Nursa Connects Texas Nurses to RN Jobs in San Antonio
A booming Texas city with an affordable cost of living, a rich history that you can see and feel, exciting and fun ways to spend your free time, professional sports teams to root for, and easy-on-the-bones winters—San Antonio has so much to offer its residents for both work and play. Read on to learn more about this city and all about RN jobs in San Antonio.
About San Antonio
With a resident population of around 1.5 million, this is no sleeping city. A large military presence—thanks to the Lackland Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, and the Randolph Air Force Base—may cause surprise when you learn that this city is also a big draw as a destination city for tourists. Furthermore, healthcare, manufacturing, bioscience, hospitality, and renewable energy are all major players in the current job market.
It's also a diverse city, according to the U.S. Census; over 65% of residents self-report as Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% as Black or African American, 3% as Asian, and 17.2% identify as two or more races. Furthermore, in 41.7% of homes, residents speak a language besides English, and just over 14% of residents are foreign-born.
High Demand for RNs in Texas
The healthcare industry offers reliable employment to residents, with nursing professionals in particularly high demand. The Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies administered and published findings of nurse vacancy and turnover data in three separate reports. Here are some highlights pulled directly from these reports.
- Vacancy rates for RNs rose by at least five percentage points between 2019 and 2022.
- RNs had a median facility vacancy rate of 17.7%.
- Turnover for RNs increased from 2019 to 2022.
2022 Long-Term Care Staffing Study
- Direct resident care RNs had the highest position vacancy rates in the state at 27.3%.
- Direct resident care RNs saw the largest increase in position vacancy rates, increasing by more than 14 percentage points from 2019.
2022 Home Health and Hospice Staffing Study
- Overall the position vacancy rate for RNs in Texas was 16.3% in 2022.
- In South Texas, the position vacancy rate for RNs was 22.8%.
- The RN vacancy rate increased from 12.4% to 16.3% from 2017 to 2022.
- Statewide, the median facility turnover rate for RNs in 2022 was 26.7%.
One of the quickest and most effective staffing strategies hospitals and other healthcare facilities have determined to address the nursing shortage at present is hiring independent contractor nurses to work PRN shifts in San Antonio hospitals and medical facilities. This allows facilities to continue providing quality care to patients without compromising nurse or patient safety with low nurse-to-patient ratios.
How to Find RN Jobs with an App
How can you find RN jobs near you in Texas? Download Nursa, the open healthcare marketplace that connects you to PRN RN jobs near you. The autonomy and flexibility of freelance work aren't only for delivery drivers and graphics designers; this type of work is spreading across industries and transforming healthcare service delivery by helping hospitals and other healthcare facilities tackle staffing shortages and connecting RNs, licensed vocational nurses, and nursing assistants looking for work to where they are needed most.
The Nursa platform is free for nurses and is easy to use. Here's how to get started:
- Download Nursa (it's free!).
- Register for an account (private and unique to you).
- Set up your professional profile (remember that this is what facility managers will see).
- Verify your RN license (we use Nursys).
- Follow the prompts to set up the Wallet function (Nursa pays twice weekly for completed shifts).
- Browse available PRN RN shifts (adjust filters for geographical location, facility type, calendar, etc.).
- Apply for PRN shifts (you'll receive a notification when you've been hired for a shift).
What Are Per Diem RN Shifts?
Per diem or PRN shifts are different expressly because of their nature. Per diem means per day, and PRN, in this context, means as-needed or on-demand. So as a San Antonio RN, when you pick up a PRN RN shift, you are filling a staffing gap at a hospital or other healthcare facility. Filling these gaps is essential since the nursing shortage—exacerbated by the pandemic—has hospitals and healthcare centers across Texas dealing with serious vacancy and turnover issues.
Benefits of Working PRN in San Antonio
Working PRN nursing jobs has many benefits for San Antonio nurses. By picking up PRN shifts, San Antonio nurses can benefit from all of the following:
- Organize work around your personal life, such as caregiver responsibilities and personal events
- Have the autonomy to decide not only when to work but where
- Have another job and pick up PRN shifts on the side to boost your income
- Go back to school and work PRN around your classes and clinicals
- Do a trial run at a hospital or facility to learn and experience the work setting before making a full-time staff position commitment
- Enjoy the flexibility of creating your own career and schedule by working PRN full time
- Work as many or as few PRN shifts a month as you want (Nursa does not have work quotas)
What's the Average RN Salary in San Antonio, Texas?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average RN salary in San Antonio in 2022 was $83,040 for the year or $39.92 per hour. General and surgical hospitals are the largest employers nationwide for RNs, followed by physician's practices, home healthcare services, and skilled nursing facilities. RNs are needed in San Antonio's healthcare scene, and many are paying higher-than-average hourly rates for RNs to pick up PRN jobs.
