Traveling to new places can be exciting and also scary. Questions constantly run through your mind. What is there to do here? How is the hospital run? What are the people like? These are the constant questions we hear as recruiters when helping individuals find their new assignments. How do we respond? It’s simple … traveling is all about keeping an open mind and giving it your all.
We all know the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but how does that apply to your assignment?
The Hospital
Showing up on your first day of a new job, whether as a traveler or not, can be scary. There is so much to learn; from the policies, to where to park, to where the nearest break room is located. The key though is to take it all in, ask questions when you need clarification, but ultimately understanding you’re a guest in someone else’s house. You will quickly start to pick up on how things are done and you might even be able to make your own changes. On day one, meeting people and learning their way is the best thing you can do.
The Staff
We all have had that one coworker who you may not “mesh” with. They may talk too much, make a lot of mistakes, call out sick, complain, etc. However, at the end of the day, keeping a positive mindset and focusing on you and the greater picture is all we can do to move beyond personality conflicts. This applies to the life of a traveler. You are now in a new place with a team of people who all have worked together for a while, so knowing how to adjust and maybe even change your mindset will only help set you up for success. One tip I’ve learned from one of our travelers is to make it a goal to learn something new from each person in the hospital. They may do things differently but at the end of the day, you can learn something from them and you might come to find out that you have more in common than you think!
The Town
There is no way to describe the feeling you get when you show up to a place that you know very little about. Where do you go to eat? What do you do for fun? Which areas of town should you avoid? What are they most known for? These are questions we ask ourselves anytime we go somewhere new, so how do you answer them? As a recruiter, I enjoy when travelers tell me about their exciting journeys, send me pictures, or have a funny story about a local hotspot. Checking out the local tourist center, asking the hospital staff for recommendations as well as the locals are some of the ideas I hear from people on a daily basis. These towns may have more to offer than one would think, so keeping an open mind and going in with no expectations is the way to go. Give it your all, allow for the memories to be made, and keep that positive mindset. If you do these things, you will have an amazing experience as a traveler!
Nick Rieschl is a Team Lead in the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group.