As a traveling nurse, you are moving around a lot, so research of the assignment location becomes a must. Research helps with preparing for a new location and knowing what to expect. It may also help with the adjustment to a new environment.
Here are several useful tips for your research of the location.
Inform yourself on the climate
Climate may really affect your mood, health, and daily activities so make sure that you know where are you coming to. This will help you prepare for climate change and take the needed steps to prevent difficulties. Also, you will know how to pack your bag, so you don’t have to buy additional clothes when on the spot. If needed, here are some great solar power stations.
Talk to your recruiter
Your recruiter may be a good source of information for any questions you might have. Recruiter will help you with any issues as well with adjusting, transportation, housing, and everything else that might be of use to you.
Get to know the culture
Make sure that you have done research on culture in the place of the assignment. What are common habits, what is different, what is unacceptable behavior, and what are some of the requested terms of behavior? You would be surprised that you don’t have to travel around the world to meet new cultures.
Get familiar with important institutions
After you get your housing info, check the important institutions near you. You want to know where is the nearest hospital, police station, embassy, gym, grocery store, etc. It’s better to know those so you can act fast in moments of a possible crisis.
Do you need to drive?
Check if there’s organized transportation that works for you or do you need to drive to work. Do good research to see if it’s maybe easier to use public transportation like buses and trolleys, or Uber, taxi, and a shared ride seem like cheaper options? If you want to rent a car, check if that’s an option in the location that you’re headed to.
Prices
Get familiar with the basic prices range and where is the best to shop. You want to know smaller shops, family businesses, and other places that might not be on Google but sell quality goods at lower prices.
How will you spend your free time?
Plan your free time so you can make the most of the location of the assignment: research heritage places, museums, galleries, fun activities, nature parks, etc. Adjust your research to your needs and preferences when it comes to activities. Make a plan for what will you visit when and if some activity is conditioned by the weather.
Where to research?
Internet is the most common place where people do the research, but magazines and newspapers can tell you so much about a location. Also, smaller places are sometimes not on Google, so it’s best to ask your recruiter, local population, and someone who’s already been there. Try to get as big a palette of information as possible so you can get a clearer picture.
Safety of the neighborhood
There are many online tools to check crime rates and help you get a picture of the neighborhood you’re gonna live in. It’s rare to find a place where crime doesn’t exist, but it’s important to acknowledge the risks. In places with more people, crime rates are normally higher, but that doesn’t mean that you will be endangered. This will simply help you to determine how to protect yourself, like should you walk alone at night hours, etc.
Plan
Using the research you did on all mentioned topics, make a plan. You should plan your budget, places to visit, transportation, safety measures, and your daily schedule.
Planing will make your adjustment easy and painless so you can enjoy your time in a new location.
Conclusion
Research is half of a job to make your stay comfortable and with no bad surprises. It’s up to you to come prepared and make the transition as easy as possible. The good news is that it’s not that hard; you just need enough motivation to do everything upfront and thoroughly. Good luck in your new endeavors!
We hope you found this article on useful tips for researching the assignment location helpful. Are there any ways you research locations before taking a travel nurse assignment? Comment them below.
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