• News
    • Industry Trends
    • Hot Markets
    • Weekly Top 10
    • Hospital Strikes
  • Career
    • Traveler Tips
    • First-Time Traveler
    • Ask The Expert
  • Reviews
    • Agency Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
    • Hospital Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
  • Network
    • Your Photos
    • Traveler Stories
    • Traveler Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Find A Hospital
    • Compact Licensure Map
    • Licensing
    • Certifications
      • ANCC
      • AHA
    • Continuing Education
      • CEU Directory
      • Nurse.com
      • Relias Academy
      • Wild Iris Medical Education
      • WorldWideLearn
  • Find High-Paying Jobs
    • Search All Jobs
    • Connect With A Recruiter
    • Top Markets
    • Travel CST Salary By State
    • Travel Nursing Salary By State
  • About Us
HCT Today
SHARE YOUR STORY GET THE SCOOP

HCT Today Dedicated News Site For Healthcare Travelers

March 22, 2023
  • StaffDNA Career Profile Benefits
  • Career Profile Login
HCT Today
SHARE YOUR STORY

  • News
    • Industry Trends
    • Hot Markets
    • Weekly Top 10
    • Hospital Strikes
  • Career
    • Traveler Tips
    • First-Time Traveler
    • Ask The Expert
  • Reviews
    • Agency Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
    • Hospital Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
  • Network
    • Your Photos
    • Traveler Stories
    • Traveler Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Find A Hospital
    • Compact Licensure Map
    • Licensing
    • Certifications
      • ANCC
      • AHA
    • Continuing Education
      • CEU Directory
      • Nurse.com
      • Relias Academy
      • Wild Iris Medical Education
      • WorldWideLearn
  • Find High-Paying Jobs
    • Search All Jobs
    • Connect With A Recruiter
    • Top Markets
    • Travel CST Salary By State
    • Travel Nursing Salary By State
  • About Us
Career Industry Trends Market Data News

Travel Market: OR Staffing Needs Still High For Travel Nurses

Ryan WagonerJuly 25, 20180 Views0

Want to find the top OR RN jobs and skip the explanation? Click here to jump to the bottom of the article.


OR travelers—here’s your friendly public service announcement. You are in high demand right now across the country, according to current market data and job board information from StaffDNA.

Towards the end of June, we saw a sharp increase in demand for OR nurses across the country, especially after the “summer stall” in late-May and early June.

Since the last week of June, every week in July has had at least one high-paying OR job to rank in our weekly “10 Highest Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs” list.

We now have a much better picture of why OR needs saw a marked increase in June, as well as why we expect OR nurses will remain in demand through the end of 2018.

Heavy flu season delays OR RN market demand

Short Answer: The busy flu season made hospitals delay elective surgeries, which delayed OR staffing needs until early summer.

Long Answer: The brutal 2018 flu season took a toll on both the public and the travel nursing job market. A total of 171 influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported by the last week of May, according to CDC data.

Emergency rooms across the country were swamped with patients, which caused hospitals to offer extensions to travelers much earlier than usual.

This also meant hospitals had to cancel or delay elective and non-elective surgeries to leave acute care beds open for the massive influx of flu patients.

Once the flu season calmed down in late spring, facilities were then able to address the backed-up list of delayed surgeries, which explains the sudden spike in temporary OR staffing needs.

Elective surgeries serve as an important factor of a hospital’s financial portfolio. Surgical admissions are reimbursed at much higher rates than medical, so it would make sense for hospitals to take care of elective surgeries after the flu season.

Busy fall season, high deductibles could sustain OR RN demand

Short Answer: The job market volume always typically increases in the fall after the summer vacation season, so we expect OR needs to be a part of that in a limited sense. Demand should level off and may dip slightly, then spike again in November and December when most people with high-deductible insurance plans get elective surgeries.

Long Answer: For agencies, fall is when the job market kicks into high gear. A flood of travelers who took off for the summer to spend time with families will re-enter the market, looking for their fall contracts.

Hospitals will also seek temporary staff to deal with increased patient visits in the fall once the school season starts. August is one of the busiest months of the year for healthcare facilities, according to a Priceonomics data study, especially for pediatric professionals. 

While OR won’t be as in demand as other specialties, we expect it to more or less “ride the wave” of fall job market momentum into November and December.

Hospitals typically see an increase in OR needs late in the year because patients with high-deductible insurance plans will squeeze in a last-minute elective procedure before their deductibles increase the following year.

Hot OR RN StaffDNA Job Listings

Dallas, Texas
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,677
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Lexington, Kentucky
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,701
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Clinton, Iowa
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,746
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Farmington, Maine
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,612
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Sheboygen, Wisconsin
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,786
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Marshfield, Wisconsin
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,950
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,598
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Reno, Nevada
  • Start Date: August 8, 2018
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,786
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Columbia, Missouri
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,802
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Brownwood, Texas
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,860
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,739
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Lynchburg, Virginia
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,814
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Ronceverte, West Virginia
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,537
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


Lynchburg, Virginia
  • Start Date: August 13, 2018
  • Contract Length: 13 weeks
  • Weekly Pay: $1,814
  • Day Shift

View This Travel OR RN Job >>


    Subscribe to Get The Scoop

    Every week, we'll deliver the travel healthcare news you need to know directly to your inbox. Get the latest breaking articles and insider tips!

    flu seasonMarket DatanursingTravel Nurse JobsTravel Nursing
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Share
    • Share
    • Email
    • Comment
    • SHARETravel Market: OR Staffing Needs Still High For Travel Nurses
      • Pin
      • Share
      • Share
    Previous ArticleCan A Community Hospital Stay True To Its Mission After Sale To Large Corporation?
    Next Article5 Travel Healthcare Blogs We Love (And You Should Check Out)
    Ryan Wagoner
    Ryan Wagoner is a reporter for Healthcare Traveler Today.

