Travel Nurses: A Strategic Fix for LTC Staffing Gaps
The long-term care (LTC) sector is facing a staffing crisis of unprecedented scale—one that demands urgent, sustainable, and forward-thinking solutions. One of the most impactful strategies emerging today is the integration of travel nurses into the workforce.
In recent years, care homes across the country have struggled with persistent staff shortages due to a combination of retirements, burnout, low recruitment rates, and shifting workforce dynamics. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these issues, leaving many facilities operating in survival mode rather than a state of stability.
Do you need healthcare professionals for your long term care home? Learn more about how we can help you.
The Crisis: More Than Just a Numbers Problem
Understaffing in long-term care is not a new phenomenon. However, what was once considered a cyclical issue has now evolved into a chronic, systemic problem. According to CBC, staffing levels in many facilities have fallen below safe thresholds, putting both residents and remaining staff at risk.
This strain not only impacts quality of care but also places immense pressure on operational leadership to maintain compliance, morale, and safety standards.
The Solution: Travel Nurses as a Flexible, Scalable Resource
While no single approach will resolve the LTC staffing crisis overnight, healthcare staffing agencies are increasingly turning to travel nurses as a viable part of the solution.
Travel nurses offer several strategic advantages:
- Rapid Deployment: Travel nurses can be placed on-site quickly, helping bridge sudden gaps caused by illness, leave, or turnover.
- Specialized Experience: Many travel nurses bring diverse experience from multiple facilities, allowing them to adapt to new environments with agility and professionalism.
- Cost Predictability: While often perceived as a short-term cost, leveraging travel nurses can reduce the long-term financial burden of constant onboarding, training, and burnout-related turnover.
Proven Results in Long-Term Care Staffing
At Goodwill Staffing & Recruitment, we don’t just talk about solutions- we deliver them. In the past year alone, we’ve successfully staffed long-term care homes with:
- 98 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
- 53 Registered Nurses (RNs)
- 22 Health Care Aides (HCAs)
- 16 Personal Care Aides (PCAs)
- 6 Resident Care Aides (RCAs)
- 4 Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs)
These placements have provided immediate relief to overburdened teams, restored stability to frontline operations, and helped improve care quality across the LTC sector.
This is the power of a strategic travel nurse workforce backed by numbers, driven by need.
A Call for Strategic Workforce Planning
The future of long-term care depends on rethinking how we source, support, and sustain our healthcare workforce. Travel nursing is a strategic component of a broader workforce resilience strategy.
At Goodwill Staffing & Recruitment, we’re committed to helping care facilities meet these challenges head-on by delivering qualified, compassionate, and reliable travel nurses who are ready to make a difference—day one.
If your facility is struggling with long-term staffing shortages, contact us today to explore how a travel nurse partnership could help support your team and safeguard the quality of care your residents deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a long-term care home?
A long-term care home (LTC home) is a residential facility that provides 24/7 medical and personal support to individuals who can no longer live independently.
What is a travel nurse?
A travel nurse is a licensed healthcare professional. Typically a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) who accepts temporary assignments at healthcare facilities facing staffing shortages.
How can travel nurses help solve long-term care staffing shortages?
Travel nurses offer immediate, flexible staffing support to LTC homes struggling with vacancies, sick leave, or burnout among permanent staff. They help maintain safe staff-to-resident ratios, prevent care disruptions, and ease the workload on existing teams.
What services does Goodwill Staffing provide?
To our clients, we are committed to matching qualified healthcare professionals to your needs. To job seekers, our commitment is to help you find the next assignment that allows you to apply your skills, knowledge and experience.
How quickly can Goodwill Staffing provide support to an LTC home?
In many cases, Goodwill Staffing can submit potential experienced travel nurses and care aides within 72 hours of request, depending on availability and location. Our team works closely with facility administrators to assess urgent needs and deploy the right professionals—fast.
