Travel nurses fill gaps in staffing needs for hospitals and facilities across the country for specific periods of time. These staffing needs may be due to a shortage of registered nurses for a variety of reasons such as an unexpected leave of absence, seasonal population fluctuations or for planned absences, such as maternity leave. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates a shortage of approximately 1.1 million nurses by 2020. As a result, hospitals must fill needs quickly — this is where travel nurses come in!