6, 2021
Travel nurses are always in demand: Whether it’s to scale up a local workforce or bringing a specialist to a diverse part of the country, travel nursing not only supplements but often enables the smooth functioning of the healthcare system as we know it.
Because of COVID-19, though, demand for travel nurses is more intense than ever before. For RNs and LPNs/LVNs who are willing to work temporary assignments in a variety of locations across the United States, opportunities abound to not just further your career, but help communities struggling with COVID-19 and the complications of dealing with it.
Travel nursing during the time of COVID-19 offers a unique blend of risk, care and adventure. At a time when everyone is feeling anxiety, travel nursing gives nurses the chance to fight back, helping to either treat patients in hard-hit areas or help facilities in need cover other essential services during a surge in utilization.
As Demand Surges, Nurses Encouraged to Work across State Lines
The wider use of travel nurses in the COVID-19 era has been encouraged by the U.S. government. In recent weeks, authorities have eased rules to allow retired practitioners to resume practice where needed. Some medical students are also being called to active practice (although most are doing so in creative, community-focused ways, as this NPR report shows).
The government is also easing the process by which nurses and other clinicians can practice in states where they’re not currently licensed. The idea is to improve access to care by “making it easier for travel nurses to move from state to state, avoiding sometimes duplicative applications and screening,” notes Kirk Siegler for NPR.
Siegler’s report also shows that, despite widespread stories of lack of equipment for nurses and clinicians, many travelers face normal working conditions.
“I haven’t had any issues finding PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] yet, but hopefully the community takes it seriously with social distancing so it doesn’t come to that point,” says one travel nurse working in a rural area of Northern California.
We Look Out for Our Workers
And that’s no small matter, either. Ensuring adequate levels of PPE is the responsibility of every healthcare provider. A priority for travel nurses, then, should be to find a staffing partner who can provide an advanced level of infection control measures — and then make sure that those procedures are always followed.
“America’s health workers are pleading for adequate protective gear and protocols to protect themselves and their patients,” writes Dr. Susan Michaels-Strasser in a look at health worker protection published by The Hill. “However, it is too little too late to be training and developing standards for a pandemic when the virus is already here.”
At CareerStaff Unlimited, we make a point of following strict policies to prevent further infection in the workplace. We also offer travel nurses and clinicians full wages during any subsequent 14-day quarantine that may result from the care given while on a CareerStaff assignment.
Find Your Next Travel Nurse Job & Join the Fight against COVID-19
If you’re a nurse whose interested in helping us fight COVID-19 on the front lines of patient care, we can connect you with opportunities to do just that. No matter what state you live in, we can quickly get you to a facility that needs your skills and expertise.
On top of our commitment to the health of our COVID-19 workers, our travel nurses receive top pay and amazing benefits (read about them here). We can connect you with a facility that’s in active need of your specialty, and we’ll arrange all transportation and housing, too. Read more about the benefits of working a CareerStaff travel assignment here, or find an opportunity now.