Working well with others on travel nursing jobs

Creating positive relationships with your co-workers on travel nursing assignments is important for a number of reasons. Good communication and respect among the team will ensure that your patients are receiving better care, help you remain upbeat about work during long and tiresome shifts and help avoid mistakes. By supporting your colleagues, you'll influence others to do the same.

Use your words
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently conducted a study to look at how co-workers interact with each other. Although their investigation was focused around an office setting, this information can easily be transferred to travel nurse professionals. This research specifically focused on pinpointing the roles of language and timing in a meeting setting.

Been Kim and Cynthia Rudin led the study and found that three simple words played an important role in persuasion in the workplace. These included "yeah," "give" and "start." These vocabulary terms led to positive and speedy results in the workplace, although it is unclear exactly why. The investigators also found that when topics and issues were decided on in a timely manner, it left everyone more satisfied.

So, how does this transfer to your work as a travel nurse? When discussing treatment plans and other topics surrounding patient care, be sure to use agreeable language that will help the group come to decisions quickly. This will leave your colleagues positive, and you'll also avoid drawn-out discussions – which can easily lead to disagreements and frustration.

And actions
You can also use your actions to influence positive responses from those you work with on travel nursing jobs. Small gestures can go a long way on the job, and if you continue to help others out, it's going to rub off. A few things to try out during your next shift might include:

  • Going above and beyond what you're supposed to do in terms of prep work for the shift that comes in after you – like hanging an extra bag of IV fluid.
  • Covering for a fellow nurse when he or she is on a lunch break so that he or she isn't swamped upon returning.
  • If someone is overwhelmed, helping with pre-op care, patient transportation and other responsibilities when (and if) you have downtime.

Not only will this keep a positive vibe among you and your co-workers, your patients are going to experience benefits as well. However, make sure that your work isn't negatively impacted by pitching in to assist others.