January 10, 2022

5544 Views

7 Tips to Succeed as a Travel Nurse

Posted on January 10, 2022December 20, 2021 by Kevin Devoto

Taking an assignment as a travel nurse can be exciting and rarely dull. You will probably always feel on the move. If your passion is for helping people, but you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to stay in one environment for long, being a travel nurse could be the career for you. If you have nursing experience but decided to try life as a travel nurse, here are several tips to get you going and help you succeed as a travel nurse.

Decide Where You Want to Live

Once you know where you’re going, do some research and decide in what part of town you would prefer to live. You may enjoy living downtown or opt for a place within walking distance of work. Maybe you would like to be in a more private residential area.

Be Flexible

If you are new to a travel nurse company, you may or may not have much freedom or flexibility to choose the area for the assignment. These companies are often good about working with their nurses when they can assist as part of revenue operations. However, the longer you are with a company, the more flexible it will usually become. Then, you can choose not only the location of your assignment but also the type of facility or a specific facility. However, it can be exciting to go places you wouldn’t normally consider.

Organize Your Life

As soon as you find out you have an assignment, you should begin preparing for your move. Ensure you have all the essential paperwork you’ll need, including health records, license information, etc.

Pack Efficiently

Most travel nurses work on 13-week assignments. Time goes by fast, so it’s probably not necessary to take everything you own with you only to have to move it again. There are some things it would likely be more cost-effective to buy when you get there rather than to carry with you.

Arrive Early

Take some extra time on your first day to get to work. You will probably be nervous, and if you’re feeling anxious from feeling rushed, it could set the mood for the whole day, especially if you end up being late. Try to arrive a bit early to make a good impression on your co-workers and have time to prepare for your workday.

Perform a Test Run

It can be helpful to perform a test run of your commute before your first day on the job. Do just as you would on a typical day of work, getting up and out the door when you predict you’ll need to to get to work in time. You may find that traffic is worse than you expected, and you need to head out 10 minutes earlier. You may find that there is a better route to take to avoid some of the heavier traffic. It helps to be as prepared as possible before your first day; because first days are already stressful without combining a totally new location to the mix. You may also want to check out the parking situation at the facility if you think there could be a problem finding an open spot.

Also, if you’re working in a larger facility, walk to your work area to figure how long it will take to walk to that destination. For example, if you’ll be working on the fifth floor of a hospital and you discover the hospital has slow elevators, you may need to take that into consideration when deciding what time to begin your commute.

Explore and Enjoy

One of the most fun things about being a travel nurse is exploring new places and meeting new people. Cultivate friendships with your co-workers and ask about recommendations on places to go in and around your town. You are likely to experience many new adventures during your time as a travel nurse. Take these tips into consideration today and begin planning for your next exciting assignment.

We hope you found this article on 7 tips to succeed as a travel nurse helpful. Do you have any tips for your fellow travel nurses on how to succeed? Comment your tips to succeed as a travel nurse below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

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

By Timothea Bradley

January 8, 2022

4917 Views

10 Tips For Keeping a Balance Between Life and Nursing Work

Posted on January 8, 2022January 16, 2023 by Timothea Bradley

It turns out that nurses are the most popular and wanted professionals in the whole healthcare industry. Nurses have a very important job that not every person can handle. Sometimes, nurses can’t even keep the balance between life and work. As a result, it burns them out.

But there is a way to distance yourself from your everyday work. The tips below will help you to balance your work and life so that you won’t burn out. You can get the needed rest while you finish work, and it won’t affect your life.

Tips for balancing life and nursing work.

Deal with Conflicts Immediately

It might surprise you, but dealing with conflicts right away is a great way to clear your mind when you are at work or home. For example, something happened at work, and instead of solving the conflict, you go home and keep thinking about how to solve it. The best idea is to deal with the conflict immediately. Whether it’s a conflict with a friend at home or a work conflict, it won’t let you relax or focus on work.

Accept Certain Things

Nursing is a difficult job since it requires some level of empathy. You need to accept the fact that certain things can’t be changed. You don’t have to think about certain things or situations all the time since it impacts your well-being. If you keep thinking about different situations that you can’t change, it will burn you out. Accept that you can’t change everything. It’s normal, and don’t let these thoughts bug you.

