Major economic gains were seen in February’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Hiring Situation Report, with the economy adding 379,000 new jobs last month as the pandemic’s winter wave recedes.  The unemployment rate inched down to 6.2% in February from 6.3% in January.  Payrolls remain 9.5 million short of pre-crisis levels. 

Within healthcare, 19,900 new jobs were added in February, with strong gains seen in ambulatory care settings (28,900). Other healthcare settings did not fare as well and continued to demonstrate job loss, with 2,200 hospital jobs and 6,800 nursing care facility jobs disappearing last month. Broader employment in health care and social assistance is down by 909,000 over the year.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a StaRN Instructor? Well, we had the pleasure of gaining insight from two incredible HWS StaRN instructors who shared their stories with us. 

Brendan Courtney, our President & CEO, was named to Staffing Industry Analysts' "Staffing 100" List for 2021. This annual list highlights the 100 most influential people who impact the workforce ecosystem. 

HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is proud to share that our parent company, HCA Healthcare was recognized for the 11^th time by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2021 World’s Most Ethical Companies. HCA Healthcare is one of only seven honorees in the Healthcare Providers category.

The gift of blood saves lives, and there is an increased need for blood during the pandemic since blood and platelets cannot be manufactured – they can only come from volunteer donors. Below, meet a couple of HCA Healthcare colleagues who’ve donated blood to help patients and their communities. If you have already donated blood or plasma, log your donation as volunteer service on our giving and serving platform.

Congratulations to James Mungai, RN, on earning a DAISY Award!

James was nominated by a patient's daughter at HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast. Read the full nomination below:

We are proud to share that HCA Healthcare, our parent company, has entered into a new joint venture business with A Plus International Inc. (A Plus), a global manufacturer of healthcare products, to expand access to personal protective equipment (PPE) by manufacturing surgical and procedure masks in the United States. Under the partnership, production of Level 1 and Level 3 masks meeting American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for quality and safety is expected to begin in early 2021 from a manufacturing center in Asheville, North Carolina.

According to a recent Gallup poll, Nurses were polled as being the most honest and ethical professionals for the 19th year in a row, especially throughout their efforts to help fight COVID-19. Nurses received their highest ethics rating and earned an 89% overall score. We are thankful for the nurses who continue to excel with bravery in the midst of adversity and remain diligent in the goal to increase patient care. 

Choosing the right destination to relocate to for a travel nursing assignment or permanent opportunity may be difficult. However, Nurse.com's recent 2020 Nurse.com Nurse Salary Research Report showed three destinations that Nurses are likely to relocate to. Within the report, it was noted that nurses are more likely to relocate to: Florida, North Carolina, and Texas- three of HealthTrust’s most popular and in-demand cities for nurses. Find out below why these states are attractive for nurses across the country.