3 Dos and 3 Don’ts for Travel Nursing Jobs

As we’ve already discussed on this blog, Travel nursing jobs carry with them a lot of benefits. Whether you’re spending the cold winters in South Florida or beautiful falls in New England, travel nursing jobs give you the chance to experience a wealth of new places and the opportunity to meet new people. But for many RNs on their first travel nursing jobs, there can be some anxious feelings. Here are some key things to remember and some crucial things to avoid if you’re about to embark one of your first travel nursing jobs.

DO

• Be sure to introduce yourself to your unit secretary as soon as you can. Most of the time, they’ll be almost as important as your floor manager. The unit secretary will be able to tell you where everything is located.
• Be as helpful as possible. Just about everyone who embarks on travel nursing jobs is naturally helpful, but it couldn’t hurt to be even more helpful than usual. If you have a spare moment, assist a fellow nurse with a task. That will help make you a trusted member of the team.
• Show up with a positive attitude. Anxiety can arise with new experiences, even for those who have held many travel nursing jobs. So remember that you’ll enjoy your new assignment. Travel nursing jobs can be many things, but they’re rarely boring. Enjoy the excitement.

DON’T

• Be withdrawn. You don’t have to make friends with everyone, but keeping yourself open and welcoming will help ensure that your current assignment on travel nursing jobs will be a great one.
• Discard the rules. There are as many different rules as there are hospitals and clinics. And those with travel nursing jobs should try their hardest to learn them all. Remember to act accordingly.
• Take certain things too personally. While on travel nursing jobs, some people on staff may forget your name. Some may even call you by the wrong name. Just remember that many on the staff may see a steady stream of travel nurses come and go. Instead of getting annoyed, try to make a joke and remember that it’s no big deal.

5 Tips for Staying Healthy on New Travel Nursing Jobs and Assignments

If you’re an experienced travel nurse, then you know that travel nursing jobs require a certain amount of flexibility. For many travel nurses, working in fast-paced environments where things change quickly is part of the thrill of travel nursing jobs. But even for experienced travel nurses, getting sick before new assignments and travel nursing jobs can be difficult to handle. There’s always an adjustment period for people on new travel nursing jobs, and it’s typically one of the most difficult periods of the travel position. Nurses know that getting sick is simply part of being in the health care profession, but there are things that those with travel nursing jobs can do steel themselves against getting ill at the beginning of a new assignment. Here are 5 tips that will help travel nurses prepare themselves for a new position.

1. In the weeks before new travel nursing jobs and assignments, make sure that you’re ready. That means packing things ahead of time to assure that you’re not rushing around at the last minute, trying to get to your new travel nursing jobs and positions.
2. Be sure that you keep doing other things you do regularly. That means stay on an exercise schedule, if you’re on one. But don’t exert yourself too much. It you’re feeling tired, then get adequate rest.
3. Remember to wash your hands frequently. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it can be easy to forget when nurses are still getting used to new travel nursing jobs.
4. Be sure to remember any prescription medication you require. And be sure to keep any extras you think you may need.
5. And just in case, remember to always have a list of your emergency contacts on hand.

How to Cope when Travel Nursing Jobs Take You Away From Friends & Family on Thanksgiving

The holiday season can be both the best of times for those with travel nursing jobs, and it can be the worst of times for those with travel nursing jobs. A lot of travel nurses seek out assignments that are either close to their friends and families so they can spend the Thanksgiving season with people they are close to.

But when the economy’s tough, that option isn’t always available for those with travel nursing jobs. This year, it looks like many travel nurses will be spending the holidays far from their friends and family. It can be tough. So here are a few tips if you’ll be facing Thanksgiving Day alone.

1. Try to stick with some of your Thanksgiving traditions—If you’re on a travel nursing jobs assignment where you have to work on Thanksgiving Day, that may help you cope with being away from your family. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own personal Thanksgiving celebration. It’s possible to buy smaller turkeys, and you can cook one or two side dishes for yourself. If you always catch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, be sure not to miss it. TiVO or tape it if you have to work.
2. Pamper yourself—If you don’t like the idea of eating Thanksgiving dinner alone, then don’t. Simply make it a normal meal that night and pamper yourself in other ways. Take a long bath. Or rent a lot of movies. Make it a special day to do something that you’ve been meaning to do for a long time.
3. Volunteer—No matter where your travel nursing jobs take you, there are likely to be a soup kitchen nearby that need someone to help serve food. This is also true for the weekend after Thanksgiving, where the kitchen may find itself short-staffed. Most people with travel nursing jobs get a charge from helping others. So volunteering is a great solution for those who find themselves with little to do on Thanksgiving.
4. Call home, or don’t—Calling home and checking in with friends and family may make those with far away travel nursing jobs feel a little bit better. But for some with travel nursing jobs, it may only accentuate the distance between them and their family. Think about what the effect of calling home will have on you. And don’t feel bad if you decide not to call home. Your friends and family should be able to understand.