Photos: Getty Images/Stockbyte/George Doyle & Ciaran Griffin (both photos)
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Remember the good old days of traveling? You don't have to think back very far; perhaps a couple of years at most. You know,
when we had our pick of assignments just about anywhere in the country and had no trouble extending or moving on. The only
problem we had was deciding which assignment to choose from the many offered. We were inundated with calls from recruiters
asking when we might be available for our next assignment. We were unemployed only when we wanted to take personal time off.
Indeed, life was good.
Then in late 2007 the economy began to unravel. At first, there was little concern on our part. After all, the problems were
centered in the stock market, banking, and housing sectors, not in healthcare. Past recessions had been fairly mild and the
healthcare industry had been mostly immune. People still needed medical care, right? And there was still a national nursing
shortage. How bad could it be? But this time it was different. The recession
The recession quickly deepened beyond all expectations. Unemployment rose dramatically and the "trickle-down effect" began
taking its toll on sectors unrelated to banking and housing. Suddenly, no one seemed to be safe from the threat of losing
his or her job. Many felt the need to trim expenses to be able to survive a potential layoff. Families began re-evaluating their need for
medical services, such as routine exams, tests, and elective surgery. In addition, some charitable organizations were forced
to reduce their donations to healthcare facilities because of the loss in value of their investment portfolios.
Facilities' revenues began to decline along with their censuses. Many suddenly found they were overstaffed and faced serious
budget cuts—even to the point of personnel layoffs.
The healthcare traveler began to feel the effect. As revenues declined, facilities found it difficult to hire or keep travelers
onboard, especially if permanent staff jobs were in jeopardy.
Travel assignments started drying up. There were still openings, but they were fewer, with sometimes dozens of candidates
applying. Competition was fierce among agencies. Openings were filled literally in hours, not days or weeks. If you didn't
have a license for that state or could not arrive "tomorrow," often you were not considered.
Some travelers accepted permanent jobs out of uncertainty and frustration, further reducing the need for travelers. Yes, it
was looking bad. Some even predicted the death of the traveling healthcare industry.
A light on the horizon
Fast-forward to today. The downward spiral of the overall economy seems to be slowing and recent healthcare employment trends
have been encouraging. Openings for travelers have slowly begun to increase.
At first, it was mainly in the revenue-producing areas such as cardiology, radiology, and special procedures. Other areas
such as M/S, ICU, and L&D seemed to lag. But more recently, orders have increased across the board in all areas. Openings
for allied health such as physical therapy and occupational therapy are increasing, as well.
The outlook for certain regions of the country is also improving. The West Coast remains strong and New England is recovering.
The Midwest and South remain weak but are expected to improve.
Although travel assignments are increasing, by no means are we out of the woods. Tough times will almost certainly continue,
at least into the near future. But we hope the worst is behind us as we seem to be on the road to recovery.
Employment strategies
While we await the return of the good old days, here are some strategies to help put you ahead of the competition for that
next travel assignment. By preparing yourself and maintaining a competitive edge, you can gain an advantage in this tight
job market.
