According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), a 2008 national sample survey of registered nurses found the average age of nurses to be 48 years old, up from 45.2 in 2000. The average age of a nurse is expected to remain at such levels with a projected average age of 44.5 in 2012.
The unusually high average age for the field is partially attributed to the droves of potential nursing students being turned away from schools due to a lack of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space and tight budgets. According to AACN's report on the 2010-2011 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, U.S. nursing schools rejected 67,563 qualified applicants from programs for the previously mentioned reasons. This results in only 9.1 percent of all RNs under the age of 30, reports NurseTogether.com.
An experienced travel RN can offer her skills to provide guidance to new nurses and perhaps even offer her skills to nursing schools in the area of her assignment.
The nursing profession has an increased rate of burnout. Nurses are under pressure to perform in intense circumstances, which has contributed to the decline in the average age of a nurse. However, a travel nurse could act as a role model to the younger nursing generation. Her greater life experience and maturity brings greater wisdom to the table and many youthful nurses could find her words and actions thoughtful guidelines for their own careers and personal lives.
Out of the hospital, a travel nurse may have the opportunity to contribute to the education of nursing students. Plenty of nursing programs around the country may be in need of educated professionals to act as faculty, guide clinical instruction or provide sample lecturers on real-world scenarios. A travel nurse could have the opportunity to offer her services as a visiting faculty member to the program.
Nursing jobs are expected to grow faster than the average employment opportunity, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over 581,000 new jobs are expected to be created within the next decade. A travel nurse could help usher in the next generation of nurses by offering her years of experience in a variety of capacities.