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If you are one of the many nurses considering a career in travel nursing, you’ve probably heard how great it is and you’ve probably also heard some horror stories. Many of the negative experiences involve being assigned the worst patients, having to work every weekend, or being bullied/ marginalized by your co-workers. Allow me share my perspective from my experience as both a travel nurse and a staff charge nurse.
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When it comes to being assigned the worst patients, I think it’s important to define what is meant by “the worst.” As a staff ICU nurse, I was used to taking the sickest of the sick: balloon pumps, CRRT, ECMO – you name it, I took it. On the other hand, as a travel nurse, I was assigned what I would consider the easiest patients. They were “walkie talkies” who required a different kind of care. I wasn’t tending to machines anymore, I was tending to people and it was something that I had to get used to. I personally enjoyed taking a break from the intense patients and working on my people skills. As a charge nurse, I often assign travel nurses the easier patients because I am not familiar with their skill level. If a travel nurse has extended with us a couple of times, then I feel more comfortable assigning them more critical patients.
I think where assignments get tricky for travel nurses is when they have to float. In most hospitals, travel nurses are the first to float, so an ICU nurse floating to telemetry may feel like he/she is getting the shaft or being marginalized in some way. Remember, your purpose as a travel nurse is to fill a need that a hospital has. If that hospital needs flexibility in their staffing, then you need to be flexible. Your contract should say whether or not you are required to float. If this is something you think you can’t handle, then it may be wise to choose your assignments accordingly.
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Choosing your assignment to fit your needs is extremely important for your satisfaction, especially when it comes to scheduling. I have never had an experience as a travel nurse where I had to work every weekend and every holiday. The units I chose to work on had self-scheduling with a weekend and holiday requirement that was the same as the staff nurses. Your schedule may not be exactly what you asked for, but it is usually close. If you know you need some time off during that assignment, it’s important to have those dates ready when you interview so they can be written into your contract. If your contract is for night shift, then you work night shift. I have never heard of a unit making you work a shift other than what your contract states.
When interviewing for your assignment, it is important to ask how often the unit you’ll be working on has travel nurses. There are some hospitals who have an alarming amount of travel nurses working for them. I feel this puts a burden on the staff nurses which may lead to what some might consider bullying or poor treatment. You will find that most people don’t talk to you for the first few weeks. This isn’t because they don’t like you it’s just the way it is sometimes. If you are open and friendly, you will find it easier to connect with your co-workers. If you are quiet and keep to yourself, then people probably won’t approach you. Choosing a unit that has a few travel nurses has always seemed to be better in my experience. The nurses were less stressed, the onboarding process was more thorough, and the management seemed to be more supportive.
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Having a supportive management and leadership is important whether you are a staff nurse or a travel nurse. There are some units which handle matters with travelers personally, and then there are some that prefer to go through the nurse manager at your agency. Personally, I preferred to have management talk to me directly about issues rather than going through my agency. If you are someone who prefers a less confrontational route, then it is extremely important that you have a good relationship with your recruiter and your agency’s nurse manager because they are going to be your main support system. Except for one instance, my experience with nursing leadership has always been positive.
Having a positive travel nursing experience is ideal but not always guaranteed. You may have an assignment where you get the worst patients or terrible co-workers. Just remember, it’s only 12 hours or 13 weeks; it is not the rest of your life, and what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger. Don’t let other people’s horror stories scare you away from travel nursing. Create your own positive experiences instead.
The term “nurse burnout/fatigue” is unfortunately very common within the nursing profession. Burnout, according to The Free Dictionary, is described as “a mental or physical energy depletion after a period of chronic, unrelieved job-related stress characterized sometimes by physical illness.”
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That sounds like a typical 12 hour shift for some nurses. I think as nurses we can all imagine how this syndrome might affect each and every one of us at least once in our professional lifetimes. I would like to say that traveling to tropical destinations as part of your job is an easy fix to preventing burnout/fatigue, however, as many of you may know, travel nursing comes with its own set of difficulties.
