UVA Health making progress to convert travel nurses to permanent positions

A campaign at the University of Virginia Health System to reduce the number of transient health care workers appears to be working.

“The number of external travelers has continued to decline, with the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) dropping from 876 in February 2023 to 143 in June 2025,” reads a written report for the UVA Health System Board for their meeting on September 11.

The UVA Health careers website has a dedicated page to the External Traveler Conversion Program that offers job listings for permanent positions for travel nurses.

“We invite you to take the next step and join us as a permanent member of our healthcare community located in what has been repeatedly voted one of the best places to live in the United States,” reads the website.

Potential benefits include a housing stipend, relocation assistance, as well as sign-on incentives.

“External travelers are short-term contract staff—typically hired for 13-week assignments—through external agencies,” said Eric Swensen. “Because of agency and overhead fees, their cost is significantly higher than that of permanent employees.”

Swensen said while travelers are often nurses, other patient-care staff can also be hired on short-term contracts.

The report to the Health System Board also has an update on a workforce development program intended to hire people for positions where there are staffing shortages. The UVA Earn as Your Learn program works in conjunction with the UVA Pipelines to Pathways program.

“Whether you are starting your very first job or want to start a new career in healthcare, the Earn While You Learn training programs could be the place for you, “ reads the website. “Our programs provide structured coursework and on-the-job training plus full-time benefits while training.”

The report notes that 455 people have graduated from the program and there are currently over 700 applicants. Recent recruitment efforts have been in Phlebotomy, Pharmacy Tech Hiring and Supporting Reentry Success.

There are four virtual events coming up to learn more about the program:

• September 15, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• September 29, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• October 6, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• October 20, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Before you go: The time to write and conduct research for this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the September 10, 2025 edition of the program. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.