Top Travel Nursing Specialties for 2021-2022
Travel Nurses are in great demand due in large part to the continued surge of COVID-19 cases across the country. Most notably, the top nursing specialties for 2021 are those taking care of critical care patients and assessing them as they come through the emergency room. Rural hospitals also have an increased need for Labor and Delivery nurses. For those new to travel nursing, consider the positions in Medical-Surgical and Telemetry which focus on the care of patients that are suffering a number of illnesses.
Critical Care/ICU
Hospitals across the nation are experiencing a constant stream of critical care and ICU patients due to COVID-19 and related illnesses, along with accident-related, post-op, and others. Choosing an intensive care role demands quick thinking, understanding, and dedication to skills development. If you’re ready to learn on your feet while treating a variety of patients, procedures, and disease processes, this is the specialty for you.
Critical care patients are seriously ill, some with multiple organ issues, and they need close monitoring. That means a lower nurse to patient ratio which can be considered a benefit for those ready to treat and monitor these patients.
Our ICU travel nurses tell us their work is highly demanding, while at the same time the most rewarding for them. There is also a great amount of job security, and because of the treatment of higher-acuity patients, it is also one of the highest-paying specialties. With COVID-19, there is the added risk of exposure so take that into consideration before committing to a critical care contract.
>>Search for your next Critical Care and ICU jobs on our ICU Job Board.
Medical-Surgical and Telemetry
If you’re considering becoming a travel nurse or are new to travel nursing, Medical-Surgical and Telemetry specialties are highly sought-after positions dedicated to many illnesses, co-morbidities and post-surgical care. Should you choose this path, you will develop skills related to intravenous therapy drips, arterial lines, and central venous pressure lines. This is the largest nursing specialty that some call the backbone of the hospital. In addition to the skills described above, you will assess the general population of the hospital and care for patients that aren’t in critical care and other specified units.
>>Search for Medical-Surgical and Telemetry jobs on our Med-Surg/Telemetry Job Board.
Emergency Room
With COVID-19 surging around and after the holidays, hospitals are seeing increases in the number of patients they are seeing in emergency rooms, but fewer patients with other health-related issues due to the fear of exposure. Emergency room nurses, also called trauma nurses, are responsible for patient care in emergency situations.
Whether a patient has a broken bone, an injury from an accident, or is a COVID-19 patient, trauma nurses are there to care for patients on the front lines. We cannot deny the value of these nurses to keep hospital emergency rooms moving forward, handling the chaos with grace while making decisions quickly and efficiently. If you thrive in chaos, we encourage you to apply for emergency room travel nurse jobs.
>>Search for Emergency Room jobs on our Emergency Job Board.
Operating Room
Perioperative nurses, also known as operating room nurses, are involved before, during, and after surgery. These nurses are no strangers to responsibilities and tense work environments. Generally, surgeries take place during the day so our travel nurses often work 4 10-hour days. Whether you choose to be a scrub nurse who works directly with the surgeon in the sterile field, or a circulating nurse observing the surgical team in a non-sterile field, many of our providers tell us they love this field because they are able to focus and take care of one patient at a time.
Operating room nurses follow safety protocols that are ever-changing due to COVID-19. As people continue to have elective and emergency surgeries, new policies are in place to ensure patients, nurses, and doctors are kept safe from the virus.
>>Search for Operating Room jobs on our Operating Room Job Board.
Labor and Delivery
Lastly, labor and delivery nurses are also in high demand for 2021. This endlessly rewarding specialty is more than just medicine. As a labor and delivery nurse, you will also be communicating with families and giving emotional support. COVID-19 has changed the L&D field too. Hospitals are now screening patients for COVID-19 when they enter the and nurses will work with COVID positive mothers to deliver their babies safely. Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses are sought-after and are often asked to extend their contracts.
If you’re seeking to work with mothers to safely deliver and care for babies, consider Labor and Delivery travel nursing.
>>Search for Labor and Delivery nursing jobs on our L&D Jobs Board.
Top Nursing Specialties for 2021
Top Nursing Specialties for 2021 have been impacted by COVID-19 with the most demand in Critical Care and Emergency Room nursing. These are followed by Labor and Delivery, Med-Surg, and Operating Room nurses. If you are seeking to become a travel nurse or are looking to develop your skills, we encourage you to visit our AB Staffing Job Board and Contact Us today!
