Travel nursing refers to a nursing assignment concept whereby nurses travel to various locations to offer their services temporarily. The idea was developed as an antidote for seasonal nursing shortages. Travel nursing comes with numerous benefits. Most notably, it enables you to experience the magic of traveling across multiple destinations and interacting with people from all walks of life. It also offers you more flexibility over your career.
However, travel nursing also has its cons. For instance, the job may require you to spend a substantial amount of your time away from your near and dear ones. Also, travel nurses are generally outsourced by staffing agencies. Many of these agencies usually place profit-making above your industrial rights. But fatigue is probably the most commonly reported concern by travel nurses. In this post, we highlight various ways travel nurses can deal effectively with fatigue and increase their overall productivity.
1. Consider Energy-boosting Herbs
There are numerous herbs noted for their ability to relieve both physical and mental fatigue. Cannabis is one such herb. According to medical marijuana doctors, supplementing with high-quality Green Roads CBD or other cannabis-based products from established brands may go a long way in treating chronic fatigue.
2. Deal With Stress
Compassionateness is a crucial requirement for nurses and any healthcare worker. Indeed, it takes compassion to take care of sick and injured patients, particularly those in hospices.
However, being too compassionate may trigger compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion resulting from chronic stress associated with caring for ill patients.
Common symptoms of compassion fatigue include;
● Physical and mental fatigue
● Loss of empathy
● Isolating yourself
● Reduced concentration
● Depression
● Compulsive behavior, such as alcohol use, substance abuse, and binge-eating
Since stress is a major risk factor for compassion fatigue, managing stress and anxiety can go a long way in keeping the condition at bay.
An effective way to manage stress and anxiety is by investing in natural anxiolytic herbs like cannabis and lavender. You can also avoid stress by interacting with the locals while keeping in touch with your family and friends back home.
3. Stay Active
Exercise can play a significant role in relieving anxiety and improving the overall quality of life. Regular exercise boosts various vital organs associated with energy production, including the heart, lungs, and muscles.
So, however busy your work schedule is, ensure you spare some thought for workouts.
When it comes to the best exercises for improved energy levels, consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. Examples include push-ups, crunches, jump squats, and sprints.
HIIT exercises can boost your metabolic rate significantly, thereby increasing the fat-burning process. The more your body expends fat, the higher the amount of energy produced.
However, you don’t need to fret if you’re averse to HIIT exercises. Numerous studies suggest that low-intensity workouts may also reduce chronic fatigue by
4. Sleep More
It’s almost impossible to discuss traveling without mentioning the dreadful jet lag. Jet lag results from a temporary disruption in our circadian rhythms. It mostly affects nurses who travel fast across multiple time zones. Besides jet lag, travel nurses may also suffer from insomnia resulting from working long hours. Now, fatigue is a common side effect of insomnia. Without urgent intervention, sleeplessness can suck up your physical and mental energy, rendering you unable to accomplish routine tasks like attending to your patients. The best way to avoid insomnia-induced fatigue is to increase your sleep quality and duration. If sleep doesn’t come naturally to you, consider supplementing with natural sleep-aiding herbs. Also, avoid unhealthy sleep habits like watching movies or engaging in mentally stimulating activities late into the night.
5. Stay Rehydrated
Water may not contain any calories. However, it offers the medium where most chemical reactions in the body occur, including physiological processes involved in energy production. So, staying rehydrated can go a long way in boosting your energy and relieving fatigue. Endeavor to stick to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of water, eight 8-ounce glasses, or about 2 liters. Don’t wait till you feel thirsty, as thirst is usually an indication that you’re already dehydrated. Also, remember that the recommended daily intake applies to rehydrating fluids in general and not just water. Therefore, you can easily achieve your daily water intake target by supplementing fruit juices, smoothies, energy drinks, etc.
Fatigue is an inevitable experience among travel nurses. It results from several triggers, such as stress and anxiety, dehydration, insomnia, and inactivity. However, it’s reassuring to note that there are numerous tips you can implement to keep fatigued at bay. And if everything fails despite your best efforts, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
We hope you found this article on ways to deal with fatigue as a travel nurse helpful. Have you found ways to deal with fatigue as a travel nurse? Comment your ideas below.
- Reference Links:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797438/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228112008.htm/
- http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/WaterUNM.html/
- https://www.sunbeltstaffing.com/blog/preventing-compassion-fatigue-as-a-travel-nurse-photos/
- https://www.livecareer.com/resources/careers/nursing/dealing-with-nurse-burnout/
