Contrary to the rest of the U.S. job market, an economic downturn actually prompts new recruits and seasoned veterans to enter the field of nursing. More nurses entering the workforce full-time means a temporary decrease in the nurse shortage and most likely a minor decrease in the demand for temporary nurses.

But industry experts don’t expect this trend to last for long. As what goes up must surely come down, the familiar trend will reverse once the economy speeds up again. Full-time nurses will cut back on their hours and there will be an increased demand for temporary nurses to fill the vacant hospital positions.

We encourage you to read the Wall Street Journal article, Slowdown’s Side Effect: More Nurses, to learn more about the counter-cyclical nursing profession.