By Alex McCoy

January 12, 2024

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The Best Ways to Meet People on Travel Nurse Contracts

For first-time travel nurses, it may be a bit of a shock to discover that the hardest part of the new gig isn’t adjusting to the actual work–it is adjusting to all of the time you have to fill on your days off. Without social or familial obligations, your free time on assignment can start to feel abundant, and not always in a good way. 

Especially if you are a social person, it may take some time to adjust to your new lifestyle. But the great news is with modern technology and tons of networking opportunities for travelers, it has gotten much easier to meet new people all across the country. 

Networking is key as a travel nurse. Meeting and connecting with other travelers tends to have a domino effect. You meet someone on one contract, then connect with a mutual friend on the next contract, or run into each other at a conference with other friends, and before you know it, your circle has grown! Not only does this help with loneliness, but it can even help you find housing or secure contracts in the future based on hearsay. 

Here are a few ways to start the networking process:

travel nurse

Attend the Traveler’s Conference

The Traveler’s Conference, or TravCon, is a yearly conference in Vegas designed specifically for healthcare travelers. This is a great way to meet new travel healthcare friends from all over. Between networking events, free happy hours, and educational sessions, you will meet and mingle with tons of people who “get it” when it comes to the travel nurse lifestyle. 

Join the MedVenture App

MedVenture is a platform designed by travel nurses for travel nurses. Their app is kind of like a giant online forum specifically for travelers. You can search for people currently living in your area or look for meetups being hosted near wherever you are. 

Network on Facebook Groups

Even if you aren’t an avid Facebook user, the groups can be a great way to meet other people in your area. The Gypsy Nurse Network has almost 200,000 members, so it is a great place to post and just say, “Hey, I’m in X area and would love to meet up with other travel nurses!” You can also try searching for specific travel nurse groups for your city. 

travel nurse

Get Out and About

Even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first, don’t be afraid to get out and about on your own! Whether you find gym classes, a local library with activities, or just hang around your neighborhood coffee shop, getting out is key to meeting new people. One thing is guaranteed–you will not meet anyone sitting at home in your apartment.

Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out

Have an acquaintance in a new city that you haven’t seen for a while? Does your recruiter have other travelers in the area? It’s always worth sending a quick email or message just saying, “Hey”. You might be able to connect with someone you end up really enjoying.

Of course, all of these options do require you to put yourself out there, which can be a learned skill! It can feel super intimidating or impossible to reach out to strangers in the beginning, but it gets easier over time. Plus, the more people you know in different areas, the more connections you have as you continue to move around. 

If you ask most experienced travel nurses what their favorite part of traveling is, a lot of them will say the people they meet. Travel nurses tend to be open, fun, and eager to make friends. They are also some of the most interesting people you will ever meet. So don’t be afraid to get out there and meet your people! 

Interested in a travel nursing job? Our job board is a great place to search for assignments, and if housing is an issue, our housing page can help. It’s time to make a difference!

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By The Gypsy Nurse

July 5, 2017

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Making New Friends in a New Town

Travel Nurse Across America® provided this article

Tips to social success as a travel nurse

So you are on your latest adventure as a travel nurse…you landed the ideal job in your dream city, packed up, and settled in. Now what? Suddenly, you have some time on your hands and no one to share it with, nowhere to go, and you’re feeling a little lonely. It’s perfectly normal to go through this type of adjustment stage as a travel nurse. And, with the stressful demands of your job, sometimes it’s better to keep a more moderate schedule. However, that doesn’t mean living like a hermit. Socializing is very important for everyone’s mental and emotional health. To keep nursing and life balanced, you should stay connected with people, feel needed and appreciated outside of work, and look for opportunities to meet new people that can add richness to your life.

Here are a few ways to meet and win new friends while on a travel nurse assignment. They may not all be right for your particular personality, but keep an open mind and be sure to give some a fair try. Here’s hoping you are on the road to popularity very soon.

Network

One of the fastest ways to meet new people is through your existing friends. Ask if they know people in your new location. This can be an excellent source of new friendships because your current acquaintances know your personality and might be able to match you with those who share common interests.

Be approachable at work

You don’t want to limit all your friends to co-workers because that would leave very little variety to your day. However, it is an excellent place to start. Grab lunch or take a walk with others in your department. You will learn who is a good fit quickly, then perhaps it can grow into after-work get-togethers.

The fitness factor

Join a gym or sign-up for a class. Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, and other fitness classes are all popular ways to get exposed to a group of diverse people. These also provide flexible commitment on your part. You set your time at the gym and usually roam away from a conversation if it’s not working for you. Classes have set time limits, so you know there is little time at the start and finish if you want to pursue a new friend further.

Start a club

Once you have a few people that seem to fit well with your personality, engaging regularly can be very helpful to help those relationships grow. Host a book club, regular dinner potluck, or even a wine and cheese tasting to bring people together.

High-tech options

As the name suggests, social media is a place to foster socializing. Look for Meet-Ups, Facebook pages and groups, event pages, and apps that are designed to connect people with similar interests. Always use precautions to stay safe. Never give out personal information online, meet only in well-lighted public places, inform someone about any meetings with location details, etc.

Open up

While it’s not advisable to download your entire life story at a first encounter, it is often helpful to share about yourself gradually to grow a relationship. Showing emotion and confiding in someone you trust can help bolster a casual friendship into something more valuable to both parties.

Tread lightly on work talk

Most of your life may be consumed by your work, and it is undoubtedly a proud part of your day. However, nursing may not be interesting to everyone. Share on a gradual basis and gauge reception from your audience. And be sure never to share personal details about your patients or information that can be linked to a specific person. Privacy and discretion should always be your top job despite how rousing the details may be.

Maintain

Once you have done a great job meeting new people and forming a few friendships, you must keep them going. Any relationship takes some effort. Try to schedule regular “dates” or activities. Go for coffee, have a monthly movie night, commit to trying a new restaurant regularly, or even have a “call date’ to chat. In a world of instant technology and texting, it is still imperative to have live conversations for a relationship to last.