Nurse 2 Nurse Staffing provided this article.
As a healthcare provider, your career is all about caring for other people and helping them recover from sickness, but due to frequent exposure to new areas, travelers are at great risk of falling ill. With flu season upon us, it’s time to prepare a strategy for what to do in the event that you get sick while on an assignment!
You need to be as fit as a fiddle to perform your job well. Since patient care is a job that demands vigilance and keeps you on tiptoes, it gets hard for travelers to work when they are sick. Being away from home adds a bit more to the misery. So here are some tips that will tell you what to do if you get sick on your travel nursing assignment.
Talk to your supervisor and your agency
Talk to your supervisor if you suffer from sickness during your travel assignment and cannot take more workload. Your supervisor will be the first person to notify, as they are the person that will be able to reschedule your shifts. You will also need to notify your recruiter so that they can notify your agency payroll and HR departments.
Share Emergency Contact Information
When you are on a travel nursing assignment, you will be on your own. So, what will you do if something happens and you get sick?
Always share your contact numbers with your recruiter, co-workers, or the hospital where you work. In doing so, they can reach out to your emergency contact in the event that they are unable to reach out. A good recruiter will be checking on you to see how you are feeling, so keep them up to date on your health status.
Have information about the nearest care center
Finding the nearest health care unit, pharmacy, or a hospital will become difficult during an emergency as you will be in a new city.
So, the ideal thing to do is to know the location of your nearest hospital before anything happens. Moreover, you can also save their contact number and call them when you need. This will save you precious time!
Keep track of your medical history.
The first thing that your doctor will require is your medical history. It is essential to maintain a record of your medical history as it makes the diagnosis easier. Moreover, it saves your time as well. Also, keep the list of medicines(if you take any). The doctor will need to know that too. It will let the doctor know how to treat you and what kind of medicines you are allergic to.
Ask for paid sick leave.
You cannot perform your task if you are feeling sick. Look for an agency that will let you accrue sick time! Agencies that don’t pay sick time will not pay for your guaranteed hours in most cases, and you don’t want to be caught trying to pay bills and being sick at the same time!
Your agency is there to help!
A great agency will want you to take care of yourself while you are on assignment and will help you to do so in the event that you get sick. Don’t be afraid to ask your recruiter in advance of signing your contract on what will happen if you get sick. Preparation is key! Healthcare travelers care for others; let your agency help care for you!
Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.
