Clinicians on long- and short-term travel contracts are more willing to explore permanent employment this year than in previous years, according to Vivian Health’s “Future of Healthcare Work” report released today. Eighty-six percent of travel clinicians surveyed said they are open to switching to permanent work.

“Staffing challenges in the healthcare industry predate and were exacerbated by the pandemic, presenting many difficulties and rapidly evolving conditions for the professionals that have continued to work over the past three years,” said Parth Bhakta, co-founder and CEO of Vivian Health. “The increased demand for more permanent, stable, long-term positions serves as light at the end of the tunnel for those who have carried the weight of these shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The report also found that nearly half, 46%, plan to work permanently in 2023, significantly up from 2022 when only 55% were considering the switch to permanent positions.

Heavy workloads and the inability to take time off can often lead to burnout, exhaustion and stress for healthcare clinicians, according to the report. The call for additional staff was a common theme in the report, with 57% of respondents indicating their unit was adequately staffed less than 75% of the time.

“Healthcare professionals indicated an even greater need for work-life balance and workplace safety when searching for jobs than in previous years,” Bhakta said. “The respondents ranked feeling safe at work and their commute time as important in their job search, marking a shift from last year when the most important factors in new job searches included respect from leadership, workload and support for mental health and well-being.”

Vivian Health surveyed 1,663 clinical and clinical-support staff across the US using a combination of emails to their proprietary healthcare talent marketplace, online communities and social media tools.