Washington travel nurses put hospitals in costly predicament

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The average weekly pay for Washington travel nurses has jumped 20% since last year, reaching $3,210, as of July, according to Vivian Health, a San Francisco-based health care staffing site.

That's 8% higher than the national average, and nearly double what a full-time registered nurse typically earns in the state ($1,657 for a 40-hour week). But while travel wages are at near all-time highs, hospitals say the amount they're paying for travelers is unsustainable.

Across the country, lucrative travel contracts have enticed tens of thousands of nurses to leave their traditional jobs behind to find contract work, as virtually every health system is looking for workers to combat the nationwide nursing shortage. Plus, many of the contracts include health benefits and retirement plan contributions.

Many hospitals have shifted more spending to recruitment and retention strategies for full-time employees. Meanwhile, the high wages for travelers have caused strife among full-time employees who work alongside the temporary nurses and earn a fraction of the salary.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2022/08/10/travel-nurses-wages-in-washington-are-rising.html

Seems the solution is more full-time employees. Too many companies these days think they're saving money by using temp labor or contractors.

[exboyfil]

1. Some treat their full time workers like crap

They forced my daughter to 12 hour days instead of 8 hours. 12 hours is just too long to deal with mental health patients especially on a night shift. You have to always remain alert.

She changed jobs and is now doing Industrial Nursing. Got a raise after making the change and is back to 8 hr shifts. She does OT once per month to retain her connection to the mental health floor.

[mtngirl47]

2. My experience with loved ones in the hospital recently...

Travel nurses don't know the doctors, the systems and the procedures for the hospital.