Define Your Life Goals

Yes, you are a nurse, and you want to help people. But is it the main life goal? You aren’t just a nurse; you are also someone else. For example, you can be a parent or a child, a wife or a husband; you could be someone’s friend, loved one, etc. Figure out what you want to achieve in life so you can find peace and move towards accomplishing your goals and finding your place in life.

Healthy Lifestyle

A lot of people underestimate the role of a healthy lifestyle on their mental health. There is even a saying – a sound mind in a sound body. It’s extremely important to lead a healthy lifestyle to make sure you feel good. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym or stick to a strict diet to achieve great results. Just make sure you have time to do some exercise, even walking in a park works. And eat healthy and nutritious food.

Make It Simple

When a habit is too complicated, we drop it. But when we can’t leave something, it annoys us and makes us feel bad. If your work life is too complicated, then you should simplify it. For example, download and install all the necessary apps that you need to communicate with your patients. It’s sometimes easier to message someone or reply than have a phone call. Same with everyday life, make it simpler, so it won’t make you feel exhausted.

Time Management

It could be difficult to manage time at work and your personal life partially because it requires some sort of a schedule. If you don’t have a schedule to which you stick, it could easily burn you out. For example, show sympathy to your patients, but don’t spend all of your work time with just that 1 patient when you have others. Otherwise, you will have to use your free time to take care of other patients. Time management is very important, so try working on a schedule.

Develop Bonds

Bonding with your family members, friends, or partner is a step towards healthy relationships. The nursing job might take away some time that you spend with your loved ones. Make sure to set time when you spend time with people you care about. No job or other things should take away from you these moments.

Exercise

When your body is stronger, your mental health is also stronger. When you have a break, you can go on a walk. You may even go to a cafe to have a meal rather than drive in there. If the hospital has a gym, then you could consider using it. It would be very beneficial for you.

Take Breaks

You can’t help someone if you won’t take care of your needs in the first place. Make sure to have breaks in between visiting your patients. They don’t have to be too long, they should be sufficient for you to take care of your needs and have rest. Taking breaks makes sure you are in shape to help other people.

Get Enough Rest and Sleep

Sleep and rest are two basic needs of every human being. Without satisfying them, you can’t help anyone. You will be the one needing help if lack of rest and sleep develops into depression, insomnia, or some other illnesses.

Also, try to stick to positive moments in your life. Even if you have a conflict with someone, or you had an argument, don’t let negativity bug you. Try calling positive moments of the day. For example, you saw a happy mother who just had her newborn.

There is always more positivity than negativity in life, but people choose to remember negative moments. Be one of those individuals who go through positive moments of the day rather than negative situations.

We hope you found these tips for keeping a balance between life and nursing work. Do you have any ways you find balance between your personal life and work life? Comment them below.

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

START HERE

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

By Anna Johnson

January 7, 2022

7383 Views

Becoming a Nurse at 40. Am I Too Old?

Posted on January 7, 2022January 7, 2022 by Anna Johnson

Nursing is a lucrative career. Whether it’s your first job or you are looking to switch, it’s the most emotionally rewarding and physically devastating career you can come across. There’s a constant demand for nurses everywhere and not enough applications to fulfill the shortage. Your age shouldn’t be a causality to reject your application, but if you are not emotionally or physically fit – especially if you’ve never had any healthcare jobs – your age could be the deciding factor.

Anna is an educational freelance writer who has been helping women of age to secure their dream education and job. Anna specializes in writing about health, education, and Assignment Geek.

In this article, I’m going to educate you about the healthcare sector and whether you are still fit to take on nursing as a very demanding day job.

Why be a Nurse at 40?

Nursing is a career that, while being prospective, can soon become a nightmare for some. If you already have decided on taking nursing as your career at age 40, read on to know more about the benefits nursing delivers.

1. Diverse Backgrounds:

Nursing applicants come from diverse backgrounds and professions. While you don’t need a lot of specialized training to become a nurse, there are several nursing categories that need expertise and educational background to get into, like surgeries and trauma care, which pay well too.

No worries, being a nurse is not only about the first one to tackle the blood and bone. Taking care of recovering patients, keeping the families informed, managing others around your block all come under nursing. And being 40 means you are mature enough to empathize with the patients and take good care.

2. Looking After the Overlooked:

Nursing is a great opportunity for those who thrive by helping others—the givers.

