Helping in a crisis as a travel nurse

Armed with the skills of a successful healthcare professional, you may be called on during a time of crisis. Working as a travel nurse, you've undoubtedly been exposed to a plethora of medical situations that make you an excellent candidate for assisting with a traumatic event that takes place outside of a hospital setting.

Take the lead
If you've ever been assigned to travel nursing jobs as an ER RN, then you are comfortable working in fast-paced and serious situations. This makes you more prepared than most for dealing with an unexpected situation. The ability to act fast on your feet can help save a life in some instances. However, if you are the first on the scene, you need to know your limits and capabilities. This is important to keep in mind for both your personal safety as well as the patient's.

There are a number of situations that may occur requiring your assistance as a healthcare professional. For instance, if someone suffers a panic attack, stroke or other unexpected illness while aboard a plane, a doctor or nurse onboard can be a great asset. In other situations, your expertise may only be required until emergency responders arrive on the site. However, in some cases – such as a natural disaster – all hands on deck are required to help those in need as quickly as possible.

Unexpected crisis
In some cases, you may be in a situation where there is nothing you can medically do to help someone in the midst of a crisis. An individual who is experiencing grief for some reason can still benefit from your compassion though. Depending on the situation, you may find someone going through denial, hysteria, withdrawal or anger due to some type of loss as his or her coping mechanism. This is a point in which you can use the compassion you have learned while working as a travel nurse to help that individual through an extremely difficult time. Through problem solving, listening and identifying the issue, you may be able to help a person overcome complex obstacles.

Since you already have the background in caregiving, you might want to enroll in a crisis class. There are many programs provided across the country in which healthcare professionals can learn the basics of assessing, diagnosing and intervening in emergency situations. With any luck, you'll never have to use the knowledge, and it can simply act as another skill on your resume.