Any travel nurse who has visited a different country may be aware of a phenomenon known as "culture shock" – that is, a feeling of unease resulting from the drastic shift in how a society operates. Although most of your travel in this type of nursing role will likely be domestic, it is still important to be aware of cultural differences that could play a significant role in your life on the job.
In our diverse society, understanding different religions and the many cultures of the patients you are treating is often critical when you are providing care. Medical treatments can be largely personal and an individual's religion and culture may play a major role in where their comfort zones lie. At the same time, it's important for travel nursing professionals to be aware of cultural differences from region to region, state to state and even city to city within the United States. The culture in Austin, Texas, for example, is not the same as that in New York City, and travel nurses must be aware of these differences in order to best adapt to a new workplace and understand and communicate with patients from unfamiliar regions.
Cultural compassion allows flexibility
Any nurse or medical professional knows how important it is to be flexible to best meet a patient's needs and requests. Understanding a patient's culture can reveal a great deal about their behavior and may clue you in to some needs that you can meet without them even asking. For example, some nurses have encountered Hispanic patients who prefer no ice in their water because they believe it has no therapeutic value, while others have learned that terminally ill Hindu patients may want their beds moved so their heads face the East, Healthcare Traveler reports.
When you understand and are compassionate about these types of cultural differences, you improve your communication skills in a way that patients are sure to notice and appreciate. Ask patients or their family members about their culture, remembering to pose questions in a sensitive manner.
Adapting to regional differences
It is also important for nurses to remember that cultural differences, regional, religious or otherwise, may affect their interactions with coworkers. For example, someone from the Southern Unites States may communicate differently than someone from the East Coast. Even work cultures within the same state or city can vary, so travel nurses should remember that these differences exist and try to observe and ask questions in order to gain a stronger understanding of where they fit in in the scheme of the office or hospital.