Survey: Burnout a Key Reason Why Allied Health Professionals Work as Travelers

DALLAS, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Burnout is a key reason why many therapists, laboratory technologists, radiologic technologists, and other allied healthcare professionals choose to work on temporary “travel” assignments, according to a new survey by AMN Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of healthcare workforce talent solutions.

Seventy percent of 1,161 allied healthcare professionals responding to the survey said that burnout influenced their decision to work as travelers either “a great deal” or “a lot.” About half (45%) said that COVID-19 influenced their decision to work as travelers either “a great deal” or “a lot.”

“Burnout and the pandemic are reshaping the healthcare workforce,” said Robin Johnson, Division President, Allied Staffing Solutions with AMN Healthcare. “A growing number of physicians, allied healthcare professionals, and nurses are seeking alternatives to traditional practice settings, and many are choosing to work as travelers.”

The survey suggests that working as a traveler is becoming a particularly popular career choice among younger allied healthcare professionals. The majority of travel allied healthcare professionals (53%) are 40 years old or younger. Over one-third (34%) have worked as travelers for one year or less. Twelve percent of those responding to the survey said they began to work as travelers right after training. Over one-third (36%) have only completed one or two travel assignments so far.

“Typically, healthcare professionals begin to work as travelers after they have worked in permanent positions for a number of years,” Johnson said. “Today, they are more likely to make travel an early-stage career choice.”

The survey indicates high morale among allied healthcare professionals working on travel assignments. Eighty-one percent of those surveyed rated their morale as very high or somewhat high, while only 7% rated it as very low or somewhat low. The great majority (96%) said they are accepted by patients while on assignment, 88% said they are accepted by colleagues, and 84% said they are accepted by administrators. Over two-thirds (70%) said traveling is more satisfying than permanent work.

Johnson cautions that healthcare professionals working on temporary assignments, whether physicians, allied healthcare professionals, or nurses, are intended to supplement permanent staff, not be a substitute. For this reason, a growing number of healthcare facilities are placing more emphasis on worker wellness and enhancing retention of their permanent staffs.

“Many hospitals and other healthcare organizations are actively promoting wellness programs, job restructuring, and other techniques to reduce burnout, turnover, and overreliance on travelers,” Johnson said. “The goal is to create optimum staffing plans that feature an appropriate mix of permanent and travel professionals.”

The full report of AMN Healthcare’s 2023 Survey of Travel Allied Healthcare Professionals is available at:
https://www.amnhealthcare.com/amn-insights/allied/whitepapers/2023-survey-of-travel-allied-healthcare-professionals/.

About AMN Healthcare 
AMN Healthcare is the leader and innovator in total talent solutions for healthcare organizations across the nation. The Company provides access to the most comprehensive network of quality healthcare professionals through its innovative recruitment strategies and breadth of career opportunities. With insights and expertise, AMN Healthcare helps providers optimize their workforce to successfully reduce complexity, increase efficiency and improve patient outcomes. AMN total talent solutions include managed services programs, clinical and interim healthcare leaders, temporary staffing, executive search solutions, vendor management systems, recruitment process outsourcing, predictive modeling, language interpretation services, revenue cycle solutions, credentialing, and other services. Clients include acute-care hospitals, community health centers and clinics, physician practice groups, retail and urgent care centers, home health facilities, schools and many other healthcare settings. AMN Healthcare is committed to fostering and maintaining a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve. Our commitment to the inclusion of many different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives enables our innovation and leadership in the healthcare services industry. For more information about AMN Healthcare, visit www.amnhealthcare.com.