Iowa Paying Millions to Bring Out of State Nurses to Cedar Rapids

The state of Iowa is recruiting nurses, one of the most in-demand jobs right now. As COVID cases climb, and hospitalizations for COVID and non-COVID reasons are high, Iowa needs nurses. The state is recruiting nurses from out of state. And this venture is certainly not an inexpensive one either.

Iowa will spend millions to recruit

The state is set to spend around $9-million to recruit out-of-state nurses, according to KCCI. The report claims the state is attempting to lure 100 nurses and will scatter them to hospitals all across the state. There is a shortage of all types of healthcare workers in the state, but there is a particularly strong need for nurses. The hired nurses are expected to work in Iowa for the next six weeks.

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One major downside to this effort is the price tag. As demand is high, pay to the recruited nurses also must be higher than average. As a result, additional costs will likely be passed on to consumers. Despite an increased cost, the positions are vital to keeping hospitals adequately staffed, which experts agree is worth the cost.

The report also indicates nurses currently working at the hospitals that will see additional help, will have a slightly lesser workload, which will help with fatigue. The 100 nurses will support 17 different hospitals in the state including in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.

We Are Iowa breaks down how some of the $9-million: Each nurse will cost roughly $15,000 for each of the next six weeks. The state will pay $220 for each regular hour to a staffing company in Kansas. This cost will be paid for each supplemental nurse, plus $330 for each overtime hour.

The nurses will be sent to hospitals in Davenport, Des Moines, Iowa City, Mason City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo, Council Bluffs, Ames, and Sioux City.