Travel nursing is an increasingly popular career choice for nurses looking to explore other cities, counties, and states. But it can be a difficult job, filled with challenges that most people don’t think about when they first consider the profession.
Travel nursing has many benefits compared to traditional nursing positions; you get to see different locations, make different connections, and gain unique experiences. It’s an enriching job with high earning potential and diverse patient populations—but it also comes with challenges that are unique to travel nurses.
From dealing with long hours away from home to juggling contracts across multiple states, travel nurses must confront a host of obstacles while they work. Get to know more about travel nursing by talking to travel nurses from Gifted Healthcare or just simply read on.
Jealousy about pay
As a Travel Nurse, you’re being hired to fill an immediate demand at a facility therefore you get higher pay. As a travel nurse, it can be difficult to face situations where you don’t necessarily make more than your peers with less work.
Jealousy about pay is unfortunately inevitable for many in this field. This can cause issues with workplace dynamics and overall morale because of the constant comparison between nurses, both in terms of hours worked per week and salary. This can thus create an oversight that can lead to burnout and negatively affect patient care. Ultimately, it’s important to have open communication so that everyone gets the equal respect they deserve.
Jealousy about shifts
Travel Nurses aren’t subject to seniority so they can easily get a position they desire or they can be assigned immediately without the long process needed. Jealousy is a common source of tension among travel nurses. It occurs when the idea of ‘fairness’ comes into question and one nurse feels as if his or her schedule isn’t appropriate for the amount of work being done.
This can lead to feelings of resentment from both sides and hinder patient care, team dynamics, and job satisfaction. Learning how to prevent or manage these emotions can help to ensure that shift jealousy doesn’t become a roadblock for travel nurses and the hospitals they serve.
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Heavier workload
Being a travel nurse entails a heavier workload and often more challenging situations than for staff nurses. Assignments can be at busy and complex medical facilities, emergency departments or critical care units requiring increased expertise. Travel nurses also face the challenge of keeping up with frequent changes in regulation, protocols, and policies in each institution they work in.
Working outside their regular home facility can add to strain of learning additional procedures and protocols very quickly. This means that travel nurses must have a great deal of time management skills and the ability to prioritize important tasks efficiently.
Floating more often
Floating more often can be one of the most daunting tasks that a travel nurse has to face. It is particularly challenging because floating requires nurses to adjust quickly to different settings and facilities. Floating also requires them to learn quickly how the staffing patterns and protocols may vary in different departments of the same hospital or even between hospitals.
Furthermore, many travel nurses are required to float across disciplines, such as medical-surgical, telemetry and critical care assignments. Thus, mastering how each specialty works will require knowledge of different patient populations and nursing interventions employed. In conclusion, knowing how to handle floating is an important skill set that all travel nurses should acquire in order to be successful in their daily travels from emergency rooms to surgery centers.
Cultural differences
Travel nurses need to keep in mind the cultural differences between their current and temporary working environment. These subtly different beliefs, convictions, and behaviors can create unexpected conflicts and surprise. Being aware of such differences helps travel nurses to navigate unfamiliar places with more ease and confidence.
Understanding the language, customs, traditions, clothing, food habits, etc., as well as knowing what is socially acceptable in a particular culture should help in resolving possible misunderstandings before they arise. Knowing these cultural dynamics also helps build stronger relationships with coworkers and allows travel nurses to make more positive impressions when working with international teams.
Being prepared for the challenges of a travel nursing job is important in order to make the most out of the experience. Challenges include dealing with unfamiliar places, adapting to different regulations and protocols, learning different organizational cultures, as well as developing relationships with both patients and colleagues quickly.
Furthermore, one must be organized and plan ahead in order to keep up with traveling requirements and necessary paperwork. Taking precautions such as studying different locations, becoming familiar with local regulations, having a detailed itinerary, staying healthy and staying in contact with family and friends can help ensure that the journey is successful.
