The word “recession” has been floating around a lot recently. For most people, this triggers worries about job security. Workers across many industries are unsure whether they’ll remain employed when the economy takes a downturn.
Many experts are warning that a recession is coming, and some say it’s already begun. Either way, you want to be prepared. And if you’re a nurse, there’s good news: In many ways, a career in nursing is recession-proof. While others might have to worry about being laid off when times get tough or having to scramble to find work in a tight labor market, nurses enjoy a steady, reliable career – even during a recession.
Whether you’re a seasoned nurse or considering a career in nursing for the future, it’s a great choice when it comes to job stability and longevity.
Nursing Recruiters in Evansville, IN Discuss the Reliability of a Nursing Career During a Recession
Why is nursing a reliable and recession-proof career? For one, people will always need healthcare – nurses will always be needed to provide it. And one needs to look back only a few years to the last recession that we faced to see proof that this career is a reliable one.
The Great Recession, which started in late 2007 and lasted until the summer of 2009, saw about 10% of the entire American workforce facing unemployment. But as other fields stagnated and millions lost jobs, the nursing field stayed strong – and employment numbers and wages grew. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) during The Great Recession:
- 56.1% of all national job growth occurred in the healthcare field
- More than 852,000 new jobs were added in the healthcare sector between 2007 and 2010
- Wages grew by 7.8% in healthcare compared to 4.7% for the average of all fields
While we certainly hope history doesn’t repeat itself, the numbers don’t lie: Nursing and the healthcare field in general is a great place to be when the economy slows down and we enter a recession.
Keep reading as recruiters from Horizon Healthcare Management, a nursing job placement agency in Evansville, IN, share more details on why nursing is a recession-proof career.
#1: A Career in Nursing is Filled with Advancement Opportunities
When you work in nursing, you have plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement. Not only is this a good thing for your career, but it’s also very useful in a recession. With just a few years of experience, a nurse can begin to explore clinical management, serve on hospital committees, or return to school and get an advanced degree, just to name a few options.
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) can return to school and become Registered Nurses (RNs). Nurse practitioners can become nurse researchers or advance into nursing administration. RNs can explore a specialty. The possibilities are virtually endless, and that’s a great quality to have in a career when an economic downturn is on the horizon.
It’s also worth noting that the nursing field gives you a lot of transferrable skills – whether you want to pivot your career within the healthcare field or explore opportunities outside of it. As a nurse, you possess incredible soft skills, including:
- Conflict resolution
- Risk management
- Time management
- Communication
- Leadership
These kinds of skills are useful in any job you’ll ever have, whether it’s an advanced nursing job or something in an entirely different field. And developing them as a nurse is just one more reason why this career field is a great choice during a recession.
#2: Find Work Anywhere with Travel Nursing Jobs
Have you ever considered becoming a travel nurse? This kind of nursing is another great option for people worried about the looming recession, because travel nurses can work anywhere – literally. Travel nurses are often sent to fill nursing shortages at healthcare facilities, including hospitals and clinics, for set periods of weeks or months. You don’t have to worry about a lack of job opportunities, because you’ll be assigned to a facility that needs your help, wherever it may be.
Travel nursing offers a host of other benefits in addition to job security. You get the chance to explore different parts of the country and check out different cities; you’ll work within a variety of care teams and settings to expand your resume; you have the freedom to work when and where you want, rather than the typical 9-to-5.
#3: Nursing is a Flexible Career
During tough economic times, it’s good to have a job that’s flexible. And nursing is one of the most flexible career choices out there. We’ve already talked about one flexible option: travel nursing, which gives you the opportunity to work wherever you’d like. If you need more hours to make ends meet, or you’re interested in relocating to live in a cheaper area, travel nursing can provide those opportunities. But it’s not the only option.
Per diem nursing is another popular choice for nurses. “Per day” nursing gigs can range from working for a single day or covering for another nurse on maternity leave. Nurses can often command higher pay and enjoy a flexible schedule by going the per diem route.
Nursing also offers a variety of shift types – day shift, night shift, and everything in between. Many nurses work 12-hour shifts three days per week, allowing for a four-day weekend. This gives you the ability to adjust your work schedule around your life, which is very helpful if you have school commitments, childcare obligations, family commitments, or other things you need to take care of outside of work.
Are you interested in exploring flexible nursing options? Get in touch with Horizon Healthcare Management’s nursing recruiters in Evansville, IN today.
#4: Nurses Can Work in a Variety of Settings
Another way that a career in nursing is recession-proof? Nurses are needed in a wide variety of settings, further increasing the chance that you’ll always be employed. Nurses don’t just work in hospitals – you can explore opportunities in doctors’ offices, outpatient clinics, schools and universities, home health settings, and even prisons, just to name a few examples. There is certainly no shortage of facilities that need the talents of skilled nurses, even when a recession hits.
When you partner with Horizon Healthcare Management, a nursing staffing agency in Evansville, you’ll have access to a variety of placement settings. We partner with facilities like:
- Hospitals
- Long-term care facilities (LTC)
- Skilled nursing facilities (SNF)
- Memory care facilities (MC)
- Assisted living facilities (ALF)
- Senior living facilities
- Independent living facilities (ILF)
- Long-term acute care hospitals
- Private practices
- Healthcare systems
- Rehabilitation centers
Begin Your Recession-Proof Career in Nursing with a Job Placement Agency in Evansville, IN
Is a recession coming? Are we already in one? While there’s some disagreement, one thing is for sure: When a recession does hit, you want a career that can withstand the ups and downs of the economy and help you come out unscathed on the other side. And nursing is a great choice for that.
Nursing is recession-proof because this career is filled with advancement opportunities, and you can find work anywhere through options like travel nursing. Nursing is also very flexible in terms of shifts and types of work, increasing your chances of staying employed no matter what. Last but not least, nursing gives you the ability to work in a variety of settings, from hospitals and private practices to assisted living facilities, rehab centers, and everything in between.
Looking to start or grow your nursing career in Evansville, Indiana? You’ve come to the right place. Horizon Healthcare Management is a job placement agency for nurses in Evansville that partners with a variety of healthcare facilities and offers temporary, per diem, locum tenens, and permanent roles for our nursing candidates. Browse our nursing jobs and apply today!