If we take a look at some of the common causes of burnout/fatigue, for example – shift work, emotionally demanding patients and families, increased work load, constantly changing healthcare environment/new technologies, constant demands from administration and most important, not being able to manage stress, we can quickly assume that avoiding this phenomenon can be extremely difficult no matter where you work. The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) has made one of its organizational goals to help nurses incorporate self-care practices into their daily work life to help combat nurse burnout. The AHNA recommends:
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I found the lack of supportive work environment very challenging when I first started travel nursing. There are many instances when you will be second guessed and made to feel incompetent; you might have to defend yourself for decisions you have made regarding patient care; your skills might be questioned. This type of environment may lead to a lower self-esteem and absenteeism from work, which are some of the many consequences of burnout. I think it is very important to choose a travel assignment at a hospital that is used to having travel nurses; the administration and staff nurses tend to have systems in place to help support travelers and are usually more trusting of a traveler’s professional abilities. Having a good relationship with your travel company is also vital when it comes to building a support system. The beauty of being a travel nurse is that you are no longer required to get caught up in all of the politics that comes with our profession. You are simply there to take care of your patients and that alone makes up for many of the other obstacles.
Finding a strong support system in a city you have never been is very difficult unless you plan on spending more than 3 months there. I recommend keeping in touch with your closest friends and family members on a weekly basis. It is also a good idea to connect with other travel nurses in your orientation week to establish connections early on in your assignment. Good nutrition and exercise are most likely established over time. I have witnessed many transformations as travel nurses have become strongly influenced by the healthy culture of one city and it changes their lives forever. There is something to be said for being alone in a big city that invites you to come out of your shell. Don’t be afraid to explore new experiences with new people. I found joining small studio fitness gyms to be the easiest way to meet new people; there is typically no membership involved and they usually workout in groups.
Burnout/fatigue is a serious issue amongst the nursing profession. Failing to learn how to manage your work-related stress can lead to dire consequences including; mental/physical exhaustion, emotional emptiness (compassion fatigue), bitterness and cynicism towards patients and families, health consequences such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, poor eating habits, drug or alcohol problems, or leaving the profession altogether. Preventing burnout can be as simple as taking a step into the break room for a few minutes to do some deep breathing exercises or joining a yoga class. Don’t let burnout ruin your travel nursing experience or your career; self-care is just as important as patient care!
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When people think of nursing, the first words that usually come to mind are blood, urine, stool, vomit, and sputum. People often wonder how we do our jobs. What they don’t realize is that dealing with bodily fluids is the easiest part of this gig; it’s the emotional side that gets to you.
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In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of being a nurse is managing your own emotions and those of complex patients and their families. Managing emotions was not taught to us in nursing school and probably wasn’t a part of our nursing orientation either.
What you may have noticed is that managing your emotions does not come easy, at least not to everyone. It is a learned behavior that also comes with experience.
The ability to identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of others is known as emotional intelligence or EI.
According to a study conducted in Boston with more than 20,000 executives, it was found that EI was twice as important as technical skills and cognitive abilities in determining leadership ability.
It was also found that successful staff nurses tend to have average or above average EI. Because the evidence overwhelmingly supports the idea that developing your EI is essential to becoming a happy and successful nurse, it is essential that we take the steps necessary to get in touch with our emotions.
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The first step to becoming emotionally intelligent is to be able to identify your own emotions and know what your “buttons” are.
If you know that drug-seeking patients tend to get on your nerves and you find in report that your next patient has drug-seeking behavior, then now would be a good time to recognize the need to calm and prepare yourself prior to entering that patient’s room.
Maybe take some deep breaths. Some evidence shows that something as simple as smiling at a patient can lighten the mood.
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The next step would be recognizing emotions in others.
If you walk into a room and the patient who is normally talkative, is instead being quiet, has a tense posture, or is fidgeting, these may be signs that the patient is angry.
Instead of taking this anger personally, it is important to investigate the source of the anger by listening. Recognize if you are becoming defensive. Maybe you are tense or breathing faster.
