A positive and professional attitude is essential in any field, but it is especially crucial for people with travel nursing jobs, as workers in this field are often asked to handle complicated situations and adjust smoothly to a life filled with frequent travel. Although a certain amount of your personality is set in stone, much of it can be changed and improved, which means that with a little effort, you can alter your attitude to become a more effective travel nurse.
Here are some tips to help you adopt an ideal travel nursing attitude.
Improve your adaptability
One of the defining features of a career in travel nursing is its diversity. You will be working across the country in a wide variety of healthcare facilities and asked to interact with a huge range of co-workers and patients. Because of this, it is essential that you are able to roll with the punches and reflect your environment.
It isn't always easy to become more easygoing or adaptable, but if you put in a little effort, you will likely find that you can in fact improve your attitude in these areas. One of the best ways to do this is to understand the virtues of relinquishing control. When you join a team, it is easy to find faults with how your team is managed. However, it is typically more effective to assume that there are good reasons for why your supervisors act as they do. Embrace their leadership and do your best to respond positively to all of your supervisors' suggestions and instructions.
Find humor
Work as a travel nurse is often serious, but finding humor in your work and life can help you endure the harder parts of your job. According to NurseTogether, embracing humor and seeing the lighter side of your job can help you stay happier and provide better care for your patients. Engaging directly with patients on a personal level – and taking steps to brighten their days – can help you infuse your shift with good-natured humor.
Even if you are not a naturally funny person, it is possible to bring humor into your daily routine. Laugh regularly and encourage your patients to do the same – you'll be amazed by how much these small changes can improve your attitude.
Remain professional
It may seem strange following a suggestion to laugh more at work, but keeping a professional demeanor is also an integral part of improving your attitude. This doesn't mean you can't have a good time on your shifts – it just means that you should always remember that your job is important and that you need to treat your patients and co-workers with respect.
In this quest (and many others), the golden rule is a good principle to bear in mind. If you wouldn't want your fellow travel nurses to do it, then you shouldn't do it either. Whether this means showing up late for shifts or complaining regularly about patients or policies, it is important to avoid unprofessional habits and commit yourself to a positive, professional attitude. This will endear you to your colleagues and help you provide the best care you can.
Stay true to yourself
Although adjusting your attitude to be more in line with the demands of travel nursing is a good idea, giving it a complete overhaul is a recipe for disaster. Instead, it is better to find small areas where you can improve and focus on those more incremental adjustments. Your patients and co-workers will instantly notice if you adopt a new (and likely forced) personality, so it is better to make subtler shifts at a slower pace.
Over time, this approach can help you acquire the habits of a more effective and personable travel nurse.