Traveling nurses help to fill the nursing shortage

PRESTON, Miss. (WCBI)- Nurses are always in high demand, especially in rural hospitals.

With so many spots to fill, it can be a challenge to find qualified help.

Even though nursing can be a rewarding profession, the job often comes with long hours and strict schedules.

But one local nurse has a different approach.

She travels the country to provide care where it’s needed most.

While many get into nursing for its stability, Shandreka Hunt-Rush doesn’t always know where her next assignment will take her.

She travels across the country helping out hospitals and long term care facilities with their nursing needs.

“We go in, and we meet their staffing needs because there are a shortage of nurses all around the world, so they’re hoping for us to go in come in and stay there for our contracted time to fulfill the needs they have for us,” said Hunt-Rush.

On average she’ll spend one to three months on a job, but not all of her assignments are average.

“If the facility likes you, if you like the facility, if it’s a good fit, it’s working out, then you will always have the opportunity to extend. I extended my very first contract in Davenport, Iowa, which was initially six weeks and it ended up being a 10-month contract for myself,” said Hunt-Rush.

Hunt-Rush does all of this while balancing a busy family life with her husband and four children.

But she doesn’t do it alone.

“My mother, she lives next-door so she comes here and she helps out with the children. Whether it’s homework, whether it’s sports, it’s cooking, cleaning, and she’s compensated for her time. When I say that, I just feel like that’s coming from my heart and she’s doing it for me out of the kindness of her heart so I should compensate her for her time, but everyone plays a major role for me in the family,” said Hunt-Rush.

Since she’s not tied down to the standard hospital schedule, Hunt-Rush sometimes finds she has more time to spend with her kids.

“That flexibility of being a travel nurse where I can make my own schedule I can be home on holidays I can pick and choose slightly like where I want to go if I want to stay away from the cold state or the hot states or what’s going on. Right now the girls I have two girls that play softball, so I’ve just been in and out with practices with them and supporting them with games,” said Hunt-Rush.

Hunt-Rush’s next job assignment will be at a facility in New Mexico for six weeks.