Supply and Demand? Nursing Shortages Fuel Increase in High Paying Travel Nurse Jobs

Entering the third year of the pandemic, hospitals and long-term care facilities continue to have a high demand for nurses to meet ongoing COVID needs, pent-up demand for care, and turnover among nurses who face burnout and caregiving responsibilities. These facilities rely on contracting agencies to higher travel nurses to fill in the gaps, yet the contract price are astronomical compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Bangor Daily News reports that for many nurses, the current situation represents a moment of reckoning for a health care industry that has underpaid them and undervalued them for too long. Bianca Frogner, PhD, Director of Center for Health Workforce Studies, is quoted on how the current situation reflects a healthy labor market. Read more here.