Travel Nursing Blog

Part of my job is speaking with fellow nurses on a daily basis.  I speak with nurses about the upsides and downsides of travel nursing, local contract nursing and staff nursing.  I speak with nurses from all walks of life.  Some nurses I speak with work in prisons, some in doctor’s offices, some in outpatient clinics and some in hospital settings.

We always talk about the structure of working in various settings.  What is the pay, the scheduling, the benefits, the retirement packages and so on.  Some like what they hear; others not at all and then there are those that want to “think about it”.  While I will have varying degrees of responses to the pay and benefit structures there is always one common thread with each and every nurse I interact with.  This thread is they are ALL looking for something else.

I literally speak with hundreds of nurses a week.  The searing question in my mind is why so many are looking for something else.  What is it they are looking for?  For many years I fooled myself into thinking it was all about the money, or scheduling flexibility or benefits.  I have come to the realization that I have been wrong on all counts.  Oh sure, there will be a very small minority that will say I am wrong and that IS what I am looking for.  But even with these nurses I think a little introspection will reveal that even that minority will eventually admit that they too are wrong.

So what is it that nurses ARE looking for?  It is actually quite simple.  Nurses are looking for things money can’t buy.  They are looking for respect from peers, supervisors and patients.  They are looking for conditions that make them feel good about their practice.  This can include working environments with patient ratios that can allow them not only to med pass but to teach.  This can also include work environments that provide tools to permit and encourage good patient care practices.  Nurses are looking for work environments where co-workers are also friends.  They are looking for employment opportunities where employers see value in them; employers that treat them as colleagues and not as employees.  They are looking for employers that are willing to work with scheduling that can accommodate family needs of the nurse.  Nurses want employers that recognize not just the importance of the nurse, but of the nurse’s family and outside life as well.  Last (but not least) nurses want to walk out of work feeling that they did a good job and that they made a difference in someone else’s life - no matter how small.

Oh sure, money and benefits are important.  However, in my many discussions with nurses from all walks of life I have found nurses that will walk away from high paying jobs because they never found what they are really looking for.  By the same token I have found many nurses who will not leave a lower paying job because they have.

What truly strikes me as sad is how many nurses never really find what they are looking for.  Not too long ago I spoke with a nurse in tears telling me that she has fifty thousand dollars in student loans and after one year in nursing she realizes she made a fifty thousand dollar mistake.  While I was speaking with her I realized that not only did she not find what she was looking for but that she didn’t really even KNOW what she was looking for.  Incredibly, she only realized that what she found was not what she was looking for.

Perhaps there will be a day when most employers will realize what is really important to nurses.  While I am proud to say that I work with a company that does realize what is truly important to nurses and strives in all ways to provide it.  It is also with sadness that I say: as of yet, large numbers of nurse employers have not.  Perhaps one day that will change.

As the on-going nursing shortage creates additional open travel nursing jobs, more and more nurses are considering travel nursing.

For this discussion, let’s assume that you’re already on a travel assignment that will be ending fairly soon.  As you begin your preparations to leave, you’ll typically be preoccupied with packing up your personal belongings for the trip home or to your next assignment.

Let’s not forget to “pack” something else - positive professional evaluations from your supervisors at the hospital.  This is something often overlooked in the hustle-bustle but it’s much easier to take care of this before you ever leave your current assignment.  Maintaining up-to-date evaluations will be invaluable to you in the future.  Let’s face it, for one reason or another, it’s usually quite difficult to get meaningful references after the fact so why not eliminate a big headache down the road.    Having them ready-to-go will be especially helpful in not holding up your future profile submissions.  With intense competition for travel jobs, any delay could cause you to lose your ideal travel assignment.  Let’s avoid that by always getting evaluations from each current assignment.

Several things to keep in mind about these references:

• These references should be from your direct supervisor, not co workers.  Any attending physicians’ letters of references would also reflect well on your service.
• The reference should directly address your clinical skills, competence, and proficiency.
• The evaluation should also address your dependability in terms of attendance and punctuality.
• The evaluation should address your positive attitude in terms of flexibility, team player attitude, and your willingness to put in extra hours during “crunch” times.
• Lastly, be sure the supervisor includes their contact information as some facilities may want to directly verify the reference.

