Registered nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, which is why shortage predictions from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)* point to a potential crisis. The BLS is projecting a huge deficit in qualified R.N.s to fill nursing jobs between now and 2025. The reasons for this are attributed, not just to the surge in Baby Boomers seeking medical care, but in the imminent retirement of the nurses treating them.

Over the next 20 years, the average age of the R.N. will increase and the size of the nursing workforce plateau, as many nurses retire. The hope for filling these vacant positions is that nurses coming into them have strong clinical backgrounds, in graduate and baccalaureate programs in accredited nursing schools. As it stands now, many American colleges are struggling to expand enrollment in nursing programs, and are getting help in collaborative efforts made by company partnerships, grants, and legislative initiatives focused on hiring more qualified nursing staff—enough to meet the needs of the current population. 30 million plus Americans have been added to insurance roles as healthcare reform takes effect. BLS’ Employment Projections (2010-2020) released in February [+]

Staffing consultants and job boards are lighting up now with more opportunities than lighting bugs in a mason jar! The days are lasting longer and travel nurses are fitting more outdoor activities in their time after work. They’re motivated to find ideal nursing and therapy jobs—ones that will carry them into the summer. That’s why it’s important to post your job openings now, with a trusted name in healthcare staffing. Our recruiters work closely with each candidate, bringing talent and clinical expertise to your hospitals, outpatient centers and skilled nursing facilities. Says Debbie Bacurin, RN, Clinical Account Manager at American Traveler, “We are seeing a lot of early postings from Maine to Georgia—in Wisconsin and Michigan, too. Our nurses and therapists know that the best hospitals are posting their job openings right now. If you’re a healthcare facility looking for the best talent out there, post your openings now to find top candidates seeking spring and summer assignments.� That being said, healthcare employers should know R.N.s and therapists have, when it comes to job searches, an understanding that: Hospitals post positions today for late spring and summer. Job candidates are now getting their state licensures ready for summer [+]

It will be Time Well Spent During Days Off ! Find out What’s Happening Next Door to Your East Coast Travel Nursing Jobs Travel nurse jobs available in all 50 U.S. states make a fine medium for touring the country in high style. Chances are your free private housing, a part of the travel nurse benefits package and close to the job site, is also in the respective backyard of America’s top tourist destinations. With your penchant for travel in mind, our team at American Traveler has put together the ultimate resource for our vacation lovers working on the Eastern seaboard this winter—so get out your travel nursing calendar and jot down these dates! Travel Nursing in D.C. a Capitol Idea! Washington DC travel nurse jobs are a bundle of fun in the wintertime! Take for instance, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, offering an array of cultural events this January—the Washington DC calendar offers quintets, guitars and drama at the National Archives too. Plan the whole of January and your Valentine’s Day in the capitol city by clicking on this DC events link. Star-Filled Nights—on Stage that is—are Close to New Jersey Nursing Jobs When it [+]

Read about technical vs. professional nurse training and why it matters Its been said there’s more than one way to skin a cat. The same might be true of seeking licensure as a registered nurse; those on track to a permanent or travel nursing career can achieve success in several different ways—the interesting part of that statement being, no matter your chosen path to licensure, the examination at the end of your nurse training is exactly the same. The options for students interested in nursing jobs break down into these avenues: you can get a four-year nursing degree, or bachelor of science (in nursing) and be deemed a “professional nurse�; you can get an associate's degree, which takes two to three years—or you can go to a diploma school for about three years. It so happens that community colleges produce more than half of the country's new nurses; not surprising considering it’s the fastest and least expensive way to become an RN; should you go this route, you are deemed a “technical nurse� and may not get the same preferential treatment in hiring as professional and graduate nurses. The encouraging news for those new to [+]