This article is provided by: Health Providers Choice.
What Nursing in an Underserved Community can Teach You
We’re used to a certain quality of life, which is why it’s such a culture shock when we experience other people living below that threshold. For travel nurses working in underserved communities, the experience can take some getting used to. But once you learn to do more with less, it’s easy to see how working with an underserved population can help you become a better nurse and a more empathetic caregiver. Here are here are some things travel nursing in an underserved community can teach you.
We go where we’re needed
It’s no surprise that every travel nursing assignment you accept will be a little different. But sometimes, you’ll be placed in a city or hospital that has fewer resources than you’re used to. For some nurses, operating in conditions with fewer supplies or less equipment, caring for patients with less education about health and wellness, or living in a city with higher poverty rates can be shocking.
Travel nurses go where they’re most needed. In many cases, the places that need us the most have much less in the way of resources than we may think. However, these situations have valuable lessons to teach us. We must approach each assignment.
With compassion, and find ways to give back to the communities we serve, not only to make a difference in our patients’ lives but also to learn about ourselves in the process.
Every opportunity provides lessons to learn
You may be placed in many situations while on an assignment that requires understanding, compassion, and patience. While working in an underserved community, each situation can teach you a valuable lesson. For example:
Lessons to be learned:
- If you’re working in a hospital with a tight budget and limited supplies, you will have to learn how to make do with the materials you have to administer quality patient care. This can teach you important skills in being resourceful. However, it is important to remember that if you feel patient safety is at stake, you should immediately communicate that to your agency so that any safety issues can be addressed.
- In areas with limited access to public education resources, you may encounter severe cases of widespread health problems. These cases will require additional patience and compassion as you educate your patients on basic aspects of wellness.
- In some areas, your patients may not be as even-tempered or patient as they have been in others. These situations will require a greater level of tact and fortitude than you may have needed in the past. In time, you’ll be able to deliver outstanding patient care to the most volatile of patients.
- You may encounter patients with very different backgrounds from yours. By talking to your patients and learning more about their lives and hardships, you’ll have a greater understanding of your patient population, their needs, and your privileges.
Each of the skills you learn on the job will benefit you both during and beyond your 13-week assignment. You’ll be able to carry these skills on to every job you do moving forward, whether in underserved communities or not. Many nurses come away from jobs in underserved communities with a new outlook on life and a greater determination to help those in need.
Learning how to work and deliver quality patient care in the toughest of situations will make you a stronger, heartier, and better nurse for the duration of your career. You’ll be able to help other nurses along the way. And you’ll be more resourceful, more compassionate, and more level-headed should any undesirable circumstances occur.
