Shortage of RN

[CordMcNally]

I will say that in my experience, travelers seem to be less inclined to go the extra mile or really put a lot of effort into getting things done. There are certainly exceptions and there are staff nurses who do the same thing but being there strictly for the paycheck and knowing you'll be out of there in a few weeks doesn't seem to be a big motivator to be efficient and hard-working.

[Lithium]

I doubt it will happen but I would love for WCI to bring on a traveler RN to his podcast to shed some light on how the firms work, the lifestyle, similarities and differences to locums etc. I was telling one of the RNs here that she would probably have to send in quarterly payments for taxes and she said "I think that's more of a doctor thing." Not sure if they are just W2 or victims of ignorance From what others have told me, they are mostly using their own transportation and paying for their own housing (I received both when I did locums).

[Zaphod]

I've never understood the travel pay discrepancy, it was already large prior to the pandemic and now its nuts, better than many docs with so much less hassle.

Yet hospitals refuse to up the pay for regular staff to 1/4 or 1/3 of travelers? Seems extremely short sighted and has to be compensated somewhere or for some reason.

I was reading travel rn reddit yesterday and some rn's in the south say that pay is/was less than 20/h and now it is barely moving up to low/mid 20s. That is insane and hospitals get what they deserve for that. Less than I made in a grocery store 20 years ago. While Cali was 50+/h for staff or surgery center (cushier) rns prior to the pandemic.

[nastle]

Only when an AI can restart an IV or turn a patient or change dressings.

CNA work a lot harder than RN generally speaking
they can be taught all this

[artemis]

Couldn’t we just use AI to replace RNs? After all, their job is more algorithmic and requires substantially less training than a mid-level or a primary care physician.

Only when an AI can restart an IV or turn a patient or change dressings.

[CordMcNally]

Sorry if I was unclear, but the question was meant to be why would an RN want to become an NP right now. If it is some sort of long-term goal that's fine. Just make the money now and do that later. Someone up thread talked about RNs being lost to NP or CRNA training. For most it wouldn't make sense now. Of course, I could imagine scenarios where it would make sense for someone to pass it up now, but those are probably the minority.

Many NP programs are online and they continue working as an RN through ‘school’.

[Hank]

Couldn’t we just use AI to replace RNs? After all, their job is more algorithmic and requires substantially less training than a mid-level or a primary care physician.

[AR]

Of course—in the short term, certainly.

You asked why an RN would want to become an NP—that’s not a short-term thing.

Sorry if I was unclear, but the question was meant to be why would an RN want to become an NP right now. If it is some sort of long-term goal that's fine. Just make the money now and do that later. Someone up thread talked about RNs being lost to NP or CRNA training. For most it wouldn't make sense now. Of course, I could imagine scenarios where it would make sense for someone to pass it up now, but those are probably the minority.

[bovie]

Who cares. Just do it until it's no longer available. Then maybe think of NP school or whatever after it goes away.

Of course—in the short term, certainly.

You asked why an RN would want to become an NP—that’s not a short-term thing.

And the answer, again, is because this is a new and likely relatively short-lived phenomenon in the context of a career.

Moving from RN to NP is both a time and financial commitment for the long-term, which has an anticipated positive value.

Chasing lucrative traveling contracts in an objectively unique market is for the short-term, and only works for as long as that market lasts and after that will have a relatively negative value compared to the alternative.

[AR]

Because this is a fairly new development in that particular labor market and is not sustainable.

Who cares. Just do it until it's no longer available. Then maybe think of NP school or whatever after it goes away.

[bovie]

8K a week?!?

So with ample vacation, let's say 45wks/yr, so $360K/year. Wow!

Why would any RN want to become and Nurse Practitioner if they could just do that?

Because this is a fairly new development in that particular labor market and is not sustainable.

[AR]

One of my best, long-term RNs came to me on shift last night and asked what I thought about her going to be a travel nurse for a couple of 13 week stints this year so she could finally pay off her $70K in student loans. She said they were offering $5-8K A WEEK. I told her that's more than a lot of docs make. So now we'll hire a traveler to cover her spot while she's gone. Hard to blame her though.

8K a week?!?

So with ample vacation, let's say 45wks/yr, so $360K/year. Wow!

Why would any RN want to become and Nurse Practitioner if they could just do that?

[Turf Doc]

One of my best, long-term RNs came to me on shift last night and asked what I thought about her going to be a travel nurse for a couple of 13 week stints this year so she could finally pay off her $70K in student loans. She said they were offering $5-8K A WEEK. I told her that's more than a lot of docs make. So now we'll hire a traveler to cover her spot while she's gone. Hard to blame her though.

Maybe she'll be "traveling" back at your shop! That's a pretty sweet trick.

[Tim]

Some docs do locums and some don't. Nurses now have much more opportunities.

[Jaqen Haghar MD]

It’s interesting. I’ve known a few NPs now who have recently returned to nursing. Being that backseat driver turns out to be a lot easier than being the front seat driver.

The reasons for them leaving NP jobs appears to be 60hr work weeks on salary, which translates to pretty dismal hourly pay when it’s broken down. Regular nursing is paying significantly higher. Also a never ending physician-like schedule with call weeks, after hours work and phone calls, follow ups, and rounding on Saturdays and Sundays…. Leading to a very poor quality of life and 6-7 day work weeks.

Everybody is short basic workers of all kinds.