Working as a nurse means to experience it all; all the blood and the beauty of the world. You’ll see birth, you’ll see death, but you wouldn’t ever be able to look at the clock again. If caring is your second nature, no matter the age, nursing is for you. Being able to take care of someone(or multiple ones), feeding them, cleaning them, is only going to make you regret your decision, but feed your feelings and, of course, bank account.

3. Life Experience at 40:

One of the thousands of reasons why you should be a nurse at 40. Your life experience is going to throw all others out of the park. Healthcare is all about experience and knowledge. As no one trusts a doctor who doesn’t have much experience, institutions would trust you more than a teenage girl for the most critical work around a healthcare facility – nursing.

4. Getting in Nursing is Fast:

You can get your complete nursing training with 58 hours of study and 800 hours of clinical experience through ABSN – an accredited nursing bachelor program that helps you get licensed. If you have any previous healthcare certifications, credits can even be transferred from those graduation certificates onto nursing courses to complete the certification within 18 months or less.

5. Better Management of Time:

When you are taking a certification course for nursing, you ought to find yourself more engaged in studies and organizing your time. More elder nursing students often find more work-life balance when starting out professionally than the younger ones. You, being 40, are going to approach the nursing career with more maturity than anyone else.

How to Be a Nurse at 40?

Just after you’ve decided to pursue nursing, the next question comes automatically. Am I ready to be a nurse at 40? Here’s how you would know if you are ready or not.

1. Physical Condition:

You should never consider nursing as a career if you are physically unwell. Nursing, being a physically demanding job, is enough to make you unwell. If you are not in your prime condition of health, think well ahead and consider a less physically demanding job.

2. Emotional Wellness:

You would be expected to keep your head high even if the world around you trembles while being a nurse. If you are mentally not very strong, it’s going to cause a lot of trouble. Do have a very good idea of how strong you are emotionally before applying.

3. Socialize:

While in nursing school, try socializing with other students to get a good idea of what is expected of you. Discuss with your college about the transferability of previous degrees and what additional training you can do while being in college for a better opportunity in the field of nursing.

The Bottom Line:

It’s never too late to become a nurse. There always exists ample vacancies and opportunities to explore. Your length of career doesn’t limit your chance to do good for the community with the opportunity to make use of the wisdom you’ve garnered throughout your whole life.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need to find housing for your travel nurse assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

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

By The Gypsy Nurse

January 6, 2022

3835 Views

Top 6 Affirmations That Boost Your Self-Worth

Posted on January 6, 2022January 6, 2022 by The Gypsy Nurse

Article Written By: Sherry Kimball.

Self-worth’s something that we’re all born with, but it doesn’t always stay there. It impacts how you feel, what you do, and how others perceive you. There are many affirmations that help boost our self-worth, but we’ll explore the top 6 in this post.

Self-worth and self-esteem start to drop when we get older, and life throws us lemons. After a while, it can be hard to feel good about yourself or your abilities. Positive affirmations are a great way to improve your self-worth by reminding you of the things that make you awesome. In many psychology studies, self-worth and self-esteem have been shown to improve with positive affirmations.

Self-worth is an essential aspect of one’s well-being. If we lack a high opinion of ourselves, it can be hard to take risks and do what makes us happy such as visiting one of the best dating sites to find a perfect partner. You can overcome self-worth issues over time by doing several things to make the process faster. In this blog post, we’ll discuss six positive affirmations to help boost your self-worth and make you feel better about yourself.

1. I’m Always Doing My Best

Sometimes, it’s hard to feel like you’re doing your best, and you might always be thinking about how you could have done better. It can lead to low self-worth and feelings of inadequacy. But this is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken in order to improve your self-worth. The power of thinking you’re doing your best is the key – when we believe in ourselves, it becomes easy for others to believe in us too. So if you’re looking for an effective tactic on how to self-worth yourself, start by thinking you’re doing your best.

2. I Love Myself Unconditionally

The affirmation that you love yourself for who you are is the most potent part of improving your self-worth. When you talk to yourself, what do you say? Do you tell yourself that you’re worthless or perfect? The truth is, your thoughts have power over you, and if they’re positive, they can make you feel good about yourself. Simply saying “I love myself” is a powerful statement that can make a difference in your life, boost your self-worth, and help you to start feeling better about yourself.

