Travel Nursing Stories and Career Tips

A leading Ohio health system partnered with Aya Healthcare and its subsidiary, Bespoke Workforce Solutions, to expand its managed service program beyond clinical staffing into healthcare IT. Facing limited visibility into contingent labor spend, inconsistent hiring processes and delayed technology projects, the organization implemented a more strategic workforce approach. Over eight years, the partnership established standardized approval workflows, improved contingent workforce visibility, supported 80–90 IT professionals and increased permanent hiring through contractor conversions. Learn how healthcare IT staffing solutions helped the organization build a more resilient workforce while improving operational efficiency and supporting critical technology initiatives. Read More

Zac Shepherd, an intensive care unit travel nurse “In service of bringing you that exact experience, we asked nurses — and, truly, who better than nurses? — to tell us what they always keep stocked in their medicine cabinets.” Electrolytes. I keep these around because they’re useful in a… Read More

Northern Arizona Healthcare used Aya’s LotusOne to centralize workforce data, improve staffing visibility, fill critical roles faster and control costs. Read More

This article explains why reducing travel labor without addressing staffing gaps can shift costs to overtime and incentive pay, and outlines a sustainable framework for premium labor reduction. Read More

Learn how Aya Healthcare helped a large academic health system reduce contingent labor utilization by about 75% in a surgical services area through MSP oversight, role validation, rate review and improved workforce visibility. Read More

When a leading orthopedic practice separated from its health system, leadership faced an urgent challenge: maintain clinical coverage while assuming responsibility for workforce operations previously managed externally. Aya helped execute a seamless transition by re-contracting active contingent clinicians, supporting compliance and onboarding processes, and ensuring uninterrupted staffing across critical perioperative and allied health roles. The result was zero coverage gaps, 100 successful placements and expansion from two to seven facilities—all while preserving continuity of patient care during a significant organizational change. Read More

Healthcare EHR optimization roadmaps often slip when specialized IT capacity cannot keep pace with approved initiatives. This article explains how chronic vacancies create strategic drift and how leaders can protect execution capacity. Read More

Physician recruitment trends in Q1 2026 reveal a healthcare workforce market that remains under significant strain. Drawing on proprietary DocCafe data, this report examines four key indicators—new physician registrations, active physicians, applications and open jobs—to provide a clearer view of physician supply, demand and engagement. While demand for physicians continues to rise, particularly in high-need specialties such as Hospitalist, Emergency Medicine and Family Practice, growth in physician supply remains limited. Application activity has shown periodic rebounds, but participation remains inconsistent and insufficient to meet ongoing hiring needs. The result is a labor market defined by persistent demand, constrained supply and continued pressure on healthcare organizations to fill critical roles. For healthcare leaders, recruiters and workforce planners, understanding these trends is essential for making informed staffing decisions. Explore the latest physician market data and what it signals about the future of physician recruitment and workforce planning in 2026. Read More

Aya Locum, Alain Raymond, emphasized that patients should not delay, knowing when to seek medical care can be the difference between early intervention and urgent care. There’s a moment in our healthcare journeys that doesn’t get talked about enough. It’s the space between “something feels off”… Read More

by Christina Rizzo, special education teacher, Aya EducationIt’s hard to believe, but the school year is coming to an end. Desks and lockers are being cleaned out, and everyone is excited about summer. As I finish my contract with the Lompoc USD, I leave knowing I was… Read More

This story highlights the benefits of the travel nurse lifestyle through the experiences of several RNs, including current Aya RN, Emily, and former Aya RN, Yvonne. Since September 2023, Emily has worked in Massachusetts, Arizona, Washington and transitioned to per diem in Florida. She spoke to… Read More

Aya Education special education teacher, Laura Robinson, shared how being a traveling teacher has reignited her desire to be in the classroom and seamlessly combined her passion for teaching with her love of travel into one fulfilling career. “Robinson, who is from San Antonio, Texas retired… Read More