Take this moment to take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and listen. After they are finished venting, acknowledge their feelings, express regret about the situation by apologizing, validate their complaint and ask the patient what you can do for them.
The third step would be developing empathy. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines empathy as “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions; the ability to share someone else’s feelings”.
As an ICU nurse, if I actually experienced everyone else’s feelings every time, I would be emotionally exhausted. The idea here is to convey to the patient that you understand their situation even if you don’t necessarily feel it in your heart or agree with it.
I recently had an experience during an orientation where a patient’s sister stated that she did not want a new nurse to take care of her sister. The nurse who was mentoring me sat down with the sister and listened to her story. Apparently, this patient has been in and out of the hospital multiple times since she was a child and her sister was right there with her. It wasn’t anything personal towards me, it was just the sister protecting her loved one.
I have found the best way to be empathetic is to imagine a scenario that truly puts you in the other person’s shoes. What if that was you in that bed or someone you loved? If this is difficult for you to imagine it may be wise to use “scripting” to help you find phrases that convey empathy such as “if I were in your position, I would feel the same way.”
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If you have a patient that is just too much to handle, it’s okay to cry – just do it in the break room. And it’s perfectly fine to just walk away.
Let your charge nurse know the situation and use it as a learning experience. Your nursing profession is a long journey full of plenty of opportunities to practice your patience and improve your emotional intelligence. Take the time now to research ways to improve your EI.
Find a leader or mentor you can observe interacting in emotionally challenging situations. Identify behaviors that you need to work on and practice self-awareness both at work and in your personal life. Seek feedback from others who have experience dealing with complex patients and actively seek to unlearn old behaviors and replace them with new ones.
Learning to recognize and manage your emotions not only benefits your professional life but your personal life as well. Finding happiness in nursing is not impossible. With a goal in mind and a well thought out plan, you can achieve nursing Nirvana.
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In the world of travel nursing, maintaining your own Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) is of utmost importance. You can no longer rely on your pesky nurse educator to hunt you down making sure you complete all of your required learning for the year; it is up to you to make sure you stay up to date on the latest and greatest in healthcare.
As a travel nurse, it is very likely that you’ll have to apply for a nursing license in at least one other state or many others depending on the extent to which you travel.
Applying for another license always requires a background check and in some instances, fingerprinting through a national database. This process isn’t difficult, but it can be time-consuming and requires some patience.
Your travel nurse agency will be able to walk you through the process. In addition to background checks, some states require certain CEU’s in order to acquire a license in their state.
For example, the state of Florida requires specific CE’s on domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and preventing medical errors to acquire their license. After you receive your RN license in Florida you then have to complete a minimum of 24 CEU’s in order to renew your license every 2 years and also pay a fee.
If you have a compact nursing license, you will have to maintain your home state’s CEU requirements and complete any additional mandatory learning depending on the other compact states that you travel to. Depending on which state you hold your original nursing license and how many other licenses you maintain, keeping up with CEU requirements and fees for each state can be costly. Here is a list of all states and their CEU requirements.
The topic of license reimbursement becomes key
when choosing a travel nursing agency and negotiating contracts. It is important to go with a company that offers free accredited CEU’s.
Accreditation means that the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has identified that CEU provider as an organization that uses evidence-based ANCC criteria to implement the highest quality of care. This allows nurses to choose high quality CEU’s that meet their licensure requirements.
Non-accredited CEU’s have not gone through the rigorous application process and have not met the standards for continuing education according to the ANCC. Most states will not accept these CEU’s as valid, so be careful not to pay for non-accredited CEU’s. It is pretty standard for travel nursing companies to offer free CEU’s or at least reimburse you for the cost. However, it is not standard for these companies to reimburse you for the cost of the actual license. If there is a high demand for travel nurses in a certain location, make sure you request to have your license fee reimbursed. If they need you badly enough, they will likely reimburse you.
If you do happen to choose a company that does not offer free CEU’s, don’t worry, there are plenty of other ways to obtain your Continuing Education Units. I can’t tell you how many times I have received pamphlets in the mail for CEU’s.