    You may also like

    Top 10 Highest-Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs Jan 9-13

    Top 10 Highest-Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs Dec 26-30

    Dallas Nursing and Healthcare Career Fair opens Thursday

    Leave a Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Browse Topics

    • Agency Advice
    • Agency Reviews
    • Ask The Expert
    • Career
    • Compliance
    • Continuing Education
    • EMR Conversions
    • eNLC
    • Featured
    • First-Time Traveler
    • For A Laugh
    • Healthcare Roundup
    • Hot Markets
    • Housing
    • Industry Trends
    • Inspiration
    • Licensing
    • Market Data
    • News
    • Nurse Contributor
    • Recruiter Advice
    • Strikes
    • Take A Break
    • Taxes
    • Top 10
    • Traveler Tips
    • Uncategorized
    • VMS/MSP
    • Weekly Polls
    • Your Photos
    • Your Stories

    More Stories

    Ă—

    Stocking Up: My Top 5 Travel Nursing Kitchen Must-Haves

    By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Editor's note: Stocking Up is a three-part mini series that...

    Travelers

    Still Looking For A Summer Travel Job Now? Stay Flexible, Industry Experts Say

    May 31, 2018
    OR staffing needs-operating-room

    Travel Market: OR Staffing Needs Still High For Travel Nurses

    July 25, 2018
    Lunges-exercise-

    Travel Tips: Low Impact Exercises for Nurses Starting a Workout Routine

    October 25, 2018

    Industry News

    2023 written in sand

    Top 10 Highest-Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs Dec 26-30

    December 30, 2022
    job search-travel healthcare jobs jan 7

    Top 10 Highest-Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs Jan 2-6

    January 4, 2023
    palm springs-california-travel healthcare jobs jan 14

    Top 10 Highest-Paying Travel Healthcare Jobs Jan 9-13

    January 10, 2023

    Traveler Photos

    RN, Trisha A. in California
    RN, Naomi B., shares photos of her adventures from Arizona and other parts of the U.S.
    RN, Amanda M., taking in the sights at the Grand Canyon.
    RN, Jan K., met up with her recruiter Lauren while seeing the sights in New Orleans, Louis.
    RN, Naomi B., shares photos of her adventures from Arizona and other parts of the U.S.
    RN, Amanda M., enjoying Lake Powell near Page, Ariz.
    ER RN, Gabi M., exploring Waterhole Canyon
    RN, Naomi B., shares photos of her adventures from Arizona and other parts of the U.S.
    RN, Amanda M., taking in the sights at the Grand Canyon.
    Copyright © 2021 StaffDNA. All Rights Reserved.

    Helpful news, travel tips, expert advice and online resources—delivered straight to your inbox once a week.

    “Get The Scoop” on the travel healthcare industry with HCT Today.

    Learn More

    Agency Review

      HCT Today wants to know what healthcare professionals think about their travel agencies. Below are 15 questions covering Recruiting and Accounting & Customer Service. This survey will take two minutes. You will either be asked a yes/no question or a scale with 0 being poor and 5 being excellent. All submissions will remain anonymous.







      Recruiting

      0 = Poor & 5 = Excellent



      YesNo


      YesNo


      YesNoN/A



      Accounting & Customer Service

      0 = Poor & 5 = Excellent




      Overall Agency Score





      Photo of The Month Contest



        By clicking submit you are agreeing to the Photo Contest Terms and Conditions.

        We Want To Hear From You

          We want to hear your stories, feedback, suggestions or tips! Have an insider tip on upcoming strikes or EMR conversions at your hospital? Let us know! Interested in contributing a story or sharing your experience to help other traveling professionals? We want to hear it!




          You may optionally provide contact information below. Including this information helps our team reach out should we need more information regarding your submission. This information will not be shared with third parties.


          NoYes






          Unless you have chosen to remain anonymous, by submitting this form you give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to contact you for details regarding your submission. You also give permission for HCT Today to share your information on HCTToday.com. We will never publish your contact information. For questions, email hcttoday@staffdna.com or call 469-429-6608

          Hospital Review


            Healthcare Traveler Today is collecting hospital reviews from nurses nationwide to get a better idea of what it's like working in specific facilities. We want to hear from you! Share your experience by completing the form below. All reviews remain anonymous.










            YesNo


            YesNo


            YesNo


            YesNo



            YesNo



            RNNOLPNCNAOther




            By submitting this form you give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to contact you for details regarding your submission. You also give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to share this information on the HCTToday.com site. For questions, email hcttoday@staffdna.com or call 469-429-6608.