If you’ll be sure to get these evaluations before leaving each assignment, you’ll maintain meaningful, personalized evaluations that will highlight your outstanding performance and will really stand out when your resume package is presented to hospitals.  These references will “shout” to the screener making it easy for them to see that you are their best choice for the assignment.

       When I’m not trying to figure out how we can place nurses into the best nursing jobs in the USA - I have a tendency to be philosophical. This blog entry is one such occurrence.

       We are, as a society, suffering from information overload. There are precious few places to avoid it. The obsession for most of us grows into an addiction - we just can’t live without it.

       Maybe we can forget for just a moment about things like global financial meltdowns - Presidential politics - Sarah Palin’s Moose hunting skills and where Brad and Angelina are planning to sell the placenta from their most recent addition (ebay I hear).

        But then again, maybe not.

The Problem

        As we move from our workplaces to our homes and every place in between, we are inundated. Those of us sitting at a computer every day open our browsers in the morning and we’re off to the races.

We get barraged with information about the state of the nation, oil prices and Britney Spears mental health. If we go out for lunch - many restaurants oblige us by having multiple televisions -broadcasting events of the day. Then we move to our cars and turn on the radio so that we don’t miss anything in the 20 minute drive home. If we stop off at a grocery store, we find magazines at the checkout and even in store televisions which feed our information “jones”. Then we go home and surf through 300 channels while simultaneously connected via laptop to rehash the day’s events.        

        And while I groan about much of what I see daily - I have to admit that I have been a willing participant in its creation. Those media folks are great statisticians and they know what we all want. That’s the biggest irony in all of this. We loathe what we obsess about (or so we say).

A Call to Action

       I heard someone say about 30 years ago, “If you want to have a better life, shoot your television.” In this information age, that should be expanded to say, “shoot your television, your computer and your PDA”. I am reminded of an old cartoon which depicted a man walking to his cubicle in the morning. As he was approaching his PC, the PC was shown to be thinking: “ahhh…here comes my slave”. I am that man.

       Its time for emancipation.

        I obviously can’t fix the whole information obsession culture. The only thing I can control is my participation in it. So here is what I plan to do:

1) Use Google as my browser homepage, so I don’t get all the story “hooks” thrown at me when I open my browser.

2) Avoid “E!” Entertainment television

3) Cancel my wife’s subscription to People Magazine (really, its hers)

4) Listen exclusively to sports radio in the car (wait, I do that already)

5) Opt out of all my info-tainment emails

6) Go outside on occasion.       

Footnote: Brad and Angelina aren’t really selling the placenta on ebay. I made that up, plus it would be trashy.

I believe they’re actually auctioning it at Sotheby’s.

Now go outside!

One of the hallmarks of travel nursing is the fact that usually the nurse is on the road, often away from home computers.  Traveling nurses sometimes go to a library or use communal computers for such tasks as processing with a new travel nursing company, checking e-mails, and  sometimes performing financial transactions (online banking etc.).  This can expose a travel nurse to greater risks than others with  jobs that  keep them local or near their home computer where (hopefully) anti-virus software and firewalls keep the computer secure.  Below are tips for travel nurses to decrease online risks while on the road.

General security

• Don’t use public or shared computers for online banking or investment transactions.
• Don’t give out your account password to anyone, even someone claiming to be from your online service. Your account can be hijacked, and you can find unexpected charges on your bill.
• Be careful about giving out your credit card number, phone number and home address. Never provide your Social Security number to anyone unless required by law (employers, banks, government etc.).
• Email is relatively private — but not completely. Don’t put anything into an electronic message that you wouldn’t want to see posted on a neighborhood bulletin board.
• Delete junk email without even reading it. Never download an email attachment from an unknown source. Opening a file could expose your system to a virus.
• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security.
• Don’t “unsubscribe” on unwanted, un-requested or unsolicited e-mail. That just lets the senders know that they had reached a valid email address. Don’t sign up for free offers.