The state of California even sends out an entire booklet with 30 CEU’s in it. I think the booklet cost $35 and all you have to do is mail in a form. You don’t even have to take a test!
I always kept my eye out for education hosted by the hospitals I was currently working in. Most of these education days are free and award CEU’s. Most people aren’t aware that Basic Life Support (BLS) renewal offers 2 units while Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) renewal provides 4 units.
Most national nursing organizations such as the American Association for Critical Care Nurses (AACN) offer a plethora of CEU’s if you belong to their nursing organization. If you prefer to learn online and in your own time, here are a few websites that offer CE’s: Continuing Education for Healthcare Professionals, Online CEU’s, and MyFreeCE.
I know when nurses hear the term CEU, we all tend to cringe. However, the fact is, health care and how we deliver it is constantly changing. We’ll never know it all and our system will never be perfect. CEU’s provide us with the knowledge and power to grow ourselves and improve the safety and efficacy of the way we deliver care.
When it came to travel nursing orientation, my biggest concern was usually trying to figure out how I was going to get up early and stay awake all day. Travel nursing orientation isn’t something to be worried about. Most hospitals run their orientations very similar. If you have experienced one nursing orientation in your life, than you should have a general idea of what to expect.
In most cases, hospital orientation lasts approximately 4 days from 0800-1630. The first two days usually consist of your typical “learn our mission” stuff with general introductions to the administrative staff. During this time you will most likely cover JAHCO required material such as HIPAA, ethics, infection control, and ergonomics (body mechanics). You will most likely receive your badge during this time, so make sure you’re lookin’ good that day. During this time you will be combined with all of the other travelers and newly hired permanent staff. My favorite part of nursing orientation is listening to introductions. I like to hear where people are from and a little part of their story. This is an excellent time to meet other travelers and exchange info; I met some of my closest friends in travel nursing orientation.
On days 3 and 4 of hospital orientation, you will most likely learn how to use certain medical equipment such as IV pumps, glucometers, beds and lifts. Make sure that you have glucometer access before you start your first unit based orientation. There is nothing worse than having a DKA patient with no glucometer access. It is also during this time that you will probably go over the hospital’s computer charting system. This is probably the most important part of hospital orientation. Make sure your username and password are working before your first shift. Most places will hand out cheat sheets for you to bring with you to your unit to help you with charting. It is important that during this time you ask questions if you don’t understand. Make notes on your cheat sheets to help you navigate the system. I also like to write down what the minimum requirements for charting are and how to chart specifically on care plans. Many times the regular staff on the floor doesn’t know the proper way to chart care plans, so make sure you ask in orientation.
At some point during hospital orientation you will have a chance to tour your unit and meet your manager. This is a good time to ask about your schedule. You should have already discussed time off prior to starting your contract, but your manager may have filled you in, so make sure your requested time off is honored.
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After you are all finished with hospital orientation, it is now time for unit based orientation, which is typically your first shift of the week. I recommend arriving to your first orientation day at least 30 minutes early to
make sure your badge, computer access, and pyxis access are all working properly. Most hospitals only give you one day with a preceptor and then you are on your own. Your preceptor will show you the ropes; they will give you the codes to the doors, show you where the linen is, teach you about the flow of the unit, go over protocols, teach you how to get a hold of doctors etc… I recommend keeping a notecard with your passwords, door codes and physician phone numbers in your pocket until you remember them to save you a little time. Separate all of the papers and cheat sheets you got from hospital orientation and only bring the ones that are useful in a folder with you to work; also, make sure you have the name of your manager and the phone number of your unit programmed into your phone just in case you are late or have to call in.
