Challenges for Travel Nurses And How To Overcome Them

Updated on October 10, 2021

When looking at travel nurse jobs in Ohio, there are many considerations to make. One of the most important is how a nursing field career presents challenges and what you’ll need to do to get past them. If you haven’t yet experienced setbacks as a nurse, you’re going to eventually. How you choose to deal with them determines how well you’ll do in managing stress and making the most of the profession you’ve chosen for yourself.

What You Need to Know About Travel Nurse Jobs in Ohio

This short guide helps introduce you to the role of travel nursing and how it can be challenging personally and professionally at times. By the time you’ve acquainted yourself with the obstacles listed here, you’ll have a better understanding of how to work around them. You’ll be stronger and better prepared mentally and physically for what’s cut out for you.

Some challenges travel nurses face and ways to overcome them include:

  • Negotiating the right contract to meet their needs. Every travel nurse has their needs physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. Being able to land a contract that provides a competitive salary and includes a benefits package such as free lodging and health insurance is imperative. New travel nurses, in particular, may be leery of asking for what they need. One of the best ways to overcome apprehension when negotiating contracts is to do a lot of research on wages in the area. Knowing what Ohio pays its nurses makes it easier to agree on a salary that benefits both parties. Speaking up about what it takes financially to get a travel nurse to accept an assignment is the best way for medical professionals to receive pay equivalent to their worth. It gets the conversation going about fair wages and benefits packages.
  • Being a long distance from the place they call home. Homesickness is a common issue for travel nurses, especially ones that haven’t taken on many assignments. They miss the familiarity that home provides. If they’ve left family members and friends, they notice their absence frequently. Setting up regular times to communicate with loved ones back home is the answer to feeling more comfortable wherever a travel nurse or dialysis travel nurse positions go. Placing phone calls, writing letters, sending text messages, and chatting online can help a nurse feel more connected to the people they miss the most.
  • Having a fluctuating schedule. An unpredictable schedule can be difficult to master. Nurses used to working specific shifts or having certain days of the week off will find that it isn’t a possibility with some assignments. Travel nurses are often used to fill in the gaps in medical settings. When there is a staffing shortage, they are the first to be called into work. Nurses can adapt to a changing schedule by prioritizing self-care. Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, exercising, and getting enough sleep is imperative no matter what hours a person works. It’s the cornerstone of good health and well-being.
  • Adapting to an ever-changing environment quickly. There is no learning curve when it comes to travel nursing assignments. Training is fast. Some travel nurses feel intimidated by the amount of information they must possess to do their job well. Others learn to think and act quickly as it is the only way to keep up with their workload. Nurses that take notes and ask questions adapt best. Considering that medical environments change daily, they need to keep up no matter their assignment length. Being organized and curious is the best way to answer the demand expected of travel nurses as they work in a new location.
  • Having a contract end abruptly. Sometimes, hospitals and nursing facilities aren’t transparent about their operations. They may not be able to afford to employ a travel nurse for the full duration of a contract. A disclaimer written in the document states that they can end a job whenever they see fit. Reading the fine print is the best way to protect oneself against the loss of an assignment. For some travel nurses, it can be the difference between taking a job or passing it up. If a contract isn’t flexible enough to benefit the medical professional, it’s best to forgo it in favor of a better assignment. It’s not worth traveling to a destination only to find out that it won’t be one that they’ll stay at long.
  • Saying goodbye when their contracts end. After befriending and bonding with staff members and patients, it can be challenging to accept that a current assignment has ended. Many travel nurses love the location they’ve traveled to and the healthcare environment they’ve worked in temporarily. Saying goodbye becomes increasingly tricky. Men and women can opt to stay in touch by checking into the facility occasionally. They can request the contact information of staff that they want to stay in touch with once gone. The travel nurses will be able to maintain the relationships they formed while on assignment.

How you choose to tackle whatever life throws at you is up to you. Developing skills that make you better prepared and more resilient is the goal here. The more you practice what you’ve learned from this guide, the better. You’ll feel more confident in your abilities to get through even the most challenging situation.

Pandemic Conditions Create a New Set of Challenges to Overcome

COVID-19 has rocked the medical industry, putting healthcare professionals at risk, and providing them with additional challenges. From PPE shortages to regular temperature taking and testing, be aware that strict guidelines govern your behavior as a travel nurse. If you arrive at your next assignment after flying on an airplane, you may be asked to self-isolate for 14 days as a precautionary measure before working with patients. If you work in a long-term healthcare facility, it may ask you to avoid going places outside of work and home as a way to protect yourself, your fellow employees, and the people you provide care to as a nurse.

Learning how to protect yourself against contagious diseases and infections is something you’ll want to focus time and energy on doing daily. If you suspect that someone exposed you to COVID-19, you must let the proper authorities know right away. That way, you stop the spread of the virus before it has the chance to devastate the healthcare facility you’re working in on assignment. You’ll want to follow the CDC, WHO, and state of Ohio’s guidelines for healthcare professionals to limit the amount of exposure you have to the virus.

Become the Strongest and Most Resilient Version of Yourself Imaginable

If you’re new to the profession and want to make the most out of your career, follow the advice of skilled professionals who have been there and done that. It will save you a lot of strife and make you feel more confident in your ability to do the job well. With meaningful advice and tried-and-true tips to guide your journey, you’ll have no problem whatsoever thickening your skin and bracing yourself for a challenging yet rewarding career by getting a travel nurse job in Ohio.

Although obstacles exist that test your resolve, one thing is certain. You’re passionate about helping others enough to make it your career. Being able to adjust to a new environment rapidly is part of the thrill of travel nursing. There is never a dull moment, and you get to experience your chosen career to its fullest potential with each new assignment you accept.

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