Shopping online

• Know who you’re dealing with. Confirm the online seller’s physical address and phone number in case you have problems.
• Know what you’re buying. Read the seller’s description of the product closely, especially the fine print. Name-brand items at unusually low prices might be stolen or counterfeit.
• Know what it will cost, including shipping and handling. Never send cash.
• Pay by credit or charge card. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them.
• Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates. A Federal Trade Commission rule requires sellers to ship items as promised or within 30 days after the order date if no specific date is promised.

Phishing and identity theft
You may receive emails that appear to be from a financial institution, bill paying service, government agency or other business that say something like:

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”

Do not reply, and do not click on the links. The messages direct you to a website that looks legitimate, but it is a trick to get you to reveal personal information and passwords. Operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

Forward these emails to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems.

• Email is not a secure method of transmitting information, so never use it to transmit financial information. Legitimate businesses should not ask you to send sensitive information by email.
• Area codes can mislead. Some scammers send an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a “refund.” Because they use voice over internet protocol technology, the area code you call does not reflect where the scammers really are.
• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.

So you’ve made a decision to take the plunge and accept your very first travel nursing job?

Congratulations!

Maybe you’re suddenly in an empty nest - with children grown and gone. Or maybe you’re just looking for an adventure. In any case, Travel nursing can be exciting and rewarding, both personally and financially.

That said, if you want to get the most out of the experience, you may want to look inward before you head out.

It Will Be Different

No matter what your current work conditions, you need to understand and accept that travel nursing will be different than your current job.

Difference #1: It’s in a different place (duh!).

This may appear painfully obvious. However, one of the challenges a first time traveler faces is being homesick. It will pass quickly (usually within the first 2 weeks - we hear) but you need to be prepared for it.

Some other challenges of being in a different place are (duh-again) not knowing where anything is! Many people thrive on new environments and the excitement of venturing out. Others - not so much.

The internet is a great tool to prepare yourself before you leave. You can search for churches, grocery stores, hair salons, video stores and all manner of personal needs on the internet before you head to your assignment. This will help you feel settled before you are settled. Your recruiter can also be your ally. Our recruiters will help you in any way they can so that you can enjoy your assignment and be successful. Let us know how we can help.

Difference #2: They do things differently than I’m used to

Before you travel, it is essential to know who you are and how you will adapt (or not adapt) when faced with change.

Some time ago, we had a nurse who was quite challenged at her first travel nurse assignment. She had been a nurse for more than 10 years at the same hospital and she had much trouble adapting her practice to a new environment.

In her old job (her specialty is M/S - with Tele) she was used to luxuries like IV Team - hospital dispatched code team - 24 hour pharmacy that mixed and calculated all drips by order. When she got to her new assignment, they did not have these amenities. Further, she was uncomfortable with what the hospital permitted their technicians to do. She never fully clarified that concern, but our understanding was that it was “just different” than what she was used to.

Such problems or potential problems can be averted by asking the right questions when you speak to the nurse manager before accepting any assignment. Many first time travelers are reluctant to seek much information for fear of not getting the assignment. In our experience, any good nurse manager will appreciate thoughtful questions which will prep the nurse for a successful assignment.

We have developed a great list of potential questions you may wish to consider asking in your interview. The list is an excellent tool to at least get you thinking about the potential differences you might encounter. Having the right attitude toward change or potential change will greatly increase your chances of success at your first travel assignment. Being informed will help foster that right attitude. Be sure to ask your recruiter about our interview preparation before you talk to the nurse manager at your potential assignment.

Difference #3: Everything Else

Simply put - when you take a travel nurse assignment - almost everything is different. That said, travel nursing can be the most rewarding experience of your professional career (if you’re mentally prepared)!

My nursing school taught a “values clarification” module that preached introspection - knowing who you are. That concept is valuable in life and in nursing.

It is hard to know how you will respond to all situations before they present themselves. But it is absolutely essential to know who you are before you venture out. Travel nursing requires open mindedness and forward thinking.

A friend of mine says, “the only thing constant is change”. Embracing that paradox can make you successful in life and in your first travel nursing assignment.

Enjoy the trip!