If you have a good recruiter, than you should be well prepared for orientation. They will usually email you an itinerary of general orientation a week before your start date with the name, phone number and address of the hospital. I recommend driving to the actual place of orientation sometime before the first day to get an idea of the parking and traffic situation. There are certain documents that are always required at each orientation. Make sure you have the following with you at all times:
Not all travel nursing orientations are exactly the same. Some states, such as California have certain requirements, like a fire card that requires a special class that you have to attend within 30 days of hire. Other places will allow you to bring a TB mask fit test card from a previous employer, others will require you to have it done on your own time, and others will do it for you during hospital orientation. There are some instances when a hospital requires that you complete certain online tests or competencies prior to your start date. I have even had a hospital require me to learn their computer charting system prior to arriving. You will be paid for your time, but you will be expected to do it on your own. Here is a list of questions to ask your recruiter prior to starting orientation:
Your recruiter should be able to answer some questions about orientation but it is ultimately up to you to get the information you need. One thing to keep in mind when considering your next move, is that if you extend your current contract, you do not have to go through orientation again and often times you will get an extension bonus. Starting a new contract can be both exciting and stressful at the same time. Take the time in nursing orientation to organize yourself so you can enjoy the rest of your contract stress free.
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There are two types of travel nurses; those who can couch surf and those who can’t. In travel nursing, housing tends to be a big deal no matter which type you are. Whether you are taking company housing or setting up your own living arrangements, finding shelter that isn’t a dump can be challenging from a distance. For those of you who prefer to find your own place, not to worry, the internet and social networking sites have come to your rescue.
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Prior to starting your housing search, it is important to know the location of the hospital where you will be working. I don’t recommend being more than 10 miles away from your facility. It’s probably a good idea to understand the traffic patterns as well. If you have to take a major highway to work during rush hour, you may want to reconsider your housing location.
Research the various neighborhoods located within your city by visiting the local police department’s website to see local crime statistics, read the local online newspaper and look through a local real estate agent’s website for the safest neighborhoods. It’s also important to network prior to your assignment. Tell everyone and their mother, literally, where you will be traveling to via email, social media or just in conversation. It is amazing what information you can obtain just by asking. After you have done your research, it’s time to determine what kind of traveler you are.
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If you are someone who is more particular about where you put your feet up, I would recommend contacting furnishedfinder.com or travelingnursecorporatehousing.com. These two companies list furnished apartments, condos and houses and work specifically with travel nurses so they understand the industry. There are great pictures and descriptions of the location and amenities as well as reviews. The benefit to choosing one of these websites versus using your company housing is that you will have a choice on where you stay.
If you can’t find anything you like on these websites, then you can broaden your search by browsing through vacation rental sites such as airbnb, homeaway, Tripping.com, or Flipkey.com. You will find fully furnished houses and apartments on these sites. The transfer of money is secure through the websites and there are usually plenty of reviews. The most important part of renting from these websites is to make sure you have a good property manager or owner who is responsive to your needs. You can contact them directly through the website with any of your questions before booking. You can also go as far as to Google their name to look for complaints.
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If you don’t want to pay the extra money to go through a booking website, or don’t mind sleeping on someone’s couch, you can always turn to Craigslist. As most of you may know, Craigslist can be sketchy and unreliable. I have personally used craigslist in the past and know of many travelers who use it, so I can say that it’s not all that bad. If you are that concerned about the property, you can always fly out in advance to check it out or have a friend or family member who lives in the area swing by for a visit. If you are not finding anything trustworthy on Craigslist, you can also contact a local real estate agent who may know of some locals who rent out places for short term contracts.
If contacting strangers or working with booking websites isn’t your thing, it may be wise to visit a travel nursing forum like or the Gypsy Nurse Facebook page to get recommendations from some of your fellow travelers on where to stay.
I personally found it easier and less stressful to have my company find my housing for me; I wasn’t overly concerned about making extra money and always had good experiences with company housing in the past. Finding your own housing takes some time to get used to. Reading reviews and having a good rapport with your leasing agent or property owner are very important. You may have one bad experience here and there but on the flipside, you won’t be in that housing situation forever.
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When I started traveling I never even considered that fact that I would or could be canceled for any reason; after all isn’t there a huge demand for qualified nurses throughout the country?
Well, let me tell you that having your contract canceled as a travel nurse is a real phenomenon and believe me it happens.