3. I’m Thankful for Every Day of My Life

It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of life that we forget to be grateful for all the good things happening. Living an extraordinary life means being thankful for every day in our lives, no matter how they start or end. When you wake up feeling grateful, your self-worth will increase, and it’ll have a positive effect on absolutely everything you do.

4. I’m the Author of My Own Happiness

Do you feel like your life is a constant struggle? Do you often find yourself angry, sad, and frustrated with the world around you? If so, it’s time to take charge of your own happiness. You might not know this, but your joy is in your hands. You can’t expect anyone else to do it for you. Improving your self-worth starts by taking responsibility for your own emotions and satisfaction. So do you engage in anything good that makes you happy to boost your self-worth?

5. I Strongly Believe in My Dreams and Visions

Many people have dreams and visions that they never take the time to pursue because they don’t believe in themselves. One of the best ways to boost your self-worth from work is believing in your dreams and visions. The truth is that you don’t need to be perfect or know everything about your objective before you start pursuing it. All you need is a little faith and determination, and then all of the steps will unfold in front of you. Believing in your dreams will boost your self-worth and provide a sense of purpose to life.

6. I Love My Body

Gratefulness is a powerful force that can help us boost our self-worth and live happier, healthier life. And if you’re going to be happy and obtain self-worthiness, why not start with loving your body? You might be surprised how much loving your body does for you all day and every day. Being grateful for your body is a great way to relieve yourself from insecurity and improve your self-worth and self-esteem in the process. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but by focusing on all the great things about your body, you’ll start feeling better about who you’re inside and out.

Conclusion

Positive affirmations are a powerful way to boost your self-worth, change your mindset, and shift your focus on what you want in life. When it comes to affirmations, you can’t just say one sentence or think about it for a few minutes, forget it, and expect a change in your self-worth and -esteem. Affirmations must be repeated over time until they become your self-worth foundation and a part of who you are.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse adventure? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for your next assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

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

By AMN Healthcare

January 5, 2022

6821 Views

Ways to Make More Money as a Nurse

Posted on January 5, 2022December 8, 2021 by AMN Healthcare

This article was provided by AMN Healthcare.

Nursing is a rewarding career that provides more than 3 million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States with various workplace choices and good salaries.

According to the 2016 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the median nursing salary for R.N.s is $68,450 per year. The job growth rate between 2014 and 2024 is expected to rise by 16 percent, higher than the average for other occupations.

Although compensation is not the primary driving factor for most nurses who enter the profession, there are several options for R.N.s who want to make extra money as nurses.

Nurses can choose immediate or long-term options, ranging from taking nursing side jobs or travel nursing assignments to advancing their education for future opportunities.

Where Do the Majority of Nurses Work?

The country’s 5,564 hospitals employ the majority of R.N.s. However, changes in healthcare delivery in recent years have resulted in earlier patient discharges and a growing number of nursing jobs outside the hospital setting. For instance, more chronic illnesses are now handled in outpatient clinics.

In addition to acute care, nurses can work in outpatient ambulatory care, community health agencies, physicians’ offices, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and other environments.

Nurse salaries can vary widely because of location, working environment, specific job responsibilities, and individual nurses’ qualifications.

How To Make More Money As A Nurse

1. Complete your BSN degree.

Research by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that 79 percent of R.N. employers prefer to hire nurses with a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) degree as entry-level employees. There also appear to be greater advancement opportunities for BSN-prepared nurses.

Magnet hospitals and those pursuing Magnet status must demonstrate that most of their nurses have BSN degrees or are on the educational path to earn this degree.

Some hospitals will offer nurses tuition assistance or student loan repayment, based on their commitment to continue their employment for a certain amount of time.

Today’s traditional and online BSN programs are designed to meet working adults’ professional and personal needs.

2. Pursue experience in a nursing specialty.

Decide on a nursing specialty that will meet your professional and personal goals, then complete certification courses to increase your knowledge and skills. Certified nurses have a better chance to earn the top pay in their field.

Some nurse specialties also offer better compensation than others, so doing some research early in your career may help you decide which path to pursue.

3. Volunteer to work overtime on occasion.

Working some overtime not only provides more money-making opportunities but can show management you’re a team member who’ll pitch in when needed. However, too much overtime can lead to fatigue or burnout, so set reasonable limits to guard yourself and your patients.

