Summer is on the horizon, and for many travel nurses, this means your current assignment is wrapping up. As you think about your next move, you might be wondering which areas have the highest demand for nurses. Since the hiring needs can vary from season to season, now is the perfect time to start educating yourself on market trends in order to land the most competitive offer.

“The summer in general is an excellent time to land a job as a travel nurse,” says Wilma Guieb, a Senior Account Executive within The Execu|Search Group’s Healthcare division. “Many organizations are seeking vacation coverage for full-time staff, and already have projected needs for June through August. The key to success is understanding where these positions are and how to take advantage of them.”

Many travel nursing hiring needs are based on shifts in each state’s census. During the warmer months, for example, you’ll tend to see a higher concentration of opportunities in naturally cooler climates. The opposite is true in the winter.

Here are the regions where you will see the strongest demand for travel nurses in the summer, according to Wilma:

• New England (Connecticut and Massachusetts)
• Mid-Atlantic (New York and New Jersey)
• Midwest (Ohio and Illinois)

Since the competition for nursing talent is stronger in states that have higher needs, these are also the areas where you will find higher compensation. While there is strong demand across the board, travel nurses who practice the following specialties will find themselves in especially high demand during the summer:

• ICU
• Med-Surg
• Cardiac Cath/Interventional Radiology
• Labor & Delivery

To present yourself as a well-rounded candidate for one of these roles, you’ll want to highlight more than just your clinical skills. “Although the nursing job market is very candidate-driven, healthcare facilities will not compromise on quality when bringing on new talent,” warns Wilma. “In addition to requiring the appropriate clinical experience for one of these roles, employers are looking for travel nurses with strong computer skills, the ability to quickly adapt to changing environments, and the confidence to take on new challenges.”