Demand for qualified nurses throughout the country is on the rise. Travel nursing is becoming more and more important, as well as more appealing for nurses who want to take the next step in their careers. If you haven’t looked into travel nursing yet, 2019 is the year to see what this career path has to offer. You might just love what you discover!

Looking ahead at travel nursing

The country-wide nursing shortage has continued for the past few years and shows no signs of stopping in 2019. With an aging population comes a greater need for health care services and professionals. Hospitals across the nation are struggling to meet demands. Registered nurse employment is expected to grow 15% by 2026, far faster than most other occupations.

With this in mind, travel nursing is becoming even more important. Hospitals are looking to improve staffing by hiring nurses on contract. Travel nurses have the ability to relocate to regions with greater needs, making the outlook for travel nurse job availability positive for this year and the years to come.

Top travel nursing trends of 2019

Every year, the nursing industry grows and changes. Here are a few trends that may affect you and your assignments in 2019.

• Job availability — Because of the continuing nursing shortage, jobs should remain largely available for nurses in general. Travel nurses may have an advantage in 2019 because of their short-term contracts and their ability to relocate to areas with the highest level of need in the nation.
• eNLC — In January 2018, the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) added new states to its licensure, allowing nurses with a multistate nursing license to treat patients in other eNLC states. This update will continue to help both experienced and new travel nurses find more job assignments and expand their horizons.
• Demand for specialists — Not only is the demand for registered nurses increasing, so is the demand for nurses with higher education and specialties. Hospitals want to employ nurses with more specialized skillsets and typically offer higher pay for these positions. Experienced travel nurses with specialty skills should take advantage of this trend, and travel nurses entering the workforce should begin exploring additional education opportunities.

Explore travel nursing this year

If you are currently a registered nurse and are eager to explore a new avenue of job opportunities in the health care industry, 2019 is a great time to join travel nursing. Consider whether short-term assignments and traveling across the nation might be a good fit for you. For many nurses, the ability to travel, learn, and experience new things is a welcome change.

With many parts of the country in desperate need of nurses and the growing number of benefits afforded to travel nurses, it couldn’t be a better time for you to try something new and grow as a nurse.