In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, it can be a constant struggle for facilities to maintain the perfect number of working staff. From bustling metropolitan hospitals to rural clinics, the need for qualified healthcare professionals can fluctuate dramatically. That’s where you come into play.

Travel nurses and allied health travelers like you are essential to the healthcare workforce, offering flexibility and expertise when and where it’s needed the most. By stepping in to fill temporary gaps, you ensure that patient care remains uninterrupted and that facilities can continue to operate efficiently.

Let’s talk about some of the reasons facilities need your help, how you make a positive impact, the job outlook for healthcare travelers, and more!

• 5 reasons why healthcare facilities hire travel nurses and allied travelers
• How hiring travel nurses and allied health travelers makes a positive impact in facilities
• The job outlook for travel nurses and allied health travelers
• ✨BONUS ✨ Frequently asked questions

Why Facilities Hire Travel Nurses and Allied Health Travelers

5 reasons why healthcare facilities hire travel nurses and allied travelers

Census fluctuations

There’s always a period where the number of patients rises (or falls) significantly, known as census fluctuations. There’s a myriad of reasons why this could happen — seasonal demand and changes, epidemics, local events, and unexpected emergencies, to name a few.

During these times, the demand for travel nurses and allied health travelers can quickly surpass the available staff nurses and perm healthcare professionals. When patient numbers surge because of census fluctuations, healthcare travelers can be brought in to lend a helping hand for the existing staff, ensuring that patient care remains consistent.

Parental leaves

Maternity and paternity leave is an exciting and crucial time for new parents and their infants. And as a travel nurse or allied health professional, you can contribute to the health and well-being of perm staff families by filling in the staffing gap while they take time off to bond with their newborn. This not only supports the permanent nurses and healthcare professionals during their leave but also helps maintain a stable and continuous level of patient care across the facility.

Vacations

Perm staff nurses and allied professionals deserve time off to live their best lives, rest, and recharge outside hospital walls, too. When that happens, hospitals and other facilities may need you to fill in! With your help, facilities can keep appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios without compromising the quality of care.

Community crises

When you think of community crises, some things that may come to mind include natural disasters or major accidents. When situations like this occur, they can overwhelm local healthcare systems, leading to a critical healthcare professional and nursing shortage.

Luckily, travel nurses and allied professionals like you can provide immediate, flexible staffing solutions to ensure the facility can respond effectively to the increased demands of the crisis and provide the care the community needs.

Rapid response

Rapid response travel nurse and allied health travel jobs occur when there’s an urgent need to quickly fill gaps in medical personnel because of sudden increases in patient volume or unexpected perm staff absences. Your ability to respond rapidly to fluctuating staff needs makes you an essential component of effective healthcare crisis management.

Whether managing census fluctuations, covering for parental leaves and vacations, responding to community crises, or fulfilling rapid response needs, travel nurses and allied travelers play a critical role in maintaining the stability and quality of patient care in facilities across the U.S.

How hiring travel nurses and allied health travelers makes a positive impact in facilities

Improving patient satisfaction

One of the major ways you make a positive difference at the facilities you work in is by enhancing patient satisfaction. And how you do that is by sharing what you’ve learned to help improve treatment outcomes and offer an overall better patient experience.

Your ability to connect with patients and provide personalized care makes all the difference in their healthcare journey. By just being there, your presence ensures that patients receive consistent, high-quality care, even during staffing shortages or community crises.

Offering special skills

Whether you’ve worked 100 travel jobs or you’re on your first, you bring a unique set of skills that positively impact both the patients you treat and the teams you join.

With your expertise and ability to adapt quickly, you bring a wealth of knowledge and specialized skills to each new assignment. Not only are your patients receiving top-notch care in your hands, but you also support your colleagues by sharing your expertise and knowledge. Plus, your specialized skills foster trust and satisfaction among patients and help to strengthen the entire healthcare team at the hospital or other facility.

Boosting perm staff morale

Boosting the morale of staff nurses and perm health professionals has a ripple effect on patient care and the whole atmosphere of the facility — that’s a fact. When you step in to cover staff and nursing shortages, vacations, or leaves, you’re actively alleviating the workload and stress that perm staff may experience, which gives them the chance to recharge and be their best selves. Your role as a travel nurse or allied health traveler not only fills in critical gaps, but also uplifts the entire team and makes a lasting impact on both patient care and workplace harmony.

The job outlook for travel nurses and allied health travelers

The good news is that the job outlook for travel nurses and allied health travelers is incredibly promising. The increased demand is largely driven by a combination of factors that include staffing shortages, aging populations, and fluctuating patient volumes.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for registered nurses is projected to grow 6% between 2022 and 2032. And when it comes to all healthcare occupations, the BLS expects to see about 1.8 million job openings on average each year between the same decade. That means that you can look forward to a robust job market with countless chances for professional (and personal) growth, plus the freedom to work in a variety of locations and healthcare environments!

Frequently asked questions

How long are typical travel nurse or allied health travel jobs?

Typical healthcare travel jobs last for an average of 13 weeks, but the exact length can vary depending on the specific needs of the healthcare facility and the terms of your contract. If you like where you are, you could have the option to extend your contract. One of the great things about being a healthcare traveler is the flexibility to choose travel assignment lengths that align with your lifestyle.

What types of healthcare facilities hire travel nurses and allied professionals?

Myth: only hospitals hire travel nurses and allied health travelers. Spoiler: there are a ton of different types of facilities that need helping hands from healthcare travelers like you. These are just a few examples of facilities hiring travel nurses and allied health travelers:

🏥Hospitals

🏥Outpatient and specialty clinics

🏥Long-term care facilities (nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities)

🏥Home health

🏥Labs

How does Fusion Medical Staffing choose facility partners?

We know that exceptional patient care starts with the right partnerships, and we believe you’re entitled to work in a safe, comfortable environment. When it comes to our facility clients, you can feel good knowing that we only partner with healthcare systems that accomplish just that, as well as embody our core values of being humble, driven, and positive. This alignment with our core values gives you the power to work in healthcare environments that promote growth, teamwork, and extraordinary patient care.

It's no secret that you make a huge difference in the quality and delivery of patient care, regardless of where your travel nurse or allied health travel contract take you. Whether you’re providing relief during census fluctuations, parental leaves, or community crises, a travel nursing or allied health travel career gives you the chance to make a significant impact on patients and facilities alike.