Whether you're new to travel nursing or not, you'll want to make sure that you are maintaining the necessary skills to get the assignments you want. Not only will keeping up to date with the industry ensure that are a good fit for the job, it will also help you to provide the best possible care to your patients. Before talking with your healthcare staffing agency about your next job, make sure you've brushed up on some basics.
Preparation
Just like any working professional, it's important to keep your credentials up to date as a travel nurse. A current resume and skills checklist are important to maintain throughout your career. On each new assignment, there's a good chance that you will pick up new techniques that may come in handy at the next location. Additionally, if there are travel nurse jobs that you are really interested in, an advanced skill set may put you ahead of other applicants.
What else should you always have on hand? A list of references is great and should be updated any time you are working at a new facility. Odds are, there will always be someone who is happy to say a good thing about you. This will also give potential managers a better look into whether you possess the skills necessary to benefit their units. Talk to your medical staffing recruiter if you have any questions regarding who to include or leave off of that list.
It's also good to maintain a running tally – even if just mentally – as to where you would like to go on upcoming travel nurse assignments. Your wants should remain varied, so that you aren't overly upset if No. 1 on your list doesn't work out. Also, if you know where you want to go, you can share that information with the health care staffing agency. This way, they can keep you informed of any availabilities that work with your schedule. Perhaps you'd like to spend the summer months in a northern state to stay away from some of that dry heat, or maybe you'd like to see a bit of snow this winter. Be sure that you keep the time of year in mind when applying for a job.
While working as a travel nursing professional, you will come across a number of opportunities to add to your list of skills. This may help you to become a better leader, which is necessary in your field. Be sure to build up your professional network with each assignment you go on, and make sure that you are a reliable source of information for co-workers. There's no doubt that management will notice your hard work, and there's a good chance you will come across some rewards in the future. In fact, you might have the chance to become a mentor to a new travel nurse – instead of looking for someone to turn to yourself. However, it's always beneficial to have a go-to person in the event you have any questions or concerns you need addressed.