What Nurses Must Know Amid the Changing Market
“Many years ago, when I was a child, we played the game called Marco Polo in the swimming pool. One kid was chosen to be “it”, then blindfolded. It worked with simple instructions. The It counts till ten, then shouts Marco. The rest of the players shout Polo, and “Marco” has to catch one of those who shouted “Polo”. I remember one day, when the sun was hot in the sky, we were ready to play. I was deemed the It, ready for the exhilarating game I loved. And so, the game began. Blindfolded, I screamed Marco, I heard “Polo” shouts, but it seemed vaguely far, which was weird. I yelled on the top of my lungs once again, nearly cracking that voice box, but the “polos” were strangely far again. On my 3rd attempt, I opened my eyes to an empty pool. My friends were all gone, leaving me alone dealing with the rejection of the prank. I have not played the game of Marco Polo since.
Until this summer.
I’m a travel nurse, you see. I hate when they address the outstanding rates that were as a ‘Hype’. We were paid because we were strongly needed. Suddenly, it felt like I closed my eyes for just a second and boomerang, the market is shifting. The climate is so different, unable to trace what has really happened.”
Jessie K., RN ICU Travel Nurse
Jessie is not the only one with this question.
Knowledge is power.
At White Glove we love clarity and transparency, and we are here to share what seems to be happening.
What is shifting in the nursing market?
The leading causes why hospitals are cutting their rates remains the turbulence of the economic health of the US economy which is driving uncertainty in healthcare. When recalling the sudden slump in 2008, hospitals want to avoid sudden constrictions, thus enacting budget cuts right now.
Additionally, many nurses who left hospitals on staff jobs during the pandemic out of exhaustion are coming back to hospitals, reported the Wall Street Journal. The demand slump for nurses is being cut down, being another contributing factor to fewer temporary jobs needing to be filled.
The patient counts being more predictable than in the turbulent pandemic years brought facilities to rethink on staff nursing as a solid and cheaper alternative. While they can always resort back to per diem nursing to fill temporary gaps.
The COVID high response rates are no longer the same for travel nurses. Temporary staffing positions are no longer as lucrative as they used to be. Still, those positions are in a lot greater demand than what facilities are looking for, as they are routing their resources towards more permanent staffing.
That means that for every temporary job available, there are numerous qualifying candidates competing for the job. Most jobs being posted are out before they are on for 24 hours.
The White Glove Goal
White Glove recruiters have one goal, and that is to dish out the best the market’s got for you. No matter the changes we act upon it to ensure you get the best. Furthermore, though you see the constant salary drops taking place, there is a lot we take upon us. Meaning, White Glove set forth to absorb the pay cuts and lowered our margins to unthinkable levels, 20% lower than the industry average. We want our nurses to feel this in the least possible way.
What You Must Know At this point:
Be flexible.
Being easy with the specifics of your assignment will help you stay ahead of the game with your nursing contract. Says who the dream Florida job will turn out dreamier than the available offer in California?
Drop FOBO
Know FOBO? The biggest generational enemy is that Fear Of Better Options. Waiting for the better or best offer can mean that the good one will be gone by then.
Be Read to Act
To maximize your chance of getting your name ahead of the all the competing candidates, be ready, set, go. Have your file fully ready to be submitted quickly as soon as the offer comes. Make sure your resume, your profile, and references are up to date. And more than anything, get your mind ready for fast changes.
Know Your Priorities
Would you rather travel to Dallas Texas, New York, New York, Las Vegas, Nevada?
Which unit would you prefer? ER? NICU? Med-Surg? A million things to consider, to pick and choose from. In the current market, we are hopeful to find you the fabulous assignment for you. Chances are, it won’t be perfect. Know which of your preferences come first, second and 3rd to you. Is it the pay, specialty, location? Is it location, specialty then pay?
Make Yourself Valuable
Once you get onto that amazing opportunity, there are ways to make yourself indispensable. It is not that your renewal will be guaranteed, yet there is a greater chance to get an offer to extend your contract if you are an indispensable team member
Explore Different Parts for Yourself.
Hey, you just never know. Give yourself the opportunity of going for what there is, and you may just find a new part of you that falls in love with it!
Look into Career Growth.
Take the time to grow your career. Observe the options with greater potential for the future and go great on them.
It’s not easy to adjust, but still, you should know that no matter the slant or changes that may be, we’re here, we’ll make it happen for you.
Any questions about how we can help? Contact us today.
