6 Interesting Facts About Traveling Nurses And Other Medical Professionals

Chances are you have heard of (or met) a traveling nurse or medical professional. Being a traveler is lucrative to many medical professionals for its flexibility and decent pay, with a big added bonus of getting to see new places throughout the U.S. Here are some interesting facts you may not know about the travel profession:

Not Only Nurses Travel.

There is a large demand for all health care professionals in today’s aging society and growing healthcare system. Since a travel position is meant to fill an immediate health need in a given community, it includes a lot more than just nurses. Allied health care positions include professions like therapy, medical laboratory, imaging, cardiopulmonary, and oncology. Physician service professionals can also be travelers and include medical doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. This basically encompasses all medical professionals, making it a large and growing group of employees.

There Are A Lot Of Them.

According to Wikipedia, at any given time there are 25,000 travel nurses currently working as travelers throughout the U.S. There are even more allied health professionals & Locum Tenens traveling as well. That’s a lot of people moving around looking for housing! With all these travelers, there are also a lot of companies helping manage them as well, with over 300 companies coordinating placement for travelers where they are needed. With the high demands in health care (see below), these numbers will only increase.

A Traveler Is Filling A Need In Your Community.

There are a lot of reasons there might be an immediate need in the medical community. From busier seasons, retiring employees (over 500,000 RNs are expected to retire by 2022), maternity leave or a simple change in staffing, welcoming a traveler to a hospital or clinic can keep things running smooth for optimal patient care. Plus, with more people than ever having access to healthcare thanks to Obamacare, there is an even larger pool of patients getting the care they need as well. Additionally, according to Forbes, the aging population will grow by over 50% to 1.5 billion by 2050. That’s a lot of potential people needing care. and travel professionals will play a critical role in trying to keep up with demand of the growing “silver tsunami.”

Travel Healthcare Is Booming.

As illustrated above, the demands will only continue to grow. Nursing jobs specifically are expected to grow by 15% over the next decade with over 1 million open vacancies throughout the U.S. Professions like physical and occupational therapy will grow at an even faster projected rate of over 30% by the year 2020. With all the projected job growth, employers have to do something to keep up with the demand. This is where travel positions come in as an affordable short term solution. Travelers will provide much needed help for the growing burden being put on the healthcare system each year. As demand grows, travel companies will try to make the industry as enticing as possible as well, offering money and benefit packages may won’t be able resist.

The Demographics Of A Traveler Aren’t What You Think.

The thought of a traveler might bring to mind a younger population that has “no strings attached” and can move around more easily. This couldn’t be less true. The average traveler is 40-50 years olds (35%). The 20-30 year old population actually makes up the smallest population of travelers at 17%.

What A Typical Traveler Is Looking For When Relocating.

There are a lot of reasons a traveler will pick a destination including salary, location, prestige of a hospital or clinic and proximity to friends and family. According to a survey, one of the most common reasons to travel is to see the U.S. and experience new “adventure.” Most travelers work long hours, so they will want a place to come back to that is relaxing. At the same time, their rental should allow them to get the most out of their time as a visitor. A convenient and cozy place can help them settle in quickly and embrace all that their new base has to offer. For information on making a home appealing to a traveler, check out this FAQ.

It should be clear that travel medical professionals are part of a rapidly growing field. They are filling a need in the community while also providing renter potential for anyone that wants responsible short term tenants. It’s a win-win situation. List your home today. Click Here to get started.