Nursing has its own share of stress. No matter your level of experience, there will always be tough days on the job. Here's a little secret: travel nursing is no exception!
If anything, it can be even more stressful than permanent nursing positions for several reasons.
As a travel nurse, you likely face unique stressors that other nurses don't. From constantly moving to work long hours, the job can be demanding and overwhelming at times.
However, by employing some simple techniques, you can reduce your stress level and enjoy your work much more by using some simple methods.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best ways to deal with stress while traveling. Read on to learn more!
Why Does Travel Nursing Bring More Stress?
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Travel nursing is undoubtedly a rewarding job, but it has its negative side. Click here to get a complete guide on how to become a traveling nurse. Anyway, there are a few reasons why travel nursing can be more stressful than permanent nursing positions, including:
No room to relax at home- Travel nurses are constantly moving around and are never in one place for long enough to settle in. When they take time off from work, there's still a lot of packing and unpacking as they move from contract to contract.
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Leaving family and friends behind- Travel nurses have great opportunities to see new places and meet new people, but they must sometimes leave their loved ones behind. This can be tough, especially if you have young children.
Longer hours- Travel nurses often work longer hours than permanent nurses do. This can lead to burnout if you're not careful.
How Do Travel Nurses Deal With The Inevitable Stress That Comes With A New Job?
A recruiter is the best ally to have in a travel nursing career. They’re a knowledge keeper, stressing the importance of honest communication. A good recruiter will get you in front of the hiring manager while also getting your foot in the door with a resume that you may not have written yourself.
But what happens when they relocate? Well, they’ll let you know! Recruiters are there to field questions and connect travelers with their next opportunity. After all, no one wants to sit behind a screen for hours scouring job postings looking for their next gig. When people think about applying for jobs online, they picture endless frustration and hair loss from pulling it out. But with a recruiter at your side, this isn’t an issue!
Apart from it, there are a few more tips that will help you to cope with the stress of the new job:
1. Understand what your job entails
Before taking a new travel-nursing assignment, make sure you fully understand the job's demands. You will want to know your schedule, how many patients you'll be responsible for, and what patient population or specialty the assignment requires.
Be sure to read the job description thoroughly. If there is anything that seems unclear to you, ask questions! You can ask questions of human resources (HR) representatives at the facility (they're often called "travel coordinators" or "staffing coordinators").
Finally, contact your recruiter with any additional questions and, if necessary, speak with their supervisor; they are there to help guide you along each step in your journey as a travel nurse!
2. Get to know your co-workers
One of the most daunting parts about becoming a travel nurse is having to work and travel with many different people. You may be new in their hospital, or they may be new in yours! It's totally fine if you're not comfortable with working alongside strangers.
When this happens, it's especially important to get to know your co-workers before you start working together. You can do this by talking via phone or text message or meeting up in person.
FaceTime is also another great way of getting familiar with who you'll be spending time with on the job!
3. Develop a rapport with your manager or supervisor
You might want to get to know the people you will be working with and for. If you are lucky enough, your recruiter may have inside information on them.
They may have worked with this manager or supervisor before, but they can also share personal details like what they like and dislike, their management style, etc.
Take advantage of social media such as LinkedIn, where you can find out a lot of valuable things about people by just checking out their profiles. A little bit of Googling can turn up interesting tidbits about a person that would help break the ice if you meet them in person.
4. Get an understanding of your work schedule
A good understanding of your work schedule will help alleviate some stress when starting your new job. Ask as many questions as you can before accepting the assignment.
You don't want to find yourself in a situation where there are mandatory overtime or weekend shifts because you didn't ask questions prior to accepting the job. Keep in mind that schedules can change during the assignment.
If you've made plans for yourself or your family, make sure that you can adjust to the new schedule.
5. Prioritize a healthy lifestyle
Is travel nursing stressful? One of the most fantastic tips for dealing with stress is prioritizing a healthy lifestyle. To maintain a healthy lifestyle while working as a travel nurse, you must exercise.
