Foundational Research

It is important to begin by stating that nurses, also known as registered nurses, are often referred to as RNs. Travel nursing is not a new niche in nursing. It has been around for a long time as a temporary means to fill nursing positions due to absences (e.g. maternity leave), seasonal patient surges, new unit openings, and implementing of new hospital protocols. According to Aya Healthcare, a travel nurse agency, historically there has been 1 travel RN job opening per 1,000 permanent RN job openings.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showed that in 2019, only about 43,000 of the 2,982,280 registered nurses in the United States were employed as travel RNs. This translates to less than 2% of the total nursing workforce supplementing the needs of hospitals, which were experiencing an average RN vacancy rate of 8% at that time.

When the global COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in 2020, travel nursing exploded.

• During the first phase of this surge an M-shaped curve was observed due to the halt in elective surgeries and staff reshuffling at the beginning of the global pandemic.

• Phase 2 showed how travel nursing spiked as outbreaks caused by new variants also increased the number of hospitalizations and travel nurses rushed to hotspots.

• During phase 3 the number of travel nurse openings was no longer strictly tied to COVID-19 hospitalizations. By this point, nursing shortage that existed before the pandemic had become exasperated. Now the number of travel nurse openings is also fueled by staff shortages resulting from pandemic burnout.

The blue line shows the dramatic increase in open permanent RN jobs. This reflects the pandemic’s impact on nurses as many chose to retire early, quit, move into non-direct care roles, head back to school, or even leave the profession entirely to pursue non-nursing career paths.

Travel nursing is not a good fit for many people due to its nomadic and stressful nature:

• Contracts can be anywhere from 4-13 weeks, with openings all throughout the country.

• Some hospitals are found in busy, fast-paced cities like New York City. Others are in intimate, small-town areas like Merced, California.

• Hospital trauma levels, resources available, patient management systems, protocols, and procedures are all different with each assignment.

• Each assignment begins with a mad rush to complete compliance tasks such as state licensing, fingerprints, drug tests, online learning modules, onboarding paperwork, and other hospital-specific assignments prior to showing up on day one.

• Contracts are usually not available more than three weeks before the nurse’s desired start date so it is often chaotic as they finish their last contract while applying for positions, packing, moving, finding new housing, and completing compliance items for the new job.

Three competitors were examined as part of this report. Furnished Finder connects landlords of furnished houses and apartments with travel nurses through out the country. Landing leases apartments from complexes, furnishes them, and subleases to traveling professionals in large cities. Rentler connects landlords of unfurnished houses and apartments with users who are looking for long term leases nationwide.

Furnished Finder

Users: travel nurses, traveling professionals

• Connects users with landlords renting furnished units

• All cities

• Variable lease lengths, short available

Landing

Users: traveling professionals

• Subleases apartments from apartment complexes and rents them furnished

• Larger cities

• Variable lease lengths, short available

Rentler

Users: long term tenants

•Connects users with landlords. Sometimes landlords use Rentler interface

•All cities

•Most often long term leases (e.g. year)

The following gaps were observed in competitors’ websites, which gives Travelpad the opportunity to shine:

• Landlords are not required to provide their direct contact information on their listing for faster communication.

• Listings do not always have actual pictures of the unit being rented or pictures of the whole house.

• The monthly price does not always include utilities, leaving it unclear if travel nurses have to set that up too.

Travel nurses are in a time crunch finding housing. Providing a landlord’s phone number is more effective than an app message.

Observations From Interviews

1. Travel nurses take assignments that range anywhere from 4 to 13 weeks, with 13 weeks being the most common.

2. Most nurses travel to new locations so they are unfamiliar with the area.

3. Many nurses work day while others work night, or even rotating shifts.

4. It is common for travel nurses to sign a new contract at the very end of their travel assignment so they have to quickly secure new housing while finishing the current contract, packing up, and traveling.

5. Some travel nurses are particular about their housing, but others do not want to spend them time combing through a lot of listings. They just need a place to stay.

User Journey Map

Defining Goals

Goal From User Research

• Have a user account section that includes settings, messages, applications, saved listings, payments, and maintenance.

• Provide maps of the area with hospitals marked and distances from the home included.

• Include filters that enable night shift nurses to search for homes that best meet their needs.

• Have complete landlord profiles to expedite the leasing process.

Goals From The Competitive Analysis

• Require landlords to provide a current phone number and email with their listing.

• Standardize the use of accurate pictures that represent the whole unit.

• Inform landlords that their monthly price must include all utilities.