4. Get an advanced nursing degree.

Earning your graduate degree is one of the surest ways to make more money as a nurse, either as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), nurse manager, or other professional.

APRNs require a master’s degree and lead to more independent practice as either a nurse practitioner (NP), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), or clinical nursing specialist (CNS). CRNAs make the highest average salaries among all APRNs, averaging close to $160,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other career choices with master’s or doctoral degrees include working as a nurse educator or nurse researcher or climbing the healthcare administration ladder.

5. Get creative with nursing side jobs.

When deciding how to make extra money as a nurse, some savvy R.N.s find that nursing side jobs can help them achieve their goals. Such extra opportunities might include:

Working per diem shifts on one of your days off
Teaching patients how to use medical equipment at home
Providing care for homebound patients
Tutoring nursing students online
Working as a camp nurse during weekends or vacation breaks
Writing blogs or other content for nursing publications
Giving flu injections at doctor’s offices or special clinics
Teaching patient education classes

6. Become a travel nurse.

Experienced nurses with recent experience in their specialties can earn excellent compensation as travel nurses. Travelers work temporary contracts in their choice of locations around the country, and their travel nursing agency covers most of their expenses.

The shorter-term, critical staffing assignments offered by NurseChoice are some of the highest-paying jobs in the travel nursing industry. Employment benefits include a contracted nurse salary, free housing, bonuses, travel reimbursements, health insurance, 401K, and other standard employment benefits.

If making more money as a nurse is one of your top priorities, ask your nursing recruiter to connect you to the best-paying assignments.

Are you looking for your next or first travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Need to find housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

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

By Grant Oster

January 4, 2022

4750 Views

7 Easy Hobbies for Travel Nurses

Posted on January 4, 2022December 8, 2021 by Grant Oster

Travel nursing has its pros and cons, but the biggest pros of all will always be the hobbies you get to do. Wherever you go, to the mountains or the islands or the tropics, you’ll get a chance to pick up new hobbies or try another form of a hobby you already do. What are 7 easy hobbies for travel nurses you’ll find in almost every city?

Cooking a local dish

Let the locals introduce you to the dishes they like to eat. It might be a new way of roasting fish or a different kind of barbeque spice mix. The best part about learning how to make a local dish is that ingredients are usually easy to find in the area, and you don’t need to exert yourself to find spices, mixes, or sauces you need for the dishes.

Learn from a local instead of a recipe. Let them teach you how to cut the meat, how to choose the vegetables at the market, how to wait for the right level of oven heat. If you’re feeling adventurous, bring your favorite ingredients from your own home and create some fusion dishes while you’re at it!

Biking the city

If you anticipate being in a city for a while, buying and then pawning a secondhand bike might be the best way to go. You could also bring your own foldable bike right there with your luggage, ready to unleash your restless wheels on whatever city you find yourself in.

Why bike? First, you automatically get some exercise in. Travel nursing can keep you up on your feet your whole shift, but good old-fashioned cardio with a cool wind and no patients can be a restful hobby. Second, you get to explore the city without worrying about getting back to your home when your legs get tired of walking. And you might cut down on too much extra shopping!

Visiting antique shops

Maybe not necessarily antique shops. Hole-in-the-wall secondhand stores and pawn shops usually do as well. The best part is that what you find is probably not what you could easily pick up in any souvenir shop. And if you’re very lucky, you’ll find something with a little history to it that someone can tell you about.

Not sure where to start? Markets are always a fun area. Rather than going to large shops, look for smaller stores and little stalls with their own unique sets of wares. You might not find classic antiques, but the search might yield handcrafted or personally designed items that are better to bring home than a generic souvenir.

Backpacking in the local park or trail

There’s more to every city than its clinic and hospital, and sometimes the best thing to do is to get out of it for a while. Research and discover any local parks or hiking trails that can give you a nice, long walk if there are spaces for overnight camping, even better. If camping is your thing, you might already be carrying around your own backpacking gear to make it easier.

If you are an animal-lover or dabble in trees and flowers as well, backpacking will give you a chance to experience different kinds of environments across terrains and countries. Every time you need to move, you can look forward to a new backpacking experience.