I personally have had my contract canceled early once, one threat of cancellation and in one instance, canceled my own contract.
There are a few reasons hospitals will cancel travel nursing contracts. In my case, I was working in a facility in Florida, which is a seasonal type of place, and my contract was canceled early because of low census; I was supposed to be there until March and ended up leaving a month early.
What happens in seasonal places such as Florida and Arizona is snowbirds flock there in the winter, so there is a huge influx of people and hospitals have to increase staff. This makes it difficult to predict staffing so if the census stays low for a few weeks then facilities will cancel travel contracts early.
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There are instances when facilities will cancel your contract prior to you even starting; this usually happens in cases where hospitals are staffing for EMR (electronic medical record) conversion. Hospitals like to have increased staff on hand so their own employees have enough time to learn the new EMR system.
Sometimes the EMR conversion will be pushed back, leading to canceled travel contracts at the last minute. In this instance they will cancel you a week before you are supposed to start orientation, leaving you scrounging for a new assignments.
The third most common reason facilities will cancel a travel contract is because of poor nursing performance. This topic can include patient complaints, attendance issues and even personality conflicts with staff. I personally had an issue with a staff member at a facility I was working at and was threatened with cancellation.
The facility contacted my agency letting them know that I was suspended from work for 2 days until they came up with a resolution. In the end, the manager of the unit made me write an apology letter to the other staff member involved and that was that. I ended up finishing my contract and declining their offer to have me extend. I was lucky enough to have an awesome recruiter who I had been working with for a while and knew that the accusations against me were false.
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Travel nurses do have the ability to cancel their own contracts but it is not recommended. The majority of reasons travel nurses cancel are because of family emergencies, personal health problems, facilities not adhering to agreed time off and schedule, and a poor working environment.
Cancelling a contract for family emergencies and health problems are valid reasons, just don’t make a habit of it. If this issue comes up in more than one assignment, then it may be time to go home. If you have an emergency and a good working relationship with your agency, your recruiter will do his/her best to find another traveler to take over your assignment and housing, without any financial penalty towards you.
When it comes to scheduling conflicts and poor working environment I would tell you that unless you feel your nursing license is being threatened, it’s probably best to choose your battles and bite the bullet because the financial and professional penalties can be devastating.
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If a travel nurse has the agency’s housing and decides to cancel his/her contract, then that nurse may be responsible for paying for the remainder of the lease if his/her recruiter can’t find a replacement.
If a nurse sets up his/her own housing, then he/she will have to deal with ending their lease early, if he/she can’t find another contract in the same city. If you get in the habit of cancelling contracts then it will be very difficult for you to obtain references for future employment. If you absolutely feel that you cannot finish an assignment then give your recruiter plenty of notice so he/she can fill your place with a new travel nurse so you don’t have any financial penalties.
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I personally do not believe there is a way to prevent a facility from cancelling you. The best you can do is have a clause written into your contract that prevents the agency from holding you financially responsible for anything if your contract is canceled.
You can also write in your contract that you expect to be reimbursed for any travel and licensing expenses you incurred if your contract happens to be canceled prior to you starting; this will be between you and your agency. You have to remember that the facility that is contracted with your travel nurse agency is a customer. Your agency is going to do everything in its power to keep them happy. If that means replacing you with someone else, then that is what’s going to happen. It may not be fair but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
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I can’t say that having a contract canceled happens often, but I do know it happens and it has happened to me personally. Flexibility has to be the ultimate character trait of every travel nurse. The field of travel nursing can be very unpredictable. It is always best to have a plan B just in case Plan A doesn’t work. If you get canceled, try to find a facility as close to you as possible to cut down on travel and housing expenses, always get your references for future employment early on in the contract in case a cancellation occurs by either you or the facility and make sure you have some money in the bank; it could take weeks to find another assignment. I have always thought that travel nurses needed a union. I personally feel that we get the short end of the stick sometimes and not much representation. Having a good recruiter and agency to back you up is of utmost importance; or if you are loaded, get a lawyer and fight for your rights.
