As the summer months fade and the pandemic continues, healthcare facilities are preparing early for the 2020-2021 flu season and there’s been a steady increase of travel nursing and allied health jobs nationwide.

“Hospitals across the country are beginning to bring up concerns of what will happen with the combination of schools opening, COVID and the flu,” said Jennifer Pomietlo, VP of Strategic Development at StaffDNA, the fastest-growing healthcare staffing platform. “They anticipate needing even more travelers due to this and want to be prepared earlier than past years.”

Anticipating an influx of patients for both coronavirus and influenza, The New York Times keyed this season as a possible “Twindemic.” Flu season typically peaks between January and February but this year could be very different. During the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the flu peaked by October. If that occurs this year, hospitals could be strained. That is the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Robert Redfield’s biggest fear.

Here’s how the possible Twindemic is impacting healthcare travel jobs.

Early High Demand

Travel nursing and allied health assignments for flu season typically begin posting around October but under the current situation, there is a record number of healthcare jobs, according to StaffDNA’s Job Board, which updates all positions across the country in real-time.

Whether located in COVID-19 hotspots or not, hospitals across the country are adding staff to prepare and relieve over-worked staff. The top nursing specialties include ICU, Medical-Surgical, Telemetry and PCU/IMC. Openings for Emergency Room nurses are also ramping up ahead of flu season.

Top Travel Nurse Specialties & Highest Pay Packages*

• RN, ICU
  1,050 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $4,400/week

• RN, MS
  750 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $3,552/week

• RN, TELE
  550 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $3,712/week

• RN, PCU/IMC
  325 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $3,886/week

• RN, ER
  250 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $3,627/week

Assignments for Operating Room nurses and surgery-related positions typically increase leading up to the end of the year for elective surgeries. This year, assignments and locations could vary depending on local and state guidelines regarding elective surgeries if there’s another surge in COVID-19 cases and stay-at-home orders.

There are also positions open for more focused specialties such as CVICU, Labor & Delivery and Cath Lab RNs. Travelers interested in these roles may need to be more flexible on location to get the higher pay packages.

Top Travel Allied Positions*

• Respiratory Therapist
  150 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $2,746/week

• Certified Surgical Technician
  175 Unique Jobs
  Paying up to $2,446/week

*Data is according to StaffDNA, the Digital Marketplace for Healthcare Careers, as of 9/8/20. Positions are updated in real-time on the StaffDNA app and Job Board. See all details upfront and personalize pay packages in the app (no registration required).