RN jobs are not as readily available as they had once been.  While the profession continues to thrive, the US is not experiencing the severe shortage of nurses that it had once forecast.  Ultimately, this is good news for all...

ABSTRACT: 
RN jobs are not as readily available as they had once been. While the profession continues to thrive, the US is not experiencing the severe shortage of nurses that it had once forecast. Ultimately, this is good news for all &mdash; the public can expect better care, better service and reduced wait times. Healthcare professionals can expect a consistent need for their specialized skills and talents; while hospitals and healthcare facilities can expect to deliver better service and improved satisfaction ratings, as well as increased employee retention. But this shift toward a more balanced supply and demand also means that RNs now need to spend more time planning their careers to maximize their opportunities and experiences. Four key components greatly contribute to the successful planning of ones career as an RN, namely, Supply v. Demand, Location, Individual Preference and Partnership.

SUPPLY vs. DEMAND: 
RN positions are growing at a rate of 16 percent per year according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, we are also seeing a steady year-over-year increase in the number of RN graduates entering the workforce. In 2016, the US welcomed 157,000 nurses, a record high. Although a large number of graduates will be entering the workforce, a great number of RNs will also be retiring. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 million registered nurses will hang up their scrubs for good over the next year. Ultimately, this creates a shortage of supply to meet an ever growing demand for skilled nurses. This means that areas with shortages can offer more competitive pay packages and a larger variety of shift options for their healthcare professionals.

LOCATION: 
The demand for nurses over the next several years will not be equally distributed across the United States. While some locations, such as California, will continue to see steady demand for RNs, other markets, mainly in the Midwest, will have a surplus of nurses after all available jobs are filled. Therefore, while you are exploring your options for your next assignment, it&rsquo;s important to consider the locations which may need your skills the most. Areas with a surplus of nurses typically offer less competitive wages, not to mention that your competition for open assignments will be highly competitive. Take your talents to a location, which not only can utilize your services more readily, but can also provide greater incentive to have you come on board.

INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE: 
Individual preference can also play a large role in a RN&rsquo;s decision to accept one assignment over another. Elizabeth Seamen, Chief Nursing Officer at Cross Country Healthcare explains, &ldquo;From my experience with having worked with so many RNs throughout my career, I&rsquo;ve come to see that for most RNs the primary reason they enter the profession is because they are drawn to serve and care for others. They are not coming into the field seeing a quick path to being CNO in five years.&rdquo; Ms. Seamen went on to say, &ldquo;Certainly everyone wants to earn a living and be successful. However, other factors come into play regarding nursing career decisions. Plus, when nurses make the choice to start traveling, they tend to choose assignments based on their interests, such as outdoor activities and art and culture.&rdquo; She continued, &ldquo;It is our responsibility to help RNs manage their careers and find the assignments that fit their lifestyle, so they can answer their calling and live out personal dreams as well.&rdquo;

This need to serve is fueled by altruistic motivations. But at the same time, we know that travel RNs are also motivated by preferences, interests, likes/dislikes and desires. If a nurse is into hiking in her spare time, she going to head to locations with fantastic trails to conquer. Same is true for the surfer RN or the foodie &mdash; they want to go where their interests can be met but at the same time they are providing care to a community that needs it. A happy nurse who has his/her personal needs met is more likely to be a hardworking, steadfast advocate for their patients and quality care.

PARTNERSHIP: 
Large, multi-service/multi-brand staffing providers, such as Cross Country Healthcare, have broad relationships with healthcare facilities and deep engagements with employers. They have established trust with decision-makers that tend to give their RN candidates first consideration for available positions.