Taking a long bus or train ride

Sometimes it’s the movement that matters more than the destination. This might be a weird thing to do for a travel nurse—aren’t you always on the move? But the truth is, you’re always on the move with a purpose, and that’s not any kind of vacation. But if you can find a park or tourist spot that’s quite a ways from the city, a long bus or train ride might hit the spot.

If you don’t particularly want to get out of the bus or the rest stop, go ahead and book yourself a round-trip ticket. Run the whole circuit, go down for coffee and snacks or just stay in the same bus if it’s also your ride back. Let the destination-less movement keep you going.

Trying a local hobby

What are they into where you’re going? Surfing? Skiing? Baking? Karaoke? See what the national sport or hobby is and give it a try. You might not end up actually surfing every day, but a couple of lessons might be fun. Friendly locals can give you a shot and help you understand why they love the hobby so much.

Like with local dishes, let the locals tell you what they love to do. Tourist books and websites can only go so far. When you bike around the city or as you meet your local colleagues, learn a little more about the culture and bonding activities that the locals enjoy. Who knows? They might enter your list of hobbies to hold on to!

Exploring art and photography

One thing is for sure: as a travel nurse, you’ll rarely find yourself in the same place in the same season. Or, you might get to live out 4 seasons of every year in a different place. When it comes to the vastly changing scenery, it becomes hard to explain how different places feel without another medium to help us.

If you have an eye for color and beauty, you might want to brush up and polish your art and photography skills. It might be as simple as mixing color palettes to match what you saw that day. It might be as complex as an oil painting or a beautifully rendered photo. Either way, it gives you an outlet for all the different scenes and skies you see as you travel.

How do you choose your hobby?

It depends on you! You might want a hobby you can carry with you anywhere, like a folding bike or a set of paints. You might want to pick up a hobby in each city you end up working in. Either way, as a travel nurse, there are so many opportunities wide open. Which one are you going to pick?

Check out our top city picks for 2022!

Are you looking for your next travel nurse adventure? Click here to view our job board. Are you trying to find housing for your upcoming travel nurse assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

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

By Amber Pickler

January 3, 2022

5768 Views

Tips and Advice for New Travel Nurses

Posted on January 3, 2022May 27, 2022 by Amber Pickler

So, you are taking your first assignment and you aren’t sure what to expect, or you are looking for some advice. We frequently see posts in our Facebook group asking for tips and advice for new travel nurses. Veteran travel nurses are great about giving advice and being there to mentor new travel nurses as they start their assignments. In this article, we put together some of the best advice we have seen in our Facebook group for new travel nurses.

If you have questions, ask them

If you aren’t sure how something works or even where something is at your new assignment, just ask. There may be a few people who get annoyed answering your questions, but most will be happy to help you.

Protect your license

Just because you are a travel nurse doesn’t mean you should have to take a bigger patient load. If the floor tries to give you a patient load that you don’t feel is safe, speak up. If it continues to be an issue where you are constantly getting a bigger or harder patient load, speak to your recruiter to see what can be done.

Don’t talk about how things were done at other hospitals

While you may have learned other ways or methods of doing things at your staff hospital or even at different assignments. Others at your current facility are most likely not interested in hearing “well at this facility we did it this way or we did this another way at my staff hospital.” It may be hard, but just keep it to yourself.

Breathe

We know that sounds crazy but just breathe. You may feel overwhelmed at times during your first assignment, but you will get through it. Take deep breaths and just remember that you have the experience and expertise to do the job. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be there. Your nursing skills don’t change just because your job location does.

Remember it is only 13 weeks

Just keep reminding yourself that the assignment is only 13 weeks. You can do it. If the assignment gets tough or you are just having a hard time with it, remember you are moving on in 13 weeks and your next assignment will most likely be nothing like your previous one. You can get through it, you wouldn’t have signed on if you didn’t think you could make it.

We hope these advice and tips for your first travel assignment were helpful. Do you have any advice and/or tips for new travel nurses or first travel nurse assignments? Comment them below.

New travel nurses, just remember: You got this!

Are you looking for your first travel nurse assignment or your next adventure? Click here to view our job board. If you need to find housing for your next assignment click here to search our housing page.

