5 Reasons that you should get 2 years experience BEFORE Traveling as a healthcare professional
Certifications are important!
Give yourself the time you need to get all of the certs you can before traveling. Many hospitals will not let staff sign up for certifications until they have worked a year.
Maximize your organizational skills.
Ensure that you are comfortable managing a full (and sometimes heavy load) with little to no orientation. It’s not uncommon for the traveler to get the most difficult to manage patients. Organizational skills will be key to keeping your head above water.
Take time to build your confidence.
How confident are you to be able to jump in and do what needs to be done? Can you stand up to a physician to advocate for the patient? These skills sometimes take time to develop. As a new RN, there was no way that I could have stood up to a physician to advocate for my patient. After years of experience, I now feel no fear in doing this. Experience is the ONLY way to be confident that you can stand behind your decisions when advocating for your patients.
Maximize your experience.
Nursing school teaches you the ‘books,’ and your first two years working will teach you 10 times what’s in the books. Working in a small hospital vs. a teaching facility can be a huge difference in how you provide care. Make sure that you are experienced enough to provide safe patient care in any setting. Orientation may be minimal, and there isn’t a guarantee that the staff will have your back if you have a patient crashing.
Find Your Comfort Zone.
Two years gives you time to find your ‘comfort zone. The traveler needs to walk in with an air of confidence. You don’t want to give false confidence…give yourself time to have confidence in your skills genuinely.