A simple way of doing this is by going for walks around the hospital or running with other travel nurses in their spare time! You should also eat well and sleep enough so that your body has enough energy throughout each day- don't forget about getting "me" time, too--it's crucial if we want our mental state ready for anything else life throws at us.
6. Maintain a good relationship with others
One of the most important things you can do to cope with the stress of being a travel nurse is to maintain a positive relationship with others. A positive personal relationship is a critical component of happiness, but maintaining a good professional relationship at work is also essential for healthy well-being.
It's best to keep your relationships as separate as possible; don't try to mix your personal and professional lives. It's fine if you enjoy chatting with some of your coworkers during downtime, but it's not advisable to become too close too soon. First and foremost, you're on assignment for work, not leisure.
When dealing with coworkers and new friends, make sure you set boundaries early on about how much time you'll spend together or will be available in case they need anything outside of work hours—and stick to those boundaries! If things ever start getting stressful between people in any context, focus on being positive and looking at the bright side.
You should try your best never to let any interpersonal problems grow into something bigger than they have to be.
7. Have balance in your life
As a travel nurse, you'll be working long hours and going through a lot of different situations. So it is even more vital that you get enough time to relax, unwind and recharge. If you can't balance your professional life with your personal life, you risk burning out or having health problems.
Don't skip vacation time. Most travel nurses are contract workers, but that doesn't mean they have to work all the time. Don't be tempted to stay in one place for longer than the contract period because there is no PTO (paid-time-off).
Take your vacation days and make sure you allocate some downtime for yourself every once in a while. Don't let your job take over your life!
A New Nursing Position Often Brings Stress
We could have named this section “the stress is coming,” but we figured you'd get enough of that from your travel agent. We'll be honest; there's no way to avoid the stress of a new position entirely -- you're going to be working with a new team and moving to a new city or even country. You may also not know much about where you're going and who you'll be working with.
The best thing you can do is prepare for the inevitable stress by doing whatever it takes to make yourself feel comfortable in your surroundings. If moving somewhere new overwhelms you, ask your travel agent for tips on doing things in the area. They've been there, done that!
If getting used to new equipment stresses you out, research what kind of technology will be available at the facility and explore how it works beforehand.
Asking questions and looking into the things that can make life more manageable while away from home will help reduce uncertainty (which contributes significantly to stress) before it arises!
Summary - Is Travel Nursing Stressful?
Stress is a natural part of life, but it can become overwhelming if we don’t have healthy coping mechanisms. Hopefully, the tips we shared will help you manage your stress levels and maintain your sanity while being a traveling nurse.
What are some of your favorite ways to deal with stress? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
FAQs
1. What is the travel nursing contract length?
The average length of a travel nursing contract is 13 weeks, but contracts can range from 8 to 26 weeks.
There are a variety of reasons why you might want to extend your contract length, such as wanting to explore a new city for longer or having loved your experience at a particular facility and wanting to stay there longer.
Ultimately, it depends on what you're looking for in a travel nursing experience.
2. Do travel nurses get to pick where they go?
It depends on the agency you work for. Some agencies will let you pick where you want to go, while others assign you to a specific facility.
If you have your heart set on a specific city or state, it's best to research the agencies that serve that area and see their policies.
Even if an agency doesn't let you pick where you go, there's still a lot of flexibility in travel nursing. For example, you can usually choose what type of facility you want to work in (e.g., hospital, clinic, long-term care facility), and some agencies will even let you request specific shifts or days off.
3. Do travel nurses make a lot of money?
It depends on their pay rate and the cost of living in their destination city.
For example, a travel nurse who works in San Francisco may make more money than one who works in Nashville because living costs are higher in San Francisco. However, a nurse who works in Los Angeles may make less money than a nurse who works in Nashville because living costs are lower in Los Angeles.
So it varies from case to case. But generally speaking, travel nurses make more money than regular nurses because they are willing to work in different locations, and they are not tied down to one specific place.