By Luke Smith

December 31, 2021

11241 Views

Things You Can Do to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Traveling Nurse Job

Posted on December 31, 2021January 18, 2023 by Luke Smith

Thank you for working towards a career as a traveling nurse. This is an occupation that is needed now more than ever. With COVID-19, people need medical help, and they can’t always leave their home to get it. This is truly a job that makes the world a better place.

If you are just beginning your journey. You likely need some guidance on the best way to land a traveling nurse job and the certifications you will need along the way. Let’s look at how to obtain your dream career.

Get Your Certifications

As with most medical careers, you will need the proper education and certifications to become a traveling nurse. As a general foundation, you will want to go to school and acquire either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The former is a two-year program and the latter a four-year endeavor.

Both of these degrees will teach you the technical and medical skills that you need to become a registered nurse (RN). Along with how to apply these skills to real-world scenarios. Once your education is complete, you will also need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) exam. Which really puts your skills to the test with a computer-based assessment that reviews your efficiency with every aspect of nursing. From health maintenance to physiological adaptation.

On top of your education and certifications, you will also need one to two years of experience before you can become a traveling nurse. You can get this experience in a hospital and gain the skills that you can show off on your resume. Generally, you will have your choice of specialties in which to gain this experience, whether that be in labor and delivery, ICU, or many other departments. You can also consult your school for a recommendation.

Write Your Resume and Cover Letter

Once you get the required education, it is time to put together a professional resume and cover letter to present to potential employers. Avoid using a generic cover letter. Instead modify it to the company where you are applying, including adding their address along with the person and department you are directing it towards. At the start, mention the position you are applying for and why.

Your resume and cover letter should have a mix of your past experience along with the qualifications you’ve earned up until this point. Your cover letter is a general summary, while the resume goes into further detail. Resume should include honors you received, your professional affiliations, and your best achievements thus far. When writing achievements, you want them to be specific and measurable, so an example is that you “improved patient ratings by 20% through passion and commitment.”

Your resume should include a combination of hard and soft skills. Hard skills include things you learn in schools, such as performing CPR or drawing blood, while soft skills are more like personality skills, including the ability to stay calm in stressful conditions and how to effectively communicate with coworkers and patients. As you gain more experience, continue to update your resume so you can impress future employers.

Acing the Interview

The final step to improving your chances for that traveling nurse job is to ace the job interview. Before you show up, take some time to research the hospital or company you will be working for. So you can impress when they inevitably ask what you know about the company. This also gives you a chance to ask questions. Not only about the establishment, but their values, the patients they serve, and more.

Next, take the time to research some common nursing interview questions. They may ask you about a time you dealt with a difficult patient, your most rewarding experience, or how you deal with the stress of nursing. Take some time to come up with quality answers to these questions. So you don’t hesitate when you are asked during the interview.

During all of this preparation, also make sure that your social media accounts are clean and presentable. Take down any inappropriate photos that you wouldn’t want an employer to see. Instead, add a profile photo of you in professional attire. If you want to keep your profiles separate from your professional life, then change the privacy settings so only your friends can see what you post.

As a traveling nurse, you are truly helping the world on a daily basis. Take the time to make the proper preparations and apply for these positions with confidence.

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

START HERE

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

By Medical Edge Recruitment

December 29, 2021

4968 Views

Tap into your Inner Gypsy: How to Decide if 2022 is Your Year to Travel

Posted on December 29, 2021December 21, 2021 by Medical Edge Recruitment

This article was provided by Medical Edge Recruitment.

Written By: Brittany Davie, Recruitment Consultant, Medical Edge Recruitment

The year is almost over. You’ve probably already created your New Year’s Resolution list and plan to publicly announce each resolution on social media. On that list are probably a few things that would make 2022 YOUR year. Making more money, traveling, and making new friends are likely at the top of the list. Are you ready to start scratching a few things off? Keep reading to discover if you should tap into your inner gypsy, take your career on the road, and become a Travel Nurse in 2022.

Desire to Seek New Adventures

Gone are the days where you get only one week to visit another city or state. If you desire to seek new adventures, you can decide where you want to visit and for how long as a travel nurse. With an 8+ week travel contract, you can ski in Colorado Springs, walk down the strip in Las Vegas, visit Disney World in Orlando, or see the Statue of Liberty in New York. In one year, you may be able to visit all four of these places and then some. You get to determine where your next adventure lies and how long you want to enjoy it.

Want To Make Connections

When experiencing new places, new people come into the picture, and who wouldn’t want more friends? If you want to make meaningful and memorable connections, not only should you see the world, but you should also meet its people. If we didn’t learn anything else during the Pandemic, one thing we did is that we humans need real live, personal connections. Talking through a screen is not enough. Traveling allows you to meet new people with a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The locals will tell you where all the “hot spots” are and inform you of the best their city has to offer. Your visit will be more memorable by being connected to people. You will return home with stories to tell of the people you’ve met and the places you’ve seen. The next time your friends want a break from their city, you will be their new go-to guy or gal for their next adventure.

You Love Your Freedom

There is nothing better than having the freedom to choose when and where you want to be at any given moment. If the weather, facility, or overall environment is not necessarily your cup of tea, you can always change your scenery. You can determine how long of a commitment you want to make, whether that is as little as 8 weeks or as much as 24 weeks. If you would like a break before starting the next assignment, there is no need to put in a request for time off and cross your fingers that it is approved. You can decide to take a week or two break before the start of your next assignment.

You want to Build your Resume

Gaining experience in different facilities increases your knowledge and earning potential. For every facility you contract with, you will gain useful skills, exposure to new systems, experience with state-of-the-art equipment, awareness of additional procedures, and familiarity within other sectors of health care that you may not otherwise become familiar. All the above will give you bragging rights that will make for an exceptional resume. As a travel nurse, you will show the next hiring manager you are full of industry knowledge, are adaptable, dependable, and an overall asset to the facility.

Desire to Make More Money

Can you use some extra cash? Maybe you have your eye on a new car, want to pay off debt, or just want to see your bank account grow. According to Travelnursing.org, you can make as much as 30% more than if you stayed local as a travel nurse. Some people can even double their current hourly rate by providing care in CRISIS facilities. If you are concerned about the potential cost of traveling, keep in mind that most staffing agencies offer some form of stipend or incentive to assist you in your travels, including transportation and housing, which allows you to take home as much money as possible.

Conclusion

Take another look at your New Year’s Resolution list and see if this list aligns with yours. I bet that at least three of the above are resolutions you have for 2022. If that is the case, tap into your inner gypsy by becoming a travel nurse, and make 2022 YOUR year!

Medical Edge Recruitment is the premier travel nursing recruitment agency specializing in providing top talent to clients in the healthcare industry. We connect clinical and allied providers to their ideal opportunities, focusing on building long-lasting relationships through honesty and transparency. Adventure awaits; let us show you where you can go in 2022!

We hope you enjoyed this article on tapping into your inner gypsy. Have you recently tapped into your inner gypsy? Was the experience good? Are there any tips or pointers you would give others thinking of tapping into their inner gypsy? Comment them below.

Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.

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

START HERE

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

Works Cited

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.travelnursing.org/why-travel-nurses-make-more-money/

Brusie, C. (2021, July 28). Travelnursing.org. Retrieved from https://www.travelnursing.org/why-travel-nurses-make-more-money/

Decide Where You Want to Live

Be Flexible

Organize Your Life

Pack Efficiently

Arrive Early

Perform a Test Run

Explore and Enjoy

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!)

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Deal with Conflicts Immediately

Accept Certain Things

Define Your Life Goals

Healthy Lifestyle

Make It Simple

Time Management

Develop Bonds

Exercise

Take Breaks

Get Enough Rest and Sleep

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!)

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Why be a Nurse at 40?

1. Diverse Backgrounds:

2. Looking After the Overlooked:

3. Life Experience at 40:

4. Getting in Nursing is Fast:

5. Better Management of Time:

How to Be a Nurse at 40?

1. Physical Condition:

2. Emotional Wellness:

3. Socialize:

The Bottom Line:

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!)

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1. I’m Always Doing My Best

2. I Love Myself Unconditionally

3. I’m Thankful for Every Day of My Life

4. I’m the Author of My Own Happiness

5. I Strongly Believe in My Dreams and Visions

6. I Love My Body

Conclusion

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!)

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Where Do the Majority of Nurses Work?

How To Make More Money As A Nurse

1. Complete your BSN degree.

2. Pursue experience in a nursing specialty.

3. Volunteer to work overtime on occasion.

4. Get an advanced nursing degree.

5. Get creative with nursing side jobs.

6. Become a travel nurse.