How to Make Your Next Travel Nursing Job Even Better
By Lee Soren, contributor
Even for experienced travel nurses, new assignments can bring challenges. Settling into your temporary home, adjusting to a new workplace and navigating an unfamiliar location may be exciting, but they can be nerve-wracking too. However, there are ways to improve the transition and get everything you can out of your new job. Here are five tips for making your next travel nursing job even better than the last.
1. Get the inside scoop on your next travel nursing job
A recruiter's job isn't just to place you on assignments. Through their interactions with facility management teams and feedback from prior placements, recruiters generally accumulate a wealth of insider knowledge that can help you make the most of your upcoming assignment. If you have questions about your new or potential employer or destination, don't be afraid to ask.
Another way to get the inside scoop is to connect with other travel nurses. Whether you join an online travel nurse community through social media or form a real-world collective of professionals that you've met on assignment, you can create a network that offers mutual support and shares helpful information about facilities, destinations and nursing agencies.
2. Arrive early to your assignment
If your schedule permits, plan to arrive early to your destination. By getting to the city prior to your assignment start date, you can take your time scouting things out and getting settled.
Arriving early will give you the time to find the best route to work, stop by the grocery store to stock your pantry and spend a few hours putting away clothes and adding personal touches, such as photos, to your new apartment. You should also consider stopping by your new workplace to introduce yourself and get a feel for the commute.
Settling in before you start your new job can help you feel more relaxed, making it easier to concentrate on learning the ins and outs of a new facility.
3. Set realistic expectations
Many new travel nurses expect too much of themselves on their first few assignments, which can pave the way for disappointment and unnecessary stress. While it's important to demonstrate eagerness and excitement when you're starting a new position, you should also understand that there will be a learning curve.
Remember, every facility has its own way of doing things, and learning new routines takes time. To ensure on-the-job success, Forbes recommends partnering with a work buddy, asking questions and learning by jumping right in. Above all, you should never hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
Your new supervisor can help you define healthy, realistic expectations, giving you something to strive towards. And, in the meantime, here’s 5 Ways to Be Part of a Coordinated Care Team.
4. Make an exploration date
One of the joys of working as a travel nurse is getting to see new places, but in the scramble to adjust to a new facility, it's easy to forget to have some fun. To make sure that you enjoy all that the region has to offer, write a list of everything you'd like to do and see, and then, schedule a date with yourself to go exploring.
If you aren't sure where to begin, do an online search for the town, city or even state you’ll be working in. Every state – and most cities and towns – have comprehensive websites devoted to places to see, eat at and local entertainment. Also Yelp is a great site and/or app no matter where you go!
Try This: How Food Fuels the Travel Nurse Experience
5. Start thinking about your next assignment
Travel nurse assignments average about 13 weeks, and it's never too early to start thinking about your next position. Take the time to reflect on your current and past assignments, and create a wish list for future employment. It can give your recruiter a great starting point for making the best match possible, ensuring that your next travel nursing job is even better than the last.
While moving from position to position can be intimidating, it gets easier over time. Each job brings opportunities for personal and professional growth, letting you proceed into your next assignment with confidence and positivity.
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