Washington travel nurses put hospitals in costly predicament
The average weekly pay for Washington travel nurses has jumped 20% since last year, reaching $3,210, as of July, according to Vivian Health, a San Francisco-based health care staffing site.
That's 8% higher than the national average, and nearly double what a full-time registered nurse typically earns in the state ($1,657 for a 40-hour week). But while travel wages are at near all-time highs, hospitals say the amount they're paying for travelers is unsustainable.
Across the country, lucrative travel contracts have enticed tens of thousands of nurses to leave their traditional jobs behind to find contract work, as virtually every health system is looking for workers to combat the nationwide nursing shortage. Plus, many of the contracts include health benefits and retirement plan contributions.
Many hospitals have shifted more spending to recruitment and retention strategies for full-time employees. Meanwhile, the high wages for travelers have caused strife among full-time employees who work alongside the temporary nurses and earn a fraction of the salary.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2022/08/10/travel-nurses-wages-in-washington-are-rising.html
Seems the solution is more full-time employees. Too many companies these days think they're saving money by using temp labor or contractors.