As one of the nation&rsquo;s largest providers of healthcare staffing and workforce solutions, Cross Country Healthcare is a partner who can deliver on their promise. They provide travel, per diem, and permanent placemen and workforce solutions to over 3,000 healthcare facilities in the United States and the Caribbean. &ldquo;We know the healthcare facilities that we work with very well,&rdquo; said Dijana Lesh, Senior Client Manager at Cross Country Healthcare. &ldquo;Like people, each organization has a personality &mdash; and we invest in placing the right nurses at the right facilities so that everyone thrives within a given culture.&rdquo; Dijana went on to say, &ldquo;Our relationships with healthcare facilities is a partnership. We work with each facility to understand their business needs to help ensure we are continually putting forward ideal candidates for their specific need. Again, this offers benefits on both sides of the coin; the healthcare facilities trust that we will bring them the right candidates, and our healthcare professionals are being presented to the right clinical and lifestyle match to align with their goals.&rdquo;

What Else You Should Know About Travel Nursing: 
Many RNs start off early in their career as travel nurses, which is where they may first become introduced to a national healthcare staffing firm. Working with a large, national company makes a lot of sense for travelers. These companies will have the most opportunities, and the largest footprint, as well as an established infrastructure and partnerships for travel, housing and other vital logistics. They will also offer designated points of contact 24/7 for nurses on assignment.

&ldquo;When you are traveling, and, let&rsquo;s say you arrive at your apartment at 9PM on a Sunday &mdash; the day before you start work at a new facility &mdash; if you have an issue, it&rsquo;s comforting to know that you have a point of contact available to you 24/7,&rdquo; said Dijana. &ldquo;I have a full team behind me that supports all of our travel nurses. And while it&rsquo;s rare, life does throw us curveballs every now and again &mdash; we&rsquo;ve seen them all and we know how to deal with them. Most importantly, we answer the phone call when they happen.&rdquo;

Travel RNs move from location-to-location, and Cross Country Healthcare supports them throughout their journey. They can place nurses in facilities nationwide &mdash; live in California and want to go to Alaska? No problem. Currently reside in New York but want to discover Montana? We can make it happen. Many travel RNs start their career this way to see the country, while others are looking for a place to call &lsquo;home&rsquo;. &ldquo;We specialize in building and maintaining connections with our RNs,&rdquo; said Ms. Seaman. &ldquo;It is not uncommon for us to participate in the entire career lifecycle of one of our nurses. We often support them through their first position, changes in specialties and practice areas &mdash; even relocations&rdquo;.

As is often the case, travel RNs eventually settle into a location and into a position. Cross Country Healthcare helps &lsquo;travelers&rsquo; transition to full-time work as well. They offer permanent placement positions as well as per diem work options through their network of partner healthcare facilities.

&ldquo;We help travel RNs grow roots when they are ready&rdquo; explains Ms. Seamen. &ldquo;And we also support their career as they advance, change specialties and evolve, for example, from the ER to the OR and through to a primary healthcare practice. We even offer teaching positions and other &lsquo;non-practicing&rsquo; opportunities that may benefit some as their lifestyles may demand.&rdquo;

Lastly, if you engage with a staffing provider within the healthcare space, you benefit from the knowledge and experience of those that have been there before you. Many national healthcare staffing companies employ form clinicians to offer expert advice and guidance..

&ldquo;We have agreements with world-renowned hospitals nationwide,&rdquo; concluded Ms. Seamen. &ldquo;Great r&eacute;sum&eacute; building facilities that bring experience, a strong employer brand and cutting-edge training and knowledge. We also a good deal of information about the areas where these facilities are located. We know what housing is like, where facilities are in comparison to housing and we also provide access to our network of RNs through our social media platforms. Our social media network is an excellent way to speak with other travelers and nurses about recreation, restaurants, schooling and &lsquo;must-see/must-do&rsquo; activities while you are in town.

CONCLUSION: 
The landscape for RNs is changing. This will create new opportunities for nurses who understand the market, and know how to properly align their individual needs with their personal career aspirations. If you&rsquo;re an RN that wants to travel, the best method for properly generating this level of satisfaction is to align yourself with a strong staffing partner who has your best interests in mind while being able to properly understand an ever-changing market of in-demand healthcare opportunities.

Four Factors Which Impact Your Successful Career as a Travel Nurse