You're Heading on Your First Travel Assignment-Now What?
When many nurses decide to try travel nursing for the first time, they often have an idea of where they want to go, the hospitals where they’d like to work and how soon they’d like to start. While all of these variables are known, nurses are not always sure how to start preparing for their assignment, nor do they always know what to expect once they begin.
Many temporary health care staffing companies provide travelers with a traveler handbook, which provides the essential information they need to manage the details of their assignments.
The handbook often covers a list of what to take, travel tips and a countdown checklist of “to dos” from the moment travelers accept an assignment to the moment they arrive on assignment.
Some “to dos” include applying for direct deposit through the staffing company, sending a change of address form to the post office, setting up telephone service and cable installation for the new apartment if desired, scheduling the move-in with the apartment complex, mapping out the travel route to the new facility and driving to the facility before starting to find out where to park and where orientation will be held.
Susan Delaney, a senior recruiter and team leader for leading temporary healthcare care staffing company American Mobile Healthcare in San Diego, California, suggests that travelers also create their own checklists to include personal items that may not be included in the handbook.
For instance, former travel nurse Renee Stoltz, RN, BSN, a clinical liaison for Medical Express, a travel staffing company in Westminster, Colorado, said travelers should purchase a cell phone if they don’t already have one so they can always be reached. She also mentioned that if travelers do have a phone line installed in their apartment, to consider investing in phone cards instead of long-distance services since they can be used anywhere.
For travelers on their first assignment, Delaney said it’s best to make an effort to complete all of the written requirements right away so travelers have one less thing to worry about. This includes fulfilling medical requirements, completing, renewing or having proof of certifications, licensure and driver’s license, hospital-specific orientation paperwork and standard employer forms.
According to Michelle Cacace, a recruiter and team leader for American Mobile Healthcare, travelers who are prepared have less to fear from changing positions, meeting new colleagues and leaving home.
She added, “It’s up to recruiters to set realistic expectations.”
And, for travelers who might have fears of traveling alone, Stoltz recommended that travelers consider having a travel nurse roommate.
“Be open to your options when it comes to your roommates,” she said. “It can be a lot of fun and it can be less lonely when you don’t know anybody.”
Other suggestions for making friends include striking up conversations with nurse colleagues by asking them about activities to do in the area, attending social events at the apartment complex or meeting travelers online who might be traveling in the same city or area.
Delaney said that travelers also need to keep in mind that travel nursing is going to be something new. She added that nurses are going to find that their assignment hospital is run differently than their former employer, which could include differences such as charting, scheduling and layout of the unit, equipment used and more.
When American Mobile Healthcare traveler Margo Kerby, RN, takes a new assignment, she makes every effort to find ways to make acclimating to her new assignment hospital a simple process.
“From the moment I arrive at a new assignment, I’m all ears,” she said. “I keep a little spiral notebook with me at all times and use it to keep a record of the physicians’ names and phone numbers, unit details, copies of the facility’s standards and any other information that will help me in my work. Often times, when I leave a facility, my coworkers want to auction off my notebook!”
Making a travel assignment a positive, successful experience can be done, according to Delaney, but she said that it’s particularly important that travelers always keep in mind that they can contact their recruiters, as well as their clinical liaison and housing representative, to voice concerns, issues or simply to talk to someone.
“The traveler may feel like, ‘What am I doing’ and begin second-guessing their decision to travel,” she said. “But after a few weeks, they’re often glad they’re traveling while adjusting to a new hospital.”
By Kristin Rothwell, contributor
When many nurses decide to try travel nursing for the first time, they often have an idea of where they want to go, the hospitals where they’d like to work and how soon they’d like to start. While all of these variables are known, nurses are not always sure how to start preparing for their assignment, nor do they always know what to expect once they begin.
Many temporary health care staffing companies provide travelers with a traveler handbook, which provides the essential information they need to manage the details of their assignments.
The handbook often covers a list of what to take, travel tips and a countdown checklist of “to dos” from the moment travelers accept an assignment to the moment they arrive on assignment.
Personal Items to Keep in Mind
Banking—Consider opening a bank account with a national bank that offers ATM access in most cities to minimize transaction fees, as well as online banking. It’s also a good idea to travel with a debit card.
Cell Phones— If you don’t already have one, consider purchasing a cell phone so that you can contact others and so you can always be reached. In fact, be sure to give your cell phone number to your recruiter so that he or she can contact you if necessary.
Traveling by Car – Before heading out on the road, be sure to have your car maintained to help ensure that it will get you to your assignment.
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