Effective Travel Nursing Tips
Being an aspiring nurse opens up many opportunities when looking for the right place to work! The demand for nurses in hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, schools, LTAC, prisons and much more increases traveling opportunities. If you desire to meet new people, learn different cultures and see the world then traveling is a great option. You can achieve these goals and expand your medical expertise through your travel experience.
What is a travel nurse? A nurse traveling far from home to help fill gaps in healthcare facilities on a temporary basis. In our world today, COVID-19 epidemic caused a worldwide problem in staffing resulting in a higher demand for travel nurses. This demand has provided several perks such as receiving bonuses, competitive pay and travel reimbursement. Listed are 5 useful tips for first time travelers:
Spend time learning about travel nursing by listing the advantages and disadvantages. The endless opportunity to expand your knowledge, experience new medical cases, make new friends, being away from family and visiting new cultures can be an exciting and challenging experience.
Create and keep all medical records up to date. Healthcare facilities want to ensure that you have proof that you are able to withstand the demands of the job and are safe to provide care to their residents and patients. Keep a portfolio of immunizations, physical, license and certifications to avoid delays in starting your assignment.
Establish your availability ahead of time. The greatest benefit of working with an agency is flexibility, which means working based on your availability. What do you prefer? A block schedule? Weekends off? Communication is always important when working with an agency and facility. It will prevent scheduling conflicts and staff shortages.
Read and document. Always read each contract thoroughly before accepting an assignment. Ensure that your weekly pay, duration of contract and cancellation fee is correct. Also, remember you are a visitor of that facility so you should always document everything you do. Remember what they taught you in nursing school, “If you didn’t document, then you didn’t do it.” You should never assume something was done, but make sure it is done and document accordingly.
Never stop learning. As a novice travel nurse you will encounter many new and challenging experiences. Be committed in accepting the challenges and never stop learning and expanding your knowledge. Once you receive the experience nobody can take away your knowledge.
Our main goal at Reliable Healthcare is to continue to educate our partnered healthcare professionals and provide rewarding and challenging opportunities. We know by increasing their medical skill and knowledge will increase our community members overall well being with career driven healthcare professionals. Together we can help improve the quality of life towards the community.
References
Deemer, L. (2021, December 18). 19 Tips for Traveling Nurses. The Gypsy Nurse. https://www.thegypsynurse.com/blog/20-tips-for-traveling-nurses/