Feeling comfortable and confident in your job is important, and that is especially true as a travel medical professional. Adapting quickly to a new facility is vital for success in a temporary assignment.

In this article, we will give you tips on adjusting to your new facility. We dive into how to connect with your new team and other travelers, mastering the EMR system, and communication with your recruiter.

Research the New Facility Arrival

Once you’ve signed a contract, ask your recruiter for information about your new facility.

What’s the address?
Where will you be reporting for work on the first day?
Where is the parking?
Can you connect me to other travelers from the agency who have worked at this facility?

Map your route before your first commute to the new facility. Then, do a dry run before your first shift to find exactly where you’re going, where to park, and how to find your department. The last thing you want is to be late on your first day.

Connect with others who have worked at the facility. Your recruiter may be able to connect you to travelers from the agency. You can also use social media like LinkedIn or groups for travelers to connect with people.

We also recommend reviewing onboarding materials. You will be required to attend an orientation and want to be prepared before you start. Your recruiter can provide additional information in this regard, so it is worth it to ask them about it.

Arrive Early and Observe

Now that you’ve done a dry run of your new commute, arrive early for your first shift and observe. Make notes of the facility layout, equipment, and department workflow. This will help you find your way when your shift begins. Pay close attention to how staff interact and how tasks are handled. Even if you’ve done something different, we encourage you to learn their way as you are there to help, not update their procedures.

Build Relationships with your Team

When it comes to fitting in as the new person, introduce yourself and ask questions. Even if you’re working in a familiar specialty, asking questions will help you learn about the culture of the facility, and show a willingness to help. Offer to buy coffee as an ice breaker. We know medical professionals love their coffee!

Take notes as you’re going through your shift so you can easily recall supply locations, key protocols, and key contacts. No one expects you to know everything on the first day; they appreciate when you pay attention and catch on quickly.

Master the EMR System Quickly

Each place you work as a travel medical professional will have a different Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the one you’ll be using. Take advantage of onboarding and training. Take notes and review the materials they provide. Even if you’ve worked with the type of EMR, they may use it differently than you’re accustomed to.

Lean on Your Recruiter for Support

Your recruiter is your biggest support while you’re traveling. Reach out to them frequently and lean on them to answer your questions. If you have a housing issue, ask for help. If you aren’t sure who you report to or how to get somewhere, just ask. They are there to guide you and get you through your contract with limited stress.

Reflect and Improve for Future Assignments

You always want to be ready for future assignments. As you’re wrapping up your current one, write the successes and add them to your resume. Note things like what you liked and didn’t like, and share them with your recruiter for your next assignment. We want to be sure you’re well matched.

At AB Staffing, we strive to match you with contracts that are suitable for your skills, experience, and wish list. While we can’t be perfect, the feedback you provide helps us to ensure your future success. Adapting to a new facility as a travel medical professional is easier when you can familiarize yourself with the commute and facility ahead of time, pay attention and take notes, and communicate with your recruiter.

Ready for your next assignment? Check out the AB Staffing Job Board. We look forward to working with you!

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As a traveling nurse, one of the primary skills you should possess is the power of adaptability. Since you constantly move from place to place, you must quickly adjust to the new environment and different healthcare settings.

When visiting a new hospital or clinic, in addition to learning where everything is located, you also need to learn the protocols and how the team works at that new location. While there will likely be a learning curve, if you have a plan to hit the ground running, you have a better chance of success.

To better equip you for the future, here are some challenges to expect and solutions to implement as you adjust to new work environments.

Adapting to Different Healthcare Settings:

Fitting In With Your New Staff in Different Healthcare Settings

The first of many things you’ll likely want to do when going into a different healthcare setting is to meet the medical staff that will be your team during this assignment. The trick here is to be open and approachable. To succeed, you must work together, so you must be able to communicate.

Don’t forget to ask all the questions you can so you’re informed and prepared to act at a moment’s notice. On the flip side, know when it’s time to listen so you can hear all of the finer details. Don’t assume you know how it’s done at this new place. Listen to instructions, and you’ll be fine.

Since your new coworkers will likely be busy throughout the day, and it may be hard to track someone down when you need them, ask if one of the supervisors can act as a mentor. Find someone willing to provide guidance and show you the ropes, and you’ll get on the right path. To retain the information you learn, write notes. Then, take them with you and refer to them when necessary.

Helping Your New Patients

You’ll also want to get used to speaking to and helping the new patient population, especially if they speak a different language. This is one of the reasons why expanding your language skills is a critical cultural competency in healthcare.

There are many advantages to being bilingual in healthcare. One of them is that the world is becoming more diverse, and patients speak more languages than ever, so you will be in greater demand. As far as the job goes, when you can speak the patient’s native tongue, you can be certain that you’re getting all the details and providing quality care. The ability to read in more than one language may also be helpful as a secondary form of communication.