If you have been canceled or have canceled a travel nursing contract, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Even after my unexpected cancellation and conflict with that nurse, I still have multiple recruiters calling me every week with travel assignments. There are hundreds of companies out there who are looking for great nurses. Becoming a travel nurse is a huge commitment and it is important to understand that even though you are temporary, your presence will last a lifetime; make the best of it, be flexible and choose your assignments and battles your wisely.
I have to say that one of the most amazing aspects of being a nurse is the flexibility of our schedules. We can work all hours of the day and only a few days a week.
Luckily, travel nurses are privy to the same schedule which gives plenty of time to get out there and explore because let’s face it – one of the biggest draws to travel nursing is the adventure.
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Making your access to activities both easy and inexpensive is key to an enjoyable experience. When I was working in Los Angeles, I worked three 12’s and always had at least one day off a week. The flexibility in my schedule allowed me to drive to Santa Monica to meet up with friends on a weekly basis.
While on assignment in LA I was able to pick up new hobbies I would have never had the opportunity if not for travel nursing. A couple of my favorites were riding bikes along the ocean and taking trapeze lessons on the Santa Monica Pier.
With the high tourism in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, this commute and ability to schedule trapeze lessons was only possible because I had the flexibility to schedule weekdays off. I personally would not be able to tolerate the traffic or the amount of people on the weekends.
I also found it much easier to go grocery shopping, go to any appointments and even go hiking during the week. Not to mention that work tends to be a bit more chill on the weekends.
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If you know that when you work nights you turn into a zombie who sleeps all day, then it may be wise to avoid working night shift if possible. A big part of travel nursing is to create adventure in your life. Do not ruin your experience by sleeping all day.
If you know that three days in a row kills you, then let your scheduling person know that information. The last thing they want is a nurse with a bad attitude at work. You usually can’t pick your schedule but you can let them know your preferences.
I also don’t recommend working extra shifts because the money isn’t worth it if you will be too tired to go and enjoy yourself.
Creating fun and adventure in your travel nursing life takes some planning. It’s not like back home when your friends would call you up and invite you to go do something. You will have to make a point to meet new people and try new things. ‘
Most cities have a website with a calendar of events so plan on doing something new on your days off. Travel nurses have the rare advantage of living in cities all over the country for short periods of time so take advantage of that. You don’t want to return home without some fun stories.
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One of my biggest fears before I started my travel nursing career was the fear of being alone. I was leaving everything and everyone I knew on an adventure to a place where I knew no one.
I am a pretty outgoing person and I never really had a hard time meeting people in the past but I knew that a 13 week time constraint made it much more difficult; not to mention most of the people I was friends with were my co-workers, so I knew changing jobs every three months might put a damper on my social network.
I was surprised to find that connecting with people on the road wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be.
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The easiest people to connect with on the road are your fellow travel nurses; we are all in the same boat (for the most part). We are inclined to adventure and are all most likely suffering from a little bit of homesickness.
The best time to meet your fellow travelers is during hospital orientation. The HR specialists are kind enough to have everyone introduce themselves so it’s easy to identify who’s who. I suggest striking up a conversation the first day. I like to ask people where they are from and where are they housed. Often times I have been housed in the same building as my fellow orientees.
I usually get people’s numbers on the first day and ask them if they would like to hang out sometime. If you’re not up for asking for someone’s number, you can always connect on Facebook.
The next best place to meet your fellow travelers is on the floor you work. If you are extremely worried about loneliness, I suggest taking assignments in big cities such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. These cities have a lot of travel nurses both new and seasoned, which makes it really easy to meet new people.
A lot of the seasoned travel nurses who just float around one city are usually pretty open to inviting the newbies out. They also know all the best spots to visit and which hospitals to avoid.
I would also encourage you to participate in any activities the staff nurses offer as well. If there is a sign in the break room regarding mimosas after work, then maybe you should go. It’s a lot easier to connect with people outside of work.
