If you have recently been hired for a new travel nursing assignment, congratulations! This is an exciting time in any nurse’s career and one you will certainly remember for the rest of your life. Most can agree that working as a travel healthcare professional is an especially rewarding career, as you are able to help care for patients all over the country while exploring new places and experiencing different cultures.
As a travel nurse, you could be working in a variety of settings – research or teaching facilities, health care centers and community hospitals. Part of preparing for your first day on a new travel nurse assignment is finding out as much as you can about the facility beforehand. Your recruiter and travel nursing agency will be able to provide you with everything you need to know about the setting, but don’t be afraid to do your own research as well. It might be nice to find out if the hospital has received any awards or if they have been featured in the press recently. Learning more about where you will be working for the next several weeks can help you feel like part of the team and prepare you to answer any questions patients might have about the facility.
You’ll also want to be sure that you pack everything you might need during the assignment. If you have any questions about what certification documents you might need, or about anything else on your list, be sure to talk to your recruiter with your travel nursing agency. However, some of the basics you should pack include: certification documents/cards, two forms of US-issued identification, immunization records, proof of education, documentation related to background checks, documentation related to health restrictions and a credit card.
When your first day on a new assignment finally arrives, you will likely have an orientation period that will ensure you learn the specifics of the new facility or setting. Each hospital and clinic does this orientation differently, but your travel nurse recruiter will be able to give you more details about it before you arrive. If the training session seems brief, don’t panic. You can always ask your supervisor or fellow nurses additional questions if needed.
And remember, you’re a highly skilled, capable nurse – the agency and hiring manager wouldn’t give you the assignment if you weren’t! So do your best to stay calm and have fun while expanding your skillset and your horizons during this exciting experience.