Even if there isn’t a language barrier, there may be a learning curve when it comes to patients you’ve never worked with before, especially if you’re trying to convey new information. Each patient will have their own learning style. Some would like to hear you verbally provide guidance. Others will want to read their prescription and instructions. The best thing to do is ask the patients how they prefer to communicate and go with it.

Learning New Protocols in Different Healthcare Settings

Perhaps most importantly, you’ll also need to learn the protocols and procedures that may differ from where you’ve been before. Try to understand as much as you can early on. The hospital may even have reference cards that you can study during breaks.

Start by learning the basic procedures in this new setting. Ask about their charting system and how to navigate tablets and electronic devices so you can find the data you need without confusion. Also, ask about the crash carts and the necessary codes you need to know. You’ll also want to learn about your specific schedule and how your day-to-day routine should be. Ask who creates the schedules if you need to call out for an emergency.

It’s also essential to learn about the health and safety requirements in your new hospital, including the exit plan in the case of an emergency and the personal protection equipment you should have on you at all times.

Finally, pay special attention to the biohazard waste disposal guidelines at the new location. The guidelines include segregating each form of waste and not throwing biohazard waste into regular trash receptacles. The containers must also be puncture-resistant and properly labeled. Everyone must be trained on how to move and handle the containers. Each hospital may manage these waste requirements differently, so ask good questions to keep yourself and the patients safe.

Conclusion

There are many considerations you’ll want to keep in mind as you travel from one healthcare facility to another, and proper preparation is a must. If you can, call or visit the hospital in advance so you’re not going in completely uninformed. When in doubt, ask questions and do your best to make a nice addition to the team.

We hope you found this article on adapting to different healthcare settings helpful. How do you adapt to different healthcare settings? Comment your tips for fellow travelers below.

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

This article provided by: Gifted Healthcare

You know you’re a “people person” but that doesn’t mean meeting new co-workers always feels easy. Nurses are expected to have unending compassion for long hours in intense situations. It can feel tempting to keep your focus on your patients and distract yourself from your own feelings about your job. Distractions can only work for so long. After your first few assignments you can build up a few strategies for creating positive relationships with your team members. We’ve gathered a few suggestions here based on what travel nurses in the field have experienced.

Common Dynamics

The first step is recognizing the common dynamics that occur between staff nurses and travelers. While some staff members will be happy for the extra help on the floor, some will focus more on the differences in your contract. As a travel nurse, you may earn a different hourly rate than someone in a permanent staff position. Issues with money can really warp some people’s thinking. You may be expected to go the extra mile more often than staff nurses or handle higher numbers of patients. Any new job has its own set of rules and expectations.

One way to think about this is to consider the context of your assignment. Realistically, you were brought on because they needed a talented and compassionate professional to fill a hole in their staffing needs. Before you arrived, the current team was probably pushed to their capacity. They all may have had larger than usual caseloads and felt like they needed something to change.

You were brought in to make things better. The process of re-stabilizing takes time. You might feel overwhelmed the first week but start to feel way more comfortable over time. Talk with your co-workers about the unit. Notice the communication strategies that seem to be successful. Reach out to your agency to discuss the contract’s expectations. You don’t need to have everything perfect on day one. Enter a contract with an open mind and confidence in your ability as a professional, and other staff members will pick up on your energy.

Positive Social Interactions

Building up a collection of positive social interactions can also make changes flow much easier. Do your co-workers go out for drinks and dinner on weekends? Is there a recreational sports team people play on? Maybe you can discover a co-worker or two that has similar interests to you and meet up outside of work. Reaching out and searching for connections can feel vulnerable. Ask yourself about a time where you’ve taken a chance to get to know a new person. What went well? Did parts of the process surprise you? Did going into work feel different? Feeling like you have no control in the situation can be overwhelming. When you recognize you can be your own change-maker, problems become opportunities.

Professional development sometimes means learning a new charting software or technical ability. It also can be recognizing what about your career path gives you anxiety and building up awareness of your self-care needs. If you know it takes you awhile to warm up to people, give yourself the compassion you deserve. Don’t make other people’s work stress into your own.

Prove to yourself that you deserve this role

And anyone worth connecting with will see that also. If you feel like co-worker relationships are important to you, find new things to do in town and invite people to join you. Schedules might be tricky to coordinate, or it could take a few tries. What’s most important is knowing what you’re doing is worthwhile and letting that motivate you. You’re connected to the process of trying new things; you can control your actions but not other’s reactions. If things work out, you’ll be satisfied you put yourself out there. If reality ends up being different than your expectations, you can re-assess the situation with more information and try again. That’s what nursing is about.

If you have any advice about building connections at new facilities, comment below. If you have questions about travel nursing or think it’s the path for you, talk to a GIFTED recruiter today!

adjusting to new facilities

How to Adapt Quickly to a New Facility as a Travel Medical Professional

Research the New Facility Arrival

Arrive Early and Observe

Build Relationships with your Team

Master the EMR System Quickly

Lean on Your Recruiter for Support

Reflect and Improve for Future Assignments

Find Your Next Travel Healthcare Assignment with Our Job Board!

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

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