November 3, 2024

MDG – 500

Trailblazing Healthy Quality

Travel Nursing During The Pandemic

A traveling nurse on what it's like to work during the Covid-19 pandemic -  Vox

What is the most important thing new travel nurses need to know about traveling during the pandemic? What do you think travel nursing might look like post-COVID-19? Even before the spread of COVID-19, travel nurses have been a career path that is in demand since they are the people healthcare facilities turn to when they need some other nurses to fill in some spots in their staff. Here are some things you need to know about travel nursing during the pandemic.

How should new travel nurses find assignments?

  1. Fast-paced

The Travel nursing world is such a fast-paced industry that could take a lot to try and keep up with so you have to be prepared to talk and move fast if you want to get the assignment that you are interested in. There would always be contracts handed to you so you have to constantly have to read that, and once you accept, you start right away.

  1. Determination

You need to have determination when you are a travel nurse since you are constantly going to have to move. You have to show initiative and constantly build relationships in every healthcare facility that you are going to be working in. In travel nursing, you get to have connections with different staff from different places while getting to work in departments that you may be interested in working at. 

  1. Goals and Expectations

When you are entering as a travel nurse for the first time, you have to make sure that you have your goals and your ex[ectations in line so you could enter this field of a career with a bit of expectation and some of your goals so you have a goal to shoot for.

You are going to keep moving since you are traveling, so you should expect that you are moving from contract to contract so constant moving is something you should expect. This would give you a bunk of career opportunities and give you different experiences. 

You could also expect constant employment since you are going to be hired by healthcare facilities that need nurses as soon as possible since you are filling in for staffing shortages and seasonal spikes.

  1. Team-player

You need to be committed and have a team-friendly mindset when you are a travel nurse so you have to be able to be pushed to your maximum capacity and know that you have to show up and be ready to help whenever you can. Show gratitude, ask questions when you have concerns, be friendly, and get to know the people in your department for a better work environment. 

Challenges in Travel Nursing During COVID-19

  1. Pay

With the pandemic happening now, travel nurses are always in demand in different facilities so you are usually making a lot more money than staff nurses, especially during the pandemic. This might be great for you but could be a problem for them since they would feel like they should also have an increase in the paycheck. Nurses are important now since we are under a global pandemic, so payments are increasing. It may not generally be your problem, but it could be a problem for different employers.

  1. Shifts

Because nurses are more in demand than ever, there are a lot of shifts that different nurses are trying to get, so there are going to be times where you might be put in a shift that may not be favorable for you. It could be frustrating, especially if you are covering extra shifts and shifts during the holiday, but you have to show them that you are flexible when it comes to your timetable.  

  1. Workload

Since every healthcare facility is practically full now, you are going to be handed a heavier workload since as a travel nurse, you are getting paid higher than the other nursing staff. For the ratio of your assignment, you have to go and ask your recruiter to make sure you have everything cleared out. Prepare for getting the bigger end of the ratio.

  1. Floating

You are probably going to be the first one to float to another department and expose yourself to a whole lot of different facets of the healthcare facility. Since you are the most flexible out of all of the nurses in the facility, you are going to find more assignments and there would be a whole lot more opportunities for you. This would give you a lot of experience and help you garner a lot more skills.

  1. Health

Since you are working in the hospital practically the whole day, you are going to be exposed to the virus since this is where people are being sent to when they are in critical conditions. You have to constantly make sure that you are sanitized, safe, and healthy since you are going to have to come back home every day to your family. This is a big problem when you have senior citizens with children in your home. So keeping yourself healthy is not only your problem but keeping your family healthy as well.

Travel nurses have made a huge impact in the healthcare world and there are a lot of benefits that you could get when you choose this career path. You could try consulting other travel nurses and recruiters if you are interested.