Remember the days when nurses, including travel nurses, received rounds of applause for showing up on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19? Fortunately, the height of the pandemic is now apparently in the rearview mirror.

Unfortunately, it also means that the applause has all but disappeared.

During the pandemic, hospitalizations for COVID-19 surged, and staffing shortages followed suit. This drove many medical facilities to rely on travel nurses. And as the demand for these nurses increased, so did travel nursing contract costs. However, now, hospitalizations are beginning to stabilize, and as a result, traveling nurses are not in demand as much as they used to be.

Simply put, the travel nurse rates are dropping. This has led to concerns about the travel nurse bubble popping in 2022. Fortunately, Coast Medical Service, a leading nurse staffing agency, is continuing to grow in the current nursing climate.

Here’s a rundown on how Coast Medical Service is leading the way post-pandemic and how you as a travel nurse can benefit from its efforts this year.

Why Travel Nurse Rates Are Dropping in 2022

After the COVID-19 Delta variant made its debut in March of 2021, it wreaked havoc on the United States’ medical system due to its rapid spread. This was particularly true in states with low rates of the COVID-19 vaccination, such as Missouri, Nevada, and Arkansas. This variant also plagued the highly populated states of Texas, California, and Florida. This rapidly boosted the demand for travel nurses in 2021.

During this period of high demand for travel nurses, it was not uncommon for nurses to earn as much as $6,000 per week due to higher rates of pay combined with incentives. This meant that many nurses easily earned double or triple what registered nurses on staff were earning.

Fast-forward a year and you’ll notice quite a different picture today: In past months, a number of travel nurses have experienced contract cancellations or abrupt pay cuts to decreases in negotiated rates.

One of the top reasons for today’s dropping travel nurse rates is that hospitals across the nation are now aimed at recruiting and hiring full-time staff nurses. On top of this, hospitals have lost state-level COVID-19 funding amid the decreasing coronavirus rates.

So, with travel nurse rates dropping, is travel nursing still a viable career area for you and your nursing colleagues?

The reality is traveling nurses are still in demand when you work with the right nurse staffing agency, like Coast Medical Service. Let’s delve into why this is.

How Coast Medical Service Is Responding to Today’s Dropping Travel Nurse Rates

At a time when travel nurse rates are dropping, Coast Medical Service stands out in the travel nursing agency industry, as it is continuing to grow its client base. This means it is offering more facilities to staff from daily.

Another reason why traveling nurses are in demand when you partner with Coast Medical Service is that the facilities offer many job opportunities beyond COVID-impacted specialties.

Besides having the opportunity to care for COVID patients, travel nurses with Coast Medical Service can find plenty of work in non-COVID-impacted specialties, such as the operating room. Other options include labor and delivery, as well as the neonatal intensive care unit.

Coast Medical Service has also secured allied deals for speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, and interventional technologist roles. So, you can easily work in allied health as a travel medical worker.

Other Coast Medical Service Strategies for Responding to the Dropping Travel Nurse Rates

Coast Medical Service is also combatting the decline by not focusing on the highest paying jobs, which have a higher likelihood of cancellation or rate drop. Instead, the nursing agency is focused on offering competitive and sustainable rates.

This means that more travel nurses get to enjoy exploring a number of areas countrywide and scheduling flexibility while still enjoying guaranteed employment through contracts.

Additional Coast Medical Service Approaches

Coast Medical Service is furthermore leading the way post-pandemic by offering stellar customer service to travel health care workers. For instance, the organization prides itself on connecting workers to locations all over the United States that are in high demand. Travel workers can also expect to receive paid lodging as part of their contracts.

When workers partner with Coast Medical Service, they can expect high compensation and even guaranteed shifts within the same hospitals, even at a time when the travel nurse rates appear to be dropping.

Coast Medical Service leaders look at themselves as advisors for the traveler’s career. This is why they are passionate about guiding travel nurses to find the assignments that best suit their unique needs.

Experience the Coast Medical Difference in the Travel Nursing Industry Today

Although travel nurse rates are dropping, traveling nurses are in demand in the markets served by Coast Medical Service. That’s because we have made it our mission to provide a number of high-paying job opportunities for nurses around the United States.

We realize that nurses have many motivations for going into the travel nursing field. For some, excellent pay is the catalyst. Meanwhile, for others, their genuine desire to assist patients is the driving force. Still, other nurses embark on this career path simply because they wish to travel. No matter what your personal motivation may be for being a travel nurse, we are excited to go over your goals and present to you job opportunities that will fit your wants and expectations.

At Coast Medical Service, we have a number of assignments available for those seeking psychiatric, pediatric, and emergency room placements, among others. We are also seeking licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, and even surgical technicians.

Get in touch with us to set up a recruiting meeting with us today! Let’s discuss your travel job aspirations and put you on the path to securing your dream travel job!