Travel nurses sometimes find it hard to stay in touch with friends and family while they are on the road. This can be especially true during the holidays, when many families gather to catch up and make up for lost time. Luckily, improved technology and the birth of social networks have helped make it significantly easier for people with travel nursing careers to stay connected.
With this in mind, learning how to effectively use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter is a powerful tool for strengthening relationships even while traveling. However, it is equally important for travel nurses to understand some of the risks posed by these sites. As someone in a healthcare career, you probably understand the importance of keeping your work and home life separate, so following these tips about how to use – and not use – social networking effectively can help you stay in touch without affecting your professionalism.
Let them know
If you want to use social networking as a way to stay in touch with loved ones, it is imperative that you make sure they know about it. Make a list of the people you hope to stay in touch with and send them an email with all the ways you can be reached – Facebook profile, Twitter handle, Pinterest page and so on.
Update regularly
Because this may be the main way you communicate with friends and family, it is important that you stay active with your use. A long stretch of inactivity could lead them to stop following your posts.
Coming up with regular posts shouldn't be much of a problem, however. As a travel nurse, you should have plenty to talk about – the different cities you travel to, the many new people you meet – so use social networking as way of keeping the important people in your life up to speed. Don't forget: photographs and videos are great ways to help give people a taste of your exciting life.
Privacy
With all this said, however, it is important that you are careful about your use of social networking. Your job is important and it is crucial that you don't post anything that could jeopardize your career. Before you start, learn about the privacy features of whichever outlet you choose. Make sure you fully understand what these restrictions mean and how to use them properly.
With these simple tips, it is easy to use social media as a way of keeping in touch with the people you care about the most – even as you're traveling around the country.