American Traveler, a traveling nurse agency, reports that nursing employment, which includes staff registered nurse positions and traveling positions, grew by 56 percent from last year.
The growth is attributed to larger health care employers recovering from the recession, says Deborah Bacurin, RN, clinical resource manager for American Traveler.
"It looks like health care is back in business," Bacurin says. "The demand for ambulatory nurse jobs has skyrocketed, and almost half of all jobs created in September went to health care."
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According to the Bureau of Labor, in the first nine months of 2011, hospital job growth is four times the amount of the entire year in 2010. In fact, 42 percent of new jobs in September were related to health care, and of those, ambulatory care jobs doubled.
Ambulatory services are growing because of multiple reasons, Bacurin says, with technological advances in patient care being one of them. Technological advances have allowed more health problems to be treated by outpatient doctors and nurse practitioners. With more people hitting retirement age and there being a clinical emphasis on preventive care, the demand for thousands of jobs for nurse specialists and therapists is here. Of the health care jobs that are expected to grow the most in the near future are registered nurses, nursing aides, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, the Bureau of Labor reports.
"It's a really good time for nurses to consider a career in travel nursing, and for some to look beyond the hospital," says Mary Kay Hull, vice president of recruitment for American Traveler. "New business models have pervaded health care. These include not only ambulatory care centers but skilled nursing facilities, outpatient surgery clinics and various types of physician practices subject to a seasonal census."
While nurses' salaries fell during the recession, Hull notes, she is beginning to see pay grow back to pre-recession levels and higher. American Traveler says it is experiencing a heavy demand for nurse job specialties, such as operating room as well as labor and delivery, and is fulfilling needs for nurses and therapists who are knowledgeable in computerized patient care systems and modern therapies.
"Depending on regional and state economies, physical therapists are now earning six figures in some markets," Hull says.
The Bureau of Labor reports that the future for health care jobs appears positive, as they continue to outperform the manufacturing and construction sectors and are projected to hit 344,000 by year's end, which represents a level of growth that has not happened in four years.
"The nurse jobs are out there," Hull says. "They pay good and come with great benefits. On the other hand, health care employers are looking for the 'cream of the crop.' They've raised performance standards for nurses and are keeping better track of where and how they spend labor dollars."
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