Healthcare workers have been surviving in short-staffed units for years. All nurses have known that if the number of patients were to suddenly and dramatically increase, hospitals would be operating in crisis mode. COVID-19 has brought this level of panic upon our healthcare system. The potential number of healthcare providers needed to care for the rapid influx of patients into our hospitals is at an all-time high. Travel nurses have become the solution to this problem, and facilities are paying a premium price in an attempt to keep patients safe. Check out COVID-19 jobs on Vivian Health. There is a massive amount of high-pay jobs in the hard-hit states.
Due to the national staffing shortage caused by coronavirus some states have waived licensure requirements. Other states have expedited their online processing to a single day to allow for out of state workers to aid in the crisis. The NCSBN website explains the changes to the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and the addition of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
Many states have submitted an 1135 waiver, which would allow them to employ out of state health care workers pursuant to emergency. All states, including Washington D.C, have declared a state of emergency. The waiver allows states to make changes to licensure regulations but does not necessarily mean the state board has waived all RN license regulations.
When applying for a COVID 19 travel nurse job, please follow up with your recruiter for the most recent and accurate state licensing information.
These rules and regulations are subject to change if the emergency declarations in any state are canceled.
-RNRN