If you end up in a smaller city with a limited number of travelers, you can always join a Meetup.com group. Meetup groups make it easy to find people who enjoy the same activities as you. It’s also a good way to see the city.
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I have found for me, the easiest place to meet people is at the gym. This can take some time especially if you are one of those people who walk around with your headphones on. I recommend taking some classes or joining a fitness studio. This creates a more intimate group like setting. You can also go as far as picking a local race to train for. Some gyms have groups that train and race together.
If groups aren’t your thing or maybe you aren’t quite ready to ask for people’s numbers, then I suggest perusing the Groupon website for some local deals. This is the best way to see what your new city has to offer and maybe create an opportunity for you to invite one of your fellow travel nurses out.
If all of this still sounds a little too much for you then invite your friends and family out from your hometown. If going out with familiar faces is what it takes to get you out of the house then so be it.
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Finding high quality friends while on the road can be challenging and staying connected with them is even harder once you all move on. I think the goal for meeting new people while traveling is to find people with little to no drama who you can tolerate long enough to enjoy some local activities. They might never be like the friends you have at home and that’s okay. Creating memories should be low stress and so should your travel nursing experience.
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Close your eyes… now, imagine a day in your nursing career where you go to work, clock in, take care of patients, do a little bit of charting and clock out.
To some of you this may sound typical but to others, a day without co-worker drama, staff meetings, committee duties and mandatory e-learnings sounds like Nirvana.
Now imagine 13 weeks of this pure working environment bliss. Some of you may not realize this but becoming a travel nurse is an excellent way to avoid hospital politics and drama.
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The demands of being a staff nurse are on the rise. Between staff meetings, sitting on committees, completing your required e-learnings and working night-shift, you can pretty much kiss your personal life goodbye.
As a travel nurse you do have various mandatory education requirements but not to the extent of a staff nurse and the best part of the continuing education is that you can choose what you want to learn about. If you don’t want to learn about balloon pumps, you don’t have to.
You are not required to sit on any committees or go to any staff meetings. You just show up and take care of patients. You don’t have to worry about who the next manager is going to be, your next eval or what protocols need to be fixed. This new found freedom allows you to focus on the more enjoyable things in life like sleeping and exploring.
“Showing up and taking care of patients” is what changed my nursing practice the most. One of my biggest fears about traveling was leaving behind my colleagues. They were the whole reason I enjoyed going to work. I would tell them my problems, they would tell me theirs; we were a family.
With everyone sharing their business on social media these days, you may find it surprising that as a travel nurse, staff nurses will not spend all night telling you their deepest and darkest secrets. I found this lack of communication particularly beneficial to my nursing practice.
When nobody is talking to you all night you have no choice but talk with your patients and their families. What I discovered, is that I actually liked connecting with my patients. I had never really experienced this before. It was then that I really started to enjoy being a nurse.
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Being a travel nurse not only provided me with the opportunity to connect with my patients more but it also changed my perspective on how I care for them and my view on the profession as a whole.
I “grew up” in an ICU surrounded by experienced nurses who had been in the profession for 30+ years. Their wealth of knowledge was priceless, however, their perspective on patients and nursing was hardened. Negativity in the workplace is contagious and my attitude as a staff nurse was also becoming hardened.
As a travel nurse you will be forced to work with all different types of nurses; nurses from different cultures, age groups and backgrounds. Having the opportunity to watch how other nurses interacted with patients and with a little help from a compassion series presented by a Buddhist temple, I discovered a new found compassion towards my patients and people in general.
My experience as a travel nurse gave me the opportunity to create my own nursing practice. I wasn’t distracted by other people’s drama, pointless meetings or non-progressive committees.
I was able to focus on educational material that I felt helped my nursing practice the best. I learned to connect with my patients and their families without judgment. I became confident knowing that I can take care of anyone, anywhere despite who I was working with or what politics might be going on.
As a travel nurse you will become an expert at dealing with all different types of personalities. Your ability to stay focused on your patients and avoid engaging in negative workplace drama will benefit you for a lifetime.
