For nurses who find themselves moving between travel nursing jobs frequently, the idea of finding a professional mentor may seem counterintuitive. Between the temporary nature of most assignments and the unique pressures travel nursing professionals face, it can be challenging for travel nurses to find someone who can serve as a professional guide. However, even if you're never in the same place for long, that doesn't mean you shouldn't seek out someone who can take you under their wing and make sure your career is headed in the right direction.
Teaching old dogs new tricks
One of the most common misconceptions about finding a travel nursing mentor is that only junior, or "green," nurses can benefit from the insights and wisdom of a mentor. This couldn't be further from the truth. Even if you're a seasoned professional with many years of experience under your belt, you can still benefit from the advice and guidance of a similarly experienced colleague.
For travel nursing professionals, the pressures of the job can sometimes make it easy to fall into potential pitfalls, especially when it comes to career development. The rigors of moving from one place to the next, learning the intricacies of how a particular hospital or healthcare center operates and working with new people can all make it hard to stay focused on the big picture. Fortunately, a mentor can help you identify – and avoid – mistakes that could hurt your career.
When you accept a new travel nursing job, don't be afraid to reach out to the more experienced members of the team. Sure, it can be hard to openly ask for help, especially when you've got plenty of patients to take care of, but finding the time to reach out and forge new connections with your colleagues could pay off in a big way in the long run.
You scratch my back …
One aspect of mentorship that some travel nursing professionals overlook is seeking out nurses who have similar career paths and experiences. Although the concept of a mentor often implies a relationship between a highly experienced individual and someone new to the field, it doesn't have to.
When you find another travel nurse who's been doing it about as long as you have, strike up a conversation. People with similar professional backgrounds to yourself may have a unique insight into problems you might have encountered along the way, as well as suggestions for overcoming potential pitfalls in the future. Likewise, your unique experiences could be tremendously beneficial to another nurse, so it works both ways.
Finding a mentor with a similar level of experience can also help keep you accountable. When it comes to professional development, it's easy to fall into habits and routines regarding your work, so talking things over with another travel nursing professional can keep you honest when it comes to areas in which you can improve.
An interdisciplinary approach
When you accept another travel nursing job, don't limit yourself to finding individuals who are also travel nurses when searching for a mentor. Other professionals can be valuable mentors, as they may have experiences and insights that could still be useful, even though their primary job focus isn't nursing. This most definitely applies to individuals in management roles, who can advise you about ways to diversify your skill set and progress in your career.
This type of mentorship relationship also helps keep you focused on self-awareness. For example, you might not be aware of an area in which you could stand to improve, and working with a mentor can help you stay focused on knowing which aspects of your day-to-day work could use a tune-up.