You have arrived at the contract location and have 13 weeks to explore your new area. Let’s look at things you can do to make this a great travel nurse contract.
How to Make This a Great Travel Nurse Contract.
You have 13 weeks! It sounds like a lot of time…beware, your travel nurse contract will go extremely quickly. Don’t put off exploring the new neighborhood.
Check out Local Events
The first thing to do is find out where the local events are posted or published. There are multiple places to look to find local events and activities. Most larger cities have a free entertainment magazine of some sort. These are generally found at convenience stores, grocery stores, local coffee shops, bars, or similar places. Look near the entrance or ask your co-workers. Another place to look for local events is the travel nurse community. A quick Facebook search for the visitors’ bureau or ‘city events’ should bring up several options of pages that you can ‘like’ and follow for up-to-date events. Having a great travel nurse contract can sometimes be simply because of some of the activities and experiences you took advantage of during the contract.
Connect with other Travel Nurses
If you’re looking for other travelers in the local area to hang out with, try connecting to other travelers via our Facebook group!
Plan Ahead
The travel contract will go by quicker than you think. Plan ahead (as the scheduling allows) for fun excursions, activities and events. Invite your co-workers to join you! Time will fly by, so don’t put it off and make this a great travel nurse contract.
Leave Town
Go outside the local area. Find out what’s around you. Perhaps there is a unique or interesting town within a day’s drive. A national park to explore or an opportunity for a weekend mini-vacation during your travel nurse contract. Ask your co-workers, the local coffee shop barista, or the hangout bar bartender. These people are full of information and are generally happy to share. Depending on your scheduling, you could potentially take several ‘weekend’ trips out of town. Schedule them.
13-Week Contract Flow
Figuring out how to fit some fun into your travel contract can be a little difficult at first. The first two weeks on a travel nurse contract are generally pretty chaotic and sometimes a little stressful as you begin to acclimate to the new facility and co-workers. Many travel nurses have found that their contracts generally break down as follows:
Week by Week
- #1 Excitement/Fear/Introductions.
- #2-4 Learning curve.
- # 4-6 weeks 4-6 are when many travel nurses begin to fall into a good groove on the job.
- #6-10 This is prime time to take in the sights.
- #10-13 This is where things can become monotonous. The great thing is that this is also when you will probably be working with recruiters and seeking out your next adventure.
You will fall into your own 13-week flow and figure out where you’re most likely to be able to get out and enjoy the area that you’re in. One final word of caution….Don’t put it off for ‘tomorrow.’ 13 Weeks can pass by incredibly quickly. Make sure to make the most of your Travel Nurse Contract.
