Nursing Shortage & Travel Nursing Challenges

The global pandemic highlighted the incredible demands medical professionals, especially those working the frontlines, face.

As the pandemic dissipates almost two years later, burnout and stress continue to take a severe toll on the nursing field.

According to a national survey, more than a third of nurses plan to quit or retire this year. Our nation already faces a shortage of available nurses—a shortage expected to continue for years to come. The demand for healthcare workers far outweighs the supply, and that supply is shrinking rapidly.

Mindseeker understands our responsibility as a travel nurse employer to accommodate and support our nurses in their careers. If providers and employers are going to counteract the impact the pandemic had on the healthcare industry, we must actively promote a realistic and desirable long-term career in the field of nursing.

How do we help?

One aspect of our travel nurses’ experience with us that we really emphasize is building long-lasting connections with them. We want to show our nurses there are opportunities beyond one assignment with Mindseeker. A stream of consistent, stable adventure can help alleviate the burnout and stress that may come with the job.

Another rule of thumb we work by is to respect our nurses’ time and help them make the most of it. Chances are, if a nurse has a free moment, they’re not going to want to spend it thinking about work. And if their job involves being available or on-call when they’re technically “off,” that doesn’t mean we should approach them 24 hours a day. To best respect their time, we measure our communications to them. We also do what we can to have options ready ahead of time for their next assignment, so they never have to worry about what’s next.

Lastly, we recognize that some nurses may be transitioning from a permanent position to travel nursing for the first time. To aid in the transition, a network of experienced travel nurses with real insights is invaluable. One of the ways we support our nurses’ growing network is by providing a Mindseeker Travel Nurses Facebook group. Not all members of the group are Mindseeker employees, but they are all travel nurses or people in the healthcare field who have a reservoir of wisdom and guidance to offer.

As the pandemic subsides, it’s our turn to repay the favor to those who are there for us when we need help most—healthcare workers. We can do that by recognizing the challenges they cope with, fixing the fixable issues, and actively supporting them throughout the process. This article lists just a few of the ways Mindseeker encourages and advocates wellbeing in our nurses’ long